On 12/19/2013 05:00 PM, Allingham II, Thomas J wrote:
Everyone on that ride has adhered to the oath of secrecy, but I guess
I'm free to describe my own stupidity, and the incredible good fortune
that saved us at least 50 miles of extra riding on Day 1 of Riv Rally
East 2012.
The stupidity part:
1. Knowing my son Hank, who was riding a long ride for the first
time, didn't have anything approaching an appropriate bike, I built up
a SimpleOne frame for him */the night before/**/the ride began./*
2. As a result, we had no opportunity to test ride the bike.
3. On the GAP trail, at least 20 miles from any bike shop, Hank said,
"My left pedal seems wobbly."
4. We stopped, I began to examine the pedal, and the left crank arm
fell off in my hand...
5. ...because the crank bolt, which I had in my haste the night
before apparently failed to tighten, had fallen out -- not /in situ/,
but somewhere back along the 20 miles we had just covered.
The "luck is not */always/* the residue of design" part:
1. At Hank's suggestion, we started walking back down the trail in
the direction we'd come from (with me muttering that it was a stupid
idea), and actually found the crank bolt lying on the ground about 1/2
mile up the trail. Eureka! Except...
2. ...my tools did not include the necessary Allen wrench required to
reinstall the crank bolt.
3. No problem! Just as we arrived back at the wounded bike, a convoy
of Boy Scouts on bikes pedaled by, with their leader at the rear.
Seeing our distress, he stopped, was told the problem, and volunteered
that he had a "full toolkit", including a variety of crank-related
wrenches. He found the right one, we used it on our miraculously
recovered crank bolt, and -- voilà -- we were on our way.
I still recall Steve P shaking his head that night at dinner at the
dumb luck of some people.
A Guardian Angel was certainly on the job looking out for you that day.
A thousand million of us could replicate that situation and I doubt a
one of them would find both the bolt and someone with the right tools,
as though to order. I marveled with amazement then, and I still do.
Talk about "nature providing!"
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