Solutions for a Saggy Bag

After the futbol game yesterday (Friday) I got out for a quick 45min ride, just before we went out to Downs after Dark on some free tickets. I took the Blueridge and intentionally rode as hard as within reason for about 22min before I popped. From there I returned home via a similar route, albeit with one extra climb. The computer gave me an avg of 14.5, which isn't too bad given my times in the mid-12s these days.

Today (Sat.) presented a much sterner and more satisfying test. FatGuy took up the invite for some holiday weekend mileage, he post-strep and I still in 2nd gear post-Europe/school. I mapped a flat route out, but one that would gave us 57 well-earned miles. It's was a pretty common route, heading out via New Cut to bridge to the beginning rural roads of Penile (yes...), Bearcamp and Pendleton. We stopped at Dixie for a store stop and heard an interesting tale of a toothless guy who described being hit on Dixie Hwy and staying in the hospital for 6 months. By the looks of him, it was a tough time.

After working through some neighborhood streets, we found our only adventure of the day.

The map below sorta shows Lower River Rd as the road-looking thing just east of the Ohio River heading north towards 841/Greenbelt Hwy in dark yellow. Around the nexus of the Greenbelt and LWR, you find the southern terminus of the Levee Trail at the Farnsley-Moorman House.


View Larger Map


Dave and I saw what looked like some construction debris and straw atop the levee, so we took a gander. What we found was reseeding and grading of the levee.

It looked like a path, so we took it. Not unlike what I've read of Paris-Roubaix and the like, the grassy, non-improved parts were much firmer and easy to ride; the graded, engineered portions- like the man-made cobbles- were sloppy and you needed speed to take them on.

This levee "trail" lasted for 2+m until we arrived at the real Levee Trail. This portion was uneventful save two factors, one the tailwind, which was blissful, the other an "old roadie important man". Dave and I had taken our helmets off because it was hot and the levee would provide little to no traffic. We felt confident, I a little cavalier after my time in Italy. A club-type came by us and stated, "yeah, why don't you put your helmet on? it's not too useful hanging off the side of your bike". Dave can correct me, but that was the gist of it. We brushed it off, but later brought the topic back up of why some jack-ass old man on a crabon bike needed to 'advise' us at to our helmet options. Water under the bridge, but the clubby types really stick in my craw sometimes. Take note- Dave is more reasonable and this post shouldn't malign his generous bikey nature. =)

From there we followed to Shawnee for water and then to Bank St. and through downtown. I was pretty tired after these 50ish miles and was looking for some sustenance when we saw an opportunity at CakeFlour, a bakery on Market St. Their cookies were 2 for 1, so I had one myself and gave Dave my other. (Good wife, understand that it would've been melty,mushy if I had tried to get home with it). Based on a recommendation from a nice young lady sista' at CakeFlour, we headed to Joe Davola's for sandwiches. I give my sandwich experience there 31/2 stars, with a half tuna and a half veggie 'meat loaf', for $5.50. It was an outstanding at th end of 50+m ride. Out total for the day was 57m, my longest ride of the year by a couple. Gotta be pleased with that.

(And if anybody can suggest a solution for a saggy Rivendell Big Loafer, be my guest. Nice bag but big sag. I had a cardboard reinforcement at one time, but I don't know what happened to it. Gonna have to disagree with I/Grant on this one. I don't want my bag to sag.)