TransAm Day #7 Christiansburg, VA - Wytheville, VA
TransAm Day #7
June 1, 2018
Christiansburg, VA - Wytheville, VA
57 Miles
Ride Time 5:07 Hours
Tour Total 456 Miles
details at: https://cyclemeter.com/4b2d99e24f1383f2/Cycle-20180601-0828-83241
I slept well last night in my hammock. There were no bugs so I didn’t use the net. The Port-a-potty cleaners stopped by the park in the middle of the night and made a horrible racket. At one point the bright light from the moon woke me. Come morning my sleeping bag was wet from the dew. Striking camp took a full hour because I also had to break down my tent. I had set it up because there had been a 30% chance of rain.
Before heading off in search of breakfast, I put a little air in my tires. I skipped chain lubrication and screw tightening. We also did a tick check. Both Kim & Jim had contracted Lyme disease last week They said that 60% of all the ticks around here carry it.
Breakfast was nothing special. Two egg and muffin sandwiches. I put some juice in my battery pack, and filled up my bottles with ice water.
The ride consisted of small country roads and steep grades. There was a beautiful greenway through Radford that meandered through the park. There were numerous cyclists and dog walkers, and I got to ride through my second tunnel. Out of Radford I rode south along the west bank of the New River. The New River is one of the oldest rivers in the world and it is one of the few that flow south to north.
It was another hot day with steep grades. Today when my chain fell off my six days of experience proved itself and I was able to quickly clip out of the pedal and put my foot down on the pavement. I pulled out my conveniently placed rag to put the chain back on the ring without getting grease on my fingers.
I had my first dog chase today. Two of them came at me, but they weren’t overly aggressive. I’ll be carrying my Halt pepper spray in my jersey pocket from here till Berea.
In addition to the poison ivy and honeysuckle alongside road I’ve seen a lot of milkweed. There’s also a lot of roadside litter. I haven’t seen any confederate flags since the first valley. I attribute this to the numerous university towns along the route.
I can never tell what kind of services I'm going to find in these towns. I had planned to stop for lunch in Draper. I got to the town limit before Steve and took a look at all my maps. There was an Exxon station not too far away. The only thing I could find in town was the Draper Mercantile and Trading Company. I persuaded Steve to go half a mile up steep hill to the crappy Exxon station for a horrible lunch. He got a hamburger that had been sitting there for who knows how long. I got two fruit cups, which were tasteless. I had to wait forever to use the restroom because of a van full of little leaguers heading to Cooperstown, NY. It figures that once we got to town, Draper Mercantile and Trading Company was a fantastic restaurant. Come on Google Maps! Put a little spoon and fork icon over the top of Draper Mercantile and Trading Company so we all know that it’s a restaurant and not a hardware store!
I’m the past few days I’ve passed dozens of light house lawn ornaments, which doesn’t make any sense because we’re nowhere near the sea. Also- everyone is out mowing their lawn.
I met up with another cyclist today named Brian, who is a sociology professor from Georgetown. He’s cycling from Washington DC to Seattle. Among other things, we talked about Tucker and Val, the couple pulling the dog in a trailer. Brian had passed them, walking their bikes up a steep hill. I wonder how they’re doing.
Approaching Wytheville (pronounced withville), I crossed I-77 and I spotted a truck stop up ahead. My feet were killing me and I needed a break. Brian and I took a selfie, and we traded contact information. He continued on to Rural Retreat for the night. I poured myself a super gulp Gatorade at the truck stop, and sat out front and waited for Steve.
When Steve arrived, we decided to spend the night in Wytheville. There was a city park that allowed camping. We rode into town and scoped everything out, and then needed to check in with the town visitor’s center. It figures that it was on the outskirts of town at the top of another long steep hill. The ladies working there were very friendly, but these hills! We rode back down to the park and set up our tents in the park on top of an outdoor wooden theater stage, underneath a large wooden enclosure. A rain storm was imminent, and our gear was still wet from last night. Following set-up, we headed to the community center for showers and a swim. These western Virginia aquatic centers are state of the art. The $6.50 admission was well worth the price of a hot tub, water slide, pool, shower, shave, laundry sink, and swimsuit spinner. After rejuvenating we headed to The Log House - and I ate the super ginormous steak. We got a table near an electrical outlet so we could recharge.
I’m happy to report that Steve H Is doing well and is only 40 miles behind us. He is currently having mechanical issues. We’re headed over a ridiculously giant mountain tomorrow to Damascus. It wouldn’t surprise me if Steve caught up with us.
