Friday 7-20 Day 26

Start: Tyler MN
End: New Ulm MN
Scheduled: 87.0
Actual: 80.

Slept good last night, I fell asleep as I was doing my journal. It's me and Mike on the road again, and that road is still E Hwy 14! We have heavy headwinds swirling to crosswinds, steady at 15 to 20 MPH. The scenery is all the same with very little change in the terrain.

About half way through we stop at a biker bar for a bit of lunch: The Ironhorse Saloon. We're on the wrong kind of bikes. We go in anyways and have a great burger.

We head out back on 14,it gets very narrow with almost no shoulder and the grain trucks are really cruising by both ways. We start talking about how an alternative route should have been taken, when it happens. Between the the heavy cross winds and the trucks going both ways, I get blown off the road into the gravel and go down hard onto the pavement. Mike rolls up onto my bike and goes down too. (John, think of the time I ran you over by the church up by your house) I end up with some serious road rash on my right side: knee, forearm, shoulder. Mike is ok, but my wheels are bent and twisted and unridable. I call Jerry for a SAG lift, and while waiting, use my first aid kit to clean and cover some of the cuts. Jerry picks me up and Mike finishes the ride. Dang, only 7 more miles to go! (for the day)

Getting in to New Ulm, Ann gives me the once over and recommends just cleaning everything real good in the shower and gets me some bandages and wrappings.

The first thing I did after getting cleaned up was to let Barbara know. Graciously she allowed me to continue the ride. I'm sure it was tough for her to do that. I love that woman!

I called up the only bike shop in New Ulm. The Nicolett South Bike shop. I explained my situation to them, and that I needed a new rear wheel, possible a derailleur too, along with getting the front wheel round again. These dear folks came and picked me up within 30 minute. Margo, drove the truck the 15 miles from her shop to the Martin Luther campus where we were staying at, then took me and the bike back to her shop, where her husband Gene and two others fixed my bike. Put a new rim on the rear wheel. straighted the derailleur hanger and derailleur, trued the front wheel and adjusted everything while I waited. It was awesome. Then, after a few test rides to make sure all was ok, Margo drove me back to the campus. did I mention that they gave me a free T shirt! Margo and Gene, you are my heroes of the week!!!!

Having been at the bike shop during diner, I walked downtown and had a nice one where I could finally relax a bit and sample one of the local brews: Sheller's