Day 28: Elizabethtown to Riegelwood

Yesterday morning, I woke up at 4:30. It was still dark out. The only place that’ll open is McDonald’s at 5 AM. I put the lights on my bike for the first on this trip and rode there to grab an early breakfast. I had to wait about 15 minutes after I arrived because their computer system was having issues and the manager won’t let anyone inside.

After eating two breakfast burritos and drinking a cup of coffee, I rode back to Knights Inn. My Warmshowers host Lee will come around 11 AM to pick me up. I had a lot of time so I decided to organize the items in my panniers. There were still some things I haven’t used and probably won’t be using on this trip. They are just dead weight, but I have no one to give to and I don’t want to throw them out. I guess I’ll just have to carry them.

I made some ramen in my room since I have three bags of them. Because I’m not camping as much, I shouldn’t carry too many provisions.

Around 10:45, soon after I checked out, Lee showed up. We loaded the bike into his truck and everything else in the back seat, then Lee drove us all the way to his house in Riegelwood. Along the way, we chatted about all the Warmshowers guests that Lee had hosted. I’m the first one in the last two years.

Once on the property, Lee showed me the RV that I’ll be staying. I’ve never stayed in an RV before so it’ll be a delight. I did some writing there. The plan is to go to a bike shop in Wilmington so I can get my spoke replaced. Lee found a bike shop called City Bicycle Company that’s open on a Sunday. I also checked Priority Bicycle’s website that the shop is listed as one that can service Priority bikes.

First time staying in a RV

I tried to take the back wheel off the bike, but I had trouble taking the gearing cable off, so we decided to bring the whole bike to the shop. Lee’s friend, Shawn, drove us. Shawn has been Lee’s friend for almost a decade and they joked around a lot. He was helping Lee fixing up a boat when I met him, and he worked as a bike mechanic for four years before.

After we arrived at the bicycle shop, I saw how the bike mechanic was able to get the cable off, then took out the back wheel. He then replaced the broken spoke, but had trouble putting the back wheel on. I might have made him nervous because I was observing him and trying to learn it myself. Once everything was on, the Gates carbon belt needed to have the correct tension. The Gates Carbon Drive app on my phone couldn’t register the tension coming off the belt no matter how many times I plucked the belt. In the end, we just had to estimate. I was glad the spoke got replaced, but it’ll be a matter of time when I need to change the rear tire or if I get a flat. It’ll be a pain to get the wheel off by myself. I wish the maintenance was easier.

When we got back to the house it was already 5:30 PM. I tried to fix the tension on the belt by myself in a more quiet environment inside the RV, but the app still didn’t register the tension. I ended up having a blister on my thumb from all the plucking, so I gave up at the end. I just hope the belt will last the entire trip. I did bring a spare belt just in case.

Lee’s wife, Tamara, cooked a lot! We had a feast with a seafood boil consisted of crab legs, shrimp, sausages, potatoes, and corn. I love crab legs so I ate a lot of them. I enjoyed the dinner table conversations, but I was getting tired since I woke up so early. After dinner, I chatted with Merritt a bit before going to bed inside the RV.

Lee, Tamara, and Shawn

This morning, I woke up at 4:30 again. I’ll be riding to Wilmington today and stay at another Warmshowers host’s place. The route will take me north, east, then south to avoid riding on a busy road. I’ll ride over 50 miles today.

In addition, my friend Joan donated $100 to me via PayPal. My first donation! I'm so grateful for that!!