September 8th, 2026 - Day 14

Day 14 - September 8, 2026
Route $66,000 - Arizona & New Mexico
Bike: 71 miles, 5,190’, 6hours 21minutes

And that’s a wrap! Today I biked what I had planned to do today and tomorrow. Not only that but when I got done this afternoon, Jeri and I drove 2 hours toward home. (After, of course, Jeri made me take a shower. Ha!)

Today went well with one exception. I had to use another brand new bike tube. BUT I did not have a flat. They say the necessity is the mother of invention. At the 50 miles mark I lost one of the screws that holds my seat on. I looked but clearly never found it. I almost called Jeri to come get me.

I had a zip tie, a rubber band, and a phone charging cord. And then I remembered that I now carry 8 spare tubes. Could I sacrifice one? Clearly I did. What I did not expect was that it would hold for the rest of the ride. It did, and I saw that as another reason to be done.

So the biking is done, but the drive is not. Jeri and I are going to take our time and cruise back home. Not gonna set an alarm and not going to drive 14 hours a day. Time to reflect and probably start planning the next adventure.

SHINE!
The Road Rider

PS I’ll be back tomorrow with statistics and at least one Route 66 attraction.

PSS Fundraising is not done either! Not even close, but I did get my first triple donor for 2026! Are you gonna be next? I hope so.

Dana Farber
https://profile.pmc.org/JM1309

Children’s Cancer Research Fund
https://greatcyclechallenge.com/Riders/JeffMulder

Healthtree
https://give.healthtree.org/TheRoadRider2026