Day 9: Flagstaff to Holbrook, AZ

Conditions were expected to be just right for each one of us to let it rip today.  We were coming off our first rest day, we would experience a net elevation loss of 2000 feet between Flagstaff and Holbrook (i.e. we're riding downhill), the temperature would be in the high 50Fs at our 7am start time, and a SSW wind was expected to provide favorable conditions for a fast ride due east on a relatively wide and well-paved I-40 shoulder.  We were not disappointed.

Within 3 miles from the hotel, we arrived at the entrance ramp to I-40 east.  Upon entering the freeway's shoulder, an invisible hand seemed to plant itself squarely in my back and pushed me along at 20-30 mph with little pedaling effort on my part.  Since I knew the day was going to heat up into the 90Fs today, it was very gratifying to see the miles accumulate quickly on my bike computer.

Wide open spaces dominated the view all day.  If you didn't know already, the opening of I-40 was the beginning of the end for fabled Route 66 in these parts.  Along the way are remnants of Route 66 and its businesses, and even a few going concerns.

This is how it looked most of the day with a strong tailwind early to mid-morning and a quartering tailwind with frequent crosswind mid-morning to early afternoon.  Although the crosswind had us riding at an angle to the ground, at least it wasn't the headwinds we'd encountered during the first week of the tour.

Surface mine east of Flagstaff -- view from I-40

Twin Arrows Trading Post on Route 66
(abandoned and defiled)

Meteor City Trading Post
(closed its doors on 23 Dec 2012)

Our first SAG stop of the day was at a  windy rest area along I-40.  I failed to mention that I had a flat approximately 1 mile from this SAG stop.  The culprit was a metal shard, one of countless left on the road and shoulder from shredded steel-belted tires.  I don't have a photo, but picture a typical desk staple, and then cutting 2-3 mm off one end.  These things imbed themselves in the tire and then work their way inward.  At the SAG I learned that we had 4 flats as a group prior to the first SAG.

After the SAG, it was back on I-40E bound for Winslow, AZ 17 miles away.

We exited off I-40 briefly for a ride through Winslow, AZ.  Some folks stood on the corner, perhaps waiting for a girl in a flat bed Ford to slow down and look at them.  After calculating the odds of this actually happening in a reasonable amount of time, I chose to ride through this sleepy, dusty, one-lyric town and have a grilled cheese sandwich and root beer float at the Sonic Dive-In a half mile east.   

After leaving Winslow, we re-entered I-40.  Next stop, the Jack Rabbit Trading Post in Joseph, AZ.

Our second SAG stop was at the Jack Rabbit Trading Post......

.....where sitting on this big guy makes it impossible not to smile and laugh.

After departing the Mile 74 SAG stop at the Jack Rabbit Trading Post, we had to re-enter I-40 again and ride the final 17 miles to Holbrook.  By this time, the winds had strengthened to 30 mph with gusts up to 40 mph. I had to lean my bike into the wind to remain stable for many of these final miles.

Once at our destination hotel in Holbrook, many other riders agreed that this was a day for speed.  Some of our fastest riders indicated they had averaged better than 20 mph for the day. We have a similar day to tomorrow in terms of mileage and environment, though we've also been told to expect a couple of significant climbs. So, it's on to Gallup, NM tomorrow -- our second state line and a change in time zone.

Day 9 Google Earth image and Elevation Profile
(Prescott to Holbrook, AZ)