Day 16 – Planned Rest Day after 1,026 Miles!

We have broken the 1,000-mile mark! Today is a planned rest day, so we hope to explore more Marfa, Texas culture. Tomorrow, we take off for Marathon, Texas. Until then, here are some interesting–or useless–tidbits:

1. Our bike seats (saddles) look small, but they are fitted to our sit-bones, so they aren’t as uncomfortable as you might think.
2. We are less concerned about total trip time and more concerned about “moving time.” This is the amount of time we are actively pedaling and excludes time where we are stopped (our bike computers automatically pause our time when we come to a stop).
3. Sometimes our speed is slow (12mph or less), like during a big climb or riding into the wind. Sometimes our speed is fast (30+ mph), like during a big drop (downhill) or riding with the wind. This gives us our “average pace.” Dave and I love it if we can have an average pace of 20+ mph over long distances as it reduces our moving time–and the time we have to sit on those tiny saddles.
4. The first 20 miles always seems to go by quick. The last 10 miles seem to take forever.
5. Dave’s toughest ride day was Day 1 (San Diego to Pine Valley, CA). It had a 20-mile climb that gained 4,700 feet of elevation. Dave would rather ride 120 miles with no elevation gain than do a 50 mile ride with lots of climbing.
6. Jesse’s toughest ride day was Day 11 (Rodeo to Columbus, NM). My sinus infection left me with a headache the whole ride, which zapped my motivation to cover the 90 miles.
7. We both agree our favorite ride days were the same. The ride into Bisbee was tough, but probably some of the prettiest of the rides. The ride into Rodeo was long, but the roads were smooth, and the wind carried us most of the way, which allowed us to enjoy our surroundings.
8. In 15 days, we have: travelled 1,026 miles, pedaled 82 hours and 48 minutes, and climbed 29,265 feet.

If you wonder about anything else, please drop us a comment and we will reply to the comment or address it in a future blog post!