Great Bicycle Race Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner Read Free Book Online Page A

walked their bikes out of the corral after finally finding her helmet, she told her family what she had seen.
    “It does seem a little suspicious that Al’s row didn’t have any mixed-up helmets,” said Jessie.
    “And why did the mystery man suddenly turn up just as it all happened?” Benny wondered out loud.
    No one knew the answer to that. And the mysterious man was gone when they reached the entrance of the corral. The Aldens looked around, shrugged, and then rode out of the camp to begin the second day of the great bike race.

CHAPTER 8
An Unexpected Helper
    “Uh-oh,” said Henry, just after they left the second water stop.
    “Are we lost?” asked Benny. “I know how to get back to the water stop.”
    “We’re not lost,” said Henry, pulling the tandem to a stop. “We have a flat tire.”
    He got off. Benny got off. They squatted down to look at the tire. It was very flat. “Looks like we picked up a piece of glass,” said Henry. He got out the tire-changing kit and went to work.
    “Can I help you?” Nan asked, slowing her own bike down.
    “Hmmm,” said Henry, prying the tire off the wheel. He pulled the tube out from the inside. If he replaced the tube inside the tire, the tire wouldn’t be flat. The tube was what held the air in the tire, and the tire protected the thin tube.
    “Why don’t you try to patch that tube and I’ll put the new tube in for you to save time,” Nan said.
    “Thanks,” said Henry.
    “No problem,” Nan answered. “I’ve changed about a million tires.”
    As Benny watched, Henry patched the old tube and folded it into the tire patch kit he carried strapped under the back of the bicycle seat. Nan finished putting the tube and tire back on and jumped up. “Keep your tire pressure low,” she said. “That’ll help avoid flats.”
    “Will do,” said Henry. “Thanks again.”
    “Glad I could help,” Nan said. She swung her leg over her bike and pedaled away.
    As Henry got back on his bike, Violet and Soo Lee rode up. “Is everything okay?” Violet asked.
    “We’re fine. Just a flat tire,” said Henry.

    They rode on, enjoying the sunshine and the farms and woods they passed. The bike riders wandered on back roads through hills and fields. But today, since they weren’t as anxious and excited as they had been on the first day of the race, they had time to notice more.
    Many people had turned out to cheer them on. Children stood at the foot of their driveways waving. The bicyclists saw signs tied to trees and mailboxes. They passed a three-person family band in front of one house: a boy playing the trumpet, a girl playing the drums, and a very little boy banging on a saucepan with a spoon.
    The Aldens waved and smiled and shouted hello as they rode by. None of them wanted to stop any more than they had to. They wanted to be sure they made it into camp in time that night.
    Shortly after lunch, Henry slowed to a stop.
    “What’s wrong?” asked Jessie.
    “Flat tire,” Henry said. “Again.” He made a disgusted face.
    He and Benny stopped the tandem. “I’m getting good at this.”
    He took out the tube. It looked as if it had gotten pinched between the rim of the wheel and the tire. Henry shook his head. “It’s a nasty hole,” he said. “I think I’ll wait to fix it until tonight to save time and put my patched spare on now.”
    “Yes. Let’s hurry. I don’t want to ride the sweep wagon,” Benny agreed. He looked nervously around. But they were a long way ahead of the sweep wagon.
    Henry smiled at his younger brother. “Don’t worry,” he said.
    He went to work on the flat and soon he and Benny were back on the road again.
    But not for long. They pedaled up a hill and slowed as they reached an intersection. A sign in the intersection said, ROAD CLOSED. DETOUR.
    Henry was about to turn down the road when he felt a familiar bump, bump, bump.
    “Oh, no!” he cried. “We have another flat.”
    “You have a bad-luck tire,” said Benny.
    “I