12 @ Bike time

Collected the bike late this arvo. Man what a day. Drove from Fort Collins to the hustle of Denver, went to suss out BMW gear, headed off to another bike store back to BMW armed with a bent credit card armed with biking gear. New rain gear, great Held gloves x2 pairs, new Sidi boots x 2 a Klim jacket, we're ready!

Checked into hotel, dropped off bags and gear and headed to the airport in the rain and in peak hour. 4 to 5 lanes both ways bumper to bumper, travelling at breakneck sped, but still flowing with not much stress. Similar to playing GTA on speed! What a big place. Getting rid of the car was easy, yeah right! Shuttle to the airport, taxi to collect the bike. The bike I might add is a BMW, to no ones surprise, a 2013 RT1200, a 90 yr anniversary model but using a different credit card card which being bent beyond breaking it still works. Rode the bike back to the hotel, easy. Next part took a bit of stress. Lol Packing. I think that words need greater definition! How can a man put his boxers in the same size pannier as a woman with her 'smalls'! Man my pannier holds like only a couple whereas a woman's smalls contains a years worth.

Still with poking and prodding, choosing then discarding, that all sounds a bit weird, but soon we have enough clothes squeezed into these minute cases as to appear decent after a day in the saddle. If not happy hour will compromise. No one knows us! Anyway packed and ready to go after a refreshing sleep. So with another plastic breakfast we rode down highway 6 to get to Denver Bmw to swap my boots, then 85 to get out of Denver, swapped over to 285, got off on 24 then went up 291 back to 285, then 114 and whatta ya know 50 took us where we wanted... Gunnison. Easy as ABC or 123......no don't do that one! Lol that's the days journey. Backtracking a bit after 285 we ended in Salida and caught the USA Pro cycling race and watched the vehicles and riders hurtle thru. Michael Rogers was leading so good for the Aussie bit and I made a bit of noise in the crowd to enjoy the moment!
It is always good to see such a professional race and the town was organised with spectators only on footpaths, ordered by a woman waving a big orange stick as the riders, cars and motorbikes speed past. So even with a bit of a rush, it threw our plans to be out of the saddle and in a hotel by mid afternoon because of the monsoonal rains. So with a welcomed delay we hit the high road to Gunnison but found it was still out of bounds. The cyclists were finishing on our planned route so after lining up and talking to traffic policemen we took...what was it, 114 and then 50 as to get to our destination tho later than expected.. With a little rain, avoiding the higher pass of Monarch that the cyclists had to endure we rode through the cute town of Saguache, wosh, and a wonderful little canyon of Cochetopa which Lenore tried to video from the bike. All good, first day in the saddle, bikes fresh, like the rides and many more miles expected. Everyone refers to numbers and with out them who knows where you would end up? Found ourselves a Comfort Inn and retired from our bike gear. A beer(s), followed by a restaurant meal where we discovered from our young waiter that Ranch dressing is more versatile than tomato sauce and has no equal! Bed for 2!