Check out the tear in the tire between Jeff’s gloves.
Bike mechanical issues did not define the trip per se but I think we fell well to the edge of the bell curve with the number of issues we had. From the table below you can see that Jeff and Frank competed for the bike masochist of the week award. It got to the point that other bikes would ghost shift when either of them rode nearby.
Sean made a valiant attempt to recover ground in literally the final miles of the entire trip when he accumulated all three of his Day 7 mechanical issues including a broken frame. Frank edges out Sean in my estimation because Sean’s original bike got him to the finish line even if it could no longer be pedaled.
Mechanical Issues by Day and Rider
| Jeff M | Frank | Sean | Jeff K | Dan | Mike | |
| Day 1 | None | None | None | None | None | None |
| Day 2 | None | None | None | None | None | None |
| Day 3 | None | None | None | None | None | None |
| Day 4 | None | Broke frame at drive side chain-stay | Flat | Flat | None | None |
| Day 5 | None | Replaced personal ride with rental Yeti ASR 5. Bent brake lever in crash | Bent derailleur hanger | None | None | None |
| Day 6 | None | (1) Tore tire side wall. (2) Rear derailleur pulley wheel disintegrated. | None | None | Loose tubeless stem deflated rear tire | None |
| Day 7 | (1) Mushroom cloud sized explosion destroyed front tire and tube (2) Front flat and second tire tear (3) Front pinch flat (4) Broke chain (5) Broke rear spoke (6) Flatted rear tube | Rear brake pads wore out. | (1) Broke frame at brake boss (2) Broke rear spoke (3) Bent rear derailleur and hanger | None | None | None |
Our first two mechanicals were nearly simultaneous flats on day 4.
Mike on the other had gets the award for both having the fewest mechanical issues and for being the wrench that kept everyone else rolling. There was nothing he couldn’t fix with duct tape.
Joe and Kelly, the operators of San Juan Huts, get huge props for getting Frank a replacement bike on short notice and four wheeling it out to the hut for him. It was well beyond the call of duty and was a trip saver!
