May 6, 2015
Day 1: Yorktown to Mechanicsville; My First Day Out
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(Note to non-cyclists regarding the elevation profile above and on future maps; for cyclists, it's all about the uphills. The portion of the ride that's uphill overwhelmingly requires the greatest effort and takes the most time; the time and effort required to do the climbs totally dominates the ride. Downhill runs are nice but they are over with quickly, then you "go back to work" climbing the next uphill. While this is a truism for all cyclists, it's particularly meaningful for a cycle tourist who is pedaling a bike with gear that typically weighs 80-100 pounds.)
(Note to readers regarding the elevation profiles; the profile is calculated from Point "A" on the map to Point "B" on the map. Since I am traveling east to west on the first half of this transcontinental journey, my route of travel is usually shown on the map as being from right to left. However, the elevation profile is shown from left to right, so it must be "reversed" in your head to understand it.)
Climbing Today; 1,484 ft -- Total So Far; 1,484 ft
I woke at 6:00 a.m. and immediately set out after nibbling a bit of banana bread snack. I had little sleep the night before last night, and the change to Eastern from Central time zone meant that I was waking up at 5:00 a.m. "my time" this morning, so I was a bit groggy. But I was excited to get underway, and that made up for any weariness. My first task was to find the Victory Monument, which is the traditional starting point of the TransAm. After a bit of getting lost, I finally located it.
The ride commenced easily enough along the Colonial Parkway, and occasionally used sections of the Capital Trail bikepath. This lasted for some 52 miles before it was necessary to commence using highways and county roads. I had an enjoyable and much-needed lunch at the Courthouse Grill in Charles City, and I stopped at the post office there to mail home a package of things I had determined were unnecessary. Riding in the heat and humidity was tough, and every ounce I could shed was welcome. Fortunately there was shade along most of the route except during the noon hour. Virginia is lush with tall trees and vegetation. I stopped several times for off-bike breaks just by pulling off the road under a shade tree.
Virginia has so much history it's a bit mind-numbing. They say there is more history here than you can shake a stick at. But I disprove that myth in the photo below;
My route has been designated as a U.S. Bicycle Route. Did you even know that U.S. bicycle routes exist? The route I'm on is known as USBRS 76, and it is signed in several states. The USBRS is a relatively new thing, and each state has to designate the route through it (within a 50-mile corridor of the AASHTO route description) and is responsible for signing the route. When completed, the USBRS will be the longest system of national bike routes of any country in the world.
History is thick here. I'm tripping over it at every turn.
Traffic picked up as I neared Mechanicsville. I had to veer off route about a mile to find my hotel, and it was located on a busy 4-lane city street. When I reached the corner where the hotel was supposed to be located, I couldn't find it. Pulling over into a parking lot, I used my cell phone GPS to locate it; it was hidden behind some trees across a major intersection with two left turn lanes. It's not a problem in a car to "hunt around" for a hotel, but on a loaded bike after an exhausting day you don't want to make a mistake and add to your efforts. I had ridden 86 miles today, the longest ride of the year for me, and I did so on a loaded bike. I arranged for a 1st-floor room, so I could just wheel the bike right in the door and into my room. I was pretty happy to be in the hotel and have a hot shower, and sleep came easy...
Today's ride: 86 miles (138 km)
Total: 86 miles (138 km)
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For 2022 we will be traveling through Utah. I pulled up the USBR for routing help. I'm presuming it will be as good as it was in the Great Lakes area.
2 years ago
2 years ago