Back in RV1 Team C are heading out to the hotel to start there leg a 70 mile virtual straight road to Kim, on the edge of Kansas. Sadler has an urge for some private time, but refuses to give in and let nature take its course, there are rumours of at least two other "villains" taking toilet time in the RV but its hotly denied. We leave Alan to control his discomfort.
Meanwhile Brocko' is finding every lump in the road with great success and we name the place Bumpyville, Bumpyland for a long straight road over flattish hillside it's anything but comfortable.
We have booked Rino's Italian Restaurant in the mining town of Alamosa for 8.15pm and it's a good choice, the food is probably the best we've had and a couple of the waitresses have taken the microphone and serenaded us with songs from "Phantom of the Opera", it's a nice touch.
Day Eight Sunday 07.09.08 (Kim - Pratt 270 miles)
State Colorado into Kansas
It's an early start for Teams B & C as they get to there start positions for the ride. Up and loading for 6.45am before leaving at 7.30am. All the teams are scheduled to do 90 miles each today across 3 legs, it's day Eight and the longest cycling day of them all. Team A will set off from Kim 85 miles West of the Kansas border and 3 of us want to break the 100 mile barrier. Andrew and John from West Yorkshire Windows are the only members of the Ride 4 Hope team not to have broken 100 miles cycling in one day and today will be there best chance. The road continues where it left off and it's a full 100 miles of flats, slight uphills and downhills. We start at the road sign proclaiming that we are at 5,970 feet, by the end of the day we'll drop 800 feet into a small town area called Johnson.
There is nothing to view, of all the uninteresting rides this has to take the No 1 slot. It's mile after mile of field acreage, hardly any life at all. We see a dozen or so Red Angus beef cattle in a field and it's considered a highlight. We stop at 41 miles for a break to eat yesterdays remaining subway sandwiches and they're soggy and tasteless, wash them down with sprite, eat a few crisps and off we go again for another 30 mile stretch. That's not before dozens of flies have invaded the RV and we're hurriedly putting on insect repellent, the little buggers bite. At points along the way we double up instead of drafting so we can at least get some conversation going, there's a 15mph head wind. At the 70 mile mark we're still reasonably fresh but Andrew and Sean are complaining of sore backsides (occupational hazard) and we ask Anthony to stop at a town called Walsh so we can take in a coffee, Hershey Bar and have 10 minutes off the bike. Refreshed we crack on we're 15 miles from the Kansas border and will finally leave Colorado behind. We stop and take the photo opportunity at the State line. Sean is feeling it a bit now and will stop at the targeted 90 miles to get in the RV with Anthony. Graeme, John and Andrew head off on the final 10 mile stretch.
It's over, at last we break the 100 mile barrier and there's hugs and handshakes for a great effort, we all still feel fresh, it's been a good, if boring run and we've been riding for 5 and a half hours at an average of 18.2mph. Settling back into the RV, Sean has done a sterling job getting rid of the fly infestation and preparing our recovery drinks. Anthony though is not so upbeat the RV is playing up, we've had a mechanic out but still have the same problems
After stopping for yet more petrol (we're only getting 7 mile to the gallon) we finally reach our destination, yet again Sat' Nav' or Pratt Nav' has taken us 26 miles off route, it's 11pm and everyone else has already checked in and are away to there rooms. Anthony must be as tired as any of us he has driven for over 12 hours today and dealt with the stresses of running the ailing RV. We're very grateful for his efforts and hopefully he'll have a good nights rest to catch up on before it all starts again tomorrow.
Team B set off and have Iain back in the team. He is almost fully recovered after his Asthma problem of a couple of days ago, but this isn't going to hold him back. Gaz' is getting stronger and Keith and Alan are going well to. The scenery for there ride isn't much difference to the rest of the group, open fields, occasional low growing sunflowers and then fields of Maize. Once again the Sat Nav' adds something else to the days ride and the 5 mile detour gives them more uphill to do and when there is a strong head wind it's an unwelcome addition to the day.
Gaz' and Alan attract the attention of the local canine community and it's the fastest they've ridden all week. This area is barren of everything and a dog bite is not what they are looking for.
Team C had the same day as the rest of us, except they collected a couple of punctures along the way. Yvonne reports that Gary is now riding stronger. Richard and Keith confirm the pace was strong, but without ipods would have gone numb. Keith going through the best part of 9 albums. Dave Thomas has the same thoughts. Dave struggles a little toward the end of the day, he is not naturally a big eater and sometimes you have to force food down you, eventually it catches up with you and this will be the furthest Dave has ridden in one day. By the end he's tired and just wants to get to bed and who can blame him.
There is no time for "dick of the day" or "Rider of the Day". At least word has got round that it's a late start tomorrow 8.45am loading for a 10am set off.
