Mid-Atlantic Backcountry Discovery Route: Day 6
Our final day on the MABDR started in Pembroke, Virginia. Much like the day before, the riding began on windy dirt roads. While it was great to be riding again, all the back and forth left Jim and me begging for some fun, simple straightaways. We really wanted to let it rip!
Around 10 a.m. our bad luck from the day before continued when I got a nail in my rear tire. Although we successfully patched the hole where the nail had entered, it was soon apparent that the nail had done a lot more damage to the tube. I pulled out the slime to try to seal the tire, only to discover that the sealant didn’t work with my tubes. Thankfully, Jim had a back-up tube, but it was for his front tire, which, due to tire size differences, was a less than ideal replacement. Under the circumstances it would have to do, but I’d definitely needed a proper rear tube soon, especially with my 420-mile ride back to the truck looming the next day.
After a bit more riding, we stopped for lunch at a popular spot for hikers on the Appalachian Trail. As we had some chow it was cool to swap stories with the thru-hikers. They thought our rides were pretty sick!
After we finished our meals, some iPhone internet sleuthing told us that the only moto shop in the vicinity closed in 3 hours and would be closed for the next three days for July 4th. Being more than two hours away, we hurried to the bikes and sprinted for the shop.
About an hour into the ride, I blew my rear tube again. Then it started to pour. Recognizing my predicament, Jim charged ahead while I waited in the rain, first at a gas station in Tennessee, then at a nearby church that was much less sketch. At the church, I started breaking down the bike and eventually Jim arrived like a conquering hero, tube in hand. We got my bike back together and were off to Damascus, Virginia in a jiffy. Even better, the rest of the ride into the city was on cruiser roads and the speed helped melt away my stress that I might not finish the trail due to equipment issues.
Crossing the city line into Damascus was awesome. We were pumped to have finished the MABDR and were slapping fives like little kids on bikes as we rode through the city streets. Around 8:30 we rolled into what seemed to be the last open restaurant in town. The meal was a great way to end a fantastic six days on the road.
By: Mickey Spades. If you found Mickey’s post useful, consider sending him a few bucks. (Venmo: @michael-spadea-4). And here are all the posts from all Mickey’s trip:
