I just have to share this one because it was so bizarre.
A prelude. Toward the end of day 3 my copilot and I were cruising around in Hibbing (the end of that day’s route). We happened upon a couple of dudes by the side of the road. They were fixing a flat, and said it had gone ok, but hey - if you happen to have a floor pump in the van to pump up the tire, that would be really helpful. The copilot jumped out and cheerfully pumped up his tire for him. I said, “Aw, look at that cheerful service, this deserves a picture” (see comments for picture - I’ll probably only leave it up a couple of days). The next day - the final day of the tour - we were already at the end, trying to grab lunch before going back out to support stragglers. We got a phone call from a guy a few miles from the end who said he had a flat and didn’t have an inner tube.
We drove out to him. I didn’t remember him as the guy from the day before (hey, all of these people with flat tires start to blend together). Out of curiosity we asked “why don’t you have a tube?” And he says “My riding partner has it and he wouldn’t stop”.
OK, definitely weird. Again just out of curiosity, we asked for more details and he said, “Well, yesterday we started out each having an inner tube, but then I had two flats. We went to the mechanic truck and their tubes were kind of expensive.” [note - they were $10 apiece; sure, more than you’d normally pay, but what’s the point in being stingy when you’re going to have to get a replacement tube eventually anyway?].
The rider went on, “So we were talking about it and we thought, ‘What’s the chance of getting more than one flat again tomorrow? We’ll just buy one tube and share it.’ So just now he was riding ahead of me, and I saw my tire was going flat so I yelled at him, but he didn’t stop.”
At this point I noticed a guy standing with his bike about a half mile down the road. I said, “Wait a minute - is that him?”
Rider: “yes - he’s just waiting up there even though he can see that I had my bike upside down and probably needed that tube”.
My co-pilot says, “You need a new riding partner”.
Rider: “You got that right. He’s been terrible all week. I’m never doing a tour with him again.”
I feel like we didn’t get the whole story, haha! I can only imagine how much seething friction must have been going on for it to escalate to this.
By then we were driving down the road. Under normal circumstances, we would have slowed down, rolled down the window, and informed the riding partner that we had his buddy and were taking him to the end. But flat tire guy said, “Don’t stop, just keep going.” The tone of his voice was, “he’s dead to me”.
It was a really weird last day. We had a guy who said he was having trouble with his asthma and couldn’t continue - we went out to where he said he was, and couldn’t find him. So we figured maybe he tried to keep going. We drove forward, and didn’t see him for like three or four miles. We finally pulled over in Aurora to try to call him again, at which point he rode past us. Like, how did we get ahead of him without seeing him on the road?
Another guy by the side of the road waved us on, he said he had a slow leak but he’d deal with it. Then after we got to the end he called and said he needed us to pick him up after all (apparently he got tired of stopping to pump it up, even though he was only two miles from the end).
All in all, I was quite happy when everyone was in to the finish and we could pack up and leave.
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Next year you will be running the event!
No no! 😊
Sounds like an interesting volunteer gig. I hope you felt you were appreciated.
Most of the time, yes.
Wow . . . A dude abandons his riding partner? That's cold.
At least you survived the tour and got some blog fodder out of it 😂
I did indeed! I don’t have a lot of blog fodder these days. Life is quiet (and that’s okay!).
It sounds like you did an amazing job. Be careful or this will be your new side gig every year
It would have to be paid to be a side gig! 😂
Interesting and fun stories, how do they partner up.? Just wondering if there was a friendship before the ride, and now he is dead to him. That whole scenario just doesnt sound very partner ish...~
I was puzzled by that as well. Wouldn't you think you would know someone pretty well, to decide to do a bike tour with them?
Then again, I've heard stories about friends deciding to take a trip together, and discovering that sharing a hotel room and being together almost 24-7 is VERY different from having a friend who you spend time with every now and then.
What with the bad weather the first couple days I can see where a relationship could start to get stressed...
OK, I know nothing about long distance bike riding, but how the hell many flats was this in total? Were they riding on diamond paved roads, or what?
I guess the guy had three flats over two days? That IS a lot. I was under the impression that flats are less frequent these days because a lot of people have ditched the skinny racing tires and are riding beefier tires.
