18 April 2014
Chicot State Park to Morganza, LA
80 miles (Total Miles = 2,104)

This is certainly nothing to brag about and probably a bad idea to even write about, but today brought about my fourth flat tire in five states. I seem to get them on the longest of days because there’s really nothing better than feeling the pressure of many miles to go and then suddenly losing pressure where there should be a solid 75 pounds of it.

But in the big scheme of things, next to getting a flat tire in camp (hello, Marathon, Texas), there’s no better place to get one than 5 minutes in front of the van. About the time severe depression and frustration set in over how in the heck am I gonna get that tire bead off given my lack of success the last three times, along comes the Adventure Cycling Angel in the form of blinking hazard lights with Nicole behind the wheel. Let me say it once more: this is why, when crossing the country by bicycle, you pay for van support. And for guides as good as ours. Better response time than AAA and snacks in the back.

So the flat tire at mile 43 was a bit of a bummer, but two tubes later (don’t ask) we were back on the long road to Morganza. We have only a few photos from the day for a little bit of rain following a huge clap of thunder had also livened things up a bit and forced the camera into a back pannier, out of the elements and out of reach. If we did have more photos, they’d show things like fields of alfalfa, horses grazing along tall green levees, some of the quietest roads yet in Louisiana, and a few more candids with Paul, who we were finally able to ride with today, having the honor of being the last into camp. If there’s any positive side to long days and flat tires, it would be that.