as written by Jeff

From Kohler-Andrae State Park to Manitowoc, Wisconsin

It started as a beautiful day… waking up near the beach in Kohler-Andrae State Park. The kids enjoyed the woods, the playground, our hammock… it was all wonderful.  It had rained that morning for a little bit, but the beach was still gorgeous, and we had a filling breakfast of pancakes. Mmmm.  Hey, we only had 33 miles to go today, so we could afford to luxuriate a little. Right?

Well, it became challenging rather quickly.  The call to break camp was not a welcome one. The rain made things a little dirty and wet, and the arguments started, … in general everyone became a little testy. And the delays grew longer and longer.  Rather than leave at 12 noon, we weren’t ready by 1:00.  Or 2:00.  I started to begin to panic a little…

We missed our 3:00pm checkout by 8 minutes, so we ended up paying for 2 days. That was a bummer.  But then, real disaster struck.  After just 9 miles of riding through Sheboygan, along some marvelous views of the lake, Jeff mis-judged a curb at the bottom of a hill and cut it too close.  The right trailer wheel hit the curb, upturning the trailer, spinning it 360 degrees in the air, and landing on the opposite wheel. Miraculously, no one was hurt. We didn’t even crash! The result: our gear was all over the street and one of the trailer wheels was seriously bent. Wow.

This is what the wheel looked like after the trailer flipped over.

I was incredibly discouraged. Now what? Find a bike shop. Fortunately there was one just 4 blocks away: Wolf Cycling and Fitness (http://www.wolfcycle.com/). When I walked in with the bent tire, my heart sank when the first response was, “We can probably order you something.”  Uh-oh. That’s bad. The owner tried a new wheel from a similar trailer he had in stock: almost fit, but not quite.  I explained about our trip, so he began to try to repair the wheel,  bending the rim back into shape using some pretty significant force. Some luck, but that was a BIG S-curve to get out. Then he had an idea: he should check in the back to see if he anything there.

Two minutes went by, then he came back holding a rim that had been hanging in his office for at least 10 years. It was an old BMX racing bike tire (an Araya 7x). He doesn’t really sell or carry them anymore. But it was exactly the right size, with exactly the right number of spokes. Incredible!

The job was time-intensive, taking each spoke off the old rim, installing it on the new one , then making sure that the wheel spin perfectly. In the end, though, we had a new wheel.  I can not praise Harley or Wolf Cycle enough for their kindness toward us.

Harley, owner of Wolf Cycle in Sheboygan, working on replacing our bent rim with new & stronger one

Matthew 6:31-32 says “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.” – I’d like to add “…or where will we get another wheel?”  The lord is showing us during this trip that He is clearly in control, and this adventure is opening our eyes to the reality of His presence and provision.

Sunset in the Wisconsin country.

Unfortunately, this was another 2 hour delay for us.  It was now 6:00pm and we still had 25 miles to go to our destination in Manitowoc. So we pedaled, and we pedaled. We watered a lot of fields along the way since we didn’t have much time to stop at a bathroom (and there weren’t many anyway). The views were gorgeous along County Road LS (Lakeshore Drive); I never get tired of seeing the lake. And, the Lord provided a rich sunset for us that we all marveled at.

It grew dark, and we still plodded along.  At one potty stop a car turned around to make sure we were okay.  The driver, Al, was very encouraging and wanted to make sure that we had a place to stay. He then blessed us by opening up a wallet of gift cards, took out two Perkin’s gift cards, and said “have breakfast on me!” Wow, really? The kindness shown to us… just blows us away.

Al, who stopped by to check on us. Could he have been an angel?

We could not wait to see our hosts for the night: Kyle and Char Schleuncher. Char was a member of our staff team years ago, and she and Kyle are wonderful people.  We finally arrive around 10:00pm, exhausted, tired, and hungry.  The Schleunchers had chicken, hot dogs, cheesy potatoes, and refreshments for us, and immediately our spirits SOARED… it was an oasis after a hard day. Baths and showers for everyone, some visiting with Kyle and Char, and bed… for 8 hours. Beautiful.

as journaled by Brittany

33 miles

10:16

It did end up raining early this morning. Fortunately, most of our stuff was protected, but a few things got wet that were near the edges of the screen tent or that we forgot to bring inside.