In the past, if I was getting repetitive flats, the first thing I did was check the inside of the tire to see if there might be a tiny piece of glass or something still poking through. The second thing would be to check the rim. The spoke ends that come through the rim usually have a liner over them that keeps them from rubbing against the inner tube, but sometimes that liner wears thin over time.
At this point I ride so little that I haven't had a flat in over 10 years - not sure if I could even help someone change a tire, at least not very effectively.
Perfect story
Lmao at the guy saying "drive on"
I can relate to that!
I'm wondering if you passed the asthma guy while he was taking a leak behind a tree!
That was EnigmaInitiative's suggestion, also, and probably the correct answer.
It sounds an eventful tour. I wonder whether you'll volunteer next year.
I suspect if I'm asked, I will. As a retired person I feel a bit guilty that I don't do more volunteer work. This is a limited time commitment, which is kind of nice.
I can see Geena and Susan helping Brad with his flat, and...
... perhaps (this time), a happy ending for all. 😊
I believe your epic journey is worthy of a screenplay. 🤗🔥💕
... seriously... itZ got everything... drama... gore... love... hate... adventure...
Just add in a serial kîller and a romance and I've got a hit, I think.
@smartasswoman
No violence.
It's about you and your car-mate, searching for something or someone while you manage that race. And you find him... wearing jersey No. 273. The flick follows your adventures and misadventures as you reach the finish line. Of course, one (or both) of you wind up with 'biker-men.'
I haven't figured an ending, but there are no cliffs in the final scene. 💕
@Paulxx001 just a technicality - it wasn't a race.
But a multi-day race would definitely be more exciting for a screenplay. You should check out the Tour de France documentaries on Netflix, if they are available in Canada. They really are very well done, and highlight the individual riders' personal lives, and the rivalries between the teams.
@smartasswoman
True about a multi-day race. I have seen it.
But YOUR flick is about more than that...
Let's add some meat to your story.
The purpose of your bike event was to raise awareness for the lonely and their associated mental health issues.
A solitary bike rider rides an empty country highway as the opening credits roll...
We find out that your EX was hit by a truck while riding... and you no longer bike.
Your phone rings... it's your car-mate asking you for help organizing a marathon biking event with her. You're not into it, but she convinces you it's a good thing.
By the time you hook up with rider no. 273 and realize there's hope in finding another soulmate...
Everyone will be tearing up... as the credits roll. 💕
@smartasswoman
Ethan Coen called.
Wants to know if you can do a "Fargo" accent?
@Paulxx001 obviously this screenplay needs to be a collaboration, lol.
Woah, I’m no cycler, but leaving your riding partner seems like bad form. There has to be more to that!
Maybe the last guy pulled off for a bathroom break and you didn’t see him?
That might be what happened with ‘asthma guy’ as we were calling him.
Another funny thing that happened - on the last day we had about a 25 mile stretch with no convenience stores or anything to take a break, so we decided to pick a spot and have an informal water stop. So I pulled off on to a small side road to park, and whaddya know there was a rider there peeing. 😂 I was like, ‘whoops, sorry, pay no mind to us’. 😂
Weird unhelpful guy is the one in the blue jersey with a star on it. Don't ride with him!
(Pic is now removed since the folks probably don’t want to be featured on this site )
Good safety tip. Thanks. 👍
Your partner certainly looks smiley.
Is she unattached? 😶
... you must have tons of great pics...
Good safety tip. Thanks. 👍
Your partner certainly looks smiley.
Is she unattached? 😶
... you must have tons of great pics... and stories yet untold...
@Paulxx001 she was a total delight and SO competent. Alas for you, she is attached. There was a funny moment when her husband called. The car picked it up so he was on speakerphone. “Hon, I’m making bread and butter pickles and this recipe says a cup of garlic, that can’t be right, can it?”
@smartasswoman
That IS a lot... unless he was making a barrel of them. So, what was the correct answer?
ItZ a good thing that convo wasn't more personal. 😲
I'm telling you... "road trip" screenplay. 💕
... i'll make some calls and see if Margot Robbie, Scarlet Johanson and Ryan Gosling are interested...
@Paulxx001 she said, "I don't know where that came from. It should be something like 3 tsp." Recipe mysteries!