Travels With Edwina

After 2 days of Ophelia, we rolled into Anapolis where we had a layover day. As the humans wandered the streets of Anapolis (in the rainy drizzle, of course), feeling every ounce of virus coursing through their bodies, they decided on a “kill switch” decision point — if they woke up Tuesday morning and were not feeling up to riding, we would say good-bye to the group and remain behind in Anapolis. Tuesday morning rolled around and neither human was up to continue. So, we all worked through Plan B, C, D, E, F, G …. at one point there was an M.

The current alternate plan is to take me and my other brother Clyde to the bike shop tomorrow, pack us up and ship us via bikeflights. Then our panniers will go to UPS and the humans will travel home by plane on Friday. So ends the trip.

Was it worth it? Hmmm…hard to say. The concept of the East Coast Greenway is really cool. The execution, in the big cities, tho, leaves a lot to be desired. In the search for all the little bitty segments there was some really tough riding in the cities. Consider in Milwaukee a route that chose 27th street from Oklahoma to Hampton (and repeated it 10 times), but instead of just a direct shot, you zig-zagged back and forth using 26th or 28th or 20th or 32nd or…you get my point. At no point could you build momentum and you were constantly starting and stopping. And….what would you think of Milwaukee when you were done? You would have seen some of the worst Milwaukee had to offer and very few of the positives.

I’m not saying that not seeing just a sugar coated city is a problem, but we didn’t see much of the positive sides of New Jersey, Philadelphia or Baltimore. Sure we had those awesome tow paths and some great trails in Delaware, but in 300 miles…we had maybe 80 miles of long trail segements, another 50 mile of highway with clean, broad shoulders, but then at least 150 miles of really rough urban riding.

So when the humans woke up still feeling ill, they flipped the kill switch and booked us Plan B….we’re hanging in Anapolis through Friday morning so that we have time to get me and my other brother Clyde to the bike shop on Thursday and then we put this trip behind us.

It is bitter sweet — we did have some good riding before Ophelia and the virus took us down, and, in 20 years the ECG might be closer to what we hoped for as more trail segments are built and connected. But, for today, we pack it in, and plan for another day in the saddle in another place and another time.

Travelling with a smaller group can have many advantages. Obviously, when you’re with a group, there are always other people on the road with you, you have company at dinner where you can celebrate or commiserate the day, but….when a tropical storm comes through, you have a van.

Needless to day, with my other brother Clyde’s human down for the count and my human living in close quarters with him, we all rode the van. Yesterday was mostly drizzle on the front of what was Tropical Storm Ophelia; today will be the bulk of the rain for what is left of Ophelia. At this point, she isn’t a tropical storm, just heavy rain and winds. By this afternoon the storm will all be over and the cleanup begins.

We’re headed for Anapolis where they have been sandbagging in preparations for the coastal surge. We don’t know yet what that means for us, but…every day is an adventure and….did I mention there is a van?

Well…my human and I rode today from Willmington to Havre de Grace, Maryland. We rode…my other brother Clyde and his human, however, rode the van. Sigh…cold and flu season struck his human’s rider, so my other brother Clyde rode the route of shame on the roof of the van. It is too bad, today’s riding was quite nice. Some busy roads, but big wide shoulders. And definitely not as busy as coming out of New York or Philidelphia.

We missed their company but we joined them to cross the Susquehanna River as bikes are not allowed on the bridge. Seriously? Put a bridge on your route, but bicycles are forbidden? At least we are travelling with a group so the final transport over the river was easy. If you are not with a group, your options are a city bus, Amtrak or Uber.

Which brings me to …. if you’re not with a group …. tomorrow could be a problem. A problem with the name Ophelia, Tropical Storm Ophelia. 1-3″ of rain; 30-50mph gusts. Tomorrow, vanning it will definitely not be a ride of shame….it will be the wise choice. Hopefully we’ll be back on the road again Sunday.

They say that in a restaurant the pastry chef can make or break a diner’s experience. After all, it is dessert that the customer remembers. If the main course was outstanding, but dessert pathetic, the diner will think poorly of the restaurant. On the other hand, if dinner was mediocre, but dessert was to-die for, then the customer will remember the meal fondly.

What does that have to do with a cycling blog written by a bike? Well…..let me tell you that the first 45 miles today were…uh….err….less than optimal? No, that is too nice. Just downright uncomfortable, noisy, stop-and-go, never get up to speed, heavy traffic. On top of that, the route zig-zagged over parts unknown just to pick up these teensy little greenways…can we please, have quality of greenway over quantity, oh designer of the East Coast Greenway?!?!? Puh-lease?!?!?!

