Rest, Repairs and Rain in Pierre, South Dakota

June 16, 2018 to June 17, 2018

Heading to Pierre, 5 miles from Farm Island

The leisurely morning at Farm Island State Park was a welcome change from our early departures so far. We woke up around 7am and even had time for coffee and oatmeal. This was only the second out of 23 mornings that we've eaten porridge ... How does this register on the Undaunted-Meter?

Our plan for the next 2 days (June 16 & 17) was to take some time for repairs and rest. The first stop on the way into Pierre was Avera Medical Group to have my leg wound evaluated. The ride into town was the lovely 3-mile Lewis & Clark gravel trail along the Missouri River. It reminded me of the Highline Canal trail in the south Denver burbs - with towering cottonwoods, songbirds, and squirrels. Only, the Missouri River is a slightly larger waterway.

The trail ended a few blocks from Avera Medical Center. When I checked in Shelley, the receptionist, said we could park our bikes in the lobby (nice!). It was the usual long weekend wait, so Gay rode off to pick up donuts. The waiting room was comfortable and we settled in to catch up on email and texts while we addressed our calorie deficit with rings of nutritious (???) fried dough.

After the 2-hour wait I was rewarded with a 45-second consultation. The doc confirmed that stitches would have been a good idea and that I would end up with a nice scar. The good news was that it had healed enough over the past 13 days that I could finally stop covering it every day. This was a big relief because the combination of heat, plastic bandages, and adhesives was causing pain, irritation, and whiny-ness. He sent me off with a prescription for antibiotic ointment in case the wound opens again, claiming that Neosporin is also a common cause of skin irritation.

Our next stop was Pierre's only bike shop, Pedal and Paddle, which opened at noon. Gay needed a star nut and some help fixing a malfunctioning headset and I had a concerning slash on the sidewall of my rear tire. Ron and I puzzled over what may have caused this and concluded that his pedal pegs must have nicked it when our bikes toppled over during one of those nighttime storms. That's 2 pedal peg injuries so far!

The bike shop owner showed up at about 20 minutes late and fortunately had the star nut that Gay was looking for. A few comments he made, however, did not inspire our confidence in his skills as a mechanic. So Gay decided to collect the tools he needed to repair his bike himself. And Ron opted for checking out my rear tire and hopefully having a replacement sent to the next town that accepts General Delivery post office shipments.

Gay took his headset and steering tube apart and fixed the problem

Gay gathered his multiple tools (hammer, dowel, screw driver bits, etc.) from Hanks Hardware, Napa Auto Parts, and Walmart. It took some doing for him to remove and replace the defective star nut, but by dinner time his Co-Motion was ready to get back on the road.

This is the slash. It didn't go all the way through but it probably weakened the sidewall. Anyone have thoughts on this?

In the meantime, Ron removed my rear tire to assess the slash damage from the inside. We decided that with some duct tape and a dollar boot it should be fine until we get to Mobridge (in 3 or so days). He ordered a replacement tire (Schwalbe Big Ben) from Chain Reaction in England and had it sent to General Delivery at the Mobridge post office. Hopefully our and the tire's arrival date will coincide!

The best part of this DIY bike repair is that we were able to take care of it all in the comfort of our spacious hotel rooms at the Governor's Inn. This was a fantastic place to rest for 2 days ... the most clean and friendly budget (under $100/night) hotel we've stayed at so far. They also had freshly baked cookies, a decent breakfast spread, and guest laundry.

The Governor's Inn was our home in Pierre for two days. We highly recommend them.

Our messy but spacious room. Gay was placed in a fancier room. He's a smooth talker.

The beautiful Missouri River as a storm percolates in the distance

On Sunday, June 17 we met Gay in the breakfast room and he was ready to roll. Despite the rain/wind forecast, he was itching to get back on the road and planned to ride 70 miles to East Whitlock Bay Campground.

Ron and I were back in the room catching up on the journal, and Gay found himself pondering the 'Should I Stay or Should I Go' theme. Before long, a familiar-looking soaking cyclist appeared at our window. He made it up the hill to return some un-used tools at Walmart and the rain made the decision for him. Back down the hill to Governor's Inn instead of a long, wet, ride into 16mph headwinds!

The Sunday rain was a great excuse to sit in our hotel room and enjoy a lazy day. We only ventured out for a bit in the afternoon to re-stock our food supply. After leaving Pierre our next opportunity to purchase foodstuffs would be 57 miles north at Bob's Resort. I was excited to see that not only did Bob's have a C-store, they also had a Steakhouse with a salad bar and dessert menu (am I becoming food-obsessed?).

At the junction of 212 and 1804 there lies a house of steak.

Here's to Pierre! The 2nd smallest capital city in the U.S. was the perfect place for some R, R, & R!

Today's ride: 8 miles (13 km)
Total: 626 miles (1,007 km)

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	9
Comment on this entry	Comment	2

Greg SpinolaHey, guys. Sorry I've been AWOL for the past month. Mrs. Groovy and I are finally getting our sea legs in Wake Forest. Love the pictures of the Missouri River. The picture of Mr. G's wounds was a bit unnerving, though. Is that your leg or arm? Anyway, now that I've found you, you won't be able to shake me. Good luck on your future biking. Talk to you soon.

Mr. Groovy
Reply to this comment
6 years ago

Ron SuchanekTo Greg SpinolaHi Mr. Groovy! Thanks for reading and the comment. The could was Mrs. G's leg above her heel. It was pretty deep and she was lucky it didn't hit her Achilles tendon.
We are woefukky behind on your updates but i think Jen was going to catch up tonight to see the latest on Groovy Ranch.
Reply to this comment
6 years ago