Today we started with 83 miles to ride to finish the trip. I started riding this morning very confident that I could ride all the miles, but about mile 30, my bicycle broke. I think my front sprocket got bent because it kept throwing the chain. Each time the chain came off, I flipped the bike upside down and got the chain back on. Each time I got the chain back on, I was sure I had fixed it, but 100 yards later, it would come off again. The last time it came off, I lost my balance and fell on the bike. I bruised up both elbows, forearms, knees, and shins pretty well. Tom was driving the motorhome today, and as I got up off the ground, telling the passing motorists and bicycle riders that I was OK, he texted his location. He wasn’t far from me, and I took that as a sign from the Lord that I was done. I texted him my location and wrote, “Come get me, please, pretty please!” In a few minutes, he was there, and we loaded my bicycle in the trailer and took off for the finish line. We drove to the end of the route, and here I sit in the motorhome writing this while we wait for the other riders to get here. I will write more when I hear the various stories of the other riders.

Well, Paul just texted that he needs to be picked up. So off Tom, Ray, and I go to rescue Paul. Oh, I forgot to tell you that after Tom picked me up, Ray texted that he needed to be picked up at about mile 50, so we got him and then drove back to the finish line, and then we got the call from Paul and drove back and picked him up at mile 63. He had hit a curb and popped his tire, and the tube had such a big hole in it he couldn’t patch it, and he didn’t have a spare. We again drove back to the finish line, and pretty soon, Cliff and Kathy got there. With no problems. Hallelujah!

We are now all in the motorhome with our bikes in the trailer headed home. We are going to stop off at my friend Paul’s house to take showers. Then we will start the 20 hour ride home. I am hoping this ride will be uneventful, but if not I will tell you about it in tomorrows blog.