Daily Summary

Multiple Potentially Disastrous Mechanical Issues But Still A Great Day

Today started out great with warm temperatures and a downhill initial 30 miles where we flew along at 25+- average speeds for the first 90 minutes. Great views, quiet roads. Then, it hit the fan. The unusual ratio of moving to stopped time in the ride image will be explained!

We stopped at a park in Spearfish to go to the bathroom and have some water. I noticed my rear tire was a bit low. Upon inspection, we could feel air coming out of the old puncture from the other day that had sealed.

Myself and one of the guides tried to fix it for about 30 minutes and couldn’t. Everyone else was deep in the woods with no cell coverage, so we were on our own for now. As luck would have it, there was a bike shop only .5 miles away. So, we pumped up the tire and I managed to get there before it went flat again. We left it with the bike shop and then went and had a really nice lunch on our own while we waited. I picked up the bike with the flat fixed and we continued on. Behind everyone, but a good lunch and now good to go.

But wait, there’s more…

About 4 miles later, the patch blew and I spewed tubeless sealant everywhere again. I thought we’d have to call the van. But upon experimenting, we discovered it seemed to hold at about 1/2 of normal pressure. So, we pumped to there, stopped and started riding. It seemed to be holding and with only 15 miles to go, I thought we might just make it.

But wait, there’s more…

The van came back and found us. We went to try and put a tube in to get me in and the guide with the truck said my shifter wasn’t working. It seems my shifter battery died literally the last time I shifted it before seeing the van. The luck is so extreme it was almost like divine intervention. I couldn’t have made it up the hills in the gear I was in. The frustrating part is that the battery meter said it was good. So, I need to just change the battery proactively periodically.

But wait, there’s more…

At this point, we have batteries and tires to change. The van had to get to the hotel. So, we decided I’d take the guide’s bike from the top of the van (since he was driving and not riding today) and put mine up there. His bike is a bit smaller than mine and wasn’t adjusted well for me, but I was able to make it work the final 15 miles back including a couple of nice climbs.

Even losing a couple hours, we were back not much later than usual due to the fast pace of the first couple hours. What should have been a disaster day was actually ok in the end and even provides a great story and memory!

The Sights

The first picture shows what it looked like early. A lot of low hills and green fields. 

The next picture was at a historic site that was mainly just a huge natural pit in the ground. Apparently, the Indians used to drive Buffalo into the pit to catch them for food. There was a fee to actually see the pit and we didn’t want to spend time or money on it, so I just took a picture of the teepee outside.

If you zoom in on the next one, you’ll see a sign advertising the bar’s “Testicle Festival”. Yes, we are in Rocky Mountain Oyster territory for sure!

The next picture is the sign for entering South Dakota. And another with a view of some bluffs near there. I also included a video showing both Wyoming and South Dakota signs. 

After Spearfish, we took a scenic road through Black Hills National Forest. If you zoom on the next picture, you’ll see the welcome sign. The next 3 are sights from that stretch.

The final scenic picture is of the gravel trail we finished a few miles on. Tomorrow, we’ll do 50 miles more on this trail, which goes right past the hotel. It is a famous trail called the George S. Mickelson Trail.

Finally, I have a shot of downtown Deadwood. It is seriously touristy with tons of restaurants, casinos, and stores you see in tourist traps. This was the first tourist trap town we’ve been to.

We had dinner at a place downtown. I got a massive combo plate of 1/2 rack of ribs, chopped brisket, and elk sausage that came with potato salad and a salad. Then, we had ice cream sundaes again for dessert. Huge calorie count but tees me up for tomorrow!

 

The movie below starts with the Wyoming sign behind me and pans to the South Dakota sign. The pictures follow.