Traveling at Mach 0.012

Monday has been a rest day. Spent time cleaning up, doing laundry, fixing the bike, and reorganizing. Have more posts to update and photos. will try to catch up this week.

Stay tuned.

Day 8 Monaca and Rest

Not too much time for rest. Have to resupply, discuss options for continuing with the group, clean the bike, get ready for another week.

Sunday was a day of decisions and changes that evolved into Monday. EK rethought his ability to make the trip in the same manner as we have proceeded during the past week. A combination of ailments is leaving him needing more rest and unable to continue to meet the pace we are setting to meet the goal of finishing in about 65 days. As a group, we weighed several options and came to the conclusion that renting a vehicle and having him drive point to point and work in rides at the start or finish of a day. He can start with Joe and I and then turn back at a point to retrieve the car and then hop to the day’s end point, or can go to the endpoint and ride around. In any case, it gives us more choices and the ability to be more flexible. So, now the mission is to find a vehicle for a reasonable price and that can accommodate our stuff. Enterprise came through. We can get an intermediate SUV and take it point to point. Dropping off in Portland. Reasonable rate and after some creative thinking on the part of the agent, we are ready to go.

What a difference a car makes. No longer are we restricted to places that we have to walk to for dinner. We can go shopping and pick up supplies. We can ride to a bike shop and get repairs made. Spent the rest of the day cleaning up the bikes, doing laundry, and resting some. Also replanning the events for the next few days.

Went to Snitger’s Bicycle Store in Beaver PA. Met the owner, Marlin who was a joy to talk with. Did you know that Beaver is a dry town? But Snitger’s will give a beer to go along with the very interesting conversation that Marlin engages us in. Go figure, someone with opinions and more vocal about them than me. We learned all about local politics (Marlin was on the town council) and a different perspective on fracking. Just to be clear, Marlin, a democrat, is likely in the minority around this part of the country.

Turns out that Marlin’s son brews craft beers and they also have on hand some other local beers. What is not to like about this? I have seen coffee shops and bike shops, but not beer and especially not as a give away. I encourage you to visit Marlin and Snitger’s when you are in beautiful Beaver; you can’t go wrong.

The last challenge for the day was to consider what to pack to carry on my bike now that we are in a supported ride mode. Ended up with a single rear pannier with all of the essentials (tools, spare parts, extra clothes…