Sun 2013/06/09

Daily mileage 6.62 Segment 190.3 Total 502.2

Route: Ride the bike from the hotel to the Fordyce bus station, bus ride back to Marshall, bike ride back to the hotel where the car is, stay over night, head back home.

I was unable to get ahold of anybody at Greyhound last night, and the web page took me through a frustrating maze of options before telling me I had to buy the ticket by phone. I rode to the bus station (here), and arrived almost 2 hours before the bus’ scheduled departure. I was hoping for either the bus station to have a person present who could help me (they didn’t) or arrival of another bus to help me with ticket purchase options (no other bus). The bus station (sic) was an Arkansas government office, which was closed (okay, it was Sunday) but nothing posted anywhere relevant to ticketing or operation of the buses. I am able to get through the Greyhound ticket office by phone this morning, and purchase a ticket by phone from an agent. Everything seems okay.

The 12 passenger bus arrives about 10 minutes late, right when some fairly heavy rain starts, and after loading my bike, the driver will not accept the Greyhound ticketing information. I have to come up with another $29.50 cash, exact change (with my bike on the bus) or I don’t get a ride. I happen to have $30.45; he gets $30. Ripped off by bus driver! After an interesting but hilly ride through Southern Arkansas, the SCAT bus drops me off at their office in Malvern AR (which is closed). The driver says I can take up the $30 issue with them when they are open Monday through Friday. Thanks for nothing. I am picked up a little later by a “real” Greyhound bus, where the ticket confirmation information I got on the phone is accepted. We do a milk run to the Texarkana bus station, where we stop for a while and I change buses. When asking about a refund (or at least a credit) for my SCAT ticket in Texarkana, the Greyhound ticket agent is polite and sympathetic but not helpful. I will later make numerous phone calls to numerous people at Greyhound and the cheapo SCAT commuter bus company in an attempt to get my $30 back. That’s another story for another day. The driver from Malvern to Texarkana had no problem with my bike, but the new driver in Texarkana wants the bike in a box. The station agent smooths some feathers, and I am able to load the bike on the bus myself “at my risk”.

Instead of going from Texarkana to Marshall, the bus goes South to Shreveport, then West to Marshall, TX. I have my maps with me, and look at some of the alternate route I missed by going over that nasty bridge East of Vivian.  I probably took the better route.  I get to Marshall after dark, and after spending 20 minutes setting the bike up again, ride 4 miles in the dark back to the hotel. I am a little uneasy about night riding, but it works out and I get there safely without incident.

Ha ha: riding up one of the hills on the shoulder, there is a traffic light with a warning sign connected to radar. “Intersection ahead, watch your speed: 7 MPH”.

Sat 2013/06/08

Start mile 5965.5 end 5997.9 Daily 32.56 Segment 183.6 Total 495.5

Route: Camden to Fordyce AR. Good breakfast at the hotel (in Camden).  Just after I started, I realized that I rode about 1.25 miles with yesterday’s numbers on the bike computer (adjusted accordingly).

I had a major problem with the rear tire near today’s half way point, and had to replace both the rear tire and tube with spares.  This time, I was at least able to do it in some shade.  Lots of poison ivy, but it was in the shade.  In paring things down for this trip, I wondered if I really needed a spare tire.  I now have the answer.

This is the third time I have had a major tire problem on a trip, and the second problem with this brand of tire.  I purchased the original tire, and after about 200 miles on it, had trouble with bulging on the sidewall during the 2012 MS150 (which I replaced with a gator skin at the halfway point/Saturday night stop).  The tire that I had trouble with today was an exchange/replacement, and I had put less than 100 miles on it.

Several friendly people stopped at 2 of my breaks.  Arkansas people are much different from those in Louisiana.  I had no lunch (well ok, granola bars), stayed at the Days Inn Fordyce, dinner at “Four Dice” buffet across the street.  I was starved, and ate more than I needed to.

Saddle sores are causing significant trouble.  I’m pretty much done because of that, but my poor planning with my airplane connection overrules that.  Well, I suppose it is a better excuse.  I figured out that the blister on my right thumb yesterday is from the shifter.  I didn’t realize I was shifting gears that much…

I will try to catch the bus back to Marshall tomorrow.  Greyhound sells tickets from here with no hint that it is a third party bus, but the hotel clerk says that the bus at the bus stop is a small commuter bus (not full size Greyhound) that merely takes you to the Malvern bus station.  Either way, tomorrow I hope to catch a ride back to Marshall TX.  The forecast also calls for more big storms tomorrow, which I hope to avoid.

Fri 2013/06/07

Start mile 5927.7 end 5965.5 Daily 37.75 Segment 151.2 Total 463.1

Route: Magnolia to Camden, AR.

Lousy breakfast at the lousy hotel before departure, about 09:10.  There is a strong headwind from start until early afternoon… strong enough that I rolled to a stop going downhill.  Flags flying towards me, flapping with nothing touching the flagpole. 15+ mph?

I stopped for lunch at a gas station in Stephens, AR, and had some brief discussion with some friendly but crazy locals.

The destination is Holiday Inn Express… the first nice hotel of the trip.  I had a swim at the hotel that felt very nice (first hotel with a pool on this trip). KFC dinner next door.  My saddle sores are a little less than yesterday but definitely not gone.