Daddy rode Joshua’s bike to a store three miles away to pick up our breakfast, so we’re all eating in a picnic pavilion nearby our campsite. It’s in this large field bordering the beach, so we were all granted the hilarious sight of David running to the bathroom on the opposite side of the field from our campsite.

15:03 

Departure

16:40

Stopped for lunch in General King Park in Sheboygan, WI. The rain this morning messed up our departure time, but we were making good time since then. We were more than a quarter of the way to the house we’re staying at tonight before Daddy hit a curb and his trailer wheel bent. We’re trying to get it fixed, but…

22:01

Arrival

as journaled by Brittany

32 miles

11:11

Still in our hotel room (oh, yeah, stayed the night in a hotel for once–amazing chance to relax and get some valuable sleep), but preparations to leave are proceeding apace. We’re planning to stop at Costco, as there’s one nearby, and stocking up on snacks, but after that we’re just going to try to make camp before nightfall for once.

I’m actually learning to enjoy riding at night (except for when I couldn’t see a patch of gravel and fell, of course) because it’s so peaceful, but having the opportunity to actually enjoy our campsite for once would be amazing.

12:04

Departure

13:31

We’re about to leave Costco now. We’re all stocked up on snacks and we’ve eaten lunch, so we shouldn’t need to stop for a while and when we do stop it shouldn’t take long.

Here’s to a good day and to the rain (there’s a high[ish] chance of it, from what I’ve heard) holding off when we need it to.  I’m hoping we can make camp early in the evening and/or only late in the afternoon for once.

20:10

Arrival

20:40

Dusk, and I’m watching the boys at a playground near(ish) our campsite. It hasn’t begun to rain yet, though it’s been threatening all day. It is pretty chilly out, however.

21:46

I’ve been thinking, and this trip to far? It’s going fantastically. Sure, it’s been hard on us physically, and I’m well aware of the enormity of the understatement there. But we could be tearing into each other because of it, turned vicious by the strain, and that’s not happening.

22:57

In case anyone is wondering why in the world I’m still writing, dinner is taking forever and I need to occupy myself or I’m going to fall asleep!

As beautiful as this campsite is–we’re in this clearing sorta removed from the road and right near the lake, so if you listen you can hear it–it’s missing an outlet and isn’t close to water (though not far from it) or anywhere near the showers, so it’s pretty inconvenient.

Mommy’s difficulties with dinner start with how far we are from the water, are made worse by the fact that she’s working in a screen tent to avoid the possible rain (that still hasn’t started even though it’s come pretty close), and end with her accidentally knocking over the pot of finished rice. Really, it’s no surprise it’s taking forever.

Alright, I’m bailing on dinner. I’m exhausted. Good night, ya’ll!

as journaled by Brittany

48 miles

9:40

So – guess who managed to fall just outside the campground as we came in late last night? Yours Truly.  Again – I’m still alive. My knees and right arm got pretty scraped up, but I can make it. Riding my bike isn’t going to be very fun, though.

12:05

Departure

17:38

We’re eating lunch (yeah, really late, I know but dinner’s special tonight) in Milwaukee, outside this really nice grocers.  It’s a nice place – pretty much everything is artisan and thus expensive, but the environments amazing.

22:45

Arrival

23:56

Pretty much everything is hilarious after a hard days work and sleep deprivation. Still, hard and long as the day was (almost 50 miles, holy cow), we actually started going pretty fast after lunch. If we had had a 32 mile trip like yesterday? We would have been there by 19:00 or 20:00.

We missed my ‘your birthday is tomorrow but we aren’t to be near any nice restaurants then, so we’ll have your birthday dinner today’ dinner, so I’ve been promised a birthday breakfast instead (let’s be real, here, hotel breakfasts are some of the best things in the world when you’re in a rush). Hey, it’ll actually be on my birthday, so that’s something.

Look at it this way – tomorrow is going to be a breeze, after this. We made it!

as journaled by Brittany

32 miles

10:46

We did end up going swimming in the lake last night–swimming in the dark under this incredibly bright full moon. Absolutely amazing, even if the water was freezing… and it it crossed off an item I didn’t even know was on my bucket list.

It looks like it might rain, so that would affect whether I can write at each stop or not. We’ve taken care to make things waterproof if they need to be, but it’s still annoying.

