So the three CitySquashers arrived at our camp site, outside Girald, just before midnight. They were pleased to be with us and excited to be doing two days riding with us, although I don’t think that they realized just what they had let themselves in for!! They had flown into St Louis and borrowed two bikes from Michael Puertas, and they were great bikes. The last bike was really a disaster – a blue mountain bike, which was really not a Ride X America kind of bike. The tent situation was another interesting situation. We had been sleeping two in the van (Angel and Raymond) and the rest in the tent (BP, Jack, Andriy and Felipe). Now we had two more in the tent – Tim and Michael Shrubb. From four to six!! Holly had her own tent which she was very pleased about, and her own miners head lamp just like Charlie, very thoughtful. Our tent was a seven person tent, but now no real room! We all made our mark and settled down for the night, with wake up call for 6.30ish!
UP and at it with everything packed and we were ready to go. Tim and Shrubb were on their bikes with Jack and BP, and off we went. We were actually riding out of a town called Republic, just as well it didn’t have the AN on the end as Tim is a Democrat! It was a 20 mile relay and pretty fast, then the next riders were up, with Holly as one of them. The new comers were really enjoying themselves so far! Little did we know that this was going to be an eventful day ahead – was it coincidence that we had three new comers on board?
Again the scenery was typical, rolling hills with open fields, but lots of tracks of trees, some of which are National Parks. The three are determined to ride as much as possible, and we are very happy to let them. First signs of a sore butt is when a rider gets up off the seat and then takes time to readjust his/her seating position, and yes this was now happening but I’m not saying who!
All along the route there are huge billboards, advertising just about anything, plus off course, something that I haven’t mentioned, churches, churches and more churches. The group reminds me that we are in Middle America and the bible belt, off course.
The ride is going well until a puncture on my back wheel! One down! As we rode on we could see the storm clouds building, and man they looked vicious dark and ominous. Our three riders were not happy with this and did not want to ride if it started to rain! Another puncture, this time Angel, two down, and within miles Jack gets a puncture, so we are now down to 4 bikes and a blue mountain bike! On we go, but at the next 15 mile stop another bike dies! One of the borrowed bikes has a spoke out and maybe a buckled back wheel! Is this the curse of the three? We all think it is, in fact we know it is.
Jack and Andriy and others, have now drove on to find the camp site and set up the tent, which they do and then send us the address of the site. Remember we are basically out in the boonies right now on bikes, and with one back up vehicle. Talk about trying to find the camp site! Basically we went around the site with the cars GPS telling us that we were there. Finally we are talked in by Jack, relief.
Now I’ve been on quite a few camp sites in my day, but never a one where there is a religious gathering going on, in an open barn (no side walls – I guess that this is used for shelter on site if the weather is bad), right next to where we have set up – good placement of the tent guys! So we have finished our first day with the three. I went to the washroom and lo and behold a framed cartoon of a frog with the West Ham United theme tune underneath – “I’m forever blowing bubbles”. For the uninitiated West Ham as a football (soccer) team in London that have this as their tune. Just thought that it was funny to see this hanging in a washroom so far away from the East End of London!!
Food time and then smors around the fire that Felipe and Angel have built, but again little did we know what was to come that night!!
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