Tour Divide: Day 22

by Felix Wong | 04 Jul 2008

Ride time: 7:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. (14 hours)
Miles ridden: 47 on-course + 28 off-course = 75
Total on-course miles covered: 2049

MTBCast Call-in

Felix Wong forced off-route to find a Cyclometer

Submitted by sherry on July 4, 2008 – 10:54 a.m.
Racer update about: Felix Wong

Hi, this is Felix Wong calling on the 4th of July. Its Friday, 10:20 a.m. I’m couple of miles from the New Mexico Border.

Every holiday it seems like I have some sort of vehicular problem and this is no exception. I had my second crisis. Last night my cyclometer died. I think it has something to do with the sensor; I’m not sure if it is the sensor itself or the sensor battery. It doesn’t really matter because the sensor battery is a very rare 12 volt AA-sized battery. One that I’m not going to be able to find anywhere.

Right now I’m heading off to Chama. I’m going to look for a cyclometer. What I have been doing for the last 12 hours or so, I was going from campsite to campsite asking people in RVs if they have a cyclometer on their bicycles. Had no luck there. Then one of the locals told me that he sees cyclists biking up Highway 17 a lot. So I actually did wait at the corner of Highway 17 and Forest Service Road 117, which is the road that I’m suppose to go on next to New Mexico. I waited for about 3 hours; no cyclists.

So I’m heading down to Chama. [can’t make out next 2 sentences] To see if there is any cyclist with a cycometer. Cyclometer is [essential for navigation]. Even with a functional one, I get 1-4 miles lost each day. The next supply point for me is El Rito which is about 100 miles away. If I get lost in the forest, it’s a bad, life and death situation. I need to take care of this problem and hopefully I’ll find something in Chama.

If you don’t hear from me in the next day and half or so, and it seems like I’m back on course then it means found a cyclometer. If you hear back for me in the next day or so, we’ll see, I will let you know what is going on. But that is the situation right now and I’ll talk to you later. Bye.
(recorder time: 2008-07-04 11:25:18 EST)

Felix Wong Headed back to the Trail

Submitted by sherry on July 4, 2008 – 12:37 p.m.
Racer update about: Felix Wong

Hi, this is Felix Wong calling at 12:11 from the town of Chama, NM. Its about 50 miles off route. I’m calling on the 4th of July. I am in much better spirits.

When I got to Chama, I encountered a cyclist and I ask her if she knew any cyclists in town with a cyclometer I could buy off him or her. She led me into a little office that is under construction. A construction worker just upgraded to a GPS on his bike and he had a Cat Eye Cyclometer at home in his garage just 2 blocks away. So he went to fetch that for me and I just mounted it and it seems to work fine.

It looks like I’m going to be good to go in terms of navigation. I just have to climb back up a huge pass which I had to descend to get into Chama. That’s going to take at least 2 hours to ascend, until I’m back on route, but at least I’m going to on route and I should be heading down through New Mexico shortly.

Right now, I’m enjoying a cup of ice cream. I got rocky road which I thought was appropriate. It certainly has been a rocky road, especially the past couple of days for me. Anyhow, talk to you later. Bye.
(recorder time: 2008-07-04 13:14:40 EST)

From the Notebook

• Waited from 6:00 a.m. to about 9:00 a.m. on Highway 17 & FR117. Did not encounter any cyclists, but met Patti on a police bike. She gave me some trail mix from Wal-Mart and confirmed she did not see any cyclists coming up the pass from Chama, NM.
• Decided I needed to be pro-active and rode 14 miles down the pass to Chama.
• In Chama, asked the first cyclist I encountered. Her name was Janet. I asked her if she had a cyclometer she could sell me or knew of any cyclists who had one, and she brought me into a building under construction we were in front of. In there was a guy named Joshua who was “the most avid cyclist in town.”
• Turned out Joshua did have an old Cateye cyclometer on his workbench at home two blocks away. He took it off his bike just a few weeks ago after upgrading to a GPS cyclometer. He gave it to me and refused to take money for it. I installed it and was good to go.
• Ate Rocky Road ice cream in town and witnessed kids rock climbing an artificial pillar in a park to the tune of Oldies. There were going to be fireworks later tonight on the 4th of July.
• Going back up the pass, encountered two road cyclists. They passed me briefly, but I caught and then dropped them. Feeling very strong due to shortened riding days the last couple days.
• Back on course, the route into New Mexico was dirt. Encountered a section that was unrideable with rocks, ruts. Climbed well though once got back on rideable section.
• Rode 28 off course miles but managed to ride 47 on-course ones. Camped at Mile 77 (on Adventure Cycling map) at campground near roudy folks.