11:38

Yeah, we still haven’t left camp yet. We’re pretty much packed up, but it looks like something’s still wrong with Elise’s and Cora’s bike, so we’re headed to a bike shop after we finally do leave.

Hasn’t begun to rain yet, but it’s pretty cloudy (if not storm clouds) and we keep hearing thunder. There’s a nice breeze out, so we’re not terribly hot. (As of yet I haven’t dared look up the temperatures we have ridden or will ride through–doesn’t mean it isn’t hot!)

11:59

Departure

12:52

We’ve made it to the bike shop and are eating lunch here while we fix the girl’s bike. It took a while thanks to mechanical problems–my brakes were rubbing the back wheel and Mommy had a problem shifting gears–and, randomly enough, clothes bags falling out of my burley.

It’s a weird feeling, this trip around Lake Michigan. There’s no end, per se, no point where we stop and turn around. Each day is a continuation of the last, and then the day before, and the day after that. Eventually we’ll make our way home, I suppose, but until then… we’ll never see the same scenery twice.

If any of my friends from school are reading this: Good luck on finals, guys. I miss you.

14:15

Left the bike shop

15:04

Welcome to Wisconsin!

20:07

Yes, we have yet to reach camp. Still, we’re less than five miles to go, so we should reach it soon. Mommy has a flat tire, and as a result all of us are spread out over the exposure of path we’re on, each stopped where the news reached us.

I am currently engaged in a game of keep away with the local mosquito population, with myself being the apparently tantalizing ball. I’m also losing.

It’s better than it was last night, when we were all out of bug spray–we’ve picked up some more–but the spray cans are back with Mommy and Daddy, and that makes it rather ineffectual when you want to use it to prevent being eaten alive.

21:22

Arrival

as written by Jeff

Illinois Beach State Park to Racine, Wisconsin

We woke up in beautiful Illinois Beach State Park at the crack of 9:00am. Okay, we were exhausted from the 37 mile ride the day before… and most of us didn’t get to sleep until after midnight. Last night our dear friends the Wilsons drove up to the park to give us a hand: they picked up one of our Burley trailers that Cora (age 9) and Elise (age 11) were taking turns pulling. It was just too much for them, so we decided to repack everything into 4 trailers and send one back with them. To make that easier, we exchanged several of our large puffy sleeping bags for much more compact flannel sleeping rolls. They were a welcome sight for us all: and they brought a few treats as well: grapes, corn on the cob, and Diet Coke. Angela’s heart was full.

But then, she got about, oh, 3.5 hours of sleep—you know, first night in a tent, it was warm, and David woke up at 4am asking, “I see light, is it day yet?” Grrr…

So, we were a little slow getting out of the gate… like 11am slow. Another reason for our delay was caused by bike repairs… Elise and Cora were hearing their back tire rubbing the brakes. Upon inspection, we found a wobbly wheel, with 2 broken spokes. Ugh, this is a more complicated situation.

Google maps to the rescue—a bike shop was less than 2 miles away, in Zion! We crammed our gear into our 4 trailers (that took some engineering) and headed out. It’s only 2 miles, what could happen on the way, right? Well, let’s see: two stops for gear (derailleur) adjustments, two more for brake adjustments, and at one point Angela (in the rear) started seeing gear strewn on the road! Apparently Brittany’s trailer was not closed tightly and random gear was dropping out. Lydia’s bag of clothes was affected the most—but to the bag’s credit none of her clothes were damaged.

This is what a bag looks like after it’s been run over by a bicycle trailer

We limped into Zion Cyclery at 1:00pm. Wow, it’s going to be a long day. I asked for 2 spokes and a spoke wrench; Dave the mechanic said “Sure, let’s have a look at the wheel.” After taking off the freewheel, he pointed out that many of the spokes were damaged. Yesterday the chain had come off a few times between the rear freewheel and the wheel, and at least one of those times had really ground into the spokes. We could replace all the spokes, or change out for a new (and lighter) wheel. So, new wheel, a couple of new tires (the old ones were 20-30 years old), and the bike was ready to go! The mechanics at the shop were incredibly kind and supportive of us and our trip, even encouraging us to fill our 20 water bottles from their (ice) cold water dispenser. Thanks guys!

It’s tough to see, but the spokes on this wheel are damaged from when the chain derailed a few times. 🙁

Dave (left) of Zion Cyclery hooked up Cora and Elise with a new wheel, and he and bike mechanics Duane (right), and Al (not pictured) were so encouraging to us!

