Michael Richardson
Today was a looong day. Our longest day yet. Not by distance—although we did manage almost 100 miles again—but by sheer time in the saddle. We spent just under 9 hours on the bike. We were fortunate that a cold front followed us into Buffalo last night, and finally gave us a break from the blistering heat. It was also refreshing to see so much greenery on this side of the Rockies and the sight reminded me of home. From dawn till dusk, there was a fierce wind coming down from the north, and because our route diverged from the interstate, we got to experience it as a headwind, a crosswind, and finally a tailwind. About 30 miles spent with each.
Lots of greenery on the ride NNE out of Buffalo, WY
Since visiting the bike shop in Cody, we’ve had a few more flat tires and exhausted our supply of spare tubes. This morning, we set out for Gillette, crossing our fingers we’d survive just one more day until reaching the next shop. Not 45 minutes into the ride, Friend was pulling over to address his sixth flat tire. We’ve started calling him OfficeMax, because of how many staples he manages to pick up each week. With no spare tubes, we resorted to patch kits and electrical tape to hold things together, but the paranoia of more flats didn’t leave us until Gillette was squarely in our sights.
Friend fixes his sixth flat of the trip
The only place we saw on the map to refill water was a bar about 40 miles into our 96-mile day. When we got there, a little girl was playing peekaboo behind the screen door and holding what appeared to be a stuffed animal. Upon closer inspection, we realized it was no stuffed animal at all, but rather a kitten—not even a month old. The owners of the bar were raising six kittens in total and we got to play with them as we sipped our chocolate milk.
The Leiter Bar, and two of its kittens, in Leiter, WY
Another note from our beloved map was about a section we rode through right after lunch. It warned us of the dwindling shoulder along this part of the road, but told us not to worry because we would see more Pronghorns than vehicles way out here. Game on. I counted each vehicle that passed us by and between the four of us, I’m confident we spotted every one of those speed-goats bounding through the countryside. It was an extremely close game, switching back and forth many times, tied at the half, but in the end vehicles took the lead; 78-74.
Pronghorn Antelope—the fastest North American mammal—off of HW 16
Since the others have talked about their bike setups, I will take a moment to do the same. The bicycle I’m riding is a Kona Sutra, almost entirely stock. If Brian’s bike is a cast iron skillet, mine is more like enameled cast iron. Slightly easier to maintain and comes in a cool color. It’s got a 2x (“two-by”) drivetrain, disc brakes (cable, not hydraulic), road style shifters, and all the mounting points you could ever need. Like the others, I’m rocking a Brooks B-17 saddle and Ortlieb panniers in the back. My absolute favorite part of the Sutra, however, is the set of Schwalbe Marathon tires. These tires are famous for bicycle touring and their durability. I’ve heard stories of folks putting 10-15k miles on these bad boys without ever getting a flat and so far so good (knock on wood).
Michael’s touring setup
I have a couple bags on my handlebars and one inside the frame to store snacks and other easy-access equipment. I’m pretty particular about things having a designated spot on my bike and I make sure to pack up the same way every time. This helps me stay organized and ready for anything that comes our way—mechanicals, thunderstorms, or just the munchies. It’s also nice when things are put away because it gives me room in the back seat if I need to stretch my legs during a long day.
Michael stretches his legs from the back seat of his Kona Sutra bike