Day 7: Flat Tires and Fat Tires

Yesterday was a day of ups and downs for sure... After waking up in Camp Gulf we packed up our gear and ate granola bars for breakfast.   Then as we were about to begin riding at about 10:00 a.m. I went to give my back tire a little more air with my bike pump and the pump broke while attached to my tire and all of the air went out of it.... Now, I had an unrideable back tire and no way of pumping it up.  We then spent the next 20 minutes trying to fix the pump and trying to find anyone around the camp that had a pump... Both to no avail.

We then checked for bike shops in the vacinity and lucked out that there was Robin's Bike and Fitness about a mile away and in the right direction so we headed out walking the bikes there.  The guys there were super friendly and let us use their pump and I also picked up a new tube to replace the 2 that I had used the day before because a small piece of metal had decided it would like to get stuck down into my tire and puncture all my tubes.

Anyways, we were able to get the tire back up to the right pressure and then actually started riding at about 11:30.  The first 25 miles took us along a pretty well trafficked road, with lots of potholes and was almost entirely against the wind.  Needless to say that was not very fun, but then after stopping for some lunch at an Arby's the day began to turn around.  We crossed a bridge in Navarre and then road the remainder of the ride into Pensacola beach right next to the water in the Gulf Islands National Seashore.

After a quick stop in Pensacola Beach at a Bar right on the beach for some refreshments (i.e. A couple beers...) we then road over the last two bridges back to mainland Florida to Pensacola and arrived at our resting place for the night First United Methadist Church (61 miles total).  Yes, you read that correctly.  We again found F.U.M.C. on Warm Showers and were again amazed at what we were offered by complete strangers.  We were greeted by Jeb Hunt, a fellow bike enthusiast who had himself rode the TransAmerica trail, and he showed us around the church and then walked us over to the house that we would be staying in for the night.  It was called the Perry House and was a historic old mansion that the Church owned and had renovated and was now using for  offices and church services.  The building was amazing and it was all ours for the night.  

After getting showers, we walked into town and ate at a microbrew called the Tin Cow where we got amazing burgers and delicious beers like Avery Ellie's Brown Ale.  

I write this early in the morning of Day 8 as we get ready to ride the last 36 miles into Gulf Shores to meet my mother and sister.  Until next time....