Yesterday I decided to celebrate October 1 and my first official day as an annuitant by leaving very early and driving a couple of hours to WV's North Bend Rail Trail, a 72 mile long recreational trail that passes through small towns, farmland, and forests. Unfortunately, the day would rapidly feel more like July 1 than 1 OCT, with temps reaching the mid-90s F (about 35C). I drank my 40 oz hydro flask rapidly, stopped and refilled at one of the small towns I traversed, and guzzled the thing down again on the way back.
I rode from the town of Cairo in Ritchie County, to the town of Central Station in Doddridge County and back, a round trip of 50.4 miles. There were a couple of long, long climbs on the way back, and in the wilting heat, I was done by about mile 35. I was able to stop in a little eatery in Pennsboro and eat a small salad and drink some ice water, but my final 15 miles seemed like they lasted forever. The trail near the towns was mostly open and unshaded, and it was a great deal of relief when I rolled back into the forested areas. The worst part of the whole thing was the burning pain in my neck and shoulders from those long climbs. I'm going to look into adjusting my stem angle and see if that helps.
I'll certainly go back to that trail, because the countryside really is beautiful, but I doubt I'll ride that kind of day trip again.
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It is fitting that my turn-around point was at mm 50. This handy spot gave me a chance to rest and munch on an apple before heading back. Only 25 miles to the car!
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