The ride started out quite chilly going down the not very steep Raton pass to Trinidad, CO. We got off of I-25 at exit 13A to avoid a bicycle-prohibited section of I-25. After going through Trinidad, we rejoined I-25 north of town. A light but persistent NE headwind continued all the way to Monument Hill north of Colorado Springs. Keeping above the record pace in this section drained my energy significantly.

The I-25 shoulder was littered with debris and included some rough sections. It was also quite dangerous at times, especially avoiding the rumble strips and crossing narrow bridges and high traffic exits. Getting off of I-25 to go through Pueblo, Colorado Springs, and Denver was not too bad because it was Sunday. However, I would have preferred a record that avoided all of Colorado's largest cities and is not dependent on stop lights. After the wind let up, I picked up the pace quite a bit (est. 20 m.p.h. average) through Denver and north onto US 85 for 30 or so miles. I then began to tire because of the day's headwind. As I was well ahead of the old record I took it quite easy for the last 35 miles of the route, and up the climb (easy but long) to the Wyoming border.

My crew though beginners were dedicated and did an outstanding job, as did John Gustinis, the UMCA official. In closing I would hope that future record routes would be chosen with more foresight. Requiring a cyclist to travel down dangerous interstates (possibly at night) or through major cities with high traffic is asking more than should be required of him for the simple honor of a state record.