It was a very short ride day today that began very oddly. With heavy rain and possible thunder showers predicted for late morning I planned to get in a couple of hours riding before the skies opened. As I rode across the parking lot of the campground I heard a thump, thump, thump and felt a bump with each revolution of the wheel — the front, I believed. So, using my masterful mechanical skills and intuition I began to diagnose the problem. Was the front wheel out of true? I lifted the bike and spun the wheel. No, the wheel appeared balanced. I looked for a bump or weak spot in the tire. No luck. Bike on the bike. Thump, thump, thump.
I learned there was a bike shop just blocks away that was open this morning (Sunday). I was greeted by the owner, Claude Breton, who asked me to bring my bike around the building to the lower level shop, an area full of Specialized bikes. Breton put the bike on a stand and began examining the front wheel and tire. He couldn't find any problem either. Then he looked at the back tire, which had now gone flat. Turns out I'd picked up a tiny piece of wire and punctured the tube. All the while Breton and I had been chatting about his shop, rides in the area, and my ride across the country. Tire fixed, I tried to pay, but Mr. Breton insisted on donating the tube and labor to the foundations for which I was raising money. Cheers to you Mr. Breton.
Turns out the flat tire could have been a good thing. By the time it was fixed it was pouring. I would have only been a short way down the road and soaked. So, I loaded the bike in the Rialta and we began driving north, stopping in Portland for this Maine specialty.,,
...at this establishment.
After lunch the skies had cleared so I decided to get a few miles in with a ride to Freeport. Shortly after beginning the ride I crossed the this U.S. 1 bridge, heading toward Falmouth.
A short distance out of Freeport I spotted this.
What on earth is this Plains Indian statue doing in Maine?
No visit to Freeport would be complete without a visit to L..L. Bean, which with its multiple stores has become the anchor to a retail mecca, with nearly every major brand you can imagine. We arrived during a special Columbus Day weekend celebration with lots of craft vendors under tents and live music.
No matter what you think of L.L. Bean, it's hard to disagree with the founder's sentiments about business.
While standing in line to pay for some items we found, I spotted this sweatshirt on the guy ahead of us.
Anyone recognize that boat? It's the Snow Goose — home port Bellingham, WA. This guy's sister is the naturalist on the crew, apparently Bethany Hasper, according to the Snow Goose website. The boat was owned for a number of years by our friends Bert and Sue Webber, and Dee and I have been on it a couple of times. Small world, huh?
Shopping done, we headed to Brunswick and the motel we had booked for tonight — no campgrounds available on the three-day weekend. With nearly 100% chance of rain throughout the day tomorrow, we're sitting tight. I'll reconfigure Tuesday and Wednesday to get us to Bar Harbor in time for a celebration at Sherman's Books Wednesday afternoon.
Ride Day Thirty-Two by the numbers:
17.9 —miles ridden
771 — feet in elevation gained
1788.59 — calories burned
4 — fall-free days
0 — dogs
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