Erik Lobeck

Hi this is Erik Lobeck calling in, it’s 3:00 and I have had to abandon the race.  I got stomach flu, giardia or food poisoning yesterday.  Road all afternoon with it to get to a town called Pie Town. And felt progressively weaker and light headed and wrong throughout the day and then started feeling really sick having to pull off the trail allot. And then spent the night in I guess stomach flu agony and most of this morning to. I can’t see myself getting better in the next day or two and I have not been able to put any food in me which for the last 300 miles is pretty much a pre requisite especially since food is pretty widely spaced and it is riding thru the desert. So I have decided to make the wise decision to pullout of the race.  I hate to do it so short of the goal, I was really looking forward to completing those last 300 miles in about 2 days which I think I could have done and gotten in, in my 21, 21 ½ day time frame which would have made me happy but I think it is the smarter decision rather than being stuck in the desert not feeling good with dehydration I still don’t feel very good I am in the car on my way home. There you have it that is why my spot hasn’t moved, Pie town is where it ended. More later when I feel more like talking.

Hi it’s Erik Lobeck calling in from Torreon, which is on the Chaco alternate section just south of Cuba. On our way to Grants it is 5:44.  Had a good morning going over the last pretty much big hill, out of Abiquiu and now we are enjoying a road ride for a little wile which is probably a pretty nice break from the dirt. With some bikes loaded down with lots of water.  Umm.. What else can I say; we actually have enjoyed our first slight tail wind in a wile so that is good.  Anyway, so I will probably call in the next chance I get maybe from 100 miles down the road or so. All right, bye.

Hi it’s Erik Lobeck Calling in from Salida Colorado, successfully over the first of the two passes of the day.  Sunny Colorado is non-existent though; Marshall pass looks like it is pounding rain. So yet another day of riding in rain.  Yesterday was an early to quit day because we were surrounded by lightning down in Como which is in South park Colorado so the group that we are riding with, which we affectionately call the Peloton decided to call a truce so we pulled into a Bed and Breakfast and had an early night of it and probably we all got the most sleep we have had since the race start.  But that was a good move the roads were dry this morning or somewhat dry and we weren’t surrounded by lightning.  We will have to see what happens with the rest of the race.  I’m at the bike shop here having some sealant filled tubes put in my bicycle tires in preparation for New Mexico; land of thorns is what I hear. So I guess that is still a few days away but I am getting ready for it. That’s it, bye.

Hi this is Erik Lobeck calling in From Kremling, Colorado.  Made it out of Steamboat at lunch today got re-supply, mail drop, and end everything else requisite.  Did some climbing after yesterdays bonk day where I just didn’t quite have the energy in me out of Rawlins because I didn’t eat right. So learning that valuable lesson again just try to eat right and it will be better in the long run.  Anyway today was just beautiful made it into Kremling at sunset with rain clouds and rainbows and beautiful sunlight, and pesky mosquitoes. Unfortunately, that were biting me all the way up despite insect repellent.  But I have a comfortable motel room in Kremling Colorado today. Interesting getting a room.  It was interesting seeing my family today since I live right on rout. So it was pretty hard to resist the magnet that would make me want to stop so I figured I should just go for a quick turn around and get out of town so that’s what I did. Anyway that’s it. Bye.

Hi it’s Erik Lobeck calling in.  I am still in Rawlins, I’m waiting for the bike shop to open because I cannot proceed without a new rear tire. So I am waiting around for them to open at 9:30 in the morning and then hopefully they can get me back on the road before to late.  And I don’t know if I will make it to steamboat tonight we will see what the day brings I don’t really know right now.  Anyway that’s it.  Ya I have a gash in my rear tire that I stitched together with duct tape and so on and so forth and I actually tried to sew it with dental……

