May 10 - Flats, flats, and more flats

Welcome to Eugene.  We saw this massive statue yesterday but didn't have time to take a picture.  So it was our first stop today.  Hard to capture the massiveness of it and still get some details.

 

Our second stop of the day was the Dorris Ranch Living History Farm in a neighboring town.  We even had to climb a hill to get there (most of yesterday's riding was fairly flat).  They had various construction projects going on and the facility was not open, so back over the hill and toward Eugene.

 

One nice thing about having a flat is I can take some pictures of the beautiful bike paths.  David did a great job moving us around the maze of different trails crossing the river.  His demeanor was somewhat challenged after the first flat though.  We found our pump missing the end cap, so it couldn't lock on the valve stem.  We worked out our system of him holding the pump on the stem and me pumping.  Then we found the boxed tube we used as the spare wasn't in very good shape.  Held air just long enough for us to get the tools and camera stowed. 

 

The second go wasn't any easier.  He had to patch the tube instead of just exchanging.  We decided to go back to the MH so we could get better pressure (with the floor pump), pick up another spare tube, and have some lunch.  We hoped we'd find the pump part near the MH, but no such luck.  Searched out some bike shops and got ready for the afternoon ride.

 

David was studying the map as we pondered where to go.  It was a beautiful spot, but there is white stuff blowing around that in some areas drifted up like blowing snow.  I don't know what it was, but you had to ride with your mouth closed and put up with an itchy nose.

 So serene, easy to get over the frustration and just enjoy the beautiful weather.  Not to hot and not to cold...just perfect for riding.

 We stopped at a very unique bicycle shop.  Specialized in used bikes.  Rented shop space to people to work on their bikes.  I talked to one gent that would put in volunteer hours to "earn" shop time.   David went in to see if they had pump parts.  He looked through a bin of used pumps, but they were all missing the part we needed.  He wouldn't buy the one they had similar to ours.  To much money for one missing the air gauge.  By the time he came out, our rear tire was flat again.  He started pulling it out and I went in and bought the pump (and got the ok for him to bring the tire in to get aired up so we didn't have to use the little pump).  This art work outside the store should give you the flavor of the establishment.  Lots of chatty people that like our tandem helped David get over his temper...not cool to throw things with so many people watching (*smile*). 

 Our next stop was REI.  We wanted to get another spare tube.  Even getting the REI rebate and no sales tax, the tubes were way too much.  The tandem again attracted chatty people, which certainly makes waiting outside with the bike more entertaining. 

Lots of rivers means lots of bridges.  Some of them were under construction, closing off part of the bike path adding to the effect of being in a maze.  Their signing was definitely aimed at people who knew where they were going.

David stopped to consult a map after we'd crossed this suspension bridge.  They used a lot of different styles of bridges, and mostly kept the bikes and peds separate from the cars.   With all the flats and stops, we only rode 30 miles, but it was still a nice day.

I am excited about tomorrow.  We are heading to Washington.  If all goes well, we'll be seeing Graham perform in some kind of show.  He said it was done as a pick-up group putting on shows Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon.   Performance Bikes have tubes on sale, we will be stopping in Portland or Tacoma to pick some up.