After Teruel: Troubles with rented bikes - lucky to be alive and unhurt

International travel with your own bicycles can be expensive (airlines especially) and damage (airlines, hotels) to them happens. And in some places, getting from A to B with bikes is difficult (can't take them on high speed trains).
So we rented local bikes from Valencia and then Girona.
The bikes from Valencia were old style city hybrids, with racks and 21 speed. I thought 21 speed stopped being manufactured in 1990s - I was wrong. Probably appropriate use for these is riding around the flat city at 10 to 20kph with some groceries.
However, we put a few days of clothing and things into panniers, loaded panniers on the bikes, and we took them out in the country on roads, gravel and dirt tracks.

We had hot dry days with long times between towns to get more water. I rode at a varied pace: ride with Julie and others, stop for photos while they rode on, then zoom to catch up.

That was what I was doing when I had the Incident - I didn't die, I wasn't even hurt, I was shook up!
I'd stopped for these photos:

...and then set off to catchup to Julie.
The good tailwind was still blowing, not hot like it been on previous days. I didn't have bike computer with me, but I guess I was pushing the heavy hybrid along at 30kph on flat. I came around bend in path and could see it was straight for over a kilometer, dipped down and back up, but no other riders in sight.
So I went up to top gear and spun hard - 40+ kph? After a few hundred metres, It happened: loud noises from behind and below, pedals felt wrong - I think "back wheel tragedy" and slam brakes on. You have got to loose the wheel momentum before it throws you sideways into a tree or headfirst onto the ground. That's what kills you. Later I looked back and saw a dead straight furrow in the gravel on top of the bitumen - great braking!

My fear was that the wheel might have collapsed but I was lucky enough to have avoided that. What I saw was that part of the rear derailleur was broken off and trying to go around with the chain. Here is the broken part:





I'd stopped the bike before it damaged the spokes, but I now had a bike without gears,  a flat tyre (how did that happen?), and no human beings around. I was in shock, I couldn't even get the bike pump to work.

I texted Julie and Patrick, pondered just leaving the bike and walking in the next 10 or 20 km.
After several minutes, Julie phoned back, and soon Sandy and Peter were coming back to help out.
Peter had a multi-purpose bicycle tool with a chain breaker, so we decided to break the chain, remove the derailleur, make a short chain so that the bicycle would have a single gear and be "ride-able" after a fashion. We did this, and it took ages to get it done. Peter was fantastic - couldn't have managed on my own. Eventually we had the back tyre pumped up and the wheel back in. In hindsight, we should have pulled the back out out further to keep the chain tight - but we were just glad to get the bike back together. It was hot & dry, and we were keen to get on to our accommodation for the night.

We set off and it didn't take long to find out that the chain would move around the rear cogs when I applied effort. Should have stopped and pulled the wheel back out to stretch the chain - but I just wanted to get going. Took ages to get to accommodation - Peter and Sandy just sat back and rode at my awful tortuous pace - thanks guys!

Day 7. Teruel to Mora de Rubielos

The hardest part of today's ride was getting to the rail trail! Earlier I've said that the Ojos Negros trail is not well signposted. Perhaps the worst instance is getting into and out of Teruel. We asked for directions at the hotel, and with the assistance of Google Maps and the GPS I found a road route that would get is to the rail trail. This road route was not the easiest. First through busy Teruel on the road and then a steepish rolling section, climbing the whole way with a cross/headwind. So by the time we got to the rail trail there were already some tired legs. Then a real problem. There was a 2m high wire fence with a locked gate between us and the trail! It later turns out that we should have used a service road that we had ridden past less than a kilometer back, but it was not signposted as leading to the via verde.

Nothing for it, we unloaded the bikes and lifted them, the panniers and the less capable climbers over the gate! It took a while and I am sure it looked strange to the passing traffic but what else was there to do?

The top of the hill

Sarrion, one of the pretty villages that we passed.

OK, so now on the rail trail! It was steadily uphill but not difficult riding to the pass at Puerto de Escandon at 1223m, then downhill for the next 20km! Along the way a few small villages and a commanding view out over the valley. Tunnels and viaducts added to the variety. After riding with the group to the top of the hill I put on a bit of speed and the group were strung out by the time we arrived at La Casa de la Estacion at Rubielos de Mora. It turns out that Keith had a serious mechanical (rear derailleur self destructed), Jeff and Gerda stopped for photos, lunch etc.

Our host Carlos welcomed us and I sat down with a couple of beers to await the others. I also had mechanical issues to sort out: a tube had ripped out the valve, due to rims being drilled too big and a VERY loose fit tyre. This problem came back to haunt me again the next day.

But meanwhile we talked to Carlos, met his family and their two dogs, did some washing and generally had a relaxing time. The homecooked meals for lunch and dinner were excellent and we were made to feel quite at home.