September 13, 2022
Day 4: Mount Vernon - Millersburg
The luggage guys head into Amish country
My pal Kevin and I were the luggage guys today. The Moffitt Memorial Ride cyclists droped off their luggage at our luggage truck before they cycled off to Millersburg this morning. I very much enjoy this volunteer role. I get to see the excitement of the riders at the start of the day and hear their stories at the end of the day when they pick up their luggage.
My departure was delayed. One of our cyclists had a mishap on his bike yesterday that bent his wheel. The ride’s mechanic tried his best to tune and straighten the wheel with no success. Y-Not Cycling in Mount Vernon was closed for the day. I was able to help since that is my local bike shop. I got ahold of the owner who arranged to have a wheel at the shop first thing this morning. It took Dave, the mechanic, about half an hour to replace the wheel. The cyclist had Dave install new tires and tune up the bike. Wheel fixed, and he was ready to ride.
The other cyclists had departed 2 hours earlier. I volunteered to SAG him wherever he wanted to start his ride. He decided on the Bridge of Dreams of the options I offered. It put him only 7 miles from the lunch stop with him cycling through some amazing scenery. He joined a group of Moffitt cyclists who happened to be passing at the trailhead. This is one of the nice services that the Moffitt Ride offers. Volunteers work with cyclists to make their rides as enjoyable as possible. He was very appreciative of Kevin and my hospitality and service.
Transferring luggage meant that Kevin and I would miss some amazing sights. The Kokosing Gap Trail has several iron bridges, a locomotive in Gambier, and a very picturesque railroad underpass at Howard. Hardly a cyclist passes through the Bridge of Dreams without taking some selfies and photos of the bridge. Cycling the Baddow Pass on the Holmes County Trail is pure enjoyment. It is heavily shaded and gains elevation for 3 miles before making a 3-mile descent into Glenmont.
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Kevin and I arrived in Millersburg. Passed our friend Denny on the trail and invited him to lunch at Jitters, a favorite coffee shop of mine. We came back to the hotel and were greeted by many of the early cyclists. Another volunteer had unlocked the luggage truck and unloaded the luggage. We took over the duties and greeted the other cyclists.
It was a quiet evening. We ventured up the hill from our hotel to an IGA that has a cafeteria. My dinner was pure midwestern: ham loaf, Amish Noodles, and green bean casserole. I enjoy these simple places that have decent comfort food. A bike tour is all about experiencing the local flavor. Amish noodles rock!
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Tomorrow I will ride through Holmes and Wayne Counties Amish country with 17 on-road rolling miles. It’s been some time since I have done many hills. I will see how well I do. Getting older makes these hills harder with every passing year.
Tom’s Miles
- Today: 0
- On the tour: 110
Quote of the Day
“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” ― John Bunyan
Today's Trivia
The Bridge of Dreams spans the Mohican River on the Mohican Valley Trail. A railroad bridge at the site carried the Pennsylvania Railroad line over the river. In the 1990s residents and businesses developed a plan to convert the abandoned railroad into the Mohican Valley Trail. The most ambitious aspect of the plan was to cover the 370-foot railroad bridge Skeptics of this expensive plan claimed that its proponents were dreaming, which led backers to adopt the name Bridge of Dreams.
Follow the Tour
No need to jump on a train or canal boat as I pedal the tracks of steam locomotives and canal boats across the Buckeye State. You can just check me out on social media at Cycle Blaze and Instagram with hashtags #OH2Erie and #Moffitt22.
Today's ride: 41 miles (66 km)
Total: 221 miles (356 km)
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