Guest Post: It’s All About the Bounce Back

Greetings from Chile!

✅ Fly to Santiago

✅ 24 hours in Santiago (had a great time with my family’s old foreign exchange student, Dani, and my friends from study abroad in Santiago)

✅ Fly to Puerto Montt

✅❓ Bike to Punta Arenas, Chile

The last part is where I’ve had a couple of hang-ups. Here’s a map of how far I made it before my rear tire blew out:

Here is my bike outside the shop:

I got a new, pretty terrible tire (it feels like it was made out of recycled chewing gum). But the ride out of Puerto Montt was lovely and had a bike path the entire way!
Then the real trouble started. Outside a little town called Llahuepe, while riding uphill, my rear derailleur skipped over the last gear, into my rear wheel spokes, whipped around and broke the piece that attaches it to the frame (called a rear derailleur hanger).

Now I’ve spent a good amount of time reading about bike touring and I’ve never seen people talk about this issue with the emphasis that is required, so, if you’re considering bike touring: WHEN YOU BIKE TOUR, ESPECIALLY INTERNATIONALLY, BRING A SPARE REAR DERAILLEUR HANGER WITH YOU- THEY’RE ONLY $30.

I think that is the correct amount of emphasis. You see, my rear derailleur hanger is not available for purchase in South America. So this is what ended up happening:

I took my replacement part and was on my way. The whole affair set me back about four days, but due to a road closure that forced a 6-hour ferry trip and a few substantial rides I’m back on schedule.

Out of this I’ve met a number of generous and wonderful people who were ready to help out to no benefit of their own. For the machined derailleur hanger which was the result of probably 6 hours of work, I was charged $15. The local bike mechanic who was fascinated by the process, gave me a 1-hour tune up for free.

I’ve ordered a replacement part but who knows if it’ll arrive. My package appears to be stuck in Chilean customs, so let’s hope that the replacement part holds up!

Photos so you don’t forget how wonderfully beautiful this place is:

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Things are looking up and there will be another couple posts before I’m back in Boston.

Until next time, make plans, but don’t wed yourself to them.

Roland