Day 15, Zero day in Missoula

Started the day right with a bakery visit. I know, I am predictable.

Next I went to the Adventure Cycling Association (ACA) headquarters. They are a Mecca for bicycle tourists. They are a non profit started in the 1970s in Missoula. They first organized as “Bikecentennial” around getting more folks bike touring and they planned a cross country route and ride called the Bikecentennial to celebrate the Bicentennial of America in 1976. Folks signed up to ride across the country and experienced leaders lead small groups on the route that they called the TransAm.

When I was a kid, probably around 10 or 11 years old, I remember sitting on the floor in front of the book case that held my parents National Geographic collection and pulling out an edition that had an article about the Bikecentennial and seeing pictures of people in tube sox and cut off jeans riding bikes (that didn’t look like they would make it across the country) across the country. I remember thinking “Wow, I guess you could get on your bike and ride it across the country.” I didn’t make a plan to do it some day but a seed was planted.

The Adventure Cycling Association has established over 50,000 miles of routes in America and will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year.

l decided to put my bike in the bike stand outside of the Adventure Cycling Association (ACA) headquarters and clean and lube the drive train. Then I realized why my bike was making a creaking sound. One of the support attachments for the back rack was broken! The Good folks at the ACA steered me to a local independent bike shop around the corner called Hellgate Cyclery. And I talked to them about repairing or replacing the rack, ultimately we decided replacing it was the right way to go. And they somehow squeezed me into their busy schedule and called me in a few hours saying it was done. Thank you Hellgate Cyclery!

While I was waiting on the bike rack installation, I caught a ride on Missoula’s free bus system back to my Nephew’s to do some organizing. I took the bus back downtown to get my bike and by the time I got back, my Nephew was just getting home from his job. I wanted to take him out for dinner so we rode back downtown. Missoula’s system of bike paths and bike lanes is pretty impressive. We had a great meal and headed back home. Thanks Evan for putting your old uncle Carl up for a couple nights.