"A decade ago it was whitewater rafting, ropes courses, and ziplines. This time, to mark a milestone birthday, three longtime friends - Ben, Brice, and I - set our sights on the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP), 150 miles of crushed-limestone rail trail threading the Appalachians from Cumberland, Maryland, to Pittsburgh. Ben (a college housemate), sidelined by bad discs, volunteered for logistics and to turn his 2020 Toyota Sienna into a makeshift SAG wagon."
"Near the Mason -Dixon line I heard an abrupt pop, then felt my front tire instantly go slack. The inner tube was so shredded the valve had sheared off. Cell service was patchy, online maps were sketchy, and the next trailhead was about 10 miles off, uphill over gravel. Was the Mason-Dixon line now a demilitarized zone with cell blackouts and intentionally vague GPS mapping?"
"We made two decisions quickly: conserve the bike and conserve our calm. To protect the rim, Brice and I alternated carrying the front end and rolling the bike on its back wheel, while the other commandeered the working bike. Notifying Ben of our predicament, we walked three miles to a gravel road and intuited our way toward a paved street. Meanwhile, Ben found a Walmart, bought a compatible tube, and found us as we dragged our bikes out of the backwoods."
Three longtime friends set out to ride portions of the 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage from Cumberland, Maryland, to Pittsburgh for a milestone birthday. Ben handled logistics and converted his 2020 Toyota Sienna into a makeshift SAG vehicle while Brice and the narrator rode. They packed bikes, repair gear, water, carbohydrates, phones, and chargers. Near the Mason–Dixon line a front tire exploded when the inner tube shredded and the valve sheared off, leaving spotty cell service and a distant trailhead. The riders conserved the bike and their calm, alternated carrying and rolling to protect the rim, walked three miles toward a paved road, and were reunited after Ben purchased a compatible tube. The next day brought a non-mechanical, human challenge near the Confluence, Pennsylvania trailhead.
Read at Securitymagazine
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