Ellington and Farmington

120 miles. Bike flair.

I thought I'd switch it up and introduce a few very important players in this here game; they are the friends we have on our bikes that add a little pizazz and character.

First, there's Elefante, my original gangster dude. I wrote about him before this trip, but he's my good luck charm from Persistent that makes me happy every time I look at him. Elefante likes to ride with the breeze running through his trunk, he's one happy elephant. And then there's his riding compadre, Haribo the hippo. I found Haribo in a laundry room in Oregon and thought he and Elefante would get along just great. They don't seem to mind riding next to each other, staring out from my front rack.

McKinley's original gangster is Sinclair, a plastic dinosaur she picked up in Oregon; he's named after the gas station Sinclair. And then there's Dennis, the cowboy with a rifle that sits on Sinclairs back; he's named after a cowboy we met in Wyoming. He had a badass cowboy moustache and loved pina coladas from the slushy machine. Dennis and Sinclair ride the front fender, ready to fight crime with blazing guns.

Whitney's awesome bike flair is Sweetwater Deb, a decoy bird that rides in the back of her bike. She saw an old lady riding her bike with something similar, so she decided a bird was necessary. When I asked where the name came from, Whitney said, "Oh I don't know, I pulled it out of my ass." Best way to name something, in my professional opinion. Very official.

Every bike needs some flair. It builds character.