A successful tour! I am very thankful that I aborted the tour in Durango last year and started again this year traveling northeast. I had such strong tailwinds that I can hardly imagine pedaling this route in the opposite direction. 10 of 12 travel days had a tailwind.

I pedaled 592 miles (947 km) in 13 days. No "zero" days because I pedaled 22 miles at the Grand Canyon during the only non-travel day. Average daily distance was 45.5 miles or 72.9 km. The daily distance was a good match for my abilities. Two days were very long because of the availability of lodging but six days were less than 40 miles.

Route

The route seemed like it was uphill all the time. I started at 2000 feet (606m) elevation and finished at 6200 feet (1880m) elevation. 9 of 12 travel days had the destination higher than the starting point. There were several large climbs but only one large descent. I am not a great climber but I still choose extra climbing over constant headwinds.

Most of the route has tourist traffic but very little truck traffic. Much of the route has expensive lodging and camping only at RV parks which would make it impractical for some bike tourists. But the scenic and cultural attributes of the route made it worthwhile to me. 4 days on the most authentic segment of Route 66, just enough for me. Then 3 mostly forested days in and near Grand Canyon National Park. Then 4 days in the Navajo nation, a truly unique cultural experience. Then finally 3 days in a region with outstanding red rock formations. It was enough variety to keep me interested and motivated. It's a good route for cycling as long as you don't fight the wind.

The tour began and ended on truly extraordinary cycling roads. The first 35 miles was on a bypassed segment of Historic Route 66 that hasn't changed since the 1930's. It has outstanding scenery but very little traffic because it's so narrow, winding, and hilly. The last 35 miles of the tour was on a county road in scenic McElmo canyon. Semi-arid high desert all around, but suddenly a verdant canyon appears out of nowhere. Great scenery, easy grades, and once again there was no traffic because the road is so winding and narrow.

Weather

I tried to time the tour for a sweet spot in the weather but the wide range of elevation complicates things. I knew the first day would likely be the hottest of the tour because of the low elevation. Unfortunately I started during a heat wave. High of 100F on day 1, above normal for early May. The remainder of the tour had pleasant weather with highs in the 70's and 80's.

The route is mostly in desert, so I expected to get little or no rain. I had only a few drops of rain on the last day.

The high desert weather is best in May and September. Lower elevations such as Kingman, Cameron, and Mexican Hat are too hot during summer. Williams and the Grand Canyon are so high that they can get snow in April and October.

Indian Country

The Indian Country part 1 route took me through 12 Indian nations but I spent only one night in an Indian reservation. The Indian Country part 2 route took me through only 4 Indian nations but I spent 5 nights in Indian reservations. 1 night at Hualapai and 4 nights in the Navajo nation. I learned a lot about the history and culture of the Navajo nation. During the 4 days in the Navajo nation I felt more immersed in Indian culture than I did during the previous tour.

Tourist Stuff

I did a few things other than pedal the bike from point A to point B. I saw a lot of Route 66 kitch. I toured Grand Canyon Caverns. I spent the night in Arizona's oldest hotel. I pedaled the car-free Hermit road at the Grand Canyon. I stopped at all the overlooks on the south rim and walked among the Tusayan ruins. In Utah I pedaled a steep detour to Goosenecks State Park and saw a bit of Mormon pioneer history in Bluff. Just after the tour I hiked among the Pueblo Indian ruins at Hovenweep National Monument.

I did most of the things on my wish list but had to abort 2 activities. I didn't do a 3 mile hike at Monument Valley because of cuts on the bottom of my feet. I didn't do the 17 mile unpaved Valley of the Gods loop because it added too much climbing for the day. It was a good decision because the following day was the most difficult day of the tour.

Few Cyclists

I saw thousands of touring motorcyclists but only 3 other touring bicyclists. The first 4 days of the tour were on Bicycle Route 66 but the only cyclist I saw was an English guy named Olly who I encountered at the very beginning of the tour.

On Day 7 I spoke briefly with German cyclists Klaus and Sabine at Desert View in Grand Canyon National Park. They were traveling west to Grand Canyon Village but said it was merely an out-and-back detour to see the Grand Canyon. They were actually on a long west-to-east tour. After the tour I found that they have an online tour blog at klausneutze.wordpress.com.

Bike

The bike didn't let me down. I had 2 flat tires. The first flat was caused by a deteriorating rim strip. The flat wasn't caused by anything on the road. I never could find the cause of the second flat. My rear fender broke at the front attachment for the third time. I reconnected the fender with the portion of bracket that remained, but that bracket broke a few days later. The fender wasn't really necessary for a desert tour but I will replace it and the rim tape before my July tour.

I am very pleased with the Schwalbe Marathon Racer tires. They weigh 15 ounces less than regular Schwalbe Marathons and the rolling resistance is noticeably less. The bike feels more lively and hopefully I'm less tired at the end of the day.

Heart

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