Day 22: Hot Springs to Rapid City,
South Dakota
July 12, 2004
Miles: 72
Today was a day for scenery. First off was a national preserve
where the bison run free. We were warned not to approach them and
to wait for them to cross the road. All to naught, though, as I
didn't see any. Liisa said she saw only one--no herd.
We did pass by several prairie dog communities. They make a
chirping noise, rather loud, that sounds more like a bird than a dog.
We passed by the Crazy Horse monument. There is a bit of work
left; compare the present
with what I'm assuming is the intended outcome:
After some climbing, Mount Rushmore came into view, first in profile:
then from the visitor's center:
After a descent to the tourist trap of
Keystone and more gradual climbing up and down, I approached Rapid
City. Just outside of town, I passed Reptile Gardens, which my
family will remember from
one of our cross-country trips in the early 70's.
My rear tire was developing a flat spot due to wear and it was time to
replace it. America by Bike stocks tires and tubes for us to
purchase but their larger width tires don't have a Kevlar belt, which
helps prevent punctures. Luckily a bike shop in town had
Specialized Armidillos in the size I need. They have a guarantee
against punctures. I took a ride over to the shop and changed the
tire while I was there.
To this point, I've had no flats, just the front tire that went
slightly out of round on the first day and now this rear tire that wore
out (rears wear more quickly than fronts--it is possible that the new
front tire that I installed on day 1 will last the whole ride).
Daniel, on the other hand, is up to 14 flats and 6 broken spokes as of
today. He ordered new wheels to try to deal with the spoke
problem but they sent him the wrong size rear wheel. Hopefully
he'll get the right one real soon.
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