Sherpa B.O.B.

To Columbus, Wisconsin -- 58.4 miles, 12.0 mph, 1400 ft

After two short 30 mile days, we were back to our normal 55-60 mile distance.  Meg’s cousin from Florida, Jerry, decided not only to visit us here in Wisconsin, but also to join us for a couple days of biking, along with Meg's brother, Bob. Jerry has been involved in fitness training and equipment for decades. He’s completed tons of triathlons, marathons, and even visited us a few years ago before doing the Escape From Alcatraz swim in San Francisco Bay. As a result, we were pretty certain he wouldn't have to exert himself too much. I had forgotten about his sense of humor. He’s one of those people who seems to enjoy his jokes as much, or more, than as anyone else. Still, we were all in a good mood as we left Anne and Rick’s house at 9:30.

Bob and Jerry

Bob is a dedicated (even masochistic) bike commuter. I suggested he join the post office as neither snow nor rain nor sleet nor gloom of night keeps him from riding through the Wisconsin winter. He insisted on carrying as much of our stuff as he could cram into his double Burley. At one point, I grabbed our 10 lb tent and put it back on my back rack only to have him steal it back a few miles later. I realized he was taking his name -- BOB (Beast Of Burden) -- to heart.

Bob and Jerry got a good taste of our typical day -- late start, slow progress, and lots of unplanned stopping and starting for snacks, bathroom breaks, or wrong turns.

The day was beautiful to start but clouded up by noon. About fifteen miles out, I noticed a creaking sound on Kylie's and my bike. No amount of inspection helped reveal the cause, but it was clear that the creaking was from the bottom bracket and getting louder as we went.

At the halfway point, we found a cafe in Watertown, just as it started to sprinkle. Jerry has been espousing the virtues of a low sugar, low carb diet. That’s unfortunate, since when riding my intake of carbs and sugars is sky high. In any event, we found a bike shop after lunch to look at the increasingly noisy bottom bracket. Without a replacement, however, they simply squirted some lubricant into the problem area, which magically quieted it down. Hmm, should probably still replace it, but the noise-free pedaling was a welcomed relief for the second half of the day.

Despite a little rain this afternoon, we made good progress on quiet roads and the winds disappeared.

Watch our for horse and buggies

As a bonus, we even got to see Anne, Rick, and their youngest daughter, Rachel, who drove out with the replacement derailleur for Meg's bike that had not arrived at their place until today. The sobering reality is, a day's worth of pedaling for us, only translates into an hour excursion… by car.