The day warmed quickly as I descended toward Rt.11 and began riding south down the Shenandoah. Traffic gave me enough space and the bike felt good except for a creaking crank. My first stop was at a tire shop north of Mt. Jackson where I borrowed a 14mm socket to torque down the loose crank nut. The small valley towns appeared along the undulating two lane highway allowing nice breaks to snack, rehydrate and read up on local civil war engagements. Taking my time throughout the day, I knocked out the miles and kept the sunscreen slathered. A stop at my favorite grocery store, SharpShopper further filled my food sack to the point where it's more weight than I'd like. By the days end, I huffed and puffed my way up Pleasant Valley to Cross Keys where Warren and Betty greeted me with a cold beer and wild boar ribs (delicious!). The hot tub never felt better than after these 50 miles.
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Mike SaundersFollowing 16 months spent riding a Honda Ruckus around America, I've decided to slow things down with a bicycle trip aboard my trusty and twice-wrecked 1980 Panasonic DX3000. Stealth camping should be easier now! Archives |