Oct. 25 – Rescues and Human Kindness

I packed up and took off early in the morning, with the plan to have breakfast in Grand Rivers before heading down through Land Between the Lakes (LBL). All the restaurants seemed to be closed, but a local guy told me that the local market had a little cafe in it that served breakfast – he was right and it was good! I also bought a few supplies as I knew that there wouldn’t be any stores through the 50 miles or so of the LBL peninsula. As I crossed the bridge and started down through the beautiful woods I had the opportunity to perform wildlife rescue #3 – this little guy was just starting across the road as I came pedaling by:

I took him deep into the woods and we had a little talk about the dangers of crossing the road! Then I headed down the road, enjoying a cool morning and almost no traffic. About 20 miles later I was climbing a hill when I heard a big pop and my chain jammed. I got off to see what was happening and saw that my chain had broken – Aughh. I was starting the repair job when a couple (Stephanie and Kevin) pulled up in a pick up truck and asked if I was ok. I responded that everything was ok and would just fix my chain right there by the side of the road. But they questioned the wisdom of this strategy as it didn’t seem practical or safe – ultimately I gave in to reason and accepted a ride to a visitors center that was a few miles down the road where I would have a better place to work on repairs. They offered to give me a ride to a bike shop back in Grand Rivers, the town where I had eaten breakfast, but I was certain that I could handle the repair – so I said a sincere “Thank You” as they dropped me off. Such good people!

Well, I fixed the broken chain but quickly realized that I had a much bigger problem. Unfortunately, my rear derailleur was completely inoperable with a broken spring and was not fixable. This was a pretty big disaster as: 1. I was 20+ miles from a bike shop, and who knows if they even had a derailleur that would fit my bike. 2. There was no cell phone service at this spot so I couldn’t even call. 3. I had just said goodbye to Stephanie and Kevin, who had offered to take me to a bike shop. I felt a sinking feeling and a little flicker of panic. Lucky for me, however, there was an employee of the visitors center, Leigh, who stepped up in a big way. She got on her computer and got the number of every bike shop for miles around. Then she used the visitors center phone to call the two closest shops, one in Grand Rivers and one in Murray to see if they could help me. Jackie, in Grand Rivers, walked me through testing the broken derailleur to make sure it was not repairable and then apologized for not being able to pick me up as he was in his shop alone. Christian, in Murray, texted all his cyclist friends so see if any of them were in my area and could pick me up. Both of them had a derailleur that would fit my bike. I went out to the parking lot to see if anyone with a truck was going to either town and could give me a ride. I noticed that one of the trucks had a really nice recumbent bike in the bed – the fact that they were cyclists gave me a glimmer of hope. But when the owners came out…..they weren’t going to Grand Rivers or Murray. They asked me why I needed a ride, and when I told them the story of my situation……Jeff and Marlan immediately volunteered to go out of their way and give me a lift into Grand Rivers. Incredible! I had tears in my eyes as I loaded my bike and gear into their truck and we headed down the road. Thank God there are such caring, unselfish people out in the world! They were so friendly and concerned about my wellbeing that I immediately felt a close kinship. And Marlan is recovering from a stroke, so please say a prayer for her continued healing.

They dropped me right in front of Wood N Waves bike shop (long story about the name!) and Jackie welcomed me. He got my bike up on a repair stand, and in no time had a new derailleur and chain installed. I paid his very reasonable bill, loaded up my gear, and prepared to cycle LBL for the second time today.

It was late in the day, so I went as far as could before dark and found a comfortable place to camp. What a day! I was exhausted, but inspired by all the goodness that had come my way.