T2 day 41 (Olivia)

Milwaukee to Grand Rapids- 

I can honestly say that nothing has ever disgusted me more than hearing my alarm go off at 4am after biking 90 miles in the heat the day before. The purpose of this 4am alarm was so that we could make the 6am ferry that went from Milwaukee WI to Muskegon MI. We got all packed up and out of the hotel at a cool 4:45am and biked the six miles to the port. Once we got on the ferry we all immediately crashed and enjoyed the two hours of sleep we were able to squeeze in. When we got off the ferry I noticed that my bike tire wasn’t holding air very well. I decided that I should change the tube and see if that works. After that whole procedure we got on a very flat and straight forward bike path that took us out of Muskegon and into some smaller towns. And that’s when the storm rolled in. The rain started coming down in sheets and it looks like something out of a movie. We were all immediately soaked and wondering if we should try to set up a tent in these monsoons or get to the nearest gas station. We decided on the gas station and that’s when I got a flat on my back tire. It was a very dramatic scene as Claire (the flat tire pro) raced to change my tire as we all handed her parts and did what we could to help. With a new tube in and ready to go in under five minutes we biked to the nearest building, which was a town office building. We all squeezed into the lobby of this little building and waited for the storm to pass. Once the worst of it was over we continued on to Grand Rapids, where we prompted headed to a bike shop so I could get a new tire. After a few of us got our bikes looked at and serviced we headed to a nearby brewery to get some food. We got a soft pretzel the size of a flying saucer and some amazing pizza. Unfortunately they burnt Audrey’s pizza and had to make her another one which they assured her would be “perfectly fresh and perfectly free”- aka the words you want to hear. After dinner we started making our way to the hotel and that’s when I got my third flat of the day!! (Spoiler alert- a different bike mechanic the next day found a pokey thing in my wheel well that was probably causing all of these flats). After changing this tire we got to our hotel and watched some soccer and went to bed! Overall, I think after this day I might have a trip record for most flats in a day, although this is a record I do not wish I held lol. 

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