A Streak of “The Luck of Job”

I’ve been back at home in Boston the last four days. I’ve had a streak of “the luck of Job.”

In case you’ve forgotten, over the course of 1,146 miles from Key West, FL to Georgetown, SC — and then from Calais, ME to Bar Harbor, ME — the only mechanical issues I had were 3 flat tires. 

Fairly common.

But in the course of a week, last week, I blew out a derailleur (it got bent to hell) — and last Sunday my rear brake failed and warped into the brake rotor. I was left with only the front brake functioning in very steep terrain. And the rear brake was partially locked because the metal spring in the caliper / brake pad mechanism was bent into itself. See detailed images below:

Since I joined the group… if I didn’t have bad luck, I had no luck at all. Oy!

Seriously, I’ve just lived through two “freak” mechanical failures in a week.

My life partner-wife, Pattie, was kind enough to drive the three hours to pick me up in Thomaston, ME. I really didn’t want to rent a car and hotel again.

Again, luckily I biked these miles (from Boston to Searsport, ME) last summer, so I’m lucky to have the flexibility to wait for the group to bike into Boston to rejoin them. Which I will do this Saturday for the ferry ride to Provincetown, MA, for our ride through Cape Cod as we head south to Washington, DC.

I’m surprised at this last mechanical failure as I had the bike checked out and tuned up last month in Mt. Pleasant, SC.

As you see in the picture above, and in the penultimate post, Saturday’s ride to Camden Hills State Park, in Camden, ME, was a complete wash out. Rain with temperatures in the 40’s and 50’s — a fairly miserable weather day.

It cleared overnight and Sunday dawned a sunny day. A truly perfect riding day. A high of 60 degrees and light wind.

This (above) was as good as it got for me on Sunday. Coming down a short 12% to 15% grade (truly steep) — I lost my rear brake. I was advised that with the pitched grades we were riding it might be best to hitchhike ahead to Bath where an excellent bike shop is located. But I decided to get this sorted out at home instead.

As Thursday was a day off in Hampton, NH, and I’ve already ridden the 245 miles between Boston and Searport, ME, I chose to wait for the group here in Boston while I got the bike worked on.

I ran some water up to the Saugus, MA campground yesterday — where there is no potable water — so the group has drinking and cooking water today.

Day 76:
Location: Boston, MA
Miles: 1,146

In the meantime I’ve logged 2,042 miles on my bike this year. I’ve also prepared my old bike for the remainder of the East Coast Greenway tour in case my current bike acts up again.

My luck has got to change.

What I’m Reading:

How we move through our cities plays a big role in sustainability — but not every place makes it easy to go car-free. Today, Realtor.com® and Local Logic unveiled a new ranking of America’s Top Eco-Friendly Cities for Car-Free Transit, highlighting the places where walking, biking, and public transit are not only viable, but widely used. Leading the list are Hoboken, NJ, Cambridge, MA, and Brookline, MA, with the most top-ranked cities found in the Northeast and California’s Bay Area.

— Thao Tram Ngo / “America’s Top Eco-Friendly Cities for Car-Free Transit” / Local Logic