Finally, around 2:00pm, we hit the road. Only 30 miles to go, right? Yeah, but it was a HOT one – temperatures were around 90 degrees until evening. We made a lot of water stops… water NEVER tasted so good. We have discovered so many AMAZING bike trails—we have been able to stay off the streets for 90% of our ride! Wisconsin’s trails have been especially great—wide, paved pathways with beautiful woods and communities along the way. Truly a treat.

We puttered along all afternoon, and finally reached our destination just after dark. Unfortunately, while turning into the park, Brittany did not negotiate the curb so well, and the trailer hit a rock, upturning both itself and Brittany. Not a fun way to end a day! She was okay, just some bruises and scrapes, but scary nonetheless.

Setting up camp in the dark is not fun, but everybody pitched in, and the tent and dinner were both ready in 30 minutes. After both he and David were eaten alive in the tent the night before, Joshua was militant about keeping the tent door closed, allowing a .8 second window to open the tent for people to enter or exit.

Cora counted 62 bug bites on David’s body from our first night camping. Poor guy!

Dinner for the day: a dozen+ packages of Ramen noodles that we had brought from home. It was fast, easy, and GONE faster than you can say, “There’s no nutrition in this.” Hehe. Fortunately we also had some grilled chicken from the night before.

After dinner and cleanup, the kids went to bed around 11pm. Angela and Jeff… well, we weren’t asleep until after midnight. The smiles on our faces as we lay down on our sleeping mats: priceless.

as journaled by Brittany

33 miles

9:42

Happy Father’s Day! Our preparations for beginning to move out are proceeding well enough–but the spectre of a day’s travel twice that of Day One hangs over us. It doesn’t help that we have a bad track record when it comes to Father’s Day adventures.

Take the time Joshua and I got lost trying to go on a bike ride with Daddy and Elise, or the hike we tried to take while in Utah that turned into an unmitigated disaster (along the lines of the Fellowship trying to take the Pass of Cahadras). Basically, it’s become of a running joke in our family. Still, you cross your fingers!

Well, I need to to get back to work. To all the fathers out there–keep up the good work!

11:00  

Departure

13:43

Eating lunch in the Chicago Botanical Gardens after going 10 miles into our ride. It’s a nice place to stop, I must admit. We’ve had a few small breaks before now–for maintenance and bathroom stops–but not enough to last longer than 15 minutes.

It turns out that the wheels of my burley (trailer) have actually been rubbing against the sides of the burley. I don’t know if this has been going on for a while, or if it just started today, but it’s much better now and I have yet to lose much speed.

Looks like the girls might lose their own burley. We’ve only been keeping light stuff in there and they can switch out with each other on the tandem, but it’s tiring them out.  The Wilsons are going to meet us at the campground, so they’ll probably take it off our hands then.

18:13

We’ve been traveling on the Robert McClory Bike trail since leaving the Botanical Gardens, and it’s led us through some gorgeous landscape.  We have nine miles left to go and are itching to finish them. This path is really letting us hit our stride–and I spent quite some time drastically outpacing the rest of the slowpokes in my family.

We’re now stopped at a small gas station in the suburb of North Chicago (probably around Waukegan, according to Daddy) to grab some basic supplies (ice, bread, diet coke–all the essentials) and re-water ourselves and to use the restroom.

Hopefully we’ll make camp soon.

20:08

Arrival

20:20

The campground we’re staying at is gorgeous and right by the lake–something I must admit we’ve been looking forward to all day.

As I write this, the sun goes down and though it’s cloudy tonight, colors the sky a muted pink. The trip might be worth it just for nights like these.

21:39 

We are, in fact, getting rid of a burley. For a while I thought we might not–Elise’s/Cora’s bike had a wheel that was rubbing their frame and generally making things hard for them (fixed now) – but they just weren’t able to handle the extra weight, no matter how light we tried to make it.

It’s pitch dark outside now, and it looks like we won’t be swimming in the lake tonight. Sad–I’m covered in sweat, and I was really looking forward to it. Still there are hot showers here (though I might prefer cold) and we can still clean off.

