Walkaround Wins Again

Aug 31: Our morning walk-around saved our butts this time. We spotted the 1Up Xtreme Duty bike rack looking very worse for wear—bent hinge bolt holes, sheared locking pin, the whole thing

That bolt on the left is supposed to be straight, and that spring should be holding in a set-pin that is no longer part of the rack.

beyond repair. Pretty sure the culprit was that bone-rattling bridge bump we hit back in North Jersey. It felt brutal at the time, and clearly, the rack agreed.

For the record, this rack is rated at 150 pounds per slot, 300 pounds total. Our bikes weigh in under 70 pounds each. Should have been fine… but nope. The rack is officially toast.

The Rolling Bike Shop

The upside? We caught it before we rolled out, which means no damage to the bikes or the Jeep. Huge relief. The downside? The Jeep is now moonlighting as a bike hauler, stuffed with two half-disassembled bikes like some kind of rolling bike shop.

Even with the rack fiasco, we’ve been making good progress. Lots of miles covered through Connecticut, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, and we stumbled onto a couple of Harvest Hosts we’ll definitely circle back to:

• Ort Farm – Massive parking area, farm stand with local produce, fresh cider donuts, and fresh bread ( The donuts make the farm stand smell amazing).

• Breitenbach Wine Cellars – Quiet, peaceful, easy parking. A perfect stop to exhale and enjoy a glass of Blanton's.

  
  

Lesson of the day: never, ever skip the walkaround. Ten minutes well spent.