Recently, Linda and I visited The University of Wyoming in Laramie where we will be attending after our cross-country bicycle trip is complete (read our about section).  Linda will be working on a Master’s Degree in the Nutrition field and I will work toward completing a Bachelor’s Degree.  We wanted to check out the University and the town and  investigate housing options as well.

Linda and I met with one of her Professors of her specific program and were given a tour of the Family and Consumer Sciences Department.  The Campus is very nice and has a lot to offer!

While we were visiting the University, we also had the awesome opportunity to have our V02 Max measured at the University’s Family & Consumer Sciences Exercise Research Lab!  We were very excited to have this opportunity!  The V02 Max test was most definitely an uncomfortable test for us to experience.  Wearing the breathing apparatus while working hard at running on the treadmill made our throats very dry while at the same time, swallowing was near impossible.  In all fairness to us, we were not used to the altitude since we live almost at sea-level.

We looked at the different housing options and decided on a two-bedroom campus apartment.  The apartments are very nice and include all utilities.  The apartment we chose also comes with a washer and dryer hookup as well!  The Campus Shuttle runs very frequently and it is a very brief drive to the Student Union where the on-campus bar and billiard hall are located!!!

The air in this region is dry and so even though the numerical temperatures were between -7 and around 40-45 during our stay, the feels like temperatures were much higher.  We were wearing shirts outside (at least from the various campus buildings to our vehicle) when the numerical temperatures were in the low thirties.

In addition to the numerically low temperatures, snow was also falling at times.  But despite the weather, we saw bikes, lots of bikes, bikes everywhere, AND people were riding them!!!   We even saw a man riding a unicycle on campus while the sidewalks were still somewhat snow-covered and even a little icy in some spots!  There was not a time when we were out and about that we did not see folks riding their bicycles on and around campus and all over town!  We were very excited to see all the bicycles!

We visited the local bike shop in Laramie called The Pedal House.  The owner, Dewey, is really cool as is his shop!  Check them out at http://www.pedalhouse.com  He gave us some really awesome stickers that say: WE STILL HANG BIKE THIEVES IN WYOMING!  We also learned that snowbiking is a popular activity out there.  This is done on bikes equipped with “Fat” tires, which are really big and wide tires! Read this article: http://www.bicycling.com/mountainbikecom/featured-stories/bike-skills-ride-through-snow

After a few days in Laramie we headed out to Colorado Springs, Colorado to check out The Barnett Bicycle Institute: http://www.bbinstitute.com where Phillip will be participating in the Bicycle Assembly and Maintenance Program in mid-August.  BBI is a well-known and respected trade-school.

While in Colorado Springs, we also visited Pikes Peak.  We were able to drive up to 12,000 feet at which point the access road was closed due to unsafe conditions on the mountain from snowfall.  We missed getting to the top by one day!  The staff at the entrance told us that the road was open to the top the previous day and that it was the first time in a whole month that the road was open to the top.  The nice ladies also informed us that the road should be open more often in August when we will be back.