The Wilsons have come over to say goodbye and bring us some last minute essentials (diet coke, life jackets, lighter sleeping bags, and corn on the cob for dinner) and they’ll be taking the burley back with them. They’re amazing friends, and we’re so lucky to have their help.

as journaled by Brittany

27 miles

9:32

We are still busy little bees getting ready to embark on our great adventure. I have been sent to drop off some mail at a post box and decided to use the time to begin the day’s journal.

We hope to leave in the next hour so – lets’ hope all goes well and we are soon underway!

14:05

Departure (yeah, yeah.  Bit more than an hour)

14:17

Yes, you read the time right.  Not 15 minutes out and we’re already pulled over for a maintenance break. We have brakes rubbing agains the wheels of three different bikes.

Holy cow!  There’s an ant on me.  Okay, better now. Ants and other bugs will always be creepy when they’re crawling over you like you’re some kind of jungle gym, okay?

Stop laughing at me!

Elise’s/Cora’s timeshare bike now has a Burley attached to the back. We were packing up the bikes this morning and, because all of our friends are extremely awesome and generous, we have an extra borrowed burley lying around on top of the four we were already planning on using.

Them Mommy comes to the sudden realization that, hang on, the girls also have a bike.  And so now Elise and Cora get to carry a bunch of really, really light stuff in the burley and we get more space if we need it.

Lydia! Why do I have siblings who think they’re the height of hilarity?  She just dropped an ant on the journal!

And poor David just got bit by one.  THIS IS WHY, GUYS!

14:40

Barely got underway again before the tire on my burley blew.  I’m starting to get the feeling this is going to be a long first day.

But, hey, at least we have snacks!

15:26

For once a stop we were actually planning on making.  Elise and I are watching the bikes while Daddy and Joshua get Joshua’s bike looked at and Mommy and Lydia go get some groceries.

16:32

Bathroom and water break at a Micky D’s.  It’s a bit late for Caleb (6), unfortunately – he ended up going by a tree earlier (and we were kinda at a busy intersection at the time…Awkward)

We’re almost halfway there by this point.  Which, after two hours of travel, isn’t bad at all, especially if you take in the time we’ve spent parked and/or fixing things.  If we just get started earlier tomorrow we should have plenty of time to set up camp.

19:50

Arrival

22:18

Staying the night at a friend of the family.  The last night eating dinner on plates instead of mess kits and sleeping in real beds for a while, so I’m planning on enjoying it.

Bike Configurations

Jeff – tandem w/ Cora/Elise, trailer bike w/ Caleb, Burley

Angela – bike, trailer bike w/ Lydia, Burley

Brittany – bike, Burley

Joshua – bike, seat w/ David, Burley

Elise/Cora – bike w/ Burley or tandem (switching on and off)

June 17

Ten days ago, something happened that brought a cloud of uncertainty on our trip. While riding our bikes to church, upon coming to a quick stop, the front wheel came off and the tandem collapsed. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but the bike was badly damaged. The steering rod was bent, the front brake rotor was damaged, but worst of all, the front fork was bent. Then, to put an exclamation point on it all, a few minutes later, while David was playing with the front tire, we heard a loud “Pop!” and a hole was blown in the side of the tire. Nice.

Okay, okay, Jeff thought.  Don’t panic… Work the problem. He was able to bend the steering rod back to almost-straight, and the tire and brake were easy things to order. But where do you get a new front fork?  He emailed the manufacturer in Taiwan, explaining we were leaving in 10 days, and begging for help. They responded immediately: “Are you ok ? Hope all is well. Which color do you want ? Black color, ok ? It will be quickly.” Ah, what a relief. The Lord has got this. Jeff emailed back, paid for a new fork + shipping, and our minds were put at rest.

They were getting quite a bit of rest until 3 days ago, when there was still no sign of the fork. Hmmm, I know shipping takes a while, but we’re cutting it close here… Jeff emailed again, and received this horrifying response:

Jeff,

I have not send it to you yet. Because I painted wrong fork. I will send new one to you next Tuesday.

You painted the wrong fork?? What? Who cares what color it is! It could be purple with pink polka-dots for all I care! Aaaagghhh!

And so began Operation Fix the Fork. Short of running it over with our 15-passenger van, we tried every method at our disposal to bend the thing back into shape. Nothing. Lots of frustration, a few choice words (at the fork and maybe at the manufacturer). And then, prayer.  Ummmm, Lord, I thought you wanted this thing to happen?!? Whatcha doin’? Help, please?

