I'm finally safe, holed up in a motel in Bangor, Maine.
It's hard to describe what a nightmare today has been. About 15 minutes after leaving the campground I blew the rear tube of my bike at 50 mph. I lost control, the bike fishtailed on and off the road and I missed a telephone pole by 2 feet.
It took about 4 hours and $200 to get back on the road. The shop didn't have the correct tube, so he put a 19" one in. I have a 17" rim. He said it should get me home so I decided to end the trip and head home.
I got to Bangor, about an hour away, when the new tube blew. Another catastrophic failure, with the tire coming off the rim. I was doing 70 mph on Interstate 95. The bike fishtailed again and it was a miracle I didn't go down or hit someone. No one would stop and help so I changed the tire myself on the side of the highway. I used the tube from this morning that I had wisely patched earlier today.
That got me to a motel where I am stranded and not sure what to do. There is a motorcycle dealership less than a mile away but they are probably not open tomorrow. I'm a couple of hundred miles from home and worried that I damaged the tire itself so it may not hold any tube.
Not sure what to do but I'm safe.
Keith, that sucks! I'm glad you are okay, and did not go down.
ReplyDeleteI just read the updates, too. Are you continuing your trip?
It would be a shame to end it so early. Hey, if you do, you might be able to join us on a Mt. Washington camping trip in September.
Hi Henry, I decided to end the trip and come home to regroup and try to salvage my vacation. I'm going to unpack, do some laundry and repack for a couple of days in Vermont.
ReplyDeleteWhen is your trip? I am definitely interested.