We left the B&B at 7. I didn't get to say goodbye to Tsunami, the noisy, friendly cat. We had 20 miles before the start of the road to Middlebury Pass. It didn't look any harder than the last couple of big climbs. I was bringing up the rear as we approached the pass road, about 4 miles from the top. I like to pace myself. Then it happened.
My gear shifter started acting goofy. DANG! The bolt holding it fell out on the road some place! I pulled over, leaned my bike against a pole and walked back to see if I could find it. No luck. Fortunately, in my bag of tricks, I had a bolt that would temporarily do the job. I had no sooner put it back together when Gay and Fred showed up. They knew something was amiss since they couldn't see me and waited. I tried calling Gay but no reception. ( His phone was off anyway.) My shifter was working, but barely. Now onto the climb.
Trucks had been waived off traveling this "scenic " route. We soon found out why. The last 4 miles were Vermont's way of having her way with me, one more time. The next 2 miles were predictably strenuous. 9 to 10% grade or so. Man I am huffing and puffing away, but chugging along. Then, the road ratcheted up the gradient a couple of notches. I started maxing out my feeble aerobic resources. I simply couldn't breathe enough to supply the O2 needed to do the work. So I tried other tricks. Working on my spin. Keep my concentration up. Try to remember all the words to the song rolling around in my head. Nada. Just stop the damn bike and catch your breath and drink something. The 1/2 pint Bushmills (what's left) I had dragged across 3 states was tempting. ;) I did have some extra water that I decided I didn't need so I watered the plant nearby. One pound less to weigh me down. I made 1 or 2 more brief rest stops on the way up. When I finally reached the pass, Fred was standing by a sign on the other side of the road indicating a 12% grade for the next 2 miles. That explains it. The good news is that was our last big climb in Vermont!
The downhill was swift and exciting. I checked my speed unless I could see the road in front of me. I love disc brakes. Curves at speed with a heavy load are a bit disconcerting for me. Especially with so many ruts and potholes. This led us to Middlebury, VT which has a bike shop! Timing is everything. On the approach to town, it really started raining. Pouring would be a suitable description. We found a porch of a closed business and came up with a plan. We eventually found the shop. It was too crowded to bring my bike in with the gear on it so I unloaded it and brought my ride in to show them my problem. A few minutes later the mechanic had me wheel it around back, in the heavy rain, where the work area was.
15 - 20 minutes later, I had the proper bolt, newly adjusted brakes and fresh oil on my chain. I was thrilled. Thrilled! Not only did he drop everything to help me get back on the road, he wouldn't accept any payment. The Bike Center is a great shop that really helped this tourist in a bind. God bless'em.
We headed back out in the rain towards NY. Riding was just little rolling hills all the way to the ferry. About 15 miles outside of town, the rain stopped, but the roads were still wet (slippery). I was happy to see dry spots begin to appear. We made it to the ferry bound for Ticonderoga, NY. ($2) since the next campground was another 15 miles, we opted for a motel room. A got place to dry out and clean up. Cheers.
Total mileage: 69.7 miles. @210 since Bar Harbor on the 10th.
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