Ignore the mileage, I only biked about a fourth of it.
First two hours were pleasant enough. I went west into Kansas for about 10 miles, then south to the Oklahoma border. A few miles into the state I got another flat. Changed tubes, flat. Patched original tube, flat. Patched spare tube, flat. It was like days 2 and 3 all over again. The punctures were all against the rim too; I needed a shop to put on new rim liner. Fortunately according to Google, the nearest shop was a couple miles down the road. I walked the bike - it's surprisingly heavier when I'm pushing and not riding it.
Turns out the shop is a sporting goods store and has no bike equipment. My immediate plan was to hitch-hike all the way back to Joplin with the wheel, get it fixed, and hitch-hike again to Oklahoma. The clerk at the sporting goods store immediately extinguished that idea; it's strictly illegal to hitch a ride in OK, and I could face jail time for attempting it. Out of options, I gave my host Mike a call. He took three hours out of his day to come get me and the bike and bring us both to Broken Arrow. He's retired, but still.
Mike took me to a shop in BA so I could fix tire issue. Hopefully it works... bike shops are pretty spread out the rest of the ride.
Tomorrow is a similarly-long distance to OKC, and it will likely be my last host for a while. During that time, I may actually stop blogging. There's a certain component of solitude in the adventure I'm seeking, and staying connected everyday in social media may not be the best for that. Access to a computer and/or WiFi will be patchy anyway.
I know the last few posts have lacked photos. I'll make a note to take some.
Flats fluctuate for flatland. Make sure you let someone know you're okay daily dough.
ReplyDeleteEstás seeking solidarity, but then you need to be with people. Make up your mind Ric ;)
Perhaps during your "Solidarity Stay," you could ponder the significance of fashion, the Fermi Paradox, or the Hedgehog Dilemma.
Eric, do you mean solitude? Solitudarity? I think I understand what you mean but I just want to say that Day 23 didn't surface here until today, followed by day 24. And we were concerned! I suppose it didn't help that my daughter, SIL, and granddaughter also didn't check in as they found themselves in a dead spot in Utah last night. Wishing you no more tire troubles!
ReplyDeleteDon't stop blogging! Your leaving us all hanging! Lol and yes more pictures! Don't be down about a flat. It's all in the adventure! Good luck!
ReplyDelete