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July 15 - Departure from home

Jenny drove me to the airport, where I checked-in my bike box and one bag. Then I flew to Eugene and took a shuttle to the coastal town of Florence.

When I pulled the bike out of the box, I found that the airlines had damaged the front fork, so that the wheel would not go on.

I have been asked numerous times why I didn't take this up with the airlines. The reason was I'm not the type that blames others for things. Instead I take personal responsibility. If the airlines damaged my bike, it was only because I didn't pack it well enough. (I packed it well, but not well enough, it seems.) And because I was now on journey, and didn't have time for messing about with the airlines. I needed to repair the bike without delays.

I found a bike shop in town, and the nice people there repaired the bike that afternoon. It got a new fork, and while I was at it, new and wider tires (28mm) to replace the old ones.

That done, I pedaled out to the beach, and back, for a nice 10-mile warm-up.