Free stufff - Day 16, Lolo Hot Springs to Missoula

The ride from Lolo Hot Springs to Missoula was only about 30 miles, mostly downhill. So far, I’ve neglected to mention that my front tire started to split in Kooskia the same way that my rear tire had. I put tire boots under the worst parts and lined the splits with superglue, which has held alright for the past two days of mostly climbing. This made the high-speed downhill portion a little more nerve-wracking than it otherwise would have been, but it was still an overall pleasant experience as I rolled down the mountain, chatting with Bart and trying to catch Tom who had left before us.

We caught Tom just before arriving at the Adventure Cycling Headquarters in Missoula, where they gave us a tour of the place, took our pictures, awarded our Official Trans-Am Bandanas, and gave us free access to ice cream and soda in their cyclist’s lounge. Greg Siple took us out back for more artsy black-and-white portraits, had us fill out some info about the story of our ride, and weighed our bikes for us. I guessed somewhat randomly that mine was 70 lbs. It came in at 71 including full water bottles. Mine was by far the lightest of the group, with the others weighing in around 80-105. Ethan was the heaviest besides Jon, who wasn’t measured. This inspired them to box up a bunch of things to mail back home. I only sent an external battery home, since power outlets seem common and I had accidentally brought a smaller battery anyway. Greg told us about some other bikes he measured, including a 169 lb bike ridden by a 169 lb man and a >300 lb bike and trailer setup that included 90 lbs of dog.

The New Yorkers and I stayed with Dean McCollom, who Bart and I had met at the top of Lolo Pass the day before. He was up there looking for a Trans-Am racer whose beacon had gone dark, and had said to contact him if we needed a place to stay. He told us about his experience biking and online-dating his way across the US, gave us a bunch of tips and some equipment, and revealed that he was a slug, too –- that is, he also went to UC Santa Cruz like me. On Dean’s recommendation, Jon, Ethan, Bart, Ian, Tom, a Scot named Martin, and I all went to Biga Pizza with our fully-loaded touring bikes. This made for an interesting caravan and difficult parking.

That night, Jon, Ethan, and I went out to explore Missoula nightlife. We met a nice Corgi, its owner, and her friends at the Dram Shoppe, which was a very Portland-esque beer-nerd venue. Ethan went back, then Jon and I explored the local bro culture at Iron Horse and the Badlander, which was... alright, I guess. Peak Bro occurred when we saw a guy wearing a Nike shirt that, without context and in giant letters, declared “WITHOUT WARNING OR MERCY” across the front. Jon and I, along with two recent graduates we met named Jane and Kat, agreed that this shirt was an incredibly rapey fashion choice.


Here's a sign we don't have in Oregon: