Today started out on rough roads and side of the road rest stops, but the mountains in the distance motivated us to push further. As we rolled into Boulder, we got closer and closer to the Rocky Mountains, and everyone was excited to be out of the open fields. We had a relaxing night in Boulder and explored some of the city before getting rest and tackling the next day!
Quote of the Day
“There’s just something about being horizontal that just feels good”
RIDE OVERVIEW
Mileage: 94.9 miles
Elevation: 3,016 ft
Points of Interest: Pearl Street, Zoe Ma Ma, OZO Coffee, REI, Rapha, Yellow Deli, Tibet Kitchen, Pho Kitchen Bar and Grill, Flatirons
Ride Dedication: Elizabeth Sharpe
Tales of the Trail
DAY 35
We started the morning with an early wake-up ahead of a long day into Boulder. Not too much happened in the morning, and the first 57 miles of the ride were mostly barren. Since we passed by no towns, the first two rest stops were on the side of the road. On the bright side, we were soon able to see the Rockies in the distance, but we still had a long way to go before arriving in the mountains! Our third rest stop was at a Subway and a Carl’s in a gas station, and my parents (Dev) provided us lunch! As we approached Boulder, we started to get on some busy roads, and the mountains came more into view. We made some easy ascents and found ourselves in a more urban area. Everyone was excited to be in an urban environment after biking through the countryside for weeks, and the anticipation of breathtaking scenery motivated us to keep going further. Eventually, we reached Boulder, and we got to ride through the University of Colorado Boulder campus, where the sandstone buildings were beautiful!
Once we arrived at the stayover, everyone took some time to rest, and those visiting families and friends dispersed. The team got some well-needed floor time before getting cleaned up. Most of us used a hose to wash up before getting ready for dinner. Those of us who were still at the stayover got ready and walked down Peart Street, which was a really nice part of Boulder that had unique stores, restaurants, and cafes. Since everyone was really hungry, we decided to get dinner at Zoe Ma Ma, a Chinese restaurant that had delicious food. Some of the workers were even kind enough to give us leftovers for the night. We ended the night with ice cream, and even ran into a magician who put on a show for us! Since everyone was tired, we decided to return to the stayover to get some rest for the upcoming rest day.
DAY 36
Everyone was excited and ready to explore Boulder today for their rest day. Some had an earlier start than others by going to REI and bicycle shops to get the gear they needed for the rest of the trip, followed by brunch. Some people started off their day by heading to Lucile's Creole Cafe for breakfast, followed by a stroll down the renowned Pearl St in Boulder, peeking into different shops, buying souvenirs, and trying different cafes and restaurants. Everyone's mornings were different, and we got to share our stories at the end of the day.
Matt and Harbin decided to go mountain biking, and they had a blast on the trail. They got used to the suspension on the bikes, which is unfortunate as they wont be able to bounce up and down on the bike again when we hit the road tomorrow with our road bikes. One group decided to go hiking and tackle a Flatiron! The group coincidentally met Jason (our mechanic), who was with his friends, Yoanna and Jesse, in the parking lot that led to the trailhead. We combined groups, and Yoanna and Jesse ultimately became our guides up the mountain. Without them, we probably wouldn’t have found the top of the mountain when the trails became more confusing with directions towards the top. The group had a blast hiking up the mountain, and we were glad to be able to move our legs differently, off the bike. This hike also allowed us to acclimate better for the days ahead when we begin to hike through the mountains.
After the hike, the group was starving and headed to the Tibet Kitchen for some much-needed grub. A lot of us got dumplings and soup, and it filled us up. The other half of the team in the meanwhile were eating dinner at Pho Kitchen Bar and Grill while wearing Nebraska shirts that we got from a previous stayover for the giggles. That group got many discerning faces while repping Nebraska merch in Colorado, but it made for funny interactions. Afterwards, Jesse and Yoanna (Jason’s friends) managed to get the team access to showers! Thank you to Yoanna and Jesse for being the team’s tour guides up the Flatiron and for providing the team with showers and additional snacks the following day. It was great to meet you guys, and we had fun being able to get to know you better!
Thank you to the First United Methodist Church for giving us a place to sleep for two nights, and for allowing us to use the hose the first night to get ourselves clean. We appreciate your hospitality and those who stayed the night to make sure everything ran well.
Cyclist’s Corner
Today’s Rider: Yuncong Geng
How are you feeling today?
I'm feeling awesome because today is the longest I've biked. I finished 95 miles, yeah, I think it's amazing. I didn't believe I could do that.
Do you have any go-to gas station/rest stop snacks?
Well, if there is a gas stop, I would definitely buy something with meat, like a fried chicken or something like that. But if it's just a roadside rest stop, I will try to get two or three protein bars. I think I feel hungry very easily.
What is your rest stop routine?
Well, I think in general, I don't make good use of time. First, I will try to find something good in the snack box, but it is not very common, and then probably go to the restroom and then sunscreen, and then drink water. Usually when I finish everything, the time is up. I don't understand how people can take a nap during a rest stop, they take a nap and then they go late.
How do you stay motivated on long/tough days on the bike?
Today is actually like one of the few days that I made it through the hard ride. So I would say the music helps a lot. Yeah, today we played some of my favorite music and also played games called contact, and that killed time. I think the support from teammates is definitely very important. And also, another thing, during the first stretch, I felt terrible, like all the joints started to get painful, and I thought of giving up, but, actually, I didn't. I kind of persuaded myself to keep going, and actually things got better in the rest of the stretches. So I feel like a mindset of keep going is also important.
For the remaining portion of the ride, where are you looking forward to visiting the most?
I feel like Oregon, I know a lot of people don't like Oregon, or like the past riders had a not nice experience in Oregon before, and I just wonder why? Like, from the pictures, it looks nice, so yeah. I just want to see it.
Anything else you want to talk about?
I want to shout out to my teammates today. We formed the team because other people have already formed their team. I think our team worked out very well, we had very good music and fun games, and just a good day. Yeah, it's a very good day.