Inbound

November 23, 2022

Returning home

TODAY BEGAN pleasantly enough. After a good, deep restful sleep I awoke relaxed and refreshed (and later than usual). It's below freezing right now (around 7:00), so I'm in no rush to get changed, packed, and on the road. Checkout time is 10 or 11, leaving me ample time for those chores and also to start today's entry as I linger over a second cup of coffee. Breakfast was adequate but uninspired. Then again, I paid only a very modest rate for my accommodation so it comes as no surprise that the breakfast would be institutional food. I didn't choose the place based on the fame and reputation of the chef, after all.

Unlike yesterday's ride, which took me on a few roads I have no memory of having ever ridden, along with some I've not ridden in quite some time, today's route consists of roads I know well. In fact, much of what I'll cover today comprises my regular recreational loops and I've ridden all but a couple stretches of them this year- most at least once since August, in fact. But I'm not tired of them; they've taken on the familiar character of long-established friends, and I'm comfortable with their twists and turns, their undulations and scenery. It should be a peaceful day, once I actually manage to find my way out of the hotel parking lot.

RideWithGPS insisted there is a way to cross I-270 here. Not so much.

According to RideWithGPS, this is where you cross I-270. It's a corner of a parking lot and there isn't now, nor has there ever been, any sort of pedestrian, cycle, or motor vehicle bridge across the interstate at this location.

Later: HAH! That's what I get for hubris. Twelve miles in RideWithGPS led me onto an unpaved stretch of road alongside the Monocacy River. I know I've never been there before today.

The circled area is hard-packed gravel, but not impassable.

Unexpected, and not especially welcome: end of the pavement, for about a mile. Still, it was a good opportunity to see how the bike would handle such conditions. It passed, with flying colors.

Before hitting that brief stretch of gravel, I had the opportunity to revisit and relish some old favorite bits of pavement, made all the sweeter by their having been recently repaved. There is nothing, NOTHING, as sweet to ride on as relatively fresh, smoothly-rolled asphalt. And to add to it, the day was another example of spectacular, mild late-November weather in the mid-Atlantic region. It warmed from about 40 degrees when I departed at 9:30, into the middle fifties by the time I was in the home stretch around 1:00. And to add to it, there was a gentle westerly breeze speeding me along on my way east.

I did notice a skim of ice atop puddles in the shade, attesting to the fact that overnight temperatures had been below freezing. Even as late as 12:30 there was ice still visible in a few spots, although the air temperature was well over 50 by that time.

A welcome sign. However, to use the whole lane I'd have had to weave back and forth like a drunkard. That didn't seem especially appealing so I elected to follow a straighter path along the right edge of the road.

Bliss: a lovely surface, not many cars to contend with.

Just as I stopped for a photo opportunity my wife called to express concern about the cat. A couple months ago the poor kitty had an infection that caused her to lose her appetite and become listless and disengaged. A course of antibiotics set her right but she seemed to be exhibiting similar symptoms again this morning. There wasn't much I could do other than advise my beloved to contact the vet and make an appointment, or see if the cat could be seen on a "work in" basis between other appointments today.

With that small cloud over me, I decided to adjust the remainder of my ride to take a shorter, more expeditious route home than I'd planned. The bike was still performing sweetly, and the miles rolled by under the wheels very pleasantly. And there were a few segments of the original route that I could still cover as planned. They'd been chosen specifically because I so thoroughly enjoy riding them so it was great to be able do so without guilt.

Another stretch of newly-repaved road. This 2.5 mile segment has been on my list of personal favorites for decades; now it's even better.

After stopping for lunch in Poolesville it was a direct 18 miles back to the house along a somewhat busy but not alarming two-lane state highway. Lots of local riders use this stretch; there's a striped-off bike lane for part of it and a wide shoulder in parts elsewhere, but some stretches have only a few inches of pavement to the right of the fog line and they're often further impinged on by branches, leaves, and other debris washed into place by rains and runoff. Still, it wasn't a problem.

The miles passed fairly easily and without incident or drama. And the best part? When I arrived home the cat was there to greet me. Evidently this morning's lethargy was nothing more than the cat taking an extra-lazy approach to the day. Crisis averted!

The tour was definitely a success. I love the new bike. It's a keeper! Now, if only I knew what its name will be...

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Rob VincentKeith,
Maybe within your text, “The tour was definitely a success. I love the new bike. It’s a keeper!”

Keeper!
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2 years ago

Keith AdamsTo Rob VincentAfter sharing a ride with an old friend today he suggested a name with a certain appeal: Bottle Rocket.
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2 years ago

Today's ride: 40 miles (64 km)
Total: 86 miles (138 km)

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Kelly IniguezI'm glad I could provide inspiration! ACA calls overnight trips like that S24O - Sub 24 hour Overnight. I've done a few - they always make the weekend feel more fun. It's the same roads I ride often, but they have a different feel when on an overnight

It's interesting (but not good) that you had wheel troubles. On Jacinto's Rodriguez, he has had three broken spokes on the rear. This is a Rohloff hub. The last broken spoke, we went for a wheel rebuild with new spokes all around. Hopefully that fixes your problem. It's in your favor that you are in tune enough with your ride to notice the problem right away.
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2 years ago

Keith AdamsTo Kelly IniguezI hope not to have to go the full rebuild route; indeed, I'd much prefer to have no further problems of any sort, with either wheel.
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2 years ago