September 2, 2023
Day 4
Defiance - St. Charles; St. Charles - Marthasville
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Being Saturday of a holiday weekend, the trails were crowded. More than once we had to brake and slow down for other riders. Some riders were on rental bikes, or rental e-bikes, and did not understand or comprehend how much a loaded touring bike weighs. It’s like the guy in the slug bug that wants to pull in front of the big rig semi on the interstate, and then brake to exit. One such incident was two couples, who thought they had use of the full width of the trail, and that everyone else needed to yield to them. First time in my life I wish there were trail rangers to pull inconsiderate folks like this aside, and explain some basic rules. Gheeez.
Concerning e-bikes, I think it enables a lot of couples to ride together. That was good to see. The weaker of the two can run at a higher pedal assist rate, and even things out, so they stay together. I’m especially thrilled to see limited mobility folks out riding, including a guy that was on a 3-wheel recumbent e-bike. He was really enjoying himself. The three of us have a Viet Nam veteran friend who benefits from the use of one. Without the assist, he’d be a couch potato. Good for him - he’s earned the right to a battery asssit.
Today we saw it all: dogs in baskets, kids in trailers (one with a puppy), tandems, 3-wheelers, fat-tired scooters (legal on trail?), single speeds, hikers, joggers.
In St. Charles, Joe replaced his saddle ( from Bike Stop Outpost on Main St.), Paul picked up tubes, and we filled up on burgers from Burger Underground. Yes, they even had excellent quality gluten free buns. After lunch, it was time to head back to the west. The trail passes the Family Arena, and an auto cross event was happening. Screeching tires, burnt rubber, and overheated engines seemed to be the theme. There was not a barrier between the trail, and the racers that were sliding around the course several hundred feet away. It was fun to watch, but a dangerous situation could have developed quickly.
It was hot today. Fortunately, many of the trail heads have water. Just look at the restrooms as you ride up. If they have a large vent stack, sticking well up in the air, they are pit toilets, and thus have no running water.
Joe spent the afternoon stopping and adjusting his new saddle. Not fun, but necessary. Changing from a “fits like a glove” leather saddle, to one constructed of man made materials, is quite a change. As I stated earlier on this trip, Joe keeps a level-headed approach to obstacles, and was up to the task. It was about this time, that I discovered I had a seam splitting on my small bikepacking panniers. It was easily secured with Gorilla Tape (saved us several times).
Our camp destination was the KT Caboose in Marthasville. Excellent host, great food, and an outdoor deck with large shade umbrellas. Camping is available behind the caboose. We chose to rent two tents that were already set up on plywood platforms. The cost included hot showers with towels, and an ice cream cone. Mosquitoes were buzzing in the back camping area, so it was an early night.
Today's ride: 61 miles (98 km)
Total: 257 miles (414 km)
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