We’ve decided to stay put in Dillon for the time being. My dad’s ribs felt noticeably worse yesterday than the day before, so it didn’t make sense to push things. We’ve booked more nights at the motel, and we’ll just see how things feel in the mornings.

We’ve also been discussing some plans for me to split off and go ahead solo. I’ve been resistant to this, partially out of concern but also since we had planned to stick together at least until after Yellowstone. I’m sure he’ll be fine on his own, once he’s able to get back on the bike without issues, as long as something like this doesn’t happen again.

I’ve done a good amount of research on speed wobble and relayed some important tips to him. In case this may be useful to others, you should: generally keep your speed lower than 40mph, preferably closer to 30; if wobble starts, don’t grip the handlebars even tighter; instead, clamp your knees to the top tube, and/or try shifting more weight forward. Personally, I’ve felt more stable in the drops when descending, but I’m not sure if that helps significantly (though it does put more weight forward). I’m certain that the short stem and general weight distribution on his bike (handlebar bag heavy and high up, fork bags attached not very securely w/ a lot of elastic motion) are contributors, but it’s hard to pin down a single thing.

But in terms of the path forward, I have a few options:

1. Stay in Dillon until he’s sufficiently recovered, then ride together for the rest of the tour.

2. Stay in Dillon …, then ride together until after Yellowstone, after which I go ahead solo to try and finish in time.

3. Stay in Dillon for ~1 more week, then go ahead solo if he’s still not in good riding shape. Otherwise same as option 2.

4. Go ahead solo now.

In options 1 and 2, there is a real possibility that I may not make it to DC in time for my Europe trip. (I’ve set a deadline of Aug. 25 for when I need to be on a flight back to SF.) If this were the case, I’m planning on at least making it to a major city (maybe Omaha, NE), stashing my bike at a local bike shop, pausing the tour for Europe, then returning to finish the tour when I’m back.

I’m inclined to choose option 3, but 2 is also reasonable. We were already planning on splitting up somewhere in Wyoming so option 1 wouldn’t make too much sense. 

I’ll be making a choice in the coming days, and hoping for a speedy recovery meanwhile.