Four days behind schedule

Finally leaving Reykjavik.The mechanical difficulties and logistics to remedy the situation has eaten through Sunday, Monday, and into Tuesday. Paranoia about the reliability of the Traveler's Check rear wheel placement and corresponding rear tire clearance on the rear chainstays, I ditched the dropout spacers in favor of some small screws to hold the hub in the proper forward position without too much reliance on tension from the quick release.

Wide tires and a light luggage load are ideal for the sandy, rough gravel, and likely muddy terrain as it is unseasonably rainy this month.

New rear QR was sourced from our new friends at Kria Cycles located in the old port area of Reykjavik.  They graciously  let me have free run of their shop to fix up Monica's bike. Left payment in the international currency of bike shops, beer.  

The shop's proprietor was a wellspring of knowledge pertaining to mountain biking around Iceland, and he was happy to share his favorite routes. Checkout his website: Icelandtrails.com he's pretty bad ass.

Adventure: Trying to leave Reykjavik

"Adventure is just bad planning."

Roald Amundsen 

My GoLite jacket has proven less than waterproof or breathable in my first 24 hours in Iceland. Pertex does not equal Gore tex. I've been soaked to the bone since arriving.

 Cashed in my 401k for a new jacket so I can survive the next 10 days

Great cafe in the city center with refills on coffee and free concert at the skate park out back.

 Final provisions of wool from the thrift shop to keep warmer.

Bike shop Kria (http://www.kriacycles.com) the source for first hand knowledge of dirt track cycling in Iceland. We stopped by to discuss our intended route but unfortunately they were closed for the weekend.

As we set out to escape the city, progress was slow due to navigating the urban turmoil of weekend traffic. Ultimately we were able to find an excellent bike path that snakes southward out to the countryside. 

First glimpse of an  Icelandic waterfall along the path.

Cockpit. Insulated mug, dry bag with clothes & sleeping pad, 2 person tent, stove, fuel, pots, and snacks.

Magic writing guides the way.

Like a fairy tale, cute bunnies frolicking asp we rode through.

Once we were outside the city, catastrophic failure of Velocity rear quick release. Cam lever decided to fall apart.

 Fortuitous place to break down, fairy-land bike workshop complete with natural bike stand. 

A reliable strong QR is necessary for the rear horizontal dropouts of the Surly Travelers Check to maintain proper wheel  placement. A loner shimano QR from my bike does the trick. 

A little McGyver style engineering, help from the fairies, and some gorilla tape holding it all together to limp us back to Reykjavik. As we discovered just that morning that most bike shops are closed on the weekends, a new QR skewer would have to wait until Monday.

The sky was bright for a 4 am bedtime back at the Reykjavik City Hostel Campground. Thankful that the mechanical difficulties were still within a day of resources.