Waverly to Dover, Tenn.

Thursday, May 21
Miles Traveled: 43 miles
Average Speed: 11.5 mph
Elevation Gain: 3,800
Cumulative Miles Traveled: 660 miles
Projected Miles To Go: 1,415

On Thursday, May 21, Mike headed out at 9 a.m. from Hunter's house in Waverly to bike 48 miles over some very hilly terrain to Dover. However, Mike was not alone. Today Kerwin Everson accompanied Mike along his bike tour which turned out to be very beneficial. After they had biked about 43 miles, Mike had his first flat tire. It was a slow leak, so he decided to pump it up and try to bike the rest of the way. A few miles later he realized how much more serious his tire problem was. Mike noticed that there was a hairline crack on either side of the spokes around the wheel. He counted about 10 spokes that had bad cracks next to them.



Mike realized how blessed he was to have Kerwin biking with him on that day. It was the best time to have a bike problem like this, because Kerwin's son, Aren, was waiting for them to arrive in Dover. He came, picked them both up and brought Mike and Kerwin back to Nashville where Mike got a new wheel from Cumberland Transit got to spend Thursday night in his own bed! This side trip also allowed him to visit his Friday morning bible study before his son Seth drove him back to five miles south of Dover to continue on his bike tour.

If you are interested in donating to Mike Smith’s Underground Railroad Bike Tour Diversity Scholarships fund, please click here.