Day Thirteen – Custer SD to Marshalltown IA
Miles: 702
We decided to leave early and grab some breakfast on the road. We were riding by 5:45, but we made sure to pack up quietly and leave with as little noise as possible. Riding through Custer State Park and Wind Cave National Park was really enjoyable. The road was newly paved and there were plenty of Buffalo to look at. Most were off at a good distance but some were fairly close to the road, but unlike Yellowstone none were in the road. We stopped for breakfast in the town of Hot Springs on the North side, and we hadn't been through this town previously. It was a nice little town and I think it would be a good place to stay. While we were eating our breakfast sandwich from the gas station/store I noticed my rear tire was showing significant wear. I had roughly 1,000 miles on the tire before we left and we had planned on 6,500 miles so I thought no problem. My last tire which was a Dunlop had 8,500 on it and still had several hundred left when I changed it. My local service guy said to try the new Metzler and it should last longer than the Dunlop. Well, it didn't even come close. So now I had to think about trying to find a place that could change my tire on the way to Marshalltown. As the day went on the tire got worse at a faster rate than I had anticipated. Our route took us Neligh where we gassed up and I got a hold of the BMW dealership in Sioux City. They were closing at 5:00 but they had a tire. It was going to be close. We got there just before closing and I was told they would get to it first thing in the morning. After some pleading and the folks there learning I was on the road the mechanic agreed to replace my tire before he left. What a relief! I did make it worth their while. We had some pizza at the bar next door that held us over for the balance of the day. We continued on to Marshalltown arriving at 8:30.
