Day 4: The Mojave

Heard from Dad earlier this evening. Reports that today was hard but went very well. About 15 of them took the van either for the first 32 miles (as discussed the day before) or for some other stretch of today's 100-mile desert crossing. (Dad and friends did the first 32 in the van.) There are about 35 people doing the ride, so that's almost half of them. Dad reported that he physically felt just fine; thinks that he probably could have done the whole ride, but that he thinks he made the right call and that there was no point in risking it or the next day's ride (115 miles). One of the other riders who took the van is quite a strong rider, but, as he put it, "how many of us have done two century+ rides back to back? Let alone in the desert, in California?" A decent chunk of them got past the "EVERY F****** MILE" mantra/mentality when it came down to the tough call.

At one point they rode for 30 miles and there was literally nothing - including nowhere to refill their water. They were advised to put plain water in their water bottle(s), and use it to squirt through their helmets and onto their clothing - in Dad's case, white things that look like and he calls long-johns. Mom claims that they're breathable-things-that-protect-from-sunburn that aren't actual long-johns. He had a hat-thingie (the technical term, of course) under his helmet that helped hold the water - said the whole evaporative cooling thing actually worked quite well, the water felt hot when squirted but as it hit the wind while moving it was an effective cooler. Their camel-backs held 65 oz, a 50/50 nutrient/water mixture. He drank two camel-backs during the 30 mile stretch of nothing, and probably drank about a gallon total at the two rest stops.

The last eight miles to Blythe, CA were very nice - it was largely downhill, and they caught a tailwind. They were averaging about 20 mph during that last stretch, which sounds like a nice way to end the desert ride. After taking the van for 32 miles, he and the others with him rode 68 miles today through the Mojave. His roommate Richard said that the Blythe newspaper ran a piece two days ago about their tour coming through (Sunday? I'd think anywhere in the Fri-Sun range) - I couldn't find it online, but if anyone does please pass the link along!

The other thing he said was neat was that the truck drivers out there are familiar with the tour, and would talk on their CB radios about where the group was - when trucks passed them, they'd honk their horns hello!

In terms of their daily schedule, it goes about like this:
- get up around 4:45; shower
- eat breakfast w/ group at 6
- get underway at 7:15; they can't leave before then at this point due to the angle of the sun until that time making it difficult for drivers to see the riders. Since I encouraged Dad to "not get hit by cars" before he left, this sounds like a good plan to us.
- ride till 3-4 pm
- get into the hotel. Eat lots so the muscles can absorb nutrients as efficiently as possible.
- shower/wash clothes in the shower
- fix up whatever needs done on the bike
- Road RAP - daily briefing on the next day's route, any problems with the route, dangers, etc
- eat dinner
- personal time - call home, use the internet, kick back
- most are in bed by 9 or 9:30 pm