Day 2: Not So Smooth Start

So for those of you cyclists coming though Waynesville, the beds at the Creekwood Motel are rock hard! Consider this your warning. I managed to get decent rest after yesterday's 54 miles. I showered, grabbed a quick bite at McDs across the street and got back on my bike by 10 am. 

Now there's a trick to finding the place where the Little Miami Scenic Trail interesects with a road that goes directly into Waynesville and apparently I don't know it. So I pulled out my map and decided to take Route 42 north because it looked like the trail would cross it there. 

About 10 miles on Route 42 and I look down and to my dismay I see I've got a flat!!! So I pull over and discover I've picked up a screw!

Note : Ive never actually changed a bike tire before. I have however watched a tutorial on YouTube by a chap who seemed to know what he was doing. 

While I was changing my tire, a friendly State Patrolman stopped by to lend me a hand. 

After an hour, not exactly NASCAR standards, I had a new tube an had managed to get to wheel back on (crossing my fingers that it would work!) i used my hand pump to get enough tire to make it another 3 miles to the town of Spring Valley. A little sandwich shop there had some spare tubes for sale and a compressor so I could pump my tire up properly!

Love these little places that cater to us cyclists!  The Little Miami Scenic Trail goes right through Spring Valley so I got back on and rode another 8 miles to Xenia. 

Xenia station lies at the intersection of four major Bike paths that connect other parts of the state: Dayton, Springfield, Cincinnati, and Columbus. 

While in Xenia I met a group of people from Chillicothe who informed me that they knew who I was because the Chillicothe Gazette had done an article about my 330 mile trip!  I had no idea!