Tryon or Bust

After a peaceful night by the church I headed off an hour after dawn. I had a heck of a way to pedal over the next couple of days and needed to put some miles in this morning. The state of the roads and the frequent ascents were going to be additional challenges. Babyfood has been an interesting part of my diet. Those little glass pots you get keep well despite the heat, and contain a great boost to vitamins and iron.

I had arranged to meet Joseph, my next host, in Tryon. This was about 85 miles pedaling ahead. After 45 miles I was in need of a break and hunted for one. Unfortunately I had passed the best rest stop nearly 10 miles back. Nowhere I pedaled to was open. After resting on a bench outside another closed store, I pedaled onward. This had been a hot, grueling day and it was only 2:30pm and still heating up.

The dogs in South Carolina have been more aggressive. And not fenced in. Every few miles there will be one waiting to chase you, because they just aren’t used to seeing cyclists. Silly animals really, and maybe the owners should bear some blame. The larger dogs seem content with staying further away, but it’s the terriers that I worry for. They come right up and try for the ankles. One almost made it but a well-aimed jet of water shocked it to a standstill. The woman in the car behind had the temeritry to beep me for it. I have over 200lbs of weight running on maybe an inch diameter of tyre at 15mph+. If I hit one of these mutts, it will kill it. If one grabs my ankle, I can’t kick it off because I’m in the toestraps. It will just have its ass slapped round and round on the road as I pedal.

Pretty Saluda with its wrestlers!

I was within 20 miles of Tryon when a long gradient appeared ahead of me. Tired as I was I kicked on. There is nothing more demoralizing then having slowed too much that you cannot speed back up again on a shallow slope. I went for this hill like it meant a gold medal, and ran it at 20mph the whole way up. Round the corner, it continued to climb for 2 miles. When I crested I punched the air in celebration. My legs were burning but grateful that I had pedaled like all the dogs of the tour were at my heels. The slow option would have resulted in a walk. I haven’t yet resorted to that away from the cities.

The jubilation was short-lived. Somewhere on that hill or the following mile, a bump had finally done damage, and I looked between my legs for the source of the metallic patter coming from behind me. The pannier rack had broken and the right pannier was brushing the spokes. Not conducive to safe cycling.

I knew that I was within 5 miles of the next town. Rather than try and repair in anger I sat by the unloaded bike and had something to eat. Calm would be a better state in which to make a repair. I laid everything in my repair kit out on the floor. In the end, paracord, superglue, strappel, duck tape and a cabletie were used. I have since improved this with a new system rigged to hold my orange drybag also aiding support of the rack. The repair has held so strong that I’m not even going to get a new rack. I may regret this but I have cycled a further 70 miles like this and it hasn’t budged.



The fix

 

But I’m getting ahead of myself…

I called Joe and he said that he would meet me at Campobello, saving me 10miles. I had just 6 miles left and I could rest. Easy!

Joe was a great bloke and he drove me up to Saluda, higher in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I would never have seen this place because reaching it on a bike would have been ridiculous!  

Whilst there, we encountered a lost female wrestler. She was looking for a competition and had the address written down. Problem was there wasn’t a 214 main street, Saluda. It was a small place! We wished her luck and parted ways, heading back to Joe’s place to meet his folks, who were also fantastic.

 



The view from my bed- Joe's mum's old dolls!



I'm picking new folk well at the moment. They live in Polk county- big for Golf and Horses, and in a small community Joe's father tells me everyone has heard of- Green Creek. Bet you know it!