Great dinner in town last night and good sleeping weather . . . warm all night. Only downside . . . a fog horn that blew EXACTLY every 8 seconds, ALL NIGHT!!! The riders were so tired it was not a problem for them!!! I had been wondering what was behind this elaborate stone wall and walked over to check it out . . . on the backside was a SERIOUS sized  BBQ for group use.

Joe, Mike and I were in the van as we headed for San Francisco . . . soon we came upon Gina, Jenny, Denise and Anne.

We went directly to The Re-Cyclery, located in San Rafael, where they were holding a front fork for me that might fit Connie. Here is  a better view of the anodized cracked  part of the shaft that was exposed to air for eight years as a result of the ‘punk’s eight years ago pushing the shopping cart in front of me. An accident waiting to happen . . . that happened on this trip!!!

Brian, the store manager, was just opening at 11:00am when we arrived. He had to rummage around a bit to find a race, cup and bearing that would fit Connie but finally put together a set of the three pieces that fit. That, and the fact that the used fork fit, was a perfect Cinderella story!!! They usually do not do bike repairs but I think he knew I was in a pickle and decided to do it all. A LOT easier than taking the parts around town to another shop . . .

. . . the lower cup being stall in Connie’s fork tube . . .

. . . re-adjusting the spacers . . . installing the light, truing the wheel which had been knock out of whack by the crash, transferring the fender and brakes to the new fork all took less than an hour . . .

. . . and soon I was out the door!!! Ready to roll.

Thanks again to Brian, who besides giving instructions to the the five volunteers of what they would do for the day and dealing with walk in customers, also managed to work on my bike in the main reception area because the three bike stands were already in use. REALLY went the extra mile to help me out. And I quickly loaded Connie, front and center here, in the van when Joe arrived to prevent someone from making an offer for her!!!! Read all about the Re-Cyclery’s mission to help kids here: Trips for Kids- Marin

Soon the clouds had gone away and we were crossing the Golden Gate Bridge . . .

. . . our lucky riders today who were able to cross the bridge using the pedestrian lane of the bridge.

We are staying for two nights on our layover day at the Hostel International located very near Fisherman’s Wharf . . .

. . . exotic reception area decorated for Halloween . . .

. . . and here was the submarine that was to be the boys hangout . . . the girls room looked the same.

. . . the hostels always have LARGE kitchens . . . breakfast is included in your stay . . .

. . . and they have large well equipped kitchens available if you want to bring in your own food and cook . . .

. . . with handy cubbies to store your extras.