7/02 Mountain Home to Twin Falls, Id.

 

         

Shirley, from Sweeny High School Class of ‘59, asked how “that van thing works”.

There are three support vehicles and a staff of five (supposed to be six but one has medical issues). Two vehicles are 15 passenger vans with bike racks on the top and rear. One of these is the mechanic’s van and he roves the course looking for people with mechanical problems. The vehicles communicate with each other via radio. There is also a very large box truck which carries all the luggage, spare stuff (e.g. I’ve got parts for my bike stored here), food, and other supplies (e.g. they sell jerseys, t-shirts, etc before each rest day). Every night when you get the route sheets, you also get tomorrow’s schedule. For instance, today it is:

• 5:30 Breakfast
• 5:50-6:20 Time you load your luggage in the box truck
• 5:00 pm Mechanic will be available at the hotel to fix anything not fixed during the day
• 4:00-8:00 Dinner
• 6:00 Rap session where you get next day’s instruction

There are one or more “sag” (Support and Gear) stops each day where one of the vehicles is parked and has available food and drink, sun screen, tire pump, tubes, etc. You can also leave jackets and other stuff at the sag stops if you don’t think you’ll need it during the rest of the day. Today the stops were at miles 28.8 and 60.0. Usually the box is at the first sag stop and then, after everyone has come through, may go directly to the motel. And the non-mechanics van is usually at the second stop. But on long and hot days they will park a vehicle at intermediate points primarily to provide water. The staff members rotate duties and one or two of them bike at least part of the ride each day. Assuming the box truck gets to the hotel about the same time as the faster riders, as soon as there are a dozen or so riders, we unload the luggage (roughly 100 pieces, none are supposed to weigh over 35 pounds).

For everything we do (meals, luggage in van, stop at sag stops, arrival at hotel, etc.) we must sign-in. This is how they keep track of 50 people who might be spread over 20 miles. So it’s pretty regimented, as it need be, but done mostly with a gentle hand and humor so no one gets mad.

Speaking or regimentation, when you arrive at a sag stop you must follow this procedure:

1. Take off your cycle gloves
2. Sign in
3. Clean your hands with some wipes provided
4. Sanitize your hands with the stuff provided
5. Then you can go to the food and drink table

On one of the first days I forgot this – got off my bike and walked toward the food table. I reached for a cookie (gloves on my hands) and my hand was slapped.

               

Today’s ride, 97 miles, was pretty nice; we were on country roads almost the entire day. Cool in the morning, hot by the second rest stop but cloud cover came in and cooled things for the afternoon. Almost all of our riding in Idaho is along the Snake River, although we can’t see it much of the time. ‘Went through a lot of agricultural areas today.

         

First accident occurred today. Pam and Nick are strong riders and ride together, drafting much of the time. Pam was in the lead and they were moving right for a car to pass when Nick’s wheel hit hers. He went over the handlebars and broke his collar bone. So his ride is over – and there are no refunds.

Idaho is famous for potatoes. I’m not sure what Twin Falls is famous for but this is the place Evil Kenievel met his waterloo; he did not make it across the Snake River Canyon (shown on right). As I understand it, his parachute took him down to the river.

Day 11, 97 miles, 1,764 feet climbed, 7.5 hrs

39 days to go, 807 miles so far, 2,869 miles to go