Day 10
Topic: Sandpoint, ID

Hi Everyone,

This morning it was at least 60 before we started and it was predicted to go to 90 in Sandpoint.  We took the Adventure Cycling route and it was the right thing to do.  US 2 was full of traffic as we saw from across the river.

The Woman Tour blog and a local bicyclist (from Spokane but she has a vacation home nearby) told us what to expect on US 95 - lots of traffic, but it was nothing.  Similar to Foothill Expressway but with a speed limit of 55 mph.  The after 3 miles, there was a bike path.  We were on the lookout for the bicycle/pedestrian bridge and got on it before we even knew it.  Nobody that we talked to including the local bicyclist knew about a bike bridge.  Well we found the bike bridge just by going straight when the bike path ended.  The bike bridge is the old bridge that was replaced by a new highway bridge.  It is literally one bridge expanded to triple the width so a 4 lane (2 lanes in each direction) bridge has a new section of two lanes in each direction with a divider and the original 4 lanes used for bikes and pedestrians.

Once we got to town, we found a spot shop with a good bicycle mechanic but he was off today so we went to La Quinta where Woman Tours stayed, unloaded our bikes and went to the other recommended bike shop.

Ruth had a problem with a loose spoke that I tightened a couple of days ago and she had a front dérailleur that would not shift into the small chainring but would shift properly when pushed  or nudged.  I couldn't find any reason why it didn't work, hence the trip to the bike shop.  The mechanic formerly from Marin County and Mikes Bike, found the reason.  The front derailleur is a Shimano XT top shifter with an adapter to allow it to be a bottom shifter and there is an extra piece that rubs against Ruth's fender.

I have/had problem with my handlebar quick release clamp popping loose and held it in place with a cable tie.  It worked for several days but today it kept popping loose but did not do any damage because the cable tie limited the amount of movement.  The bike mechanic installed a bigger cable tie and ready tightened it down.  If that doesn't work, I will install extra cable ties.

Ruth is checking her Verizon cell phone voice mail.  Both her Verizon and my T-Mobile cell phones work Sandpoint.

The Statistics:   38.63 miles and 913 feet climb.

Tomorrow we do an easy day on an alternate (our own) route.  The Adventure Cycling route has few motels and they are far apart.  The hotel staff says that many  bicyclists go on the route that we plan for tomorrow.  Woman Tours had a rest day in Sandpoint, but we don't plan to go on an 80 mile ride like they did out of Sandpoint.


Steve and Ruth