Rolling over 17,000

April 9, 2011
Colorado, USA

We rolled out of the drive just before noon for destination unknown. Today was cooler than yesterday and we had more wind. No matter - we had sun. The plan was to ride.

Our new headsets came in a couple of days ago. We haven't used headsets before so I guess you could call this one a headset test ride. We rode, made inane conversation Can you hear me now? What did you say? I cannot hear you. Hello? Hello. We adjusted, turned music up, turned music down, turned music off, rode at 45, rode at 75 and everything in between, then we repeated all of the above until we got them adjusted. We think. Then we put them away. Ha! We're thinking headsets will be nice on long, open roads or when we are riding with a large group. We have a couple of rides like that coming up pretty quick.

Our ride took us well out over the eastern plains (that's anything west of I-25). We travelled roads we didn't know were there prior to today, rolling past large dairies, feedlots and multiple drilling rigs. Some went nowhere. On one of those roads I glanced ahead and asked Tim - is that airplane on the road? It was and turned just in front of us. The pilot gave us a wave. We realized we were in one those rare airport communities where everyone has their own hangar and planes taxi along the roadway sometimes.

In LaSalle, CO we stopped at the old depot turned community center for a cup of thermos coffee and a snack. Got a "kool bike" from a kid who rode by on a bicycle sporting day-glo purple hair.

Seven miles out the odometer rolled over 17,000 miles. We are still a few days shy of The Ride's first birthday.




From the eastern plains a scan along the skyline revealed the smoke from various wildfires burning both on the plains and in the foothills of Colorado. We are really dry. Rain is due in tonight and tomorrow and while that will likely keep us from riding - it will be a welcome sight.

As we were riding in just after 5 pm, a cloud appeared on the horizon a few miles south and west of home. We were thinking ride to eat but decided to call it a day when the sun went behind the clouds. About ten minutes after we rode in, that little cloud stirred up the wind and temps dropped about 20 degrees in a matter of minutes. We drove to eat, polishing the day off with Mexican food and margaritas. YUM!