So in search of a bike shop earlier today, we came into Belvidere, Illinois. An odd backwater to begin with, we initially hit gold with a great Mexican restaurant but the good fortune ended there as we went to look for the towns two bike shops. The first shop marker on the map led us to a mural of Belvidere Bikes, which probably went out of business in 1947. The second marker led us to a faded lime green ranch style house in a residential neighborhood. We asked the neighbor, an old deaf man, if he knew of a bike shop near by. He pointed to the house again, and yelled, "Shack. I seen someone go there one day and he fixed him." Well sure enough walking int the backyard, there was a tiny one room bungalow with bike company logos in the small three by three window. there also was a very clearly displayed Sorry. We're Closed sign as well. With nobody home we moved on from the "City of Murals" (I saw six murals) in hopes of a city that doesn't just dream of bicycles.

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