Kayenta, Arizona to Tuba City, Arizona
Tire woes under control. Back tire seems to still have a slow leak. Lost 25 lbs of pressure in 24 hours. I can live with that. Temps in high 40’s last night. Slept in the desert. Awoke to a pretty sunrise with the eastern horizon seeming larger than ever. 78 miles to Tuba City, AZ today.
Sitting at the Blue Coffee Pot Cafe, having breakfast, I wonder if there is a market for cowboy hat style bike helmets. A certain panache for the western biker. Hell, I’m riding the range everyday... thought I could use a little style. This place is nice. Octagonal with octagonal cupola in the center. Windows all around and lots of sunshine.
A couple enters the restaurant and they look like they are tourists. The man approaches me with a big smile on his face. His name is Sebastian and he’s from France and touring the Southwest, headed for Las Vegas. But in 2002, he rode his bicycle from Montreal to La Paz, Mexico. Across Canada and down the Pacific coast and through Mexico. He took 7 1/2 months to do it and toured every winery along the way - investigating and researching them. So you might say it was a working vacation. He asked if I ever get to France and I said, “No.” Then he invited me to bike around France with him, should I ever make it over there. Wow, now I have an invitation to France to add to Colorado, Hawaii, and the Smoky Mountains. The woman he was traveling with was quite attractive. I never did catch her name, but the French do know how to pick them.
Off I go. Early start after post office and water fill-ups. Burger King water faucets had sensor and only spit out a little at a time. McDonalds had high spigots for easy filling and unlimited water!
About 3 or 4 miles along, Sebastian and company pulled up alongside me to wish me well one more time. They then pulled ahead of me and he popped his head up through the sunroof and turned back to take a picture of me pedaling. Au Revoir - off to Vegas! Three miles later, I see a VW Jetta with flashers on and I think it looks like my new French friends. Then I see him. The guy I’ve heard a bout for 2,000 miles. Jose Garcia! The one pedaling a bike with a trailer from Montreal to El Salvador via LA! It was so exciting to finally catch this guy! As I pulled up, I asked if this was the meeting for the international bikers convening on Rte 160 west of Kayenta. Three bikers - two in progress, one veteran. I will always feel the kindred spirit of those who are, those who have, and those who will.
Jose is a wiry, 5’9”, 150 lb. fellow pulling 65 kg. (which I believe is about 140 lbs.) of gear in his trailer, including a wooden chair! Yes, I actually saw his wooden chair. He also had a wooden kickstand - a wooden tree limb that worked perfectly to prop up his rig. We all took a bunch of pictures and then Sebastian’s girlfriend handed Jose and me a nice pear to take on our journey. They bid us one last Bon Voyage and sped off for Vegas.
Jose and I started off and I rode behind him for a mile or so and then took off. I probably only go about 5 mph faster than him, so I have to give him a lot of credit. He lived in Montreal for 20 years and is done there and now heading home to El Salvador. If he gets to Tuba City tonight, maybe we’ll get together.
The ride today has been awesome. A quick ride through Marish Pass (elevation 6500 ft.). Then out through a valley between Shonto Plateau to the north and Black Mesa to the south. The Shonto Plateau stayed alongside me for 40 miles and was quite pretty with all the pastel shades of brown, green, red, and blue. The temperature is warming up, but at 20 mph and absolutely no humidity, it’s very comfortable riding. Fifteen miles from Tuba City, AZ, my rear wheel started acting more wobbly. I think the rumble strips took their toll on it. It didn’t seem noticeable while pedaling, but when coasting, it was shimmying quite strongly.
Made it to Tuba City and decided I better get a motel so I would have a “bike shop” to try and “true” the wheel. We stayed at a Quality Inn here in 1997 on “The Griswold’s Cross Country Adventure.” They wanted $83 a night. I tried another place called the Dine Inn Motel and they only wanted $55, so I stayed there.
Got a fried chicken dinner to take out from Basha’s Supermarket and called home to get Ryan’s technical expertise to try and “true”the wheel, or at least improve it. Could not get it perfect but did manage to make it better. Plan to get up and ride the 75 miles to Flagstaff as fast as I can to get to a bike shop early. It will be Saturday and they may not be open on Sunday.
Totals for the day: 78.25 miles, 5 hrs. 24 min., 2850.0 total miles