Road Adventures.

I have had an adventurous week with the bike. On Monday I went biking out the Samoeng Loop. I had no intention of actually doing the loop, which is quite mountainous, but I wanted to go out it about twenty miles. I made it about thirteen miles. I was straining up a hill when SNAP!, my chain broke. That is rather unsettling when you are pressing with full might on the pedal and suddenly there is no resistance. I didn't fall off the bike, but it was a close thing. So I started pushing my bike back to town, wondering where I could find a songtaew. Fortunately a Belgian guy, Maxell, came along and helped me. He was on a really nice road bike. He had a chain breaker, a device neither of us had ever used, but we figured it out and rejoined the chain. I was quite embarrassed because my bike was dirty and the chain was greasy and got his hands filthy. His bike was immaculate. Your mom always told you never to go anywhere without clean underwear, in case you ended up in the hospital and they had to undress you. From now on I won't go anywhere without a clean, freshly lubed and wiped down chain. The chain repair wasn't perfect, but it was good enough for me to slowly make my way home. I then went and bought my own chain breaker, and made permanent repairs to my bike.

Wednesday I went for the longest ride I have ever done. I went north, up the river valley toward Phrao. I made it about halfway up there before turning back. I finished at 61 miles. Quite a ride for me, the day before my fiftieth birthday. I had a flat on the way back, a piece of glass punctured my tire. I tried patching it, but cut was too close to the seam, and it wouldn't seal. So I replaced the tube and came on home. Now I will need to buy a new spare tube before I go out again. I intend to go riding again on Friday, but I don't plan to go so far!