Day 53, Thursday, June 12
It did not rain any more overnight, and there was enough wind to dry out the tents. Both of us hate packing wet gear, so it was a good start.
The first 10 or 12 miles were almost all slightly downhill. We had to pedal, but it was great seeing all those watts I was using converted to distance rather than elevation. Every now and then you would get a peek at the Snake River.
We found a good convenience store at Swan Valley where we had a decent breakfast. We needed it, because a couple of miles after that we got the big climb of the day, about 300 feet in a mile, I think. Once we topped out on that, it was downhill all the way to Idaho Falls.
Somewhere along the way I broke another spoke, on the rear wheel just like in Nebraska. This time, the spoke was not affecting my riding, so we went on into Idaho Falls.
When we got into Idaho Falls our first stop was a laundromat. We had lunch at a Mexican restaurant next door while we waited. Then it was on to a bike shop. It was around 2:00, and they agreed to fix it that afternoon but thought it might not be ready until closing. I was not going to argue since most bike shops are days out for repairs. On a tour like this you just have to hope they will squeeze you in.
Our camp for the night was a city park on the south side of the city, several miles away. I would have to wait near the shop, but John went on to the park to get a site and set up.
While I was mulling about the shop the mechanic said he would just go ahead and fix my wheel. I knew it would take him 30 to 45 minutes, so I went to a nearby taphouse to sample some local beer. Soon he called to let me know it was fixed. It cost a grand total of $28.
I joined John at the park, set up my tent, and we walked up a local brewery for dinner. It was a satisfying day despite the mechanical problem.
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