Day Nine 08.09.08 ( Pratt, Kansas - Iola 200 miles)
The teams are up and it's McDonalds for breakfast, everyone looks a lot fresher, it's been a good nights sleep. Dave Thomas Joins us with two Egg McMuffins, Large Orange Juice and Two coffees, where is he going to put it? We have some good news the RV driven by Anthony is fixed, apparently the problem was caused by a faulty wire and so the transmission and acceleration where at odds with one another.
We're all sorting the loading out and Yvonne is taking care of some thigh massaging, Dave has a faulty tyre and that has to be replaced, but we're packed and ready and soon on our way.
Teams C & D are on Anthony's RV and we are checking out Fabstores latest email. Mr Sadler decides its time to fine Richard for unsubscribing to the Fabstore web link, and as Graeme unsubscribed 12 months ago he's fined as well that's another $ 5 each. As a result Richard is put in charge of the fines committee and quickly comes up with 20 reasons to fine people. We appoint Dave Thomas in his absence as treasurer.
Fines range from :-
$ 5 for not subscribing to Fabstores charity page
$ 1 for bike maintenance
$ 1 for dirty kit
$ 1 for wearing socks with flip flops (come on you know who you are)
$ 1 for every time Yvonne makes you scream out loud when massaging your legs
$ 1 for being late anywhere
$ 5 for not fixing your own puncture
$ 5 for No 2s in the RV and you have to clean it yourself (if you dare to do one)
Team C set off 100 miles further East and the weather is gloomy, dull, overcast and very blustery with a strong South Westerly wind that will be head or side on for all 50 miles.
20 miles in and though we are making good time in poor conditions I'm not performing as I should, just because we all rode well yesterday doesn't mean you are going to repeat it today. If you don't eat, you don't ride. The legs are aching and I just can't get going properly but fortunately the wind is masking my problems. Richard is riding strong today, he looked tired in McDonalds earlier, but looked as if he could go a lot quicker than me or Alan today, very impressive. Alan is as steady as ever, likes to keep with the pace, but likes to control it so he has something to spare and today we needed it. Alan at first has a slow puncture on one of the many long slow climbs, but then we give up and change the inner tube, it will set up back 10 minutes, but as we've decided not to stop for coffee or any break at all it shouldn't affect the ride time to much. Truth is we just want to get today's ride over with, the traffic is much heavier than previous days, we're on a main road and the trucks whizzing past us are huge.
Looks like Team C have had a similar day to us, Keith turns in saying that's the coldest he's ever been on a bike, Sean has turned in a good performance, but Morty has struggled in the strong winds, it's no slight of character as I wrote earlier, this has been one of the hardest days. I look across at Gary Torr and he's clearly weary, Shelly looks reasonably fresh and Dave Thomas ambles by to check in. After a long riding day yesterday today should have given us a bit of light relief but it hasn't there are a few tired limbs out there.
At least the teams on Brocko's RV have been well fed, stories of bowls of fresh Chilli. Dave (Brocko) didn't have a room at the Days Inn in Pratt, so he found himself one down the road. Whilst taking his laundry in he got talking to some of the locals who obviously took pity on him and then went away to create some home made chilli for him. They made so much he had plenty left over for the next day and ever the improviser Dave called off at the local Wall-Mart bought a cooked chicken for $ 5 and carved it up to go with the meal for the lads. Ten out of Ten from the team and an assurance of no Dick of the day votes. We're not having a go at Anthony here, it seems Brocko' is on a roll and enjoying the culinary side of the support trip. Anthony carries on regardless and there are no complaints from his RV after all we did get a coffee.
Team A had a more eventful run or rather Dave Thomas did. Heading down a cobbled road, Gary Torr and Dave decided to take the easier route, or so they thought. Riding along the embankment Gary took a little detour around a paving slab that was raised in the air and Dave duly followed. Unfortunately for Dave his back wheel caught the raised slab. He tried to correct the bike and his right leg came out of the pedal and he was flung against a wire fence, which saved his fall. Shelly waited long enough for Dave to give the thumbs up he was ok before setting of in fits of laughter with Gary, teamwork eh! You can't beat it.
On a more serious note, the guys have proved incredibly motivated not only to getting fit for this trip of a lifetime but in pulling together in the face of adversity when conditions were extremely tough at the beginning of the journey. They have stuck to the task with good humour and excellent teamwork and support. Dave Thomas summed it all up a couple of days ago on a 93mile stint. "That is the hardest thing I've ever done in my life". He suffered big time but would not give up and was pulled through by the others.
Given the choice of sitting in the 'caravan' as it had been christened by a certain northern gentleman that resembles the cartoon character 'Shrek', or baling out into temperatures not encountered by most of us before, the latter became the much preferred option and as we pulled into a fuelling station in the aptly named town of Hope in Arizona, it was alarming how many volunteers we suddenly had to fuel the vehicle, fill the water tank, fix the generator and do the shopping etc! Anything to escape the clutches of the curious cloud.
