Why $10 cost me two hours and 21.2 miles.

My friend Rick invited me out for a good, old fashioned 50 mile bike ride on a beautiful sunny Texas day.

I drove for an hour to get to the spot in Sam Houston National Forest.  The roads were not heavily traveled by cars, which was a benefit for this off the beaten path in God's wonderland.  The first 28 were very nice indeed.  Rick's friend Adam joined us, and it turned out to be a 'stretch' ride for Adam, who is doing 130 miles on Sunday. He's a retired professional cyclist, and I want his tan.  A pleasure, and he gave me some pointers that hopefully will adjust my cycling position and power transfer.  Thanks, Adam.

I've found that me riding for an hour nonstop is about my feel-good limit.  After about an hour, I really should just take a short break if nothing else.  Give the legs the benefit of stillness for a few minutes.  Today we stopped about an hour fifteen in, and it was a good relief.  We made it into the thriving metropolis of Anderson, Texas, quaintly located in the middle of Grimes County: also located up and a little to the left of BFE.

After a relatively short break, replenished liquids and grabbed a quick processed food snack, we continued on.  Headed now 'with' the wind, we headed toward Richards.  And then it happened.

Contrary to popular belief, I did not do it on purpose.  Sitting in Anderson for a few hours didn't really fit into todays schedule.

The rear derailleur hanger is a piece of aluminum that holds the rear derailleur to the frame.  It doesn't bend, it shears.  Or it at least shears on my bike.  The last time it broke a few years ago, i was doing 20 mph with a tail wind, and it sent my derailleur into my tire and thrashed about half the spokes.  New rim, tire (that I had just replaced the week before that got flatspotted) and the derailleur.  Today's episdode only broke the hanger, I'm hoping. 

In any case, I was done.  With the only possible sag support standing next to me, they ventured on and left me with some time on my hands.   Of course, this was the one day that I decided to leave my phone behind in the truck.  What would I do for two hours?  Or more? 

Well, I'm sure that the people driving by, if they saw me, thought I was a freak.  Walking around town with in bike pants and cycling shoes, walking on heels trying not to bust my ass.

I'm sure the hardware store front desk guy thought that I was a bit weird when I walked in and asked if he happened to have a rear derailleur hanger in stock.  He said no awfully fast.  But, I did get to venture into the store, look around, and I actually kind of enjoyed it.

It's one of those that my hometown used to have before it burned to the ground.  One of those that has all the odd stuff, no AC (I think it just holds the temperature cooler from all the cast iron crap in there that never moves and never has seen sunlight to absorb heat) but seems cooler, and then the floor that looks like they build the store out six feet at a time.  Everything on the shelves have been there for years; you can tell from the dust.  Most of the prices are original on the package under the plastic, or they are hand-modified.

You know those bug sprayers that you pump up, and it has the little wand?  Well, there was a 15 gallon one of those. 

I then went back outside, and decided to use the coke machine on the porch. It wouldn't take my dollar.  Flipped around.  Again.  STill nothing.  Then, you try to make it flatter, hoping that bent corner you just straightened was the problem.  Nope.  Wasn't.  I just happen to have 60 cents in change, and was soon on my way with my ice cold Dr. Pepper.  I was actually surprised it was ice cold.

A few doors down in between some buildings was a memorial to the soldiers that fought during the Confederacy. The guys that made their own clothes, went barefoot when shoes wore out, and had hardships we can't even imagine any longer.   Nice memorial.  Well done.  And well maintained. And nice flag of the Confederacy.

There in Anderson, next to the Courthouse, is a historical marker. It was a synopsis of what the building served as, as far as i can tell.  Lots of 1836 dates.  The thing that caught my eye was the 'wartime suspension of habeas corpus.' Rock on. We need more of that these days, I think.  They even deported some guys back to Mexico. What a concept.

I then headed back to the convenience/deli/grocery store where I would be later picked up.  It had to be funny for those people gasin' up the car to look over and see a guy, shirless, with bike pants hiked up trying to get some sun.  Not one person said anything though.  I just got my tan, and an hour ahead of my prediction, Rick drove up.  Thanks for the sag, buddy.

It was time spent wisely.  I wanted some sun and got some.  In areas usually covered by a bike jersey.  And I got to smile a bit at Texas history there, just to remind me that Texas, well, it's Texas.

Oh, the $10?  That's the price of a new derailleur hanger.  Getting fixed tomorrow.