HiFicycle (USA Day 79)

Practising my conducting with a baton high in Vitamin A

This is the second day of a new cycling entertainment experiment which we like to call ‘HiFicycle’. Here’s the rules. Each day, you synchronise your phones to play a certain album, listen to it together as you cycle, then review it, all while travelling at an average of 12mph. We’re starting with a chronological listen of every studio album by The Beatles, so if yesterday was ‘Please Please Me’ then today has to be ‘With The Beatles’. This is absolutely my choice of travel music. It’s pretty much all we used to play in the car on family holidays, so listening while on the road just feels right. On the other side of this coin, Amy’s never had a chance to get into The Beatles, so there’s some interest for her too. I’ll admit, I got pretty excited during All My Lovin’, but stayed upright mainly due to Ringo’s all-too-steady drumming. If you want to play along at home, tomorrow will be ‘A Hard Day’s Night’.

The post-ride detritus of five cyclists (and a puggle)

So apart from a live pedal-powered album review, today was rather flat, both topographically and dramatically. We skittled down the miles with ease, taking only two breaks the entire day (one for a brownie, one for carrots and crackers leaning on a barn). In the last five miles we were distracted from a tiny shoulder and obnoxious 70mph trucks (one of whom gave us the middle finger for, I don’t know, existing) by the arrival of two TAT westbounders, Sam and Erik, like in Lord of The Flies but married and discernible from each other. Also great cyclists. And married. They’ve been stealthily catching us up for the last month or so, it was great to finally meet them and ride into Dillon together.

John’s mined all around the world, but the most geologically interesting spot is right here in Montana

There’s a bike camp here, set up by a local couple who tour themselves and have wanted to support TATters for a while now. Lois dropped in for some local history and a few tips about the route, then another local, John, came in to tell us about Montana’s mining history. We absorbed their tales, drinking instant coffee and eating some sweaty yet delicious cheese we picked up a few days ago after making the bold claim that British cheese was better in front of a few patriots. Well, with a carton of wine, some fresh bread and a Montana sunset, I’m no longer sure. Still, I wouldn’t mind some stilton.

Great news: we were also joined this evening by Mike and Riley, who avid readers of this blog will remember from a lay-by five miles outside of Kremmling, Colorado. Riley’s a dog and Mike’s not, but they’re both great. Since we doubled back on ourselves in Yellowstone, the riders around us have changed as well. Sasa’s a few days ahead, a couple others have overtaken us and these great mates are now on par. It’ll be a joy to ride out with them tomorrow, particularly with Riley, whose tiny legs and teeth make a doddle of the hills.

Also, it looks like Riley's joined us for the night, nestled between our sleeping bags like a warm hairy sausage. Just a reminder, he's the dog of the pair.