Daily Stats:
Time: 4h08m14s
Distance: 128.7km
Avg Spd: 31.1km/hr
Climbing: 548m
Today's ride was pretty average. It was super flat and my legs were a little cooked after yesterday's climb. We rode pretty easy, but maybe a bit harder than I would have done on my own. There was a short section of 1.5% uphill grade at the end, followed by a sweet 15km 4% downhill. The downhill was a good deal of fun, and at peloton meeting tonight, about 80% of the riders said they went the fastest they had ever gone on a bike. We definitely thanked the Lord for safety on that hill. Here's a shot of the hill from the gas station/pub at the bottom.
As I said before, it was flat today. And straight. I never would have guessed we would see roads so straight and boring in Colorado. Even with the straight, flat roads, we were entirely surrounded by mountains off in the distance. But the space between the road and the mountains was almost desert at 9,000ft. It's crazy topography and plants.
Our accommodations this evening are a little stark and barren - we're at the Chaffee County Fairgrounds in Poncha Springs. Poncha is a tiny little town just west of Salida, and the fair grounds are almost entirely dirt. We found small section of almost green way away from the gear truck, and have set up a circle of young folks, with the intention of sleeping in tomorrow. We were given the option of sleeping in one of the buildings here, but our tents were wet from dew this morning when they were packed up, and I didn't feel like dealing with snorers again tonight.
I went exploring in Salida with a few others before dinner today, and can honestly say with big enthusiasm that it is the greatest little town I've seen. It's small, with a compact downtown core of shopping right off the river. The river has been crafted to allow people to play in the water and float over some tame rapids. There is also a kayak course strung up along the river. There are a few restaurants with huge patios overlooking the water. And the bikes! There are bikes everywhere, and more bike racks on the street than I've seen anywhere. Bike shops are plentiful as well - I walked through four of them within a ten-minute walk. It's a big mountain biking area, so there wasn't much product for us roadies, but I was in my element. Absolute Bikes was my favorite, as they had all sorts of old mountain bikes and parts hanging on the roof. Marc and I had a blast checking them all out.
To make the day even better, we were treated to a roller derby practice in the building right next to our gear trailer. The team scrimmaged for a bit after their practice and invited us to watch. It was nuts. And redneck. And bizarra. But totally awesome
Tomorrow should be an easy 105km, so I'm hoping to convince the guys to spend some time in Salida in the morning. Problem is we'll be out of camp by 7:30, and nothing will be open that early... ah, well. Canon City should have some sweet sights to check out, too.
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