It was pure coincidence that I had bumped into Tim the day before, who was bikepacking from DC to Seattle. He suggested that I contact Scott in Norfolk, who had helped him with his bike.
Another day of easterlies and high gusts. Along the way I met Shawna, who noticed the missing stoker and wanted to hear the story. A cyclist recovering from hip surgery, she was eager to get back on the bike herself, and she generously gave me $20 for the cause. While we were standing on the shoulder, another truck pulled over to check that we were OK. Small-town people are the kindest!
By the afternoon the gusts had picked up, and the wobble in the tandem’s crank was getting worse. I wasn’t sure I could make it all the way to Omaha. That’s when I called Scott.
He turned out to be the real MacGyver. He didn’t have the exact parts I needed, but he picked up some bolts and lug nuts and got the bike moving again. When I offered to pay, he refused, gave me a big hug, and said, “Get it done, you got this.” The kindest gesture.
80 miles in the bank.