As we dismount our bikes at the Glenmont tavern, a fellow long-distance biker stops by to speak with us. But he was very different than most bikers we see. His bike was an old steel 21 speed bike with standard tires. The bike had cheap plastic pedals, no lights and his helmet was a green U.S. National Forests cloth cap. He was wearing a bright yellow safety vest.
“I’m on my way to Cincinnati and then off to Kansas City,” he started. “Then off to Reno and to Arizona.”
“How many miles do you do a day,” asked Ted.
“I have no idea,” he replied. “I just go until I can’t. I really don’t have much of a plan.”
He then told us about how he got drenched yesterday and then how he needed to abandon his camp site a few evenings ago because of a three-hour standoff with a raccoon. We exchanged a few more verbal pleasantries with each other, wished each other good luck and with that he left. Ted and I looked at each other quizzically and went into the tavern for lunch.
The Glenmont Tavern shares much in decor with that of the Galloway Tavern. Dark, old paneling, beer signs, Youngling light fixture over the pool table, dirty bathroom, etc. It differed, however, in a proliferation of antlered deer signs, both neon and metal. Regulars are sidled up to the bar cradling their $1.50 drafts as they watch TV, heads turned uniformly.
Ted and I order ice tea. He opts for a grilled cheese sandwich, I for meatloaf. Both selections filled and readied us for the last third of our trip.
We applied sun tan lotion before starting out in the afternoon and a fellow who had been sitting at the bar was leaving and complemented us for putting on the lotion. He reminded us of the dangers of the sun pointing at his right forearm. “You fellows take care. The sun is hot today,” he said. “You don’t want to get skin cancer. See this spot. It took them three hours in the hospital to get rid of it and cost me $4700.”
We nodded, thanking him for his advice thinking about his own condition. He also told us to drink lots of fluids. “Thanks, by the way is there a good place to get ice cream in Killbuck?” asked Ted. “Yeah,” he replied. “It’s pretty good.” We then knew what our quest was.
We finished applying sunscreen, put on our helmets and hit the road.
