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to East| ROUTE: Fredericksburg to Mechanicsville VA | DISTANCE: 74 miles | WINDS: Light tailwinds most of the day |
| WEATHER: Couldn't be much better today...sunny, 85 degrees, low humidity | TERRAIN: Gently rolling with a few moderate hills...just bumps compared to MD and PA | TOTAL CLIMBING: 2800 feet |
DAY'S OVERVIEW: What
a difference a day makes is right. Yesterday we had hot, drippy air and
brisk headwinds but today was warm, sunny, and less humid. All in all, it
was a great day for a bike ride in the Virginia countryside. While on
other days we may have had more scenic landscape, today's ride traversed quiet
Virginia backroads many of which were canopied with hard wood trees...hickory,
poplar, oak, and maple. Even though the temperatures were mild today, the
shade protected riders from the sun and provided a much welcomed relief after
yesterday.
Our route took us out of Fredericksburg past the
National Cemetery and through the outskirts of the canon defenses of the
battlefield. 
We everywhere
we rode we would see streets named after such famous southern Civil War heroes
like Jeb Stewart, Jeff Davis, Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and Pickett just
to mention a few. I was in the van today so I had a little time to stop
and read about some of the battle as I was moving through the area. I
stood behind two canon on a hill that overlooked the city in 1864 and tried to
imagine what it was like. What were the men like who manned these defenses
and what was going through their minds when they stood here facing the Union
forces. Today the guns are silent but they still stand proudly as a
monument to the men who fought so bravely for what they believed.
Although
it was a great day for a bike ride, it didn't go without something to make it
exciting. Rose bumped up to get ahead of the riders this morning and was
about 10 miles ahead of everyone when she blew out her front tire. This
was the new one she just purchased after her front wheel taco party into DC.
I was locked into the rear of the group and about 25 miles from her so I tried
to coach her on how to find the problem and how to fix it. Luckily, Tom
and the J-birds came along and helped her put her spare tire on the rim...good
Samaritan Tom accidentally pinched her tube upon assembly and blew it out
again...a minor setback. Finally, she was back on the road in hot pursuit
of the A-team. Ah, another crisis solved...but it wasn't over yet. I
then got a call from the first SAG that Ann had a broken bike...our second one
on the trip. I rushed up to inspect the problem and discovered Ann had a
cracked chainstay on her new carbon Specialized...oops. We set her up to
go in with Box so she could get in early and call some bike shops to see what
her options were concerning getting a new bike or frame. Tomorrow we've
set up mechanic Jim's bike for her to ride...an almost perfect match.
The
rest of the day was spent checking on the riders as they were enjoying the day
and at one point I was thinking to myself how nice it would be to be riding on
this lonely backroad when all of a sudden, out of nowhere, I was in the middle
of one of the largest traffic jams you could imagine. Our quiet country
road crossed highway 207 where there were a couple of truck stops, a McDonalds,
and a Dairy Queen. In the mere blink of an eye there were at least a 100
semis bumper to bumper blocking traffic from all directions while they were in
line to get fuel...yet another impact from Katrina. I got through and
parked about 50 yards past the intersection and went back to try to get the
riders to detour around...riding through would be hazardous to anyone's health.
With only minor difficulty, I got everyone safely past that obstruction and
after we were about 100 yards past the intersection, we were right back out in
the quiet countryside...night and day all in the distance of a well struck 8
iron.
Well,
I'm sitting along the roadside at a small quaint little church waiting for the
last riders to come through. We should be finished somewhere around 4:00
today which should give us a little time to work the broken bike issue.
Ann is in the motel as I type trying to call to get options from the bike
dealer. When I get in we'll have rap and start preparing for tomorrow's
ride into Emporia. It should be another great weather day for a bike ride.
But as I report our adventures and challenges, we can't help but feel for the
ones who lost so much along the coast in the wake of Katrina. Yes, we are
feeling the affects of the storm even this far away...yesterday with the weather
and gas prices going up a half dollar daily...all but so trivial compared to
what the residents of New Orleans have and will continue to endure for some time
to come. Our thoughts and prayers are with them as they struggle to put
their lives back together. Meanwhile, we continue on our quest to reach St
Augustine with full realization that it is good to be alive and to be able to
ride our bikes another day.
HEARD ON THE ROAD: "Get out of the way semis...you're between me and a DQ!" Pat, when she approached the semi gridlock crossing highway 207.
"Water Bottle...check. Money...check." Tora, just before departing this morning making sure he wouldn't be in the DUH section again today.
"Oh, there's something else along the road to stop and read!" Riders as they passed monuments that are scattered all along the roadways around here.
"That table has a total of 3% body fat." Riders commenting on the staff at dinner.
DUH! OF THE DAY: Goes to anyone who thinks we won't have $4.00 gas by Labor Day.
| PHOTOS OF THE DAY | |
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Sara participates in the morning scurry to luggage load. Always prepared, her helmet is a required accessory.
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The biggest semi truck traffic jam in Virginia could keep Tom from his daily Dairy Queen...Got Ice Cream? |
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The spell just wore off...now it's the princess and prince on a bike. Oh, the power of a kiss...ribbit.
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Big Bob shows off his little koala bear friend...it even has a little rain coat for inclement weather. Hope he doesn't have to use that.
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