What we are consistently finding on this trip is that it is hardest to get in and out of cities and over bridges. Philly is BY NO MEANS an exception. Especially because you have to go over a bridge to get in and out of the city. I had the scariest moment yet on our trip today when crossing a wet drawbridge with no shoulder. Slippery. My legs were shaking after.
Not a lot of shoulders in general today, more taking up the right line while cars zoomed by splashing us. We went through puddles deeper than our ankles and at one point a car sent a comically, cinematic sized wave literally over my head. We were on the East Coast Greenway for the second time and now know that it is not all paved, separated, two lane bike paths.
It wasn't all bad. The rain was nice enough to take a break when I got the first flat of the trip (biking day seven, not bad!) and it didn't start again until a while after I put in a new tube while Marie patched mine. She is so good to me, my great navigator, if I have not mentioned it before I want to say how lucky I am to be on this trip with her! Davey would be proud, the wild dogs of the post apocalypse would not have caught up to us while we fixed that flat...
After the change in weather and tire accomplishment, I was feeling pretty much like I could do anything and as though I had defeated the bike trip. Then it started raining again. We went 52 miles today but I am as tired as if we had gone 100. Weather really, really effects how a bike day goes whether it be cold or hot, dry or wet, windy... Positively too- you can get a great tail wind and you just sail along, we have had two days like that.
The guys at The Bike Boutique in Wilmington, DE were nice enough to give us some air and advice and even hold on to our bikes and gear while we got a much needed bite to eat. We finally made it to the house of some incredibly nice folks off warmshowers.org at around 6. Big shout out to Ted and Sue for being absolutely amazing hosts!
Seven states in seven biking days and Maryland tomorrow, that is, if we find a way over yet another bike unfriendly bridge. Bike tour!
R
Somethings Robyn didn't mention:
Yesterday Robyn thought she saw a fake deer - but when she looked over it was actually a real deer. She got so freaked out and gasped at how close it was, that she freaked me out as well. The headline will read, "One deer takes out two bicyclists without touching them."
Also, today Robyn and I got seperated. I had a mild panic attack while I was at the top of a hill and could not see Robyn. Typically we can hear one another behind us from rolling over debris or our chains, etc, but with the rain today it made that harder. Trying to avoid traffic, I got too far ahead after a light and zoomed up a hill and when I got to the top I looked back and she wasn't there. A moment of anxiety, I biked down the hill and found her. We hadn't been seperated more than 40 feet from each other except for that moment, and probably won't be the rest of the trip.
A positive for the rain: it gave our skin a break and our hives healed up, though Robyn's is shedding skin from her 2nd day burn.
Chai tastes 10 times better after you have biked 40 miles in the rain.
Lastly, Robyn is making us doing a 'tip of the day while touring.' I forgot yesterday's: 'It's good to have a tuperware, no food should go to waste when you are this hungry.'
Today's: Put newspaper in wet shoes to soak up all the moisture. I really, really, really hope that one works!
-M
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