When I knew I was accompanying Siphiwe and Mike on this cross country journey, I was stoked to be able to see the U.S. landscape. Our country’s terrain is diverse and beautiful that I could not wait to see it again. I saw it when I was a kid, but like most children, I did not fully embrace the experience. I hope with the massive amounts of photos I have been taking, you’ll be able to see some of the areas.
The downside about always being on the move in a truck is that you miss some of the scenery changes. We were driving through the Kansas prairies, full of green vegetation (photo above), occasional horse farms, and rolling mounds. While I'm sure it can become mundane after awhile, there is something very calm and serene about the area as we drove through. However, truckers have a different sentiment. The winds can be absolutely brutal. Triathletes know about being tossed around in the wind with deep dish wheels, just imagine a 53' foot trailer being blown against. As the sun set, I was disappointed to know that we would be rolling into Denver while it was still dark, so I would not be able to see the emerging hazy silhouettes of the Rocky Mountains as we approached.
When I awoke and stepped out of the truck, the lush greens has turned to rock and sand. It was thirty-four degrees and I could see my breath, but we were at the edge of some snow covered peaks. I guess Denver has good Omelettes because I had my first "Denver Omelette". Is Denver known for them? Since we rolled in before our 3pm load time, we were able to stop by the Prime Inc. Yard, pick up more load locks, write some posts, do laundry, and take showers. My favorite part? Not feeling the constant road movement under me. It’s much easier to type, write, and take photos on solid ground.
 |
| A photo from the Yard in Denver. |
After we took care of business in the Yard, we went to a washout or as most people call it, a truck wash. These washes are huge. It takes 3-5 guys to wash each truck. They use long brushes and pressure washers to remove the road grime and bugs. Once we were presentable, we headed to TriBella Women’s Multisport shop on Bannock Street to begin loading bikes.
 |
| Like bicycles -- take care of your equipment and it takes care of you! |
Mike, who was driving at the time, is an animal. He showed his Zen Master driving skills as he parked the behemoth of a vehicle on a two lane city street. Not only did he park it, he parallel parked it! Something tells me he wanted to impress Flat Stanley. They’re buddies now (their photo is in the upcoming post). Siphiwe went on a little journey himself trying to find a pool and I’ll let him tell it if he’s so inclined. The TriBella folks were very nice and accommodating. Thank you!
It took me awhile to find my loading groove as it seemed every bike had the rear saddle cages. They are the antagonists in this packing story. Who would have thought an inanimate object could cause frustration? We started locking bikes down in Denver around 3:40pm and didn’t finish until 8:59pm. Once again, the people were great to talk to and excited about this trip. They echoed the sentiments of the D.C. athletes. They couldn't have come if it were not for this service. The last bike we loaded was Susan Williams, the only American woman to earn an Olympic medal in triathlon. I guess it’s a good thing we didn’t leave early.
I tried to live stream the load process, but it was up and down, so if you were to watch some of it, thank you! All in all, I loaded, packed, secured, and tied-down 81 bikes for the outbound trip to San Diego – and I still have an affinity for bikes! (Come talk to me after we get back to D.C. That may change.) Here's a video of inside the trailer. I'll post some day light photos soon.
As the reefer (lingo for refrigerator trailers) was ready to be locked up, we couldn’t believe the final result. We completely filled a 53’ trailer full of bikes and packaging. We secured it, high fived, and scurried into the cab to continue our way west. It would have been nice to leave during the day because I wanted to drive through the mountains. I would have missed it anyways because once we hit the road, I was out like a light. Another night sleeping on the road.
 |
| 81 bikes. 11 total hours of loading/packaging. EPIC. |
 |
| My math and spacing calculations -- SPOT ON! |
Truck Facts:
- It takes a truck traveling at 55mph three football fields to come to a complete stop. So, the next time you think about cutting off a truck, please be careful.
- Truck weights have to be calculated in a couple ways. Drivers do not simply attach a reefer and roll. They have to ensure the weight distribution over the front, middle, and rear wheels are properly distributed. States have their own regulations.
- The rear wheels on a reefer are called “tandems”
- For this trip, Siphiwe and Mike have been taking 11 hour driving shifts. While one is driving the other is sleeping or in the back, relaxing.
Thanks for reading.
Zane, www.kanebikes.com
I will be posting a ton of photos, but here are a couple in relation to this post
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete