Nevada: September 23, 2012

We got a ride to the laundromat with Dianne's cousins and had breakfast with them while the clothes washed--it's good to start a tour with clean clothes! After walking back to the hotel we had a rather quiet day, knowing we were meeting the bike tour group in the afternoon... and we did! They were set up in a meeting area near the hotel lobby.

I have not learned everyone's names yet, but on the left below is ride director Curtis Fong. In the center is the assistant director Lora. On the right is Phil, one of the volunteers.  There are so many volunteers on this ride that the ratio of riders to volunteers is about 3:1!

The check-in went very smoothly. They even let me trade my jersey in for a smaller size after I tried it on.... Dianne and I took our bike boxes out to the truck, played some Scrabble and then met the group for dinner and orientation.

This is going to be a great tour! It is called OATBRAN: One Awsome Tour-Bike Ride Across Nevada. This is the 21st year for OATBRAN and there are some riders who have ridden 18 of them! They always follow the same route, taking Highway 50 (the loneliest road in the US) across the state from the California border to the Utah border.  Nevada is the most mountainous state in the lower 48 according to Curtis, who also told us that if anyone was unhappy with the tour throughout this week to tell him and he would give them a full refund and take them back to Stateline, NV (where we are now). That is incredible! Most rides I have done do not even offer refunds BEFORE the trip starts!  All meals are included, snack tables every 20 miles, energy drinks and water... I could get used to this!