Day 31 - A Cracked Rim (July 2nd, 2024)

City To City: Hot Sulphur Springs - Breckenridge

Miles: 72

Miles Total: 2,000

Flats Total: 8

Video:

Lunch At The River

Along The Bike Trail 

We packed everything up, and headed out.  My dad made a few calls along the road, so eventually, he told us to go ahead, find a coffee shop and wait for him there.  So, Henry and I waited there for him.  After an hour, my dad came riding in.  He had messaged us saying he'd got a flat tire along the way, but we didn't get it since my phone was dead and Henry's wasn't working well.  

After that, we continued.  As we were riding behind Henry, we noticed his back tire wobbling.  So, during lunch Henry looked at it.  It turns out that the back wheel was cracked.  So, we planned to see how far Henry's wheel would make it.

right before Silverthorne, I got another flat.  Two pieces of glass had punctured my tire. While we were fixing it, two teenage guys came over and asked if we were okay.  We said yeah, and they replied that they lived across the street and told us not to hesitate to let them know if we needed anything.

All the while Henry and I were fixing the flat, my dad called bike shop after bike shop, explaining the situation about Henry's rim and asking about a wheel. Well, none of the many bike shops from Silverthorne, Frisco, or Breckenridge had anything! Then we realized we might be in a real pickle and have to stay a week in Breckenridge before a new wheel comes.

After we fixed my tire, a man named Des pulled over. He waited to cross the street to us and then asked us if we needed anything. Des told us he is a huge fan of bicyclists and tries to help them in any way he can. Des then told us that he was following the Tour De France and how excited he was about the race. After he gave us his number and told us to call him if we ran into another problem, he left.

From Silverthorne to Frisco, we took a very nicely maintained bike trail that was the hilliest and curviest trail that we've ever taken.

In Frisco we stopped at a bike shop, and explained the situation.  It was so complicated that the mechanic had to come out and help.  They said they might be able to get it the next day, but it was only a chance.  They then said that our best bet was to go to Goldridge, right outside of Denver, and try a couple bike shops there.  So, after discussing it, we decided that Henry would take an Uber to Goldridge and see if he could find something.  And since it was a quarter until five, and the shop closed at 6, an hour's drive away, it was tight on time.  And since Henry's phone wasn't working right, my dad volunteered my phone for Henry to use.  I also took two of Henry's panniers and put them on my bike since we didn't know how much room the car would have to fit a bike in, and all of Henry's things.  But we left Henry the tent.

My dad and I left and continued up the slow climb to Breckenridge.  We stopped at a grocery store, and I got groceries while my dad unplugged the drinking fountain so he could charge his phone. 

On the last hill for the day, up to our warm shower's host, we were huffing and puffing, especially with me being unaccustomed to additional weight and the elevation around ten thousand but we made it.  

We met our warm shower hosts, Jerry and his wife, Christy.  They made us an Indian meal with spicy curry.  It was delicious, and over dinner, they told us about crazy adventures of biking up and over the Himalayas and all around India.  They told stories of bike problems and being stuck in rural areas, and the Indians all being resourceful like Macgyver.  Also, they told stories of how generous the Indian's hospitality was and how they would feed their guests until they had no food left. One time, Jerry was in a country in Asia, and he walked into a bike store and saw the Colorado flag on some water bottles.  It turns out that the guy who owns the bike shop lives one block away from Jerry and just happens to have a bike shop in Asia!

Henry was able to find a wheel and texted us to let us know. When Henry arrived, he told us that he had tried the bike shop that Frisco's bike shop had recommended. Well, they didn't have it. So, Henry went to the bike shop across the street ten minutes before it closed. The employee there found the wheel but said he could probably get to it tomorrow, then asked if that would be a problem.

"Um, yeah," Henry said, "That kinda would!"  Henry then explained the situation, and the guy said he could do it right then.  So, Henry had a new wheel and tire and was back in Breckenridge, and we were back on schedule.

As we were settling for bed, Jerry and Christ dropped by to see if we needed anything. My dad thanked Jerry and said that it was wonderful to be hosted by a celebrity on the Warm Showers App. Jerry waved the comment away, and Christy then popped in and said, "He's a celeb. He also hosts the Warm Showers podcast!"

Jerry tried waved the comments away, but Christ went on to say that Jerry had also written a book.  
"Ah, it's nothing," Jerry said.  My dad and I watched it all, amused.

After Jerry and Christ left, I worked on a blog, then went to bed.