I'm in Barstow, California. It's between Kingman, and San Bernidino, if you have plans to motor west.
This place is an actual survivor from the glory days of Route 66.
So much history in my room for only $65. And stale cigarette smoke, since today was brutal, and I was too spent to ride any farther. But the room is fine, everything works. This place gets the Red Dot of Quality award. They are leaning in to the history, by placing numerous rusting and non-operable cars from the 1940s in the parking lot...
Like the historic motels along Route 1 in my home of Elkridge, this place is mostly occupied by long-term residents one step away from being homeless. There are lots of little kids riding bikes. They and their fathers were highly impressed by my touring bike setup.
Today was very, very brutal. 66 miles, 2800 feet of climb, and a screaming headwind all afternoon. It took me 8 1/2 hours of pedaling, plus breaks. The temperatures were in the upper 80s, but the humidity is so low out here in the desert, it's quite comfortable. The downside is you dehydrate. Despite drinking 5 bottles of water, and a Gatorade, I have been been cramping very severely all evening. So instead of going out for dinner (no appetite due to the very strenuous day) I have been forcing as much after-the-fact electrolytes (Skratch) and salty snacks from the snack bag into me.
I didn't have anything to eat during the ride other than an apple and a bottle of Gatorade (mistake!), but I did have breakfast at the Greek restaurant in Baker.
Despite all the statues of topless goddesses, this place is barely hanging on. Counter service only, all dishes and utensils are disposable, and the menu is mostly Mexican food.
I am done with riding on the shoulder of the Interstate. But not before I passed this sign.
Zzyzx is a ghost down about 10 miles off the freeway in the Mojave National Reserve. Having the last name in the road atlas is apparently not the path to prosperity.
This sign was very, very welcome.
You're only allowed to ride on the shoulder of the Interstate when there is no other road. This sign actually conveys the happy news that there is an alternative after the next exit.
Now this is more like it.
I rode a total of 100 miles on the shoulder of I-15. I gott this wonderful no-traffic two lane roads running parallel to I 15 for the next 20 miles. These 20 miles were still right into a strong headwind and slightly uphill the whole way.
And then it was back on I-15 for what should have been a short four mile stretch over a big hill. My bike maps says you can use a frontage road to get halfway up the hill, and then ride legally on the interstate.
Uh oh.
There's the sign that says no bikes on the freeway, and behind it is the sign saying the frontage road is closed.
What to do? Try the frontage road anyway, and see if you can get through on a bike? Or take the interstate and hope the shoulder is rideable?
I chose I-15. And after climbing way up the hill, a police cruiser went by and the officer yelled "GET OFF THE FREEWAY" at me from the bullhorn on top of the car, without stopping.
So I got off at the next exit, which was where the frontage road ends. And, as expected, the ramp leading back onto I-15 had a sign that said "No Pedestrians", so bikes must be OK. So I got right back on and finished riding over the hill.
I am done with riding on the interstate.
Here's the Strava page: https://www.strava.com/activities/17725562517
No comments:
Post a Comment