Hi this is Erik Lobeck calling in from Rawlins at about 10 at night. I got in about an hour ago. My goal was to get across the basin pretty much in a day and I am glad I did, it was hard work.  So now I am trying to re-charge my batteries.  Unfortunately I have a little tire issue I need to deal with, I have a rip in my tire so I had to stop every 10 miles to wrap duct tape around the rim and the tire to try to hold it together.  So basically what that spells out is the need for a bike shop, I kind of made it here on a wing and a prayer so I need a new rear tire. So that will probably slow me down a little bit in the morning.  Hopefully not too much, we’ll see.  Hopefully I can even find a bike shop that has a tire, at least something to get me to steamboat where I might be able to find something else. Anyway like I said that will probably slow me down a little in the morning. I had a good night camping last night in the foothills north of the basin. of course it rained so I got to start out my day with mud again.  Hasn’t been a day without mud yet so I just try to slog thru it but I am getting pretty weary of that.  Hopefully it will dry out a little bit in Colorado probably not on the trek to steamboat but maybe south of there.   Perhaps, I hope.  Anyway that’s it. OK. Bye.

Hi it’s Erik Lobeck calling in from Pinedale.  I survived Union Pass; barely I was fortunate enough to find a cabin up there to spend the night in with a wood stove.  It was pounding rain and icy cold wet muck so I pretty much spent 5 hours today peddling thru wet muck then a rancher decided to drive his cattle up the trail in the wet muck so that made for really slow going this morning pretty much 3 miles an hour for a long time and then I have been battling head winds. So today was really tough. The ligament behind my right knee has been giving me some agony we will have to see I’ve been toughing that out for 2 days. But I am going to ride a little bit more and if it doesn’t get any better I just might take a lesser mileage day and try to bring it back to life.  So the wet mucky weather has been the negative highlight of the day it really would be nice if that would go away. I hope the winds are going to be in my favor in terms of riding thru the basin. We’ll see when we attack that.  I’ll call from the other side.  OK Bye

Hi its Erik Lobeck calling in at 6:30 in Lima, I’m still Montana I believe.   It’s been a long day on the road.  I finally emerged from the rain, the wet and the cold and now we are in the sort of dry parched country.  Things are going well my leg is back into working condition, my bike however has some issues the shifting is deteriorating by the day I’ll probably have to lend it some attention at some point. Ya it has been a muddy affair so that’s no surprise. I’ll probably need a whole new drive chain once I hit steamboat if I make it there.  Let see what else.  I guess I don’t have to worry about grizzly bears anymore for a little wile until I am back in Wyoming. And ah what else can I say.. We will have to see if I keep riding tonight or if I stay in a motel here.  Not sure yet see how I feel after a big meal again food is an issue but I made it here with food to spare so I guess that’s good.  o.k.  Bye.

Hi it’s Erik Lobeck calling in from Helena, It’s 9:30 in the evening.  It was a pretty long ride everything went really well.  The day before however it felt like thing really fell apart.  I lost my cycling gloves so I am riding with some socks with the tips cut off, that I modified with my pocketknife. I hope to get new set gloves in butte tomorrow perhaps.  Grizzly bear sightings were way up, yesterday I had to wait 20 min for a situation to clear where I had the mother on one side of the road and the 2 cubs on the other side of the road so that took some time.  Then there was the snow hike where I sort of stretched my left calf muscle which is probably the only part of my body that is not feeling that great and it was pretty much locked up solid today and was really really painful but I toughed it out today. Hopefully with some massage work I can get it into working condition tomorrow, well see, I don’t know, if it doesn’t improve I may have to take a down day cause it was pretty painful and I don’t want to injure myself for the rest of the ride.  anyway that’s it. Thanks

Hi it’s Erik calling in from Big Fork just south of Whitefish by about 40 mi.  Things are going well. My legs are hopefully starting to recover from the brutal section in Canada.  I’m having difficulty in finding good and decent food, tiring of eating Pizza since that seems to be the standard available fair in most places that’s quick. So finding the right foods to put in my body has become the more difficult task for a skinny guy like myself.  Finally found a grocery store where I could buy some fruits and so on and so forth and tried to stock up for the next 100+ mile section of nothingness thru wilderness so hopefully that will work out ok.  Anyway signing out. Bye.