Suprisingly, just one flat…but a big blow out on the front wheel of my other brother Clyde. He managed to hold the tire together until one of the rare, nice places to change a tire on the route. Seriously. The route today was construction, trucking, parking lots, glass, no shoulders…but the blowout was at a factory with just the nicest green space to change the tire and the nicest employees who didn’t shoo us away but offered support instead.

Anyway…about dessert. So the ride was through Philadelphia to Wilmington. The last 8 miles were on a nice bike trail. Rolling hills, pleasant woods, creeks. Absolutely lovely, a cyclist’s dream ride. So…was today then a bad day because of the first 45 miles? Or a great ride because we had a wonderful dessert ride?

Reminder, dear reader, Edwina’s blog has been hijacked by Clyde. We left Edwina home alone where she is probably crying her air out bemoaning that she didn’t get to travel. She will return another trip.

Today was gravel! Well…crushed stone. And some light single track. Ooo…and cobble spillways…downtube jarring, tire testing cobbles. Perfect for my new gravel-style touring bike persona. Today, we had very little road. A very short stretch to get back onto the trail and then a longer stretch from the trail to the hotel. Other than that, about 45 miles of tow path.

Don’t be thinking that tow path means flat and monotonous. Sure it was flat, but not monotonous. For most of the day the tow path was again between the canal on the left and the river on the right. We left early in the morning so we had the light at just the right angle. The birds were singing. Great Blue Herons chilling next to the trail…as in a foot away. Gutsy birds. Later in the after noon, turtles sunbathing.

Really nice riding. Wondering what tomorrow will bring….will it be traffic or trail? Will we have to pay back in more miles of traffic for all those nice trail sections? Or will the gods of bike paths be on our side?

Whew…today was tough. Not because of the terrain — the road surfaces were good and there were no hills of any magnitude. Not because of the weather — it was a pleasant 70-ish so that even sitting in the sun was not uncomfortable. Sure, we had a bit of a headwind at times, but nothing consequential.

No today was tough because of the traffic. Yuck. I am a commuter bike and even though the human and I go out on training rides and I got to do the Katy Trail, the vast majority of my miles have been commuting with the human to and from downtown Milwaukee.

But…let me tell you, there ain’t nothin’ in downtown Milwaukee that even remotely holds a candle to what we road today. Nope. Not at all.

We started out the day with some easy riding to the ferry. It was busy, but, heck, it was New York City on a Tuesday morning…it should be busy, right? After the ferry we were now in New Jersey. Again, we expected traffic to be busy, but….40 miles of stop and go traffic…40 miles…we finally reached a “greenway” that lasted more than a quarter mile. And in that 40 miles…eeks…close passes, big trucks…it was a test of all my commuting skills..but, you know, that is what I was built for. So, the human and toodled on at a blistering (not) commuting pace.

But, the day capped off with a pleasant ride along a tow path — canal to the left and the river to the right. Smooth crushed limestone and enough trees to block the wind. Here’s hoping tomorrow uses my skills as a gravel-ish bike, not as a commuter bike.

This blog is being hijacked once again by Clyde. Like the last trip, we will have gravel and limestone as well as some road. So we have left the frou-frou Edwina at home.

Seems like a no-brainer to get to Chicago, eh? But, I tell you, back in August it looked like we weren’t going to get here for this trip at all. There was much noise in the garage as Edwina and I debated who was going to get to go on this trip. For a while it looked like Amtrak was not going be able to get me to Chicago. Aging equipment meant that the Hiawatha was no longer transporting bicycles. Not a day went by that Edwina didn’t tease, “Hey, Clyde, still think they’re going to let you go? It is going to be lonely here in the garage when they pack me in my box and fly me to New York. Too bad Amtrak’s baggage cars are broken, it sounds like a fun trip you’ll miss” etc. etc. She can be so very annoying.

But we made it. And it is Edwina who has been left behind. Poor Edwina…not. It is about time some of the rest of us get to take trips. Now that the human doesn’t ride into work every day, I need my exercise, too. And this trip to the East Coast sounds right up my alley.

Tonight the long distance train will take us to New York. From there we will follow the East Coast Greenway to Raleigh, North Carolina. The Greenway is a combination of trail (paved, gravel and limestone) as well as road sections. With my hefty tires, I’m ready for the trails and as a former commuter bike, I’m ready for the roads. Egads, I can still hear Edwina taunts in my headset, “But I’ve ridden on the freeways, have you? Do you know how to handle yourself on the exit ramps? Hmmm??” Seriously, she was so annoying this last month.

