Riding Day 65 - August 19th, 2019
Start: Schellsburg, PA
End: Bedford, PA
Miles: 29.6
Feet climbing per mile: 86
Record of today’s ride: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/38804687
I woke this morning expecting that today would be the most challenging day of climbing since I was in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I had no idea that I would be occupied with challenges other than climbing. After packing my gear (I forwent swimming this morning), I was about to pump my tires up to the desired pressure. I noticed that the hose of the pump was missing an O-ring that seals the connection between the hose and the body of the pump. As I attempted to fill the rear tire (in retrospect, a risky action), I noticed that the pressure in the tire was not increasing and I heard a quiet hissing sound. I immediately removed the pump from the valve so that I would not release all the air in the tire.
As I started to ride out of the park, I realized that I could not continue on my journey without a functioning pump. Although it might be unlikely that I would get a flat, the consequences of doing so would be enormous. I searched Google Maps for bike shops and saw that there was one in Bedford, on my route, about 8 miles from where I exited the park. Fat Jimmy’s Outfitters would open at 10:00, shortly before I would arrive.
I explained the situation to Jim (a different Jim than Fat Jimmy) and he said he thought True Value Hardware, one mile away and on my route, might have the O-ring I needed. I bought a Park Tool mini pump, suggested by Connor, in case the O-ring wasn’t available. Fortunately True Value had a huge collection of O-rings, including the one I needed with a price of 30 cents. Thank you, Jim, for knowing to send me to True Value.
I rode back to Fat Jimmy’s to return the pump and then was on my way. Eight miles down the road I experienced a chain drop and chain suck at the same time. This means that the chain came off the chainring and was horribly tangled in itself. In order to get moving I needed to disentangle the chain. For quite a while I made what appeared to be no progress, but eventually the chain was free and I could put it back in place.
Just as I was about to continue riding I noticed a place on my rear tire where the tread had pulled away from the belt underneath it. Then I saw that there were many such places on the tire (at least 13). This tire could blow at any time and had to be replaced before proceeding.
I called Fat Jimmy’s and was told they had a tire of the size I needed. As I rode the eight miles back to the shop I did everything I could to minimize the stress to the rear tire. I took it easy on descents, I stayed in lower gears than I would usually use, twice I walked when I couldn’t make it up hills in my lowest gear while seated, and I never used the rear brake (doing so would heat the rim and therefore the tire).
I made it back to Fat Jimmy’s with the rear tire intact and had Connor install the replacement. I also had him check the adjustment of both derailleurs. By the time I was finished at Fat Jimmy’s I had ridden 30 miles since my departure five hours earlier. I had made only 10 miles of progress on my route for the day, but it was 2:00 so I decided I would spend the night in Bedford. I checked into the Motel Town House, which is funky but adequate.
After taking a shower I noticed that there were some new torn seams on my rear bag. I fixed one of the tears with a large safety pin and the other by sewing it. I also realized that my route from Bedford to my next destination, Cowans Gap State Park, is based on Google Maps driving directions rather than biking directions, so I asked Tom Reingold to use the latter to make me a RideWithGPS route I could download to my phone so that I would not have to rely on cellular service for navigation. Thank you, Tom!
So tomorrow will be the day with the most challenging climbing since the Blue Ridge Mountains. Based on the climbing I’ve just done in Pennsylvania as well as the appearance of the route profiles, I expect to encounter climbs not nearly as long as many of those in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
I’ve now been on the road exactly twelve weeks. Today’s events added a one-day delay to my return home, which I now expect to be next Sunday.
End: Bedford, PA
Miles: 29.6
Feet climbing per mile: 86
Record of today’s ride: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/38804687
How much of an adventure can it be if everything goes according to plan?
-John Link
I woke this morning expecting that today would be the most challenging day of climbing since I was in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I had no idea that I would be occupied with challenges other than climbing. After packing my gear (I forwent swimming this morning), I was about to pump my tires up to the desired pressure. I noticed that the hose of the pump was missing an O-ring that seals the connection between the hose and the body of the pump. As I attempted to fill the rear tire (in retrospect, a risky action), I noticed that the pressure in the tire was not increasing and I heard a quiet hissing sound. I immediately removed the pump from the valve so that I would not release all the air in the tire.
As I started to ride out of the park, I realized that I could not continue on my journey without a functioning pump. Although it might be unlikely that I would get a flat, the consequences of doing so would be enormous. I searched Google Maps for bike shops and saw that there was one in Bedford, on my route, about 8 miles from where I exited the park. Fat Jimmy’s Outfitters would open at 10:00, shortly before I would arrive.
I explained the situation to Jim (a different Jim than Fat Jimmy) and he said he thought True Value Hardware, one mile away and on my route, might have the O-ring I needed. I bought a Park Tool mini pump, suggested by Connor, in case the O-ring wasn’t available. Fortunately True Value had a huge collection of O-rings, including the one I needed with a price of 30 cents. Thank you, Jim, for knowing to send me to True Value.
I rode back to Fat Jimmy’s to return the pump and then was on my way. Eight miles down the road I experienced a chain drop and chain suck at the same time. This means that the chain came off the chainring and was horribly tangled in itself. In order to get moving I needed to disentangle the chain. For quite a while I made what appeared to be no progress, but eventually the chain was free and I could put it back in place.
Just as I was about to continue riding I noticed a place on my rear tire where the tread had pulled away from the belt underneath it. Then I saw that there were many such places on the tire (at least 13). This tire could blow at any time and had to be replaced before proceeding.
I called Fat Jimmy’s and was told they had a tire of the size I needed. As I rode the eight miles back to the shop I did everything I could to minimize the stress to the rear tire. I took it easy on descents, I stayed in lower gears than I would usually use, twice I walked when I couldn’t make it up hills in my lowest gear while seated, and I never used the rear brake (doing so would heat the rim and therefore the tire).
I made it back to Fat Jimmy’s with the rear tire intact and had Connor install the replacement. I also had him check the adjustment of both derailleurs. By the time I was finished at Fat Jimmy’s I had ridden 30 miles since my departure five hours earlier. I had made only 10 miles of progress on my route for the day, but it was 2:00 so I decided I would spend the night in Bedford. I checked into the Motel Town House, which is funky but adequate.
After taking a shower I noticed that there were some new torn seams on my rear bag. I fixed one of the tears with a large safety pin and the other by sewing it. I also realized that my route from Bedford to my next destination, Cowans Gap State Park, is based on Google Maps driving directions rather than biking directions, so I asked Tom Reingold to use the latter to make me a RideWithGPS route I could download to my phone so that I would not have to rely on cellular service for navigation. Thank you, Tom!
So tomorrow will be the day with the most challenging climbing since the Blue Ridge Mountains. Based on the climbing I’ve just done in Pennsylvania as well as the appearance of the route profiles, I expect to encounter climbs not nearly as long as many of those in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
I’ve now been on the road exactly twelve weeks. Today’s events added a one-day delay to my return home, which I now expect to be next Sunday.
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