Have Tire - Will Travel!

As of 5:00 p.m. Eastern, Kirsten is back on the road!  She has a new tire and is making her way back down to the Denver BMW shop for a full safety check (especially the front brakes that the bent rim was slapping against as she was trying to move to the side of the road).  She's still trying to beat the clock and get from the shop back to the IBA rally check-in by the time limit for leg one.  If she does, she can take a breath before receiving the Leg 2 waypoints at 5 a.m. Mountain tomorrow morning. 

I know that she'll post more (and photos - "you won't believe it when you see this tire") after the rally.  But I MUST thank several people.  The two guys who were on a hay run, saw her on the side of the road and helped her pick up the bike and gave her the name of a tow company.  The tow truck driver who got both rider and bike back into Casper and then told the receptionist at the hotel, "This young lady just got this bike to the side of the road with no front tire and didn't drop it!  That's impressive!"  Bill from Canada pretty much orchestrated the rescue mission I understand.  (If you're in SC this weekend, I'm SO giving you a hug!)  The BMW dealer took a full front wheel assembly off a used RT, put together tools and instructions, and gave it to an IBA volunteer.  He then strapped it all on his Goldwing and made the 4-hour one-way trip up to Casper so they could change her tire.  The folks at the motorsports shop in Casper, I'm sure helped in this.  And a HUGE Motor Maid thank you to Ruth and Mary who were in Casper and gave Kirsten a cool living room couch and company to await the arrival of her tire saviour.  And on the homefront all our FB and rider board friends who posted ideas and support.  To all of you and all the others I don't even know - I thank you... and Kirsten's mom thanks you!  It's hard to be half a country away when all this is happening.

And this was just Leg 1.  Imagine the full 11 day Iron Butt Rally.

Before I close today, I want to give you the post I wanted to blog yesterday.  In the midst of traveling, preparation, attending the IBA conference and everything else, Kirsten found time to send me this yesterday!

These beauties were delivered to my office - a wonderful surprise as she was just heading out.  Here's a smile and hopes for a much less eventful Leg 2!