...Until I got too optimistic and after awhile of riding and it holding, I put the pressure too high and the seal broke and sealant went all over again. But I once more rode it out and once more it sealed, now at even less pressure. Delayed enough my early start was lost, I rode hard into Traverse City. Of course, bike shops never open before 10am anywhere on any day, and so they still weren't open. I took a little time to enjoy the lakefront and try to relax. I contemplated sticking around in the city until 10 and then hitting up a bike shop and getting help. ...That would have been the wise choice, but I rarely make wise choices. I talked to the head mechanic from my shop back in Lincoln, Paul, who happens to hate tubeless for some reason, and for advice he told me what I had figured out, that I needed to keep the pressure low. For some reason, I had it in my head that I could just do that and make it to Gaylord and I'd get help from a shop there at day's end when there would be time.
So I left behind Traverse City and its bike shops and potential help if I'd only just wait a bit and headed along its nice bike path out of town. I was finally starting to relax and feel hopeful, when somewhere along highway 72 I hit a patch of gravel and one bump was enough to break the seal and send sealant gushing everywhere. It made a huge, orange mess all over my bike, panniers, and clothes. ...But once again, it sealed, now down to 30 psi as my gauge told me. I wasn't risking it by pumping it up any at all. The sealant now made a big gummy, black mass completely covering over the cut in the tread. I stopped at a lookout, ate some food, steadied my nerves, then rode on.
Worry about my tire preoccupied my thoughts and dominated every element of the day. It was hot and uncomfortable away from the lake with little to see to take my mind off my concerns. And I was often riding on highway with narrow, crumbling shoulder, and not always the most considerate traffic. I made few stops and saw few sights. The biggest stop I made was to use the restroom and buy some groceries at a highway-side grocery store and gas station. I must say, they did have extremely reasonable prices. I smiled when a kid there ran up to me and said I looked cool, like a robot, acting very much as if he's never seen a bike helmet in his 6 or 7 years of life. All the adults around were acting like I was some sort of oddity as well, so I guess it should come as hardly a surprise.
It was far more uphill than down today to Gaylord (though minor climbing compared to what I was doing around Superior). It almost felt like I did half the climbing in one short stretch along Seeley Road off 72 headed for 131, one hill in particular a real slog to climb. The winds were a little from the west which was nice, but also more from the north, which was not. I could definitely feel the difference of having an easier time heading east and much harder as I went noethward, waiting for the next easterly stretch to come. I rode through a couple little towns (Mancelona, Alba), that barely registered as blips on my radar (though I thought about getting ice cream in Mancelona), and then got off 131 and was on a bit less busy, but much less pleasantly paved and minimally shouldered local highway from there. The brief stretch of 32 turning into main street in Gaylord was a street that felt desperately needed a bike lane and did not. Apparently Joe has been on city council for 20 years fighting the good fight for bike friendliness here, and largely losing from what it sounded.
I was staying at Joe's for the night, Joe Wambold, the first bike tourist I ever met while on tour, when we stayed together at Steve's in Gillette, WY two long years ago. ...The problem was that Joe's not around because he's at a musical festival. His wife apparently wasn't comfortable with a strange guest indoors without him, so I was on the porch for the night, which was fine, as it was a nice porch. Honestly, I had bigger concerns. I headed for the bike shop, with just my trunk bag, leaving my bags tucked away on the porch, riding shaky as a leaf without my front panniers, desperately hoping a small town bike shop could help. ...Said small town bike shop wasn't even anywhere to be seen where it was supposed to be. Turns out it didn't even matter as Google said it closed at 2, and of course tomorrow (now today as I type this) being Sunday, it was closed all day. No help there. There was a lot of troubleshooting, talking to my dad, talking to Matt the Mechanic from the Bike Rack (fresh from mechanicking (now a word) for BRAN). Keep going as is until getting to a shop (probably as far as Mackinac Island...), try to send a tire in advance of me somewhere, shove in a tube, put on a boot at a gas station where I could reseat the tire with a compressor... In the end, I decided I was going to trust the sealant and put superglue and industrial rubber glue (that being Matt's advice) in the slit tread to close it up. Jeanine, Joe's wife, came home just as I finished making a plan. I showered (the door had been open all along, but I'd felt uncomfortable for some reason going in), got laundry started, then headed to the monstrosity that is Walmart Supercenter. I had to go back on that pesky 32, winds whipping me about as I rode unsteadily without the now familiar balance of my panniers. I navigated the store (with help) and ate some Subway and donuts. Then I came back in time for Jade (Joe's son), his lady, and kids to arrive on bikes as I was working. They were off for ice cream, and I would have loved to go, but the bike came first. ...God, I am bad with glue. There was a lot of washing it off me and making ugly messes. I hoped to hell it would work.
I visited with Jade a bit on his return (who is a spitting image of his dad). He offered I could stay with them, but I didn't want to move my bike while the glue cured. But then after they left and I was set up for the night on the porch, Jeanine told me I might as well have a bed upstairs (just as Joe said she would). I moved my stuff, she made us tea, and we had a nice visit, staying up a little too late on my side. It was a very good end to a rough day.
And the question on everyone's mind this morning? Tire held last night. I pumped her up to 45 this morning, and sealant didn't spray everywhere. Cautious optimism, that's what I have. Cautious optimism. We'll see what the day brings.
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