Lolo Riders – Day 12

Date: Wednesday 18th August  

Route: Lolo, Montana – Hamilton, Montana 

Distance: 42 miles 

Total climb: 817ft

Net climb: 436ft 

We had limped into Lolo, by cover of darkness, the previous evening, but had fortunately wound up in an enormous room in the Days Inn.  Today was to be the day that we were meeting up with Team Heagney (Fred’s mum, Amanda and step-dad John) and in addition the bikes needed looking at to get them back in top shape (in particular my back wheel was significantly bent following the broken spoke the previous evening).  A plan was hatched that we would wait at the motel until the Heagney Mobile (a rented RV) arrived.  The only problem with the plan was that we had no idea if John and Amanda knew where we were.  Emails and texts had been sent and messages left on mobile phones, but reception for all forms of mobile communication is patchy at best and so we were in a state of limbo.

The motel kindly allowed us to stay past the check-out time and fortunately, just as we had secured the room until noon we got a text from Amanda informing us that they would be with us by 12:15.  We saw the RV approaching at a distance and as they rolled up we were both glad to see some familiar faces, so far from home. 

We loaded the bikes into the RV and drove to Missoula, the self-styled cycling capital of the US, and also the headquarters of the Adventure Cycling Association of America (the organisation that produces the maps for the TransAmerica Trail, amongst other routes).  We headed straight for the headquarters, where we had our photos taken to go on a wall along with those of other people who were cycling ACAA routes.  We also bought some front pannier racks and bags as well as an additional set of maps for John and Amanda.  We took the bikes to Hellsgate Cycles to get them fixed up and then had a few hours to kill while waiting for them to be repaired.  The four of us wandered around Missoula buying supplies and generally soaking in the atmosphere of what seemed like a very laid back town.  Fred also managed to find a shop that sold Clif Shot Blocks – the only palatable energy products that we have found (save for Haribo Starmix) and which, to us, are worth their weight in gold.

We headed back to Hellsgate Cycles at 4pm to be told that the bikes were fine, but the front pannier racks would not fit our bikes.  We needed low-rider racks instead.  After a farcical series of trips back and forth to ACCA (who were very helpful and took the original racks back even though one had been opened) we managed to get racks that fitted.   By 5pm we were heading back to Lolo in the RV; surrounded by a thunderstorm.

Undeterred by the weather and the late afternoon start time we were determined to get a few miles under our belts.  We set off from Lolo in the pouring rain and rode along an excellent cycle path for the first twenty miles or so.  The front panniers dramatically altered the handling of the bikes, but we still made good progress.  We stopped for a quick drinks break and then headed on through the towns of Stevensville and Corvallis.  We were cycling along a relatively flat valley floor and so made good time, managing to leave the thunderstorm behind.  Nonetheless, the menacing weather and imposing mountains surrounding us certainly made for a dramatic location for our ride.

We rode on into the night and finally arrived at the agreed campsite, just outside Hamilton.  Amanda had already made our dinner and so all that remained was to figure out how to convert the dining table in the RV into a bed for the evening.

Some other points of note:

–          – The extended morning stay in our motel allowed Fred to indulge his worrying addiction to “infomercials” for sporting goods.  He was disappointed not to see Chuck Norris for a second time.

–         – Having overtaken two cyclists we are now back into joint second place in our “race” to Yorktown.

JBS