Day 5: An Oasis in Nevada

Apparently, the best way to overcome claustrophobia is by biking 62 miles into the empty desert commonly known as the state of Nevada.

Our $35.99 Motel 6 room was packed to the brim with bikes and limbs as we arose this morning to attempt a stretch. Two riders had chosen to sleep in the car, but with five college students, seven bikes, and seven suitcases, the room was a tad cozier than most comfort levels. Momma’ Fish was too tired to wake everyone up with a breakfast bell this morning, so each of us woke up at separate times to contort our ways out of the room to grab a bagel from the van.

By 9:30 we were all dressed and preparing to begin the days ride to Fallon, Nevada, but drama began earlier than in an episode of Lost, when an unnamed rider from NYC lost the keys to the van. Due to this, the ride was started in waves, with Mike, Shane and Sanford leaving early, and Claire, Jason, and Zane sifting through the van to look for the keys – which obviously wound up being found in the Jason’s pants.

Throughout the day’s ride the team put miles of asphalt in-between one another, making the 62 mile trek a mostly solitary one. Thankfully, however, our riders were able to find some companionship (or relief from boredom) in their iPods. Shane, listening to Rascal Flatts, missed the irony of the situation and could not fathom why anybody would consider life a highway. Jason, the hardcore, raw, lyricist from the mean streets of the Upper East Side decided to spice up his ride with the thus far underplayed catchy jingles of Shakira. And, Sanford, the Texan who claims bird listening as one of his activities on Facebook, decided that the desert was his second home and chose to bike Route 50 in silence (Let it be noted that his decision not to use his iPod was tremendously regretted).

Fallon was the roadrunner today, and each of us was a Wiley Coyote aimlessly pedaling again and again to hunt the down the city, only to be fouled by the tricks of the sun. Each turn laid out miles of road to be covered. At times, the sun shone so bright that it was nearly impossible to tell where the road ended and the sky began. Although the trip required less than 4 hours of travel, this desert could outfox Erwin Rommel himself, and made the journey seem exponentially longer.

Once in Fallon, we refreshed ourselves with some Sonic and were taken in by the lovely staff at Epworth Methodist Church who provided us with lodging, dinner, and a warm shower. The traditional post ride group nap was longer than usual today and Shane’s pleas to go to Karaoke night at the local Saloon was democratically vetoed. Who knows though, with 5 nights left in Nevada, and Vegas only 390 miles away, anything is possible.

Parental units: be ready to check the credit card statements.