Day 23: Xenia, OH to Milford, OH

Distance: 52.1 mi, Climbed: 266 ft
Completed: 864.4 mi, 45,105 ft

Today, Joanna and I left the Adventure Cycling Association’s New York to Chicago route and turned south on ACA’s Underground Railroad route towards the TransAmerica trail. The route roughly follows the Underground Railroad and passes by a number of historical sites.  

We had 52 easy trail miles today. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate. The forecast was for light rain until early afternoon. We went out expecting a sprinkle, but what we got was a steady rain. After about ten miles, we stopped for a bathroom break at a port-a-potty along the trail. By the time we were ready to go, it was pouring. There was a small trail map with an overhang so we waited underneath it, clinging close to the map as the overhang was not very big. We started to rethink our choice of riding and briefly thought about calling it a short day. But the rain let up a bit, and we set off again.

And about ten minutes later … oh no!! … I had a flat tire. Uggh. Luckily, the flat happened just before an overpass. We used the overpass to change the tire and get out of the rain. I learned a few things changing my last flat tire, and with a little finagling, I was able to get the tire quickly changed. I filled the tire with air only to hear a hissing sound. Did I not close the valve properly? I tried adding air back in, and the hissing returned. The valve of my brand new tube was bad. I would have to change the tire again.

Around this time, Jack rode by and asked if we needed help. Jack is retired from the Air Force and was out training for his own cross-country trip this summer. Jack wanted to make sure we were able to fix the flat, so he hung out with us and helped change the tire. 

I brought two spare tubes with me on this trip. I used one for my last flat tire. One had a broken valve. I was going to have to patch the tube. It took a bit to find the tiny hole that was letting air out, but we found it and was able to patch the tube. I installed the patched tube into the tire without a problem and inflated it. All good.

When I went to put the tire back on the bicycle, something happened I did not even know was possible. The rear wheel of a bicycle has several geared cogs connected together in a device called a cassette. A bicycle mechanic can remove the cassette using specialized tools for maintenance, but it’s normally impossible to remove the cassette without those specialized tools.  Well, when I went to install my rear wheel, my cassette just fell off with various small parts scattering on the ground.  

My first thought was panic. I did not think it was possible to put it back together without specialized tools. But I had to try. I picked up what I hoped were all the pieces. It took several tries, but with a little luck, I managed to re-assemble the wheel. With the wheel re-assembled, I was finally able to re-install the wheel. We said goodbye to Jack and got back on our way. The only good news was that the rain had finally subsided.

While everything seemed fine, I thought it was wise to have it looked at by a professional to make sure I did not have future problems. At about mile 20, we saw a bike store. Joanna had a Zoom call in the evening, and we were running behind on time. Joanna headed off to Milford on her own, and I went to the bike store. 

I knew immediately I had gone to the right place when Isaac greeted me at the door and told me he was one of 150 pro mechanics certified by USA Cycling to work professional races. He has six kids and started the shop to get a more steady income stream. I bought two tubes and asked him to check my cassette. He completely disassembled my cassette, verified I got all the pieces back in their correct places, thoroughly cleaned it, and reassembled it making sure everything was secure. He even adjusted my shifting before getting me back on the road. If I was racing, I would want Isaac on my team. 

I was now well behind Joanna. I was on pace to get back around sunset at 8:30 pm. With about five miles to go, it happened – another flat!!

I was riding on the tube I patched earlier in the day, and I think the patch may have failed. Sigh…. One more tire change. This time the tire change went smoothly.

But then I needed to finish the ride in the dark.  Fortunately, we have lights for night riding. I did not get in until a little after 9:00 pm. What I thought would be an easy day turned into a very long day.