Day One: 97.4 miles
On day one we saw our new family in its entirety for the first time, all 1,500 of us with a similar story. We registered, many almost a year before, raised at least $3900 each, trained, and managed to get ourselves and our bikes to this exact location in Fairbanks, Alaska. After breakfast and a few purchases from the well-stocked general store we watched opening ceremonies, had a group stretch and headed outside for the start of the ride.
We were almost the last to leave the Carlson Center because the “California” section of the parking lot was near the back. We exited through Fairbanks’ city streets in front of early rising locals, media and an Inuit chief and his sons on hand to bless us.
Our first mechanical “glitch” came about 20 seconds into the ride. Another tandem that was passing us said something about a timing chain. I dismissed it until Ami told me that our timing chain was indeed out of phase by a lot. So much for my quick fix in the parking lot. So there we were on the side of the road, yet to get warmed up from the morning chill. It didn’t take very long to fix the chain, but for riders starting near last and already feeling slow, it was disheartening to be passed by so many so early in the day.
After a full minute of smooth sailing, we discovered our tires were a bit low. The tires were a perfect 90 psi when we loaded the bike in Los Angeles, and I didn’t think they’d change much. What I forgot about was the 50 degree drop in air temperature. Even though the last thing we wanted to do was push 100 miles with low tires, we keep what little psychological momentum we had and waited to inflate the tires at the first outpost, 15 miles out.
Riding that morning was slow going, and cold. Right out of the box, we wanted to go faster, especially when mountain bikes and riders twice our age were passing us. But we didn’t. I need a long time to warm up, and Ami has a tendency to start with a sprint. Day one would be our first ever century on the tandem and could set the mood for the entire ride. We kept the pace down.
As we approached the first outpost, we saw a pile of bikes on the ground, people milling around and other riders slowly going around the crowds. It looked like a pileup, and we cringed in anticipation. When we got closer, we heard “Say Cheese,” and saw lots of goofy, toothy grins. The North Pole sign was a photo magnet. Crisis averted.
The miles rolled by and we settled into a groove, peeling layers off as the day warmed up. Outposts were about every 15 miles, and we were always ready for one. Every outpost had Clif bars, Gatorade, fruit rolls, bananas, and the snack that became a goal unto itself, graham crackers with peanut butter and jelly! These were fantastic, and we consumed mass quantities.
As the day rolled on, we became aware that the course was being swept about 30 minutes behind us and the rain was even closer. Although we felt good, we couldn’t go any faster. So we shaved time off our outpost stops, breaking only to wolf down some calories and make necessary pottie breaks. The rain caught up to us about the time we made it into camp, and we were completely spent.
Camp was a baseball diamond and we were somewhere in left field. Tent locations were laid out in a grid, and we wore plastic tags on a necklace to help remember our “address.” We found our supply truck and set up. Our friends had been swept, and were already in. Although I accidentally took both of the shower chamois with me and Ami had to wait, we both had a hot dinner and a hot shower. We made the first day.
Day Two: Delta Junction to Top of the World Camp >
