Day 19 - Menil to West of Javron-Les-Capellis

Feeling a lot better this morning, and with being well on target for Caen, I even managed a little lay in. Well, tried to. At 8am, the nearby church bells were donging away and there was no snooze button! But once they stopped I fell asleep again.

Time did fly tho. By the time I had had breakfast, packed up and was on the bike it was 11am! Oops! But that was fine. Plenty of

time to do the 100km planned.

So off I went. Feeling alot better, more power again to the pedals. Once again continuing on through farmlands, lots of up down hills making it tough going. Little french villages. Thats all it was for the first 50km. I did pass through a relativly large town, and a stupid woman in a car nearly anailated me by pulling out on me. Saw it coming and took avasive action already!

Cycling along, next minute, that dreadded feeling of a loss of air in the tyre. Uh oh, puncture in the back tyre. Now, I had been keeping eyes peeled for a decathlon or bike shop since the puncture problems before, as I went through 3 tubes with that. So now, I definately need a bike shop or Decathlon or something like that. I fitted the new tube, and off I went. Being the back wheel, its a pain, have to pull all the bags off, tent etc. Bike upside down, get filthy positioning the chain etc. Takes a lot longer taking the wheel off and putting it back on again.

So finally did that, got going again. Checking google maps for a bike shop nearby. Nothing coming up what so ever. Grr. Then next minute, my worst nightmare. A sudden noise of a woosh of air then an instant feeling of the rims on the back. The back tyre completely blew out. All stop. Pulling the wheel off again, the new tube had a huge hole in it! That wasnt a puncture it completely blew out. Now I will put my hands up and say, was that my fault? Too much pressure with the luggage weight? I guess so. But oh crap. That was the last tube!

I had no option to pull out a previously dud tube, and attempt to patch it up with a puncture repair kit. So I did that, and finally got going again. 10 minutes later. Oh gawd, on the rims again. Flat.

So, another tube, patched that up. 10 minutes later. Same problem. Absolutely dead in the water now. The patched were not holding. Maybe the weight being the back. I dont know. Im furious! So, next tube, patched it up. Got going again. Next minute. Arghhhhhhh! Its flat again. There was nothing in the tyre repuncturing, just these patches are crap! So i trippled, quadruple patched this tube. Just sticking patches around patches anything to hold the air just so I can limp to a bike shop.

By the time all this was done, and that back wheel was off and on more times than I care to remember. Its getting late. No way in hell will any shops be open now.

I got my friends Emma and Franz on the ball. The people I had gone to La Rochelle with. Looking up any bike shops in my area. Nothing. Except one 20km behind me, or one 40km infront of me. Looking at the distance travelled, I was already under what I needed to be today to make sure im still on schedule for Caen. But then they found another bike shop on the french yellow pages. A small town to the east 18km. But 20km north on-route a large town. There has to be a bike shop at the large town right? well they couldnt find anything on the internet. But there was definately one to the east. Closed today but opening at 8am in the morning.

Ok I take it, especially as I've found another problem. I dont know when this happened, but the rack, which is holding the luggage. Well one one side of it has sheered and is hanging loose. If the other side sheers the rack will collapse and the bike will no longer be capable of holding the luggage. With the other side now on more strain, its just a matter of time. I need a bike shop, and I need one now.

I trundled on. Keeping pressure low on the back, making the bike stiffer to ride. But anything to not burst open those patches. Took the diversion. Still too far from that ferry than I'd like to be. I need to be there by tomorrow night. Completely and utterly behind schedule now. So Im heading to Javron. Its 19:30 already. Not even done 100km today. I spots a camp site. So pitched in.

Looked at the maths. Im now about 7km from that bike shop. Then Caen stands 111km away. The shop opens at 8am. So get up super early. Hope those patches holds up and gets me there. Then go and get more tubes. They better had them in stock its as simple as that! I will also see about getting a new rack fitted if possible. Because if the other side breaks its game over. I HAVE NOT COME THIS FAR TO LET STUPID PUNCTURES AND A BROKEN RACK STOP ME!!!!

As you can imagine (and sorry for the caps there). Absolutley fuming and peeved today. Very frustrated doesnt come close. Praying that tomorrow I get the tubes, hopefully get the rack fixed. Then I've got a good (trouble free) run to that Ferry port. Was hoping to be well ahead of schedule by now and tomorrow be a nice easy relaxing days before 2 very big, long days in the UK on Friday.

One upshot. The guy at the campsite was british! So like it or not, he got my story of the toubles I've had today!

Worst thing, this camp site has no food whatsoever (as usual) and with all the trouble I havnt had chance to stock up. So really is no dinner tonight, except crisps and biscuits which I have left. I just need to get to that ferry tomorrow whatever it takes! If things go well, its doable.

Todays stats
Start	Menil.11:00
End	West of Javron-Les-Capellis.19:45
Saddle Time	4 hr 52 min 14 sec.
Distance travelled	94.33km
Average Speed	19.3kph
Max speed	52.0km