Michael rode the single bike, along with Kass, a Dutch rider, the 86 miles to Pocatello, ID. We were fortunate the sun stayed behind the cloud cover you can see in the picture above the entire ride. That was a difference of ~20 degrees; so, instead of ~97 it was ~77. Those who came in later in the day were not so lucky as they had to ride a number of miles in the 97 degree heat. The support really watches out for the riders making sure they have cold water and ice for bandanas to put around the neck, etc.
Forgot to mention yesterday that, during the ride, there was a scavenger hunt.You had to find 10 items along the way. Below shows how one of the teams was explaining how to be safe when turning a corner.
Again, the terrain in southern ID is so much different than OR. Today, we rode a stretch in the open range that was over 15 miles without a turn! The only thing we had to look out for were cattle on the road as there were no fences. However, there were many cattle crossings, that is, a four foot wide grate the full width of the road. These were about every four miles. Not sure what purpose they serve since the cattle can simply walk around them. John Schneider, you would have fun jumping them as they are not quite as wide as a single railroad tracks you've jumped many times.
This pictures give you an idea of what I mean by flat. The rider is my Dutch friend, Kass.
We are discovering how hard the ride can be on bikes. Riding on the chip seal roads pops rocks up all the time hitting your frame and spokes pretty hard. I am so glad I followed the tour information guide where it said not to bring aero wheels as they would not have survived the harness of the roads.
In case you are wondering how a support vehicle setup looks, here is one where Anne is helping with the SAG stop. They were playing music and talking to the riders to keep up their spirits and it worked.
There is another van and trailer set up and a van for repairs.
Tomorrow, we take the tandem to Idaho Falls, ID. Hopefully, we will stay cool.
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