So good we had to write about it twice.

"GET IN BUDDY OR WE'RE GONNA DIE!!!" screamed the cabby screetching to
a halt in front of me as I walked across 7 mile bridge.

Today was not a good day. After a brutally hot evening in the tent, we
woke to get an early start. Breakfast was good, finding a replacement
for Charles' shredded tire, courtesy the rt 1 cats eyes, was not. We
found one at a flea market bike shop run out of a uhaul storage unit.
The absurdity of the range of goods here would define the day. Having
saddled up we rode off into the now midday sun, awesome. The ride was
pretty but the road was unforgiving, a fact Charles learned as I
waited 45minutes for a necessary flat change. Fortuately we had
dolphins waiting for us 30 miles down the road, it was 1.30, no
trouble right?

False

A rear flat slowed my progress, and Charles needed more air, I arrived
at the dolphins at 4pm, they close at 4:30, of course. No dolphins
allowed, there was iguana road kill though, nice change from armadillo.

Before we could leave, Charles got a flat tire, requiring my second
tube and air canister. Flat fixed we rolled on, only to discover the
piece of metal pulled from the tire was simply a decoy for the shard
of glass that was really responsible, sneaky.

Finally, we hit the marathon bridge, which had a very nice looking
bike path on the adjacent disused rail bridge. Enter 3" vertical
concrete flake and a jarring flat. The patch kit did not suffice.

Enter the daredevil cabby, called by the sheriffs department.

The only bike shop on big pine key, or the next 20 miles, is closed
tomorrow. Icarus flew too close to the sun and got burned, it seems we
may have come too close to key west.

Sent from my iPhone