But, we’re here in Chicago and the worst hurdle is behind us. I’m chilling with the other bikes waiting for the next train. Penn Station, here we come!

Today we reached the end of the line in Machens, Missouri. No more Katy Trail. We rode the Katy from Clinton to Machens with a few detours in between. We had some great trail; we had some really rough trail. We had shade; we had sun (maybe too much sun). We saw towns that are no more; towns that are dying; towns that have found a way to thrive. We met some great people along the trail; we did not meet any not so great people along the trail. We had the pleasure of riding with and dining with three great guests of Timberline and 2 leaders. Overall….a very good trip.

General thoughts

• Best city: St Charles. It was charming, a little touristy with a long downtown and the humans claimed amazing food.
• Most unexpected: Kansas City. The humans really enjoyed there day and the bike infrastructure and the trail along the river was top notch
• Least interesting trail section. Clinton to Sedalia. Flat farmland and really rough surface. But, start in Clinton so you really appreciate the rest of the trail.
• Best trail segment. Ooo…hard to say, but several sections had trail with the river to the right and tall, interesting limestone cliffs to the left. Shady. Cool. Wildlife. Awesome.
• Best Wine. Lost Creek Winery. Cycling friendly flight with one wine better than the other. Of course after climbing their 18% gradient driveway it darn well better have been good. I am a plodding Clydesdale, not a mountain goat.
• Best Beer. Schlafly Brewing in St Charles. The Chai Stout was off the charts.
• Tire size. I rode 35mm — the “light hiking shoe” of off road tires. We’re thinking of taking me down to some “trail runners” at 32mm for the next trip. We can get some comfy tires that will do well on road and light gravel and offer a little better protection against glass. Edwina’s “stiletto heel” tires at 25mm are not the choice for these trips, but her tires have better flat protection. Sigh….we want the best of both worlds.
• Worst Climb. Yes, even on a trip as flat as the Katy. The Katy may be flat but it follows the river which means building your town up on the bluff and out of the flood plain. In Alton the brick road from the river read 25%…no, I did not carry the humans and their panniers to the top, I demanded they push me up.

Tonight we sleep in Alton, Illinois and will catch the Amtrak tomorrow at 7:30 to begin the train ride home. A transfer in Union Station in Chicago to the Hiawatha and we’ll be back in Milwaukee before nightfall. I am promised a new chain, a thorough wash and an overhaul before the next stop…Penn Station, NYC.

Early in A Walk in the Woods, Bill Bryson talks about the hiker who overpacked and started throwing things from his pack as he hiked, tossing items out to the side of the trail. The Katy is definitely not the Appalachian Trail in terrain, nor difficulty, but one does find many things along the side of the trail: a spoon, some socks, apples, and cans of chickpeas. The spoon and socks were probably lost and will be missed, the apples we were told were just “too heavy” and the cans of chickpeas?!?!?!

Of the riders on the trail, there are 4 categories. There are the “through hikers” who carry camping equipment. Next up are the “hotel hikers” who are going from town to town staying in the many B&Bs. Then there are folk like us who are too lazy to carry their own bags and have van support and rest stops. And, finally, the “day hikers” who are doing an out-and-back for the day.

But, riding every day, you start to recognize riders. Conversations start one day and then you pick them up the next day. In our cohort of riders travelling the Katy, we have, of course, us riders with Timberline. But there is a second touring group that is making almost the same stops as us, both overnight and on the trail.

Then there is “Texas”, a couple from the Houston area who are just loving this “cool weather” (it is 90 and blazingly hot in the sun, btw, and anyone not from Houston is dripping wet). They are a happy couple and always fun to chat with.

Then we have groups of friends….well, they started as friends, but we’re not sure they’re going to end as friends. Three women from Ohio, one was really flagging coming into Boonville. She rolls into the museum parking lot convinced that the last stretch of trail was all up hill. Oops….that was Lard Hill, a 2% downward gradient. Can’t say she’s looking much better several days later but she perseveres.

There is a second group of three guys. One is very fit and very friendly. The other two….well…coming into Boonville, laden with panniers, one had front panniers and the other rear. They were a few miles behind their friend. One was trying to coast on the trail…ouch…this is limestone, coasting doesn’t happen. The next day we saw them take off. The fit guy now had his bikepacking setup as well as front and rear panniers while the two friends bike’s had none. We haven’t seen them since, but curious none the less.

And then there is the assortment of people of all shapes, sizes and ages. Everyone is chatty. Everyone has a story to tell. The Katy may be flat and some