An alright day all things considered. I got a pinch flat yesterday and swapped for a new tube. I got another today, patched it, and then the patch failed and I replaced it with my last tube. Mess up the flow and a bit of a hassle. I’m regretting sticking with the stock tires and not getting Schwalbe Marathons which have never given me a flat in many more miles.
Oh well.
I started outside Avignon, passing through Arles first. The path was pretty urban and unfortunately I had a strong headwind almost the entire day which changed it from an easy day into a moderate one. The Camarague is wonderful however and I’d love to return just for bird watching and learning more about the grasses.
At some point I got lunch and past some best things. I had some mild knee pain in both knees from mashing in a high gear.
In Avignon there is an old papal palace from when it was the seat of the Catholic Church. It is wonderous.
I carried on. Didn’t feel great but kept pushing. Eventually made it and set up camp. Phone battery is low. Didn’t manage my battery pack especially well.
Not much to say today.
Day 8 and 9 went alright. I went through all of my tubes and patches on day 8 and made it perhaps 30 miles including an 8 mile walk. Luckily a passing cyclist gave me a too small tube so I could walk the bike without shredding the tire. I made it to a hotel where I’m typing this the morning of day 9. Everything was closed on Sunday so I’m making my way to a bike shop. I’m pretty sure the rim tape is bad so I’ve got a series of interior punctures due to it being placed poorly. I’m heading to decathalon in about an hour to hopefully get all that sorted out and continue on tomorrow. First true rest day.