I am a glass half full kind of guy, so I'll start this post with the positives. The weather so far on the trip has been perfect. No single day has been too hot or cold, no rain, tornadoes, hail, etc; even here in Nevada where temperatures are routinely well over 100 degrees it has been a breezy 85-90. The scenery has been breath-taking and constantly changing. My partners in crime; Jon and John are upbeat and dedicated to the ride. I realize that I have much to be thankful for. That being said, there have been a few challenges along the way....

Last night we wound up in Silver Springs, NV after another surreal night ride. We were the beneficiaries of a stiff westerly tailwind that had pushed us up hills at 25+ mph (compared to our trip average of 12mph). Highway 50 is so flat and straight out here that you can see cars coming from miles away so we spent our evening pedaling down the middle of an empty highway. Our only concern was avoiding the rumble strips on the side of the road that are intended to alert sleepy drivers that they are embarking on an off road adventure. For bikers these grooved shoulders are death traps, especially at high speeds they can bust tires and send you careening off the road.

We made a pit stop at a casino on the edge of Silver Springs to ask about camping and late night eateries. We were told that we were out of luck on food until morning and the only campgrounds were miles in the wrong direction, however our bartender told us we could pitch a tent out back and try the casino's $4 breakfast special in the morning. This sounded like a wonderful idea so we kicked back and made ourselves at home at the bar, figuring the next best thing to a real meal was a liquid dinner. Everyone at the bar was friendly and curious about the ride, though I get the distinct feeling they do not get too many spandex clad cyclists at that hour... or ever for that matter.

We woke in pools of sweat and with throbbing hangovers. As it turns out, parking lots in Nevada get hot quickly during the morning and dehydration is not a good supplement to the problem. Again getting a few distasteful glances for our stretchy attire, we attacked the breakfast special with a vengeance; Jon and I polished off two each for good measure before getting on the road.

John

It was one of those days where everything feels great on the bike, we cruised right along despite varying cross and head winds. We made it as far as Fallon, NV before disaster struck. My rear wheel which I spent the other day in Lake Tahoe fighting with decided to throw in the towel and two more spokes jumped ship. I found myself riding the cycling equivalent of a paint mixer. Jon and John were blasting their ipods and sped off oblivious to a series of curses that would have made any sailor proud.

I spent 45 minutes attempting to true the wheel (bike-speak for making it point in one direction) enough to make the next bike shop. It was a lost cause, and I found myself wobbling to the next building to find out how long of a walk was in the cards. The poor ladies at the pet grooming establishment I found had no idea the mess they were about to get involved in. They, like so many people we have met on the first leg of this trip were eager to help however they could and provided me with a phone, yellow pages, water, and the agonizing knowledge that the only bike shop within 60 miles had recently gone out of business. The nearest shop was in Carson City where we had begun two days prior.

I called John and Jon and broke the news. They turned back to meet me while I tried to figure out how I could have a new wheel shipped to Fallon overnight. When neither of them arrived for a half hour I tried them again, only to be told Jon had been blindsided by a Napa Autoparts truck and his brand new bike was in multiple pieces. Kathleen Gross, one of the sweetest people I have met volunteered to drive me down to inspect the damage. We found a perturbed yet unscathed Jon Filmer filling out a police report, while an unfortunate young Napa Autoparts driver pondered his employment future (luckily his boss wound up being a very understanding person). Now with two broken bikes, and one very angry Jon we were in quite the predicament. Kathleen came to the rescue again, offering to drive us back to Carson city (more than an hour each way) to get my bike into the shop and find Jon a new frame.

My rear wheel is being torn apart and rebuilt from scratch by Bicycle Authority in Carson City -great guys, stayed open late just so I could get the bike in tonight and they could start tearing it apart. As for Jon, we do not know what we're going to do just yet... it is tough to find a brand new 54cm Specialized Tricross Comp frame quickly in upstate Nevada. If anyone has one lying around, drop me a line. Time for some sleep.

Note: Interview/itinerary suggestions for the trip can be emailed to me.

Ride To Sustain will pass through the following cities: San Francisco, CA – Sacramento, CA – Reno, NV – Salt Lake City, UT – Denver, CO – Omaha, NB – Des Moines, IA – Chicago, IL – Detroit, MI – Cleveland, OH – Pittsburgh, PA – Washington, DC – Philadelphia, PA – New York City, NY – Hartford, CT – Boston, MA