 Missouri river, Boonville  One of many old rail bridges enroute |
 Katy tunnel, John, minus that hat and Sue  Bluffs one side and backwaters of the swollen Missouri river the other. |
21/8/2011, Boonsville to Columbia
D64, T4.4, Av13.41, T4424, fine and about 30℃
The morning was spent on the laptop, prior to getting back onto the Katy Trail downtown. It is a pleasure to ride.
Though the dusty limestone requires one to oil the chain every 25k or so.
At some point west of Rocheport a couple were riding in the same direction as myself, pulling up alongside, we started talking and really didn’t stop talking for the next 20 miles all the way to Columbia which is off the Katy on a trail known as the MKT trail that takes its followers into downtown Columbia.
We stopped for a bite at Rocheport which was a tad dodgey but the guys were trying hard, myself, due to their lack of tomatoes, having a BLMO (mushrooms and onions)
As we got closer to Columbia and the MKT turn off ,the number of cyclists and other users passing by and passed increased greatly.
A guy used my phone who had come to grief with a tidy gravel rash covering his left knee.
John and Sue were an interesting couple, he a protestant, casual might I say, pastor and she a legal aid lawyer from a town just north of Kansas City. We enjoyed each others company. They met one another while studying at Harvard.
John was wearing this classic hat that provided great shade, the back extension was like a bridal train with enough surface area for a solar panel. It provided much amusement for us and no doubt passers by.
Once on the MKT trail the users increased big time. Closer to Columbia, Sue and I were side by side talking, when all of a sudden I was on the deck against a cutting we were passing through.My first mishap, nearly a full on head collision, my fault, although the other rider was flying and gave no warning of her approach.
The average speed for the day indicates the amount of chatting we were engaged in.
Upon regrouping, a bit of pride had been shattered, all was well, no damage had been sustained. Lesson learnt. Busy trails are much more hazardous than any road was my deduction from this incident.
Tomorrow was the first day back at uni for 3o odd thousand students at Missouri Uni here in Columbia, hence the large number of bods about.
Sue, John and I bade farewell as we left the trail and entered the streets of Columbia.
They had had an enjoyable overnight weekend ride and were about to embark on a 3hr drive home.
Riding up Broadway, the main street, vibrant and thriving, would be the best way to describe the downtown area.
Of all towns visited here in the midwest, this town had life in its heart. Cafes were abound and well patronised by young people.
It was about 1900hrs and my trail map showed the nearest camp ground had been passed some 8m ago.
After a few phone calls an Indian voice was heard on the end of one particular phone call and a $35 a night room was sorted.
Leaving the pizza shop where I grabbed their phone book, the rear tyre was flat, shit!, that’s all I needed. Pumping it up, the hope was a slow leak would maintain enough pressure to get me the 4 miles to my motel, indeed it did.
It was a comfortable roomy motel offering great value for money. The Deluxe on H70.
Upon settling in, I removed the rear wheel and patched what was a small hole caused by a tiny piece of wire, maybe from a steel belted radial.
The patch bonded nicely, the tube was reinserted between the rim and tyre, though not putting it back on the bike wanting to see if pressure remained constant.
An hour later a gauge reading revealed about 6 psi had departed from the tube.
Deflating, removing and reinflating it, an underwater test revealed an ever so slow air release from the patch.
Experience with patches at home and their unreliability led me to tossing the tube and replacing it with a new one. I did not need leaking tubes on the road.
The rear tyre was now quite worn, having covered 5500km, a 1000 of that prior to this trip. Its replacement is now imminent.
D64, T4.4, Av13.41, T4424, fine and about 30℃
The morning was spent on the laptop, prior to getting back onto the Katy Trail downtown. It is a pleasure to ride.
Though the dusty limestone requires one to oil the chain every 25k or so.
At some point west of Rocheport a couple were riding in the same direction as myself, pulling up alongside, we started talking and really didn’t stop talking for the next 20 miles all the way to Columbia which is off the Katy on a trail known as the MKT trail that takes its followers into downtown Columbia.
We stopped for a bite at Rocheport which was a tad dodgey but the guys were trying hard, myself, due to their lack of tomatoes, having a BLMO (mushrooms and onions)
As we got closer to Columbia and the MKT turn off ,the number of cyclists and other users passing by and passed increased greatly.
A guy used my phone who had come to grief with a tidy gravel rash covering his left knee.
John and Sue were an interesting couple, he a protestant, casual might I say, pastor and she a legal aid lawyer from a town just north of Kansas City. We enjoyed each others company. They met one another while studying at Harvard.
John was wearing this classic hat that provided great shade, the back extension was like a bridal train with enough surface area for a solar panel. It provided much amusement for us and no doubt passers by.
Once on the MKT trail the users increased big time. Closer to Columbia, Sue and I were side by side talking, when all of a sudden I was on the deck against a cutting we were passing through.My first mishap, nearly a full on head collision, my fault, although the other rider was flying and gave no warning of her approach.
The average speed for the day indicates the amount of chatting we were engaged in.
Upon regrouping, a bit of pride had been shattered, all was well, no damage had been sustained. Lesson learnt. Busy trails are much more hazardous than any road was my deduction from this incident.
Tomorrow was the first day back at uni for 3o odd thousand students at Missouri Uni here in Columbia, hence the large number of bods about.
Sue, John and I bade farewell as we left the trail and entered the streets of Columbia.
They had had an enjoyable overnight weekend ride and were about to embark on a 3hr drive home.
Riding up Broadway, the main street, vibrant and thriving, would be the best way to describe the downtown area.
Of all towns visited here in the midwest, this town had life in its heart. Cafes were abound and well patronised by young people.
It was about 1900hrs and my trail map showed the nearest camp ground had been passed some 8m ago.
After a few phone calls an Indian voice was heard on the end of one particular phone call and a $35 a night room was sorted.
Leaving the pizza shop where I grabbed their phone book, the rear tyre was flat, shit!, that’s all I needed. Pumping it up, the hope was a slow leak would maintain enough pressure to get me the 4 miles to my motel, indeed it did.
It was a comfortable roomy motel offering great value for money. The Deluxe on H70.
Upon settling in, I removed the rear wheel and patched what was a small hole caused by a tiny piece of wire, maybe from a steel belted radial.
The patch bonded nicely, the tube was reinserted between the rim and tyre, though not putting it back on the bike wanting to see if pressure remained constant.
An hour later a gauge reading revealed about 6 psi had departed from the tube.
Deflating, removing and reinflating it, an underwater test revealed an ever so slow air release from the patch.
Experience with patches at home and their unreliability led me to tossing the tube and replacing it with a new one. I did not need leaking tubes on the road.
The rear tyre was now quite worn, having covered 5500km, a 1000 of that prior to this trip. Its replacement is now imminent.
