How many days on this trip will I touch 3 states? Today was the first, and it's quite possible it will be the only one. Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont...
Today started with a bang. It could have been a disaster, but I was lucky to be in just the right place. As I was leaving the campground I hit a hole, and the trailer went flying off of the bike, and in the process stripped the threads from the braze-on. The problem was caused by two things. If I screwed the trailer hitch all the way in, I couldn't attach the trailer to the bike because there wasn't enough clearance. I backed off the connector just enough to allow me to attach the trailer. Unfortunately, this created some wiggle room, and when I hit the hole the hitch just popped off of the bike. What I should have done was get an additional connector, but I didn't know that. I do now. I had assumed that the connector was straight - but it was slightly tapered, just enough to allow some movement. But - I was definitely in the right place. I owe many thanks to the folks at the Pines Campground in Ashby, Masschusetts. They rethreaded the braze-on, plus made me an additional piece that connects to the trailer hitch. The extra piece allows the trailer hitch to be properly attached to the frame with enough clearance to attach the trailer.I don't think there are too many campgrounds where they have the tools and the know-how to accomplish a task like this one. But when it happened my first instinct was to ask the campground owner for help - they are fixing and restoring a 1959 tractor, so I was hoping there was some overlap there. As the editorial in the latest Adventure Cycling magazine noted, one of the magic things about touring by bicycle is the kindness of strangers.
The ride today was hard and hot - but it was also beautiful. The hills came early.In fact, there really were hills at the end of the day yesterday. It wasn't just that I was tired. I expected hills in New Hampshire. I just didn't expect them to start in Massachusetts! The temperature was in the 90s all day, and it seemed pretty humid too. Definitely a big Gatorade day. I think I set a record (for me) for the longest elapsed time for 30 miles. My average speed today dropped to 8.5 miles per hour - that in addition to lots of rest stops contributed to my lack of speed. Mark Goehring rode out to meet me and rode with me for the last 20 miles. That was a really nice treat. I don't know if the hills disappeared, or if the company made them easier. I think there was a section after Mark joined me where the terrain moderated for a bit. It seems like the first 10 miles was really hard, then I had a respite for a bit, then the hills started again. And then that pattern repeated. Yesterday I saw more farmland. Today it seemed either just empty, or there were houses. And as I'm sure I'll see all summer, there wasn't much in the towns that I passed through!
Second problem of the day - Mark & I stopped to take pictures of a really pretty covered bridge in New Hampshire. As I was moving the bike to get started again, I caught the trailer wheel and pulled out the cotter pin. Hmmm - a spare part I didn't realize I needed. I'll pick some up in Brattleboro.
We stopped at Mark's favorite bike shop so I could have my rear cluster checked out. There is one cog that doesn't feel as smooth as the others. Odd, just a slight vibration that I can feel through my feet. The first thought was that it might be the chain, but after checking it probably isn't. It sounds like something I can and should ignore. But I was told that the chain would probably need to be replaced within the next 1000 miles. Apparently 9-speed chains wear really fast. I guess I'll just need to plan a bike shop stop within the next month. That's definitely not a problem - I hate shopping in general, but I can happily spend time browsing through bike shops and chatting with the people there. Must be part of this whole bicycling addiction.
I'm spending the night with Mark, Griff, and Zoe - and I've decided to stay here an extra day and rest. (What - a rest day after only 2 days on the road? Yes, it feels like the right thing to do.) Mark made a delicious pasta dinner, and we had a nice relaxing evening. It's fun talking about biking and touring with someone else who has done it. It's an added plus that they did the Transamerica trail last summer, so they have a lot of good ideas for me.
