September 7, 2012
Grey Skies, Great Cruisin': Belding to St Johns
Spoon says "Harpo, you piddle more than anybody I've ever seen." Harpo says
"This is my tour and I'll piddle as much as I want. (Hee, hee, hee. Spoon's lovey wife Beverly commanded that he not get out of my sight as he's prone to breaking bones, riding or walking. So, I can piddle and piddle and Spoon has to stay with me.)
Spoon says "Harpo, that is a cheap bike you're riding." Harpo says "Yeah, I guess at $1600 it is, in the eyes of a member of the 1 precent club."
Spoon says Harpo, those are frankenbike tires you're riding on." Harpo says,
"They're perfect touring tires, custom lined to prevent a flat."
Spoon says "Kelly Iniquez told me she didn't know how you stayed upright you
ride so slow." Harpo says "It's a tour not RAAM and I can pedal for 12 hours with enough Snicker bars."
And so it goes all day every day.
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St John's, MI. 12,000 people and one motel. What's going on in Michigan. We've passed through several towns big enough for multiple motels. One or none. OTOH,
food prices seem generally lower in Michigan than Texas. Gas higher.
We're at a motel 'cause Spoon wanted a shower and didn't want to ride 15 more miles to the state park for one. Plain and simple. I did not protest, though in my way of thinking, showers are highly overrated.
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Another perfect, fun ride today, mostly on rural Michigan roads. Good, smooth
roads. Bit of spitting rain. Lots of corn and bean fields looking very healthy.
Several very large dairies. Stopped at tiny Hubbardston Community School searching for net access. They had it. In an impressive 150 year old school building, with some more modern additions, and a moved in one room school outfitted as original. Good folks.
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I am too slow on this tour. I have to pedal down hills to keep up with Spoon coasting. Something ain't right and it's not just a weak engine. I pulled the
tires at the motel to check bearings and remove my 'no flat' experiment which was adding weight to the rear tire. Ah Ha! The front wheel spun much easier than the rear. The rear bearings seem to be transmitting a bit of rumble to my fingers that I didn't feel on the front wheel. All done while sipping on our toddies, which makes such work simple. To bike shop in Flint tomorrow. Hope they aren't in toddy land.
Daily angst: Riding 3 miles out of our way to WM and buying the wrong gadget to charge my mp3 player.
Quiz: What did Spoon's wife tell him he had to do? What do I need to pedal for 12 hours? What crops did we see today?
Today's ride: 45 miles (72 km)
Total: 123 miles (198 km)
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