Seavo had a bad day...

August 16, 2016

Well, one should never tempt the fates by saying that the bike has been really good on this trip - no problems!!

Last night, our bike fell over and we didn't notice that there was something broken. It wasn't until we were packed, loaded and ready to go that Barry noticed that the bottom sprint support for his seat back had snapped in two. Oh dear, we can't ride it like this.

One of the sons who works at the campground phoned a nearby bike shop and the mechanic said that he would come to us. Wow - that is good service.

We also tried to find a Rans dealer in Europe, but there is only one in Sweden and the owner emailed us that he didn't have the part we need. Ebay also yielded no results.

The mechanic came and took away the 2 pieces and promised to try to find a solution by the end of the day.

We thought that our cycling in Europe was going to be finished for this year.

As we were waiting for the mechanic to arrive, our camping neighbour who was staying in a Trekkers Hut with her children, came by and invited us for lunch. She had made homemade soup, grilled eggplant and fresh veggies - the family are from Rotterdam but her roots are in Friesland. We like the hospitality of Friesians.

By 3 in the afternoon, the mechanic came back and had come up with an ingenious solution. As he coudn't weld the break, he added a huge bolt that went through the long column of the seat support which then connected the two pieces very solidly. A test ride reassured Barry that the connection is strong. We thinnk that we should be able to make it back to Koblenz as planned. We'll see.

The other positive result of the day was that this "free" day gave me time to do laundry. This is the first real laundry in machines that we have been able to do - and was it ever overdue. Hand washing is only so effective, and that effectiveness had long since worn off.

A big thank you to both the campground worker and the mechanic who went above and beyond our expectations to help us continue our travels.

Oh yes, when we were trying to find a solution for the bike, we decided not to reassemble the tent and instead, we took a trekker's hut for the night. An affordable luxury (40 euros) with comfortable beds, cooking facilities a place to lounge outside and 2 long clotheslines to dry our clothes.

All in all - a good day in the end thanks to the kindness of locals as well as a bit of good luck.

Oh yes, the 5 km is a wee ride Barry went on to test ride the bike and get us some groceries.

We arrived late last night without our usual yogurt and fruit for breakfast - so we had breakfast in the restaurant here. Very good - 5 euros each. It felt decadent to go out for breakfast as this is something we never do. Plus, we thought it would give us an early start- but little did we know...

Amelie (from Rotterdam but of Friesien lineage) is our neighbour at camp in the next Trekkerhut with her family). She has helped us to understand the unique, proud history of Friesland and its fierce independent identity. We appreciated learning about the Netherlands from her - and her generous offer of lunch with her family. Sometimes the days that give us challenges (bike trouble) are the days that give us memorable experiences. Plus we learned about Pokemon Go from her son.

An unconventional but really smart fix for our broken bottom sprint brace. At the bottom above the "U", the metal had snapped in two - the large bolt should hold it together until we can get back to Germany - about 2 weeks of riding.

Doing laundry and taking advantage of wifi to work on the journal. Wifi is really hit and miss as the connection is not consistent. For the moment, it seems to work best here.

The staff who have programs for the kids at camp have the children spellbound and eager to participate.

Team Seavo! Three happy guys - especially Barry - the man on the left is part of the family who run and own the campground - the man on the right is the mechanic who fixed our bike.

Today's ride: 5 km (3 miles)
Total: 2,433 km (1,511 miles)

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