The Cosgroves!

I popped a spoke about five miles into the ride today. We pulled the spoke out, but there was no way to put the other spoke back in without taking off the rear cassette, and we did not have the tools. So we kept on riding. about ten miles later I had a brilliant realization

1. If I broke another spoke we would not be able to continue riding and...

2. we would have to hitch a ride to the nearest bike shop (70 miles away)

I immediately began bouncing up and down on my seat to try and pop another spoke. no such luck. 70 miles later Steph and I pulled into the bustling metropolis that is John Day, OR. (a stoplight! hooray!) Only to find that the bike shop was closed. everyone I asked about the bike shop said that there used to be one, but that it had shut up shop a long time ago.

Out of options Steph and I did the only reasonable thing;

1. got footlong subs and blizzards

2. tried to find a movie theater.

as we were searching for a great movie to watch we passed by where the bike shop had been AND THE DOOR WAS OPEN! Mike Cosgrove was inside working on a bike (he fixes bikes as a charity... there is a special place in heaven for him) I stepped inside and before long Steph and I were pulling apart my rear wheel and replacing the spoke. Neither steph nor I had ever trued a wheel, but we learned tonight! It was fantastic! we finally finished up around nine at night and Mike invited us to his house to spend the night. WHOAH!

Here are some observations:

1. John Day is an incredibly friendly town

2. truing a wheel is easier than it seems at first

3. Heaven is a bed and a shower.