February 8, 2025 to February 9, 2025
Day 129-130: Nkhata to Mzuzu
The bikes made it up the hill! The new chain made some horrible noises and threatened to misbehave a few times, but was a vast improvement over the old one. The dreaded shark fin teeth in the chainring have even worn or bent back to just sharp points. Better, but not good.
We had to help the poor bike out a few times, shifting down a few gears going up hill. Which meant it was slow going. But it was properly hot in the sun anyway, so slowing down meant we were merely soaked in sweat. There may have been some walking and pushing up the steepest of the climbs.
The plan a few days ago was to try to get a better chain in Mzuzu. The $2.50 chain seems to be working well. But after a few minutes of looking, we've found a massive upgrade - a $3.50 chain that looks like it'd be more at home on a motorcycle. Or one of the Buffalo Bikes we see as we ride past. Those bikes are great - they're just as useful as a wheelbarrow given they can carry >100kg on the rack, plus the rider.
New chain is on, so fingers crossed we get at least 100 km more before something else breaks. We're going slow for the next few days, spending the time in Malawi while DHL get the package into Tanzania. Hopefully (tracking shows it is doing a tour of Europe for some reason).
Today's ride: 49 km (30 miles)
Total: 6,525 km (4,052 miles)
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