So, today’s big adventure was not finishing packing for the trip or doing the myriad number of things we have remaining to leave our house in a condition for 10 college students to live in it (yes, we rented our house. “Burn the ships,” Cortez said. There’s no turning back…): rather our first priority was to get the tandem up and running by 1) finding a very specific bike part–a bike fork that would fit the small 20″ front wheel of our tandem, and then 2) weld a tab on it that makes it possible to steer the thing. We prayed, and we struck out to find what the Lord would do.

First stop: West Town Bikes in Humboldt Park (westtownbikes.org, 2459 W. Division St., Chicago). This is where Jeff has been taking a 10-week course in how to build a bike from the ground up. We already knew this place was awesome, since the class and the staff have all have such hearts to serve and educate both bike consumers and the community through their workshops and after-school programs. But would they be able to help?  Jeff walked into the shop with the bent fork and talked with the guy at the desk, Michael. Honestly, he looked at it and didn’t look hopeful. Now, we have the impression that they have a vast underground vault filled with bike parts of all the bikes that they have salvaged. Michael disappeared for about 8 minutes, then came back with a fork in his hand. “I think this might work,” he said. WHAT?  Sure enough, it looked to be the perfect size. “I have no idea what this came off of,” he said, “but it must have been something pretty different, like a folding bike or something. But I think we can make it work.” Unbelievable! After cutting off the stem (it was a little too long), adding one more thing to it (a star nut), and picking up some new brakes, we were on our way. Part 1 was accomplished!

Michael (left) the fork-finder, and Carlos (right) who modified the new fork to be as good as the original. (at Ciclo Urbano, Humboldt Park)

Jeff’s rock-star bike instructor, Mikey

Now, the weld. The front wheel does provide one important function: it steers the bike. But on our bike, the actual steering handlebars are about 2 feet behind the front wheel, so there’s a steering rod that connects the wheel to the steering column. And so, there’s a small 2″ tab that was needed to be welded onto the fork.

Ironically enough, that was another class that Jeff had recently taken: arc welding. It was only 2 3-hour classes, and only an introduction, but it was excellent (www.arcacademy.com). Jeff called, but no one was around there. After googling welding shops in the area, he went to the nearest one, Millers Eureka Welding (www.millerseurekawelding.com, 2121 W Hubbard St, Chicago). As Cora and Jeff walked in, two forks in hand, they explained the situation: “We need this piece of metal moved from this part… to this part. And…. we leave tomorrow for a 1200-mile bike trip, so we need it today. Can you help?” Without a moment’s hesitation, they were directed to the owner’s office directly behind them. There, they were greeted by Jim, Sr. He heard our story then said, “We’ll get this to George to do. Have a seat, it will be about 20 minutes. Want some cold water?”

Wow. Seriously? You’ll do it right now, on the spot?  God’s hand was clearly at work, showing not only His sovereignty, but also showing us the beauty of people in the local community who like to do the right thing. 20 minutes later, we walked out beaming with our perfectly not-made-in-Taiwan part. No, baby, this was made in Chicago!

JIm Sr. (left) and the front desk guy (a son or nephew?) of Miller’s Eureka Welding. Great people!

The new tab, removed from the previous fork and welded on & painted in 20 minutes.

Many thanks to Michael, who found a new fork and (we think) manages Ciclo Urbano Bike Shop; Carlos, who modified the new fork; Mikey, Jeff’s bike instructor who we’ve become very fond of and has helped in more ways than we can count; and Jim Sr. and George who welded the steering tab on.  You have bolstered our faith and love in local folks and the communities they serve!

All done, and all smiles! Ready to install on the bike – and Cora saw it all unfold… We thank God for His provision!

-Angela

Between Memorial Day weekend and Departure Day.

Lots of planning, packing and bike work in the margins of our days.

Jeff and Joshua have been participating in bike repair workshops and open shop nights at West Town Bikes.  WOW.  They have learned a ton and repaired things we didn’t know needed fixing.

I, for one, am tremendously grateful.  The bike I was riding had wheels rubbing the brake every rotation in addition to the gear shifting problems.  I’m glad to know that my need to “pick up the pace” was tied to legitimate issues, not just my poor physical condition and age!

Looking forward to having all the bikes in top working condition for our trip.