Eads CO to Sugar City

[mattdwyerva]

Any food, water, or restrooms in the 56 miles between Eads CO and Sugar City CO on the TransAm?

I assume not, sadly, but correct me if wrong.  Riding that this week.

[jamawani]

56 miles? 56 miles ain't nothing.
It's 168 miles between Tonopah and Ely in Nevada.

Haswell is not that far from Eads -
but you could ask for water at the post office or county road shop.
There are only a couple of houses left in Arlington,
but there is a nice shady pull-out.

You can always ask at a house for water -
especially if you see someone outside already.
Also, you can hold your water bottle out with you left hand
to beg from passing cars.
If they stop, they'll often throw in a granola bar.

[mattdwyerva]

Yes, I am familiar with these tactics.     

Another tip is that coop grain elevators along route 96 may have offices that are staffed and have water, or cold drinks for sale.

[John Nettles]

You might review a couple of recent journals over on CGOAB or CycleBlaze and ask the writers what they remember. 

Tailwinds, John

[mattdwyerva]

Thanks, John.

[Pat Lamb]

I think this is the situation 2 L foldable water pouches were made for.  Fill up one or two in the morning, stuff them into the middle of some clothes in a pannier, and pedal off with the sunrise.

Some people advocate reusing 1 L water bottles or even coke bottles.  That's doable, but the foldable pouches are easier to store.

[John Nettles]

Morning Pat,

I am of the "Pepsi" bottle camp for situations like this.  The reason is I rarely am more than the one meal away from the next guaranteed resupply point on a pavement tour as my bike has 3 frame bottles. 

Should I anticipate the need for more, I use Pepsi bottles since 1) they are readily available, 2) lightweight in use, 3) easy to get rid of when done with them, 4) don't have to worry about germs (I am immunosuppressed), 5) I can balance the weight easier with 2 bottles vs. 1 bladder, and 6) they come with refreshment when purchasing.  I do carry one of those expanding small cargo nets for a variety of purposes, including strapping down extra water bottles.For me, a folding water is typically not needed for more than 1 or 2 days on a "typical" paved tour in the United States. 

However, for a remote (24+ hours between resupply points) and/or unpaved tour, i.e. Great Divide, I would highly recommend as the use greatly increases where I have been known to carry up to two 4-liter bladders.
Of course, to each their own  .
Tailwinds, John

[jamawani]

Water drop?

Another thing I have used in Nevada, not Colorado -
Is to have someone drop off a gallon of water in a pre-arranged location.
I buy a gallon of water at the store then find someone going that way.
Once I had already talked with someone heading thru Warm Springs (deserted).
Once I stood at the junction with a sign "Can you drop off H2O for me?"
It took only 5 minutes for someone to stop.
Maybe they could do that and leave it at the Arlington rest area.
I also write my name on the jug with a marker and the word, "Cyclist".

[davidbonn]

On bladders and bottles.

One big win with the CNOC bottles and bladders is they use a 28mm or 42mm thread on the caps.  Why is this important?  Because Sawyer water filters use a 28mm thread and Katadyn water filters use a 42mm thread, so you can use their collapsible bottles and bladders with these squeeze filters.

There is also a whole ecosystem of 28mm gadgetry, including gravity filters and hydration tubes.

To keep them clean I usually flush them with bleachy water (a few drops of bleach in a liter of water) and dry thoroughly before storage.  Don't store them wet!

[mattdwyerva]

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone.  I'll figure it out.

Had a nice surprise today, finding the Heartland Mill just south of Marienthal, KS on 96.  Restrooms, water, baked goods and drinks. Highly recommended.

We love these new 21 oz stainless steel water bottles from Camelbak and Bivo.  Excellent thermos

[mattdwyerva]

Turned out to be a cold rainy day with a tailwind, so 3 bottles each was plenty.

For future reference by others:

Scoluar grain elevator on Haswell allowed us to use their restroom.  Also the gas station/propane supplier in that town was open (contrary to Google maps) and appeared to have a convenience store, but we did not go in.

[John Nettles]

Glad it worked out even though it was not a pleasant day.