Indiana: A Sequence of Unfortunate Events (Ends Well)

Sometimes, you just have to decide you’re going to persevere. I was in Howe, Indiana for the “Amishland and Lakes” century last weekend (August 6th). There was a lot to like about this ride: the terrain was mostly flat, the weather was warm but not hot, and there was very little wind. The organizers were very friendly as were the riders, and the food on the campus of the former Howe Military Academy was cheap and surprisingly tasty.

The name of the ride came from the large Amish population in the area (the lakes were definitely a secondary feature, but I understand the name is traditional). The Amish tradition here was no different than elsewhere: They avoid most modern conveniences – most prominently the automobile. Thus, we would pass numerous horse-drawn buggies and carriages. While this was charming, it also meant that we would ride 100 miles among the horses’ much-less-charming residue. What started out as interesting sensory reflections of a bygone era, by the middle of a summer afternoon, became the main focus of our riding attention. We had to avoid both potholes and ‘horse apples’.

After an early start, I made good time as far as mile 38. I found a rider, Barb, a florist from Ohio, who wanted to start early as well, and expected to ride the same pace as I. 38 miles in, I developed a flat on my front tire. I searched for a while to no avail to find what in the tire caused the small slit in the tube. In putting a new tube on, I spent too much time chatting and too little attention to what I was doing. I did not notice that I had failed to seat the tire bead. I brought it all the way to pressure before my spare tube blew out with a convincing retort.

I went back to attempt to patch the original tube. The glue in my patch kit had dried out, but a passing cyclist loaned me some from hers. During inflation, the valve stem broke rendering my last good tube useless. I called for a SAG and walked to the last intersection. An hour later, I discovered the SAG did not have any tubes my size -- they gave me a ride back to the ride HQ at Howe. After the purchase and installation of two new tubes (and a new patch kit!), it was about noon. I decided to attempt to finish the century by taking the 62-mile route that began at Howe. I went past the first rest stop after it closed, but I was able to make the others in time. I finished the ride after 5PM, happy to color in Indiana.