Marquette, to Dyersville, IA

Tuesday, September 16, 2003
Distance Cycled: 48 miles
Total elevation gain: 2775 feet
Our Total Flat Tires on trip to date: 1

It was another exciting day in out travels. First we had chosen a route that we thought would shorted our day but found that the road was closed. They were repaving the road and there was no way around the construction. Therefore we went back to the Adventure Cycling Association maps. As a result we spent the day going up one hill after another. Several were a couple of miles long and had 6 to 7 % grades. Everything was going OK until we reached Colesburg, IA. We had just entered the town when it appears the chain parted under the stress that we had been putting on it going up all those hills for past three or four days. When it broke it also wrecked the rear derailleur. The pulleys of the derailleur ended up between the rear break and the bicycle frame. I shortened the chain and we now had a one speed bicycle that we could pedal at 9 miles per hour. We ate lunch and then started to Dyersville where the maps said that there was a bicycle shop. We had gone about 2 miles when a pickup truck passed us and slowed. The sign on the side of the truck said Dyersville so I raised and waved my hands and the man stopped. I asked him if he would haul us into Dyersville and he said yes. We loaded the bicycles into the back of his pickup and away we went. After arriving in Dyersville and checking into the motel, I rode the bicycle to the bicycle shop that was closed and did not appear to have any 9-speed parts. I rode back to the motel and called a bicycle shop in Dubuque, which is 25 miles from Dyersville. He had the parts and sounded like he knew what to do to fix the bicycle. We have found a man who will haul us into Dubuque in the morning so hopefully we can get the bicycle fixed and be on our way again.

Change in the saga of bike repair. At 8:30 PM, the Dyersville Bike Shop owner received the message we left at 3:00 and stopped by to look at our bike. He did not have the part we need to repair the bike, so he and Jim just left to drive to Dubuque to pick up the part we need from a bike shop, whose owner will make a special trip downtown to sell the part. Then they are coming back here and will repair the bicycle. Tomorrow we should be back on schedule. People sure are wonderful.