This summer I’ve been doing a ride that takes me out East Brook (towards rolling country side) to Feak Hollow. Feak Hollow is a decent 25-30 minute climb depending on how you are riding. Once at the top of Feak Hollow, you head down a hill and then take a right on Covert Hollow, which brings you to Rt. 10; another right and you’re headed back into Walton. This is about a 22 mile ride and usually takes me 1:40:00 to 1:50:00.

Yesterday, I embarked on this ride, and was pushing really hard. The first check point (Feak Hollow) usually takes me 24 minutes to reach; I did it in 20 minutes. I then started climbing Feak Hollow. This usually takes me 25-30 minutes; on this ride I did it in 17 minutes. I think I was poised to do the entire ride in 1:20:00, but it wasn’t meant to be.

About 8 miles into the ride coming down the back side of Feak Hollow; I started breaking for the turn down Covert Hollow. My back wheel locked up, and I started fish tailing doing about 35 MPH. I went down on my right side and slid a bit. Immediately my right leg is in severe pain, but it was just a muscle cramp. I couldn’t get it to release lying in the road, so I had to quickly stand up and put all of my weight on it to get it to un-cramp. As I stood up water started going everywhere, and I thought my Camel Back had ruptured, but it turned out the mouth valve had just ripped off as I was sliding down the road. I’m standing; I’ve stopped the flow of water; and I am taking stock of the situation. I don’t think anything is broken, my shoulder, arm, thigh, and shin are burning but that just appears to be road rash; I’m not really even bleeding.

I then take a look at my bike, and that’s when I realize I’m screwed. My back rim looks like a potato chip. There’s no way this bike is going anywhere, unless it is on my shoulder. I have just ridden 8 miles into the middle of no where, and I have a choice to make. Should go back the way I came which is much closer to our house. Or should I go down Covert Hollow which will take me to Rt. 10 where I will actually have a chance to find a phone. I opt for Covert Hollow, mostly because Ali will be coming home from work on Rt. 10 and there is a chance I might see her.

As I hoist my bike on my shoulder and start walking down the road a SUV appears over the hill. I flag it down, and it stops. The woman inside rolls down the window

“What happened?”
“I had wreck; can you give me a ride into Hamden?”

(As I say this I hold my bike up so my back rim is visible)

“Sure, but I need to stop off at my sister’s first and tell her what I’m doing.”
“No problem.”

She helps me load my bike in the back of her car and I get into the passenger’s seat. We start heading down Covert Hollow and after a minute she pulls into a driveway. She says, “I’ll just be a second, I was on my way to my sister’s to get my kids, I need to let her know it’ll be a little longer before I come to get them. “She runs over to the house and a few minutes later she comes out and says, “My sister said you could use the phone.” I say, “Nah, I’ll just wait until I get to a gas station.” I was worried about delaying because I was afraid I might miss Ali. Sometimes she leaves work early if she is done with her patients and I wasn’t entirely sure when she would be driving by. The lady drops me off at a Getty station, and I don’t see a pay phone outside so I say to her, “Do you think they have a pay phone?” She says, “I’m sure if you go in and explain you situation they’ll let you use their phone.” I say, “Okay,” and we start unloading my bike from the car. I thank her profusely and she drives away.

I walk into the Getty station

“Do you have a pay phone?”
“No.”
“Do you have a phone I can use, I’ve just had a wreck on my bike, and I need to call for help?”
“No, we don’t have a phone you can use.”
“It’s a local call, I can pay you.”
“No, sorry you can’t use our phone.”

At this point I’m just standing there gawking at her, and she starts ignoring me. In frustration, I walk out of the store, hoist the bike on my shoulder, and start walking down Rt. 10 towards Hamden. I was half hoping she would run out and change her tune, but no such luck.

A few minutes into the walk a truck pulls over to the side of the road

“Hey you need a ride?”
“Are you going to Walton?”
“No, but I can take you into Hamden.”
“Works for me!”

I toss my bike in the back and jump in the truck. When I go to close the door half of the inside of it rips off, and I’m like, “um, sorry.” The guy says, “Oh, don’t worry about it.” As were riding down the road he tells me about cycling around Lake Ontario when he was nineteen and how he had to rely on the kindness of strangers when he got in a bind. He dropped me off at the Hamden Inn, which is a bar and restaurant, and he tells me there is a pay phone inside. There are a bunch of people sitting outside and I have to banter with them as I’m pulling money out of my pouch for the pay phone.

I only had bills, so I go in and wait at the bar for the bartender who is engrossed in making drinks. While I’m waiting, there is a drunken guy who comes and sits down next to where I’m standing and he starts talking to me

“Hey, what’s wrong?”
“I had a wreck on my bike and broke my back rim.”
“You don’t have a spare?”
“No, I usually don’t ride with a spare rim.”
“Oh … you got a <mumble>?”
“Excuse me?”
“Do you got a <mumble>?”
“I’m sorry, I can’t understand you.”

(I lean in close, to try and hear what he is saying)

“Do you got a tent man?”
“A tent?”
“Yeah you know, you could pitch it and spend the night.”
“Um … well no, I don’t usually carry one around with me.”
“You should get one; they’re real small these days.”

(He starts making hand gesture to relay the size to me)

“Yeah my friend he’s got one, he’ll just ride and when he feels like stopping he’ll pitch it and spend the night. It’s also a good way to cheat on your wife. You can go to a bar and hook up with a chick, and go home with her. Then the next morning just tell your wife you had a wreck and that you slept in the tent.”

(I just nod my head while he’s talking, I’m think this guy is totally wacked, really drunk, or both)

“If you do it though the less information you give out the better, and don’t use you real name.”

He goes on to suggest some names I might want to use, and I politely turn away from the guy and urgently try to get the bartenders attention. Finally, the guy gets up and leaves the room. The whole time I’m distractedly looking out the window expecting to see Ali go by; I’m afraid that I’m going to miss her. I get change from the bartender and go to the pay phone. It costs 75 cents to make a local call now; I’m completely ticked about that, but it is of no real consequence, I need to make the call.

I get the answer machine, and I leave a message,

“Hi it’s me; I had a wreck on my bike. I’m okay, but the back rim is broken. I’m at the Hamden Inn, and I’m going to start walking down Rt. 10 towards Walton. When you get this please come pick me up in the Pathfinder when you get a chance. Talk to you later.”

I head back outside to gather my stuff and get ready to start walking down the road. The people outside ask me if I got help, and I say, “I had to leave a messa…” At that moment I see Ali driving down the road in the Saturn, but I’m obscured by cars so I bolt for the road with my bike in hand. Everyone around is going, “What the hell is he doing?” I make it to the road just as she is passing by; fortunately I got her attention and she pulled over a good fifty yards down the road. I start walking towards the car, and she doesn’t get out. It is clear she doesn’t realize there is a problem, and I get the impression she may be annoyed that I flagged her down. As I’m approaching the car I start telling what happened.

We were able to fit the bike in the trunk with the fork hanging out. I wrapped it in a blanket to prevent it from scratching the car. I used string to secure the bike and the trunk lid, which I happened to leave in the car a couple of days ago by accident. Finally, we were off and heading towards Walton.

View the photo album for this entry