Our rest stop in Louisa was actually 6 miles out of the way, so we backtracked those 6 miles in the morning back to Mineral, VA. We were up early... on the road by 6:50. Actually, it was pretty damn chilly in the morning. On this day the cars were driving faster than normal past us. This was true for the entire day. On one road, while we were pulled over for a break, a lady slowed down next to us and told us to watch out on this road: "This one's a baddie!" It's true that the cars were driving fast and there was no shoulder, but we're pretty used to this treatment now. No fear. I think we're prepared to ride on virtually any road now. City, rural, even interstate. In fact, the interstate may even be safer. Cars on rural roads drive as fast as on the Interstates, and at least the interstate has a wide shoulder.
The first half of the trip was kind to us. While going up a hill, an enormous bug flew into Aaron's open mouth and into his throat. We could hear him coughing it up from a distance. I took the picture of the bug on my camera's "Cuisine" setting.
Over a late lunch at an Italian restaurant in the outside Charlottesville mall, a very butch lady walked up to us with a menacing look saying "Are you those bikers who were riding on the road near Monticello earlier today?!?!" She sounded menacing, and could probably take on any of us. We all thought she was a driver who was going to bitch us out for riding on the road. Turns out she was one of the bicyclists who passed by us. She commended us for climbing that hill with loaded bikes, and said she used us for inspiration. "When I was going up that hill, all I thought about was 'At least I'm not carrying all of those bags.'" She's an experienced cyclist who's biked through many states, but never a cross-country trip. She recommended SportsLeg, a pill you take to "increase your lactic acid threshold." Supposed to reduce leg burn on those monstrous hills. I think that recommendation will go the way of Anti-Monkey Butt. That one was recommended to me by an ex-coworker for the inevitable chafing we will experience. It's not that it was a bad recommendation, it's just that it's a powder, and I don't really want the cottage cheese build-up in my nether-regions on a hot sweaty day. We ride commando under those bike shorts you know.
Tonight we stayed at the Budget Inn, next to UVa. It was $70 for a double room. Cheaper and much nicer than the Rebel Motel, which cost $100 out in bumfuck nowhere. Maybe they charge so much there because they know the drug dealers can afford it.
Tomorrow we ride 40 or so miles to Afton, VA. We hope to stay with the Cookie Lady. She's an 85 year old lady named June Curry who has been hosting cyclists at her house for 30 years, since this Trans-America trail opened in 1976. She lives at the top of a monstrous hill, and she puts out ice water and bakes cookies for the bicyclists who make it up. She even lets people stay over her house if they need to. She's a Trans-Am institution and we are excited about meeting her.
2 comments:
cant believe you guys burned down tommy j like that.
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