Day 25 Feeling good, until two more flat tires 7-9-18

Holbrook, AZ to Flagstaff, AZ

I started the day by riding into Winslow, AZ for some breakfast.  After a lengthy rest, I rode downtown, and stood "On the corner in Winslow, AZ".  It's a neat little area, with a statue, a bunch of shops, and lots of tourists looking to take pictures with the statue.  I met some nice people from Texas, and after talking with them for a couple of minutes about the ride, they wanted to take a picture with me!  

The majority of the ride today (at least 90%) was on I-40.  Luckily, this section of the freeway was in better condition, and the shoulder was a bit wider, and a lot smoother, than previous parts.  It still amazes me at the amount of trash on the shoulder, and all of the pieces of vehicles that have come off of the passing cars, trucks, RV's, and motorcycles.  I am constantly riding through a mine field of broken glass, nails, tire shreds, and other sharp metal pieces.  I made it through 60 plus miles before my old friend the flat tire showed up again.  Oh how I had missed him/her!  Luckily, I only had to wait a few more miles before the second flat tire of the day!  After that, I called Kelly, and she picked me up about 18 miles from Flagstaff.  It was a bummer, because I was feeling really strong on the bike today.

After taking the bike to a shop in Flagstaff, we discovered there were multiple tiny shards of metal in the tire, which caused both flats.  After some extra rim protection, and a new tube with some sealant, the bike was back in action.  I rode from the shop to the campground, taking a scenic path to squeeze out a few extra miles, but a late afternoon thunderstorm came in, and I had to stop before I wanted to.

After meeting the rest of the family, we headed downtown, and had a nice dinner at an Irish pub.  For a Monday night, downtown Flagstaff was hopping, with live music, lots of people wandering around, and a ton of cool restaurants.  This was the best I have ever seen downtown Flagstaff look, and it was a great way to spend a couple of hours.  We wandered the streets for a little while, and then dropped Debi, Shannon, and Addy off at the campground.  Kelly and I decided to get a hotel, and are looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow (a rest day).

Miles on the bike today:  79.4

Total miles on the bike:  1,255.3