JUNE 11 INTERSTATE 80 TO LOVELOCK,NV

Today's ride covered 91 miles from Sparks/Reno to the little town of Lovelock, NV, once known as Big Meadow. "It's history dates back to the great western migration when travellers on horseback and wagon trains would camp and feed their stock on the rye grasses before embarking on the grueling trek across the 40 mile desert."

The America by Bicycle gang "treked" through that desert today, observing the nearly white (alkali) sands with only some sparse sagebrush vegetation and the rocky, barren hills way off in the distance. We also saw miles and miles of hot springs, occasionally spewing steam from the ground. It was a landscape very new to me and most of the others. Beautiful in its own harsh, dry way.

For all but 12 miles, we travelled on Interstate 80, the only appropriate roadway for our travel. I-80 has a bike lane....better in some areas than others, that is separated by "rumble strips" from the highway. It is a split 4 lane highway with a large median strip that is the main East-West route for EVERY car and truck in these parts. Once out of the Reno area and into the desert country the path improved and we could ride and talk. And RIDE we did!

Our group of Joe (TX), John (MA), Mike (IN), and Jim (FL) were together all day. We covered the 91 miles with an average speed of 16 mph, while most of our cruising was at 18+, clearly the fastest time for that kind of distance for all of us.

Many riders today experience flat tires due to the debris from blown-out steel belted truck tires. BUT, everone seemed happy as we checked into the Ramada, which appears to be built around a large....you guessed it: CASINO.

         - Bill

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