June 1, 2018
Christiansburg, VA - Wytheville, VA
57 Miles
Ride Time 5:07 Hours
Tour Total 456 Miles
details at: https://cyclemeter.com/4b2d99e24f1383f2/Cycle-20180601-0828-83241
I slept well last night in my hammock. There were no bugs so I didn’t use the net. The Port-a-potty cleaners stopped by the park in the middle of the night and made a horrible racket. At one point the bright light from the moon woke me. Come morning my sleeping bag was wet from the dew. Striking camp took a full hour because I also had to break down my tent. I had set it up because there had been a 30% chance of rain.
Before heading off in search of breakfast, I put a little air in my tires. I skipped chain lubrication and screw tightening. We also did a tick check. Both Kim & Jim had contracted Lyme disease last week They said that 60% of all the ticks around here carry it.
Breakfast was nothing special. Two egg and muffin sandwiches. I put some juice in my battery pack, and filled up my bottles with ice water.
The ride consisted of small country roads and steep grades. There was a beautiful greenway through Radford that meandered through the park. There were numerous cyclists and dog walkers, and I got to ride through my second tunnel. Out of Radford I rode south along the west bank of the New River. The New River is one of the oldest rivers in the world and it is one of the few that flow south to north.
It was another hot day with steep grades. Today when my chain fell off my six days of experience proved itself and I was able to quickly clip out of the pedal and put my foot down on the pavement. I pulled out my conveniently placed rag to put the chain back on the ring without getting grease on my fingers.
I had my first dog chase today. Two of them came at me, but they weren’t overly aggressive. I’ll be carrying my Halt pepper spray in my jersey pocket from here till Berea.
In addition to the poison ivy and honeysuckle alongside road I’ve seen a lot of milkweed. There’s also a lot of roadside litter. I haven’t seen any confederate flags since the first valley. I attribute this to the numerous university towns along the route.
I can never tell what kind of services I'm going to find in these towns. I had planned to stop for lunch in Draper. I got to the town limit before Steve and took a look at all my maps. There was an Exxon station not too far away. The only thing I could find in town was the Draper Mercantile and Trading Company. I persuaded Steve to go half a mile up steep hill to the crappy Exxon station for a horrible lunch. He got a hamburger that had been sitting there for who knows how long. I got two fruit cups, which were tasteless. I had to wait forever to use the restroom because of a van full of little leaguers heading to Cooperstown, NY. It figures that once we got to town, Draper Mercantile and Trading Company was a fantastic restaurant. Come on Google Maps! Put a little spoon and fork icon over the top of Draper Mercantile and Trading Company so we all know that it’s a restaurant and not a hardware store!
I’m the past few days I’ve passed dozens of light house lawn ornaments, which doesn’t make any sense because we’re nowhere near the sea. Also- everyone is out mowing their lawn.
I met up with another cyclist today named Brian, who is a sociology professor from Georgetown. He’s cycling from Washington DC to Seattle. Among other things, we talked about Tucker and Val, the couple pulling the dog in a trailer. Brian had passed them, walking their bikes up a steep hill. I wonder how they’re doing.
Approaching Wytheville (pronounced withville), I crossed I-77 and I spotted a truck stop up ahead. My feet were killing me and I needed a break. Brian and I took a selfie, and we traded contact information. He continued on to Rural Retreat for the night. I poured myself a super gulp Gatorade at the truck stop, and sat out front and waited for Steve.
When Steve arrived, we decided to spend the night in Wytheville. There was a city park that allowed camping. We rode into town and scoped everything out, and then needed to check in with the town visitor’s center. It figures that it was on the outskirts of town at the top of another long steep hill. The ladies working there were very friendly, but these hills! We rode back down to the park and set up our tents in the park on top of an outdoor wooden theater stage, underneath a large wooden enclosure. A rain storm was imminent, and our gear was still wet from last night. Following set-up, we headed to the community center for showers and a swim. These western Virginia aquatic centers are state of the art. The $6.50 admission was well worth the price of a hot tub, water slide, pool, shower, shave, laundry sink, and swimsuit spinner. After rejuvenating we headed to The Log House - and I ate the super ginormous steak. We got a table near an electrical outlet so we could recharge.
I’m happy to report that Steve H Is doing well and is only 40 miles behind us. He is currently having mechanical issues. We’re headed over a ridiculously giant mountain tomorrow to Damascus. It wouldn’t surprise me if Steve caught up with us.
Keep the reports coming, I am reading them every day in my studio.
ReplyDelete