Day 17 - The Del Rio Express

Departure: Sanderson, TX      Finish:  Del Rio, TX       Distance:    119.3 miles

Elevation gain:  3,420 feet (total descent: 4,991’)

Winds:   5 to 15 mph. Mostly tailwinds!

Weather:  Mostly sunny. Departed at 52 degrees. Arrived with 80 degrees.

On bike duration:     6 hrs, 43 minutes. 

Average speed: 17.7 mph

Total Accumulated Miles:  1,290.7

A combination of tailwinds, rolling hills and sunshine led to a beautiful day for a birthday and the fastest 120 mile ride I’ll ever do. Ask any cyclist - they’ll know that an average of nearly 18 mph for 100 miles or more is a special day!

For the past two weeks members of our group have been whispering about the “119 mile day” with some wavering tones of trepidation. Only three of us had ever ridden that far in one day. (Tom Hand claims to have ridden 230 miles in one day. I must ask him why.) Everyone arrived without a complaint. 

On this journey, I have taken the position of never arriving “first” at the finish of the day, primarily because it is not a race, but mostly because I don’t want to be “that guy”. However, today I decided to push it and arrive to the hotel first - on my birthday. It was a great day to be alive!

Not many photo opportunities today. We met for breakfast at the Florence Motors Coffee Shop before departure. It was created from a defunct Ford car dealer. It’s a very fun local venue with a sound stage in the back room (service center). 

I regret not taking a picture as we departed - 20 minutes before sunrise. It was very foggy and everyone had their flashing lights going. It was quite a sight in the morning twilight. The fog lifted and the sun came out. Everyone shed their outer coverings. One of the best treats of the day was occasional 10 mile stretches of the most glorious smooth, new asphalt and wide shoulders I have ever seen. We probably had 35 to 40 miles of it. Everyone was basking in it; very thankful. The remaining pavement was the polar opposite, however. It was very rough and the shoulder was piled with gravel. Every time I transitioned from the old pavement to the new, a sense of calm came over me. Everything got quiet and the bicycle sped up, un-commanded. Maybe you had to be there, but it will be very memorable to me.

Tonight we are at the Holiday Inn in Del Rio. It is very comfortable, but nothing worth blabbing about. It’s a Holiday Inn.

For several days I have been thinking that Valerie will be up to something for my birthday. That kind of thing is her specialty. Two days ago Dennis asked me if I like pie. He received a resounding “YES! Cherry please.” Nothing more was said, but I was suspicious. Tonight we ate at Rudy’s BBQ, a traditional Texas spot where your brisket is served on a piece of butcher paper. At the end of the meal Dennis presented me with a card, signed by the whole contingent, and announce we had Cherry Pie and ice cream for everyone. I don’t know where he got it, but it was very appreciated and almost a worthy substitute for the pie Valerie makes me each birthday. Thank you Dennis!

I later learned that she had contacted the tour company’s home office with the idea. I love my wife.

The pictures below are of canyons cut by the Pecos River. It was really beautiful. Look closely at the stone in the first picture. It is Eagle Nest Canyon. You can see it’s shaped like an eagle’s beak.