Day 36 - Quincy, FL to Madison, FL 94.61 miles/14.4 mph average 6 hrs 04 min

Leaving the motel around 6 am, we head north, back on state road # 267 to the interstate 10 junction, with the hope that we could merge onto the interstate for five miles to Midway, where the route picks up again. We rolled down the on ramp with a non-motorized Vehicles prohibited sign stopping us cold. No bikes, skateboards, Big Wheels or Razor scooters allowed. No exhaust, no passage. Weighing the lost time involved with getting stopped by Florida state trooper, we backed up the ramp then headed north to the Quincy city limits, turned right, east on state road # 268.

19 miles into the ride today we pass through Tallahassee, Florida. Car dealerships, strip malls, gas stations everywhere. Nearing the eastern rim of the city, we stop for a quick water/food break then head back out onto beautifully shaded country roads. State road # 20 proves the better option, since the bike route takes a lengthy and unnecessary diversion onto a bike trail south to Woodville, Florida. It adds at least 12 additional miles so we skip it. Sightseeing is low on the list at this point.

About five miles west of Monticello, Florida and we are making great time. The surface is smooth, shaded roads, minimal traffic. Then suddenly, PING - another spoke breaks on the rear wheel, drive side! The wheel immediately wobbles out of true, rubbing on the left chain stay. I pull off the road, get off the bike and stare at the wheel in disbelief. I throw it my best stink-eye while simultaneously spewing some colorful language. To put this in context, of the thousands of miles ridden since I started cycling in the late 70's, early 80's, I've broken two spokes. Additionally, weighing just over 170 pounds, I am very good to my wheels, unweighting as much as needed, reducing undo impact. Now, in the span of less than 3000 miles, two more spokes break on the same wheel. There is some bad energy trying to get out of this infected hoop.

As a rule, if three spokes break on the same wheel, the wheel is placed on death row. I see a defective component no longer able to perform at a baseline level. It's fate is sealed. When we get back to Portland, I'll take it apart, cut out the spokes and have a new wheel built up around the existing hub. A new Velocity rim from Australia combined with straight-gauge DT spokes should rid this wheel of all negative energy and psychic weakness.

I come to my senses upon realizing I still need this wheel. I coddle it, apologize and talk nice to it, convince it to hold together for an uncertain distance. I call Bob on his cell and he suggests easing tension on some of the spokes near the broken one. He then assures me the wheel will not fail catastrophically if ridden in its current state. Wobbling into Monticello, we ask around for a bike shop at the corner store. "Yeah, sure, there's a shop back a ways, take a right at the traffic circle," two people tell us. Great! We backtrack but see no shop. Two businesses, one a hardware store, have no idea of any shop in town at all. What?

There is no other bike shop listed in our map until Gainesville, Florida. With Chris's brother meeting us in two days in High Springs, about 15 miles outside of Gainesville, we could bum a ride to the shop. The trick would be to first get to High Springs under our own steam. From where we are, that's about 95 miles. That's a whole truck load of wobble. We press on, nonetheless. 30 miles left to Madison, our next stop. Around Greenville, Florida, half way between Monticello and Madison, we see this sign:

We're too close to quit at this point so we snap the picture,

have a laugh and commence wobble.

The Reduced Speed Ahead sign finally comes into view for Madison. Endorphins flood our brains whenever we see this sign. It tells us we are either at our final destination or close to a lunch break, change in direction, scenery, energy. Again, the motel, this time a Super 8, is close to the interstate so we head south on state road 53 for more than five miles. I check the map and see that we can stay on # 53 for the first 20 miles tomorrow morning, head east on Federal road # 27, straight into High Springs. Though Shalt not Backtrack.

We check in, clean up and walk 100 paces to the Denny's right next door. Food makes everything better and I forget my wheel woes a bit more with each bite. We need an early night since we want a super early start in the morning, allowing enough time to get to the bike shop and wheel repair. My early night turns into watching V for Vendetta. Great movie. This second viewing reveals so much that I missed the first time.

over and out