Medium to hard

Day 6
From Phillipsburg NJ
To Pottstown PA
Mileage estimated 67
Mileage actual 69
Top speed 43.9 mph
Riding time 5hrs 51 mins.

Each evening at Route Rap we discuss the day's ride and then move onto the following day's plans. Shane, the Ride Leader, also 'grades' the day as either Easy, Medium, Hard or Very Hard (he daren't go higher) and scores them from 1-10 with 1 easy and 10 Very Hard. He graded today as a 5/6 Medium to hard day, but at the end of it, between the group, we had managed to make it a hard day.

We left the Inn of the Seventh Happiness after completing our feedback sheets (then running just in case the fire breather was working) as the sun was just climbing over the eastern hills and before the 'Exceptional Load' escort had their engines warm and air conditioning working at full capacity. It was apparent that today would be a hot day and we weren't let down there. I again rode with my usual group, Ann, Connie, Johnnie and John and we went back down the hill into Phillipsburg, retracing our last few miles from yesterday before turning South and West, back along the Delaware River towards places with such exotic names as Riegelsville, Milton and Holland township. I was quite busy with the camera during this part of the day which resulted in me being left slightly behind the others and gaining a few 'Bonus Feet' as I missed the turn that the cue sheet had highlighted as 'Don't Miss'. I did actually stop at the right junction but then took the road North instead of South but soon realised my mistake and turned round to catch up with my colleagues.

Just to make us work up an appetite before the first SAG there was a one mile hill that was a bit of a killer and here was where we put in our first efforts to make a medium day hard. Johnnie was riding at the front of the group, standing up on his pedals to help with the climb, when his chain broke and he did a header over the handlebars and onto the floor. It wasn't all that good a display because the Russian judge only award 5.4 for artistic merit. Johnnie was soon back up on his feet and walking up the rest of the hill. When we got to the top we could see there was a flat part then a downhill, so he got back on the bike and I pushed him as I rode alongside him for about 500 yards then he coasted down the hill to the SAG. When we got there he had a few cuts and bruises which were treated by the Team whilst Mike the Mechanic fixed and mended his chain for him so that he was ready to go when he had finished his treatment. Ever the sympathetic team, we gave him a bit of a ribbing and presented him with a makeshift crutch. He didn't appear too grateful.

We left the SAG stop and within 1/2 a mile there was a big bang and John's back tyre had exploded. He stripped the tube out and soon found the hole but couldn't find the cause or problem with the tyre. He can't have been looking too hard because I found it easy enough when I looked and I didn't have my glasses on! we put a patch on his tyre and a new tube in and away we went again.

We were soon into a new state as we crossed the line into Pennsylvania, our sixth state in as many days. At least here we were given some sort of a welcome by a sign and we were soon being reminded that PA should be kept clean and tidy. Sadly one or two of the motorists didn't follow that maxim and were busy throwing stuff out of their cars as they passed us by. I wouldn't mind but we weren't able to use any of it or quick enough to throw it back.

The miles went by then one of the staff decided that we should have some bonus miles as they had driven over the route but found that one road was so rough that they thought it would be dangerous for us to use, so they diverted us round that to help our accumulated total.

Towards the end of the day, we went through Lower Salford. I took a picture of the sign as it was another one from home, but when I downloaded the camera, it was obvious there was a drugs problem here, too as all the 'Es' were missing. Ecstasy anyone?

The temperature seemed to be rising by the minute today and a couple of the group had thermometers that read 95 degrees this afternoon. We stopped at the second SAG and had plenty of cold fluid then we had to call at a cycle shop on the route (yes, there was one today) so that Johnnie's bike could be checked over after his fall and we finally got into the hotel about 3.45pm. As we were riding into the drive and I was looking forward to a soak in the swimming pool, Ann, who was following me, told me that she could see I had a broken spoke; when we stopped outside the hotel, I saw that I had in fact TWO broken spokes (and before you ask, they were in the back wheel - where else?) which tested Mike's mechanical prowess as he had never worked on a wheel like mine before.

The cause(s) will be many and varied - big bum, fast downhills, daily strain and REALLY RUBBISH ROADS will all be there but Mike did manage to repair the wheel. Interestingly enough, normally when you break a spoke, the wheel usually loses its 'true' and gets buckled; when you break two, the wheel gets really buckled and is exceeding difficult, if not impossible to ride. That had not happened on this occasion and I have absolutely no idea when the damage had been done, but the wheel, remarkably, did not need much work to get it back together again.

It needs to be in good form as tomorrow is rated as very hard by Shane and I will be riding into Lancaster. I wonder if there will be 'Ye Olde John O'Gaunt' on Market Street to have a flyer in if I get enough time?

I'll let you know tomorrow.