Day 24, Wednesday, May 16
We started the day in high spirits. We had a good night's sleep in Dave's and Cindi's upstairs apartment, our laundry and bikes were clean, and within a few miles we would be crossing the Mississippi River, a significant milestone.
It was a beautiful morning, the first we had started in short sleeves since Day 1 in DC when we did not start until after 10:00 AM. As we pedalled through downtown Wood River I was not paying much attention to the street surface when I heard John yell behind me, "Lots of glass!" It was too late for me. I pulled over to the curb with a flat, the second of the trip but the first puncture. (The first was a bad stem on the innertube.)
I was annoyed, but not too down about it. It shouldn't cost us too much time, and we were right in front of a coffeeshop. As John enjoyed a cup and did his Duo Lingo, I worked on the flat.
Soon enough I had it fixed. With John's help I pushed the last bit of tire bead inside the rim and began to fit the wheel on the bike. That's when we heard the tube explode, like a gunshot. I had pinched the innertube between the tire bead and the rim.
I threw the wheel down in disgust and knew I needed to cool off a little, so I took a walk down the street. As I turned around and walked back I saw John already removing the tube for me. I've said this before: he's a good biking companion.
So I fixed my third flat of the trip, being extra careful to avoid a pinch. Finally, I was able to enjoy a coffee and a pastry.
We left Wood River behind and got on the Confluence Trail which runs along the east bank of the Mississippi on top of the dike, and I wanted to take a moment to let it sink it.
When we started I had no idea if we could ride all the way across the country. After living on our bikes for 24 days and reaching the Mississippi, almost a third of the way, it seems possible. We have a long way to go, and we might not make it, but I don't think the trip will end early because our bodies or our fortitude fail.
As we rode north along the dike we could see the Clark Bridge, where we would cross, named for William Clark. He and Meriwether Lewis began their journey after wintering a few miles downriver, below the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers.
The actual crossing was unpleasant. There is a bike lane, but it appears Illinois and Missouri are having some sort of dispute about who should sweep it, because nobody has in quite a while. It was full of debris and after my experience earlier in the morning I was scared of another flat.
But we made it, then spent an hour pedaling across the flood plains to the Katy Trail. The Katy is the longest continuous rail trail in the country at 239 miles. It spans almost the full width of Missouri. Throughout our time on the roads of Indiana and Illinois we had been anticipating riding on the Katy.
It did not disappoint. The surface is crushed limestone, and while the trail was a little soggy and slow the first few miles, it soon dried out. It is not as good as new asphalt, but riding where cars cannot go was a relief.
We stopped for lunch at a combination cafe and bike shop in St. Charles. Lunch was great, and we enjoyed talking with other patrons who were on their own tours.
We discovered that down the trail in Defiance was a campground right on the trail. And across the trail was a brewpub. That seemed like a natural destination.
We got to the campsite, set up our tents, showered, and you can guess the rest.
I've popped more than my share of innertubes, so here's a potentially useful bit of experience for the last two-thirds of the expedition: For reasons I cannot explain, in the moments before a pinched tube explodes, it will make a soft ticking sound. If you detect it and can immediately depress the valve to reduce the pressure, you can save the tube... and the heart-attack that follows the sound of the otherwise inevitable explosion.
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