Chapter 27 Flat tires, broke spokes and a crocked sprocket

I have previously bragged that I have not had a single flat tire.  That all changed today.  I must have run over something because suddenly I am running on the rims of one bike tire and one trailer tire.  Of course I am in the middle of nowhere. I set up shop in the shade of a roadside tree to fix things.  After much searching I found a tiny piece of hairlike wire stuck in each tire.  I also discover I have two more broken spokes on my rear wheel.  I tried out some new-fangled peel and stick  inner tube patches which worked at first but shortly failed down the road.  I had to do it all again this time using the traditional glue and rubber patches which held.  Don't bother with peel and stick patches. The spokes where more problematic.  To replace one required that I remove the sprocket cluster to access the replacement.  This means I need a huge wench. I walked to a nearby house but no one is around despite the fleet of vehicles in the yard.

Daniel keeps me rolling.

 About this time a pick up truck pulls up and out steps Daniel, an 80 something friendly fellow who is more curious about finding out why I have been lounging along the road for the last hour (he had passed me on an earlier trip). "Do you need help?".  Do you happen to have a huge wrench? "I dunno, let me look."  He rummages around and comes back with a huge wrench and an even a battery powered air pump.  Pretty soon we are joined by another neighbor of equal age who are entertained for quite a while meeting Murphy and watching me getting the job done.  We are back on the road.
The following day a new problem develops.  My rear sprocket cluster has been acting up and now it has begun slipping.  It feels like the chain is jumping but actually the internal ratchet that engages when you pedal must be failing.  The effect is a constant slipping and jumping which is at best annoying and likely eventually will fail altogether. Sometimes it stop doing it and works fine for hours and then it starts again. I can't really fix this.   I check the mileage to the nearest bike shop.  Its exactly 99 miles in Memphis.

Back on the road again.