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I cheated on my muni with another wheel today—actually, two wheels. Don’t worry; I only rode backward on the route and made no forward progress.

I took the wheel off the uni this morning to install a new tire. In the process, I checked the bearings and discovered that one is going bad. The bearings are the pieces that connect the frame to the wheel and allow the wheel to spin. One had some play in it and felt ‘gritty’ when turned. I headed to the bike shop.

As expected, the bike shop did not have a bearing in the size I needed. They sent me off to an auto parts store on a rental bike to see if they might have the correct size. They had one super close, but not quite the size I needed.

Riding the two-wheeled machine was blissful. Well, at first, it was a little scary. Having to steer with my hands was an unusual and new experience, especially at the incredible speeds I was able to attain. It took me about 100 feet to get over my fears.

Since I was unsuccessful in procuring a new bearing, the bike shop packed the bearing with more grease to help avoid a blowout. I’ll have a new one shipped to Salida, where I’ll be this weekend.

If you haven’t figured it out already, I’m in Steamboat for a third night. This may be a good time to talk about how I become a softie when I’m in town.

I often look forward, with some nervous anticipation, to coming into town. It usually means good food, being off the seat for a while, and maybe one or more of the following: shower, bed, bad TV, laundry. I’ve found that as the trip has progressed, coming into town has been more and more of a shock to the system. When I arrived in Steamboat, I immediately wanted to head out. This also happened in Rawlins and to lesser extents in towns previous. I’m finding all the activity to be overwhelming. Had there been more time in the day, I’d likely have resupplied and moved on. 

There seems to be a small window of opportunity to grab supplies and move on before I get used to not moving (and watching everything else move). If staying at a motel, a shower and changing into ‘fresh’ town clothes furthers the transition. Though not the case in Steamboat, I usually don’t sleep well the first night indoors. As a result, I’m tired the next day, and I often decide to take a day off. I justify this by saying that a big part of the trip is exploring the towns and meeting the people in the towns along the way, plus I just need to rest. While true, wandering around town and doing chores means returning to my room feeling like I haven’t rested. Before I know it, evening has rolled around, and I need to figure out upcoming logistics. Most of the planning involves figuring out where I need upcoming supplies, what to send, when to send them, and coordinating with my fabulous resupply helpers. Most of this planning has been happening pretty last minute. I haven’t gotten used to traveling as fast as I am (I’ve previously been on foot), and the next maildrop points come up sooner than expected. For example, yesterday, I realized that the town I’d wanted to have the last maps shipped to is less than a week away. That’s barely, or possibly not enough, time to get a drop shipped out. I could have it shipped to a post office further down, but then I’d have to contend with weekend post office hours.

As happened here in Steamboat, some of my ‘rest’ days turn into two. I always feel guilty about this; I feel guilty about spending money on lodging and feeling lazy. At the same time, being lazy is what I want/need, and after a second day off I usually feel ready to be on my way. It’s not often difficult to reason an excuse to stay over an extra day. This morning, it was a combination of the bad bearing and wanting to ensure I could get my next map set shipped out. To get a bearing shipped out to the bike shop in Salida, I need to have phone service in the morning. Even so, I may need to pay for expedited shipping or hold over in Breckenridge or Salida to wait for the part. Or, the smarter option might be just to slow down and take more time to get there!

After my second day off, I usually feel it was worth it. Today, I carefully looked at the remainder of the trip to figure out when I need the last few mail drops sent out so that I’m not frantically trying to arrange them last minute. I’m fortunate that the lodging tonight is half that of the previous nights (Sundays are cheaper). I’d have moved on if that weren’t the case. Anyway, I’m feeling rested now and more aware of what’s coming up. I’m ready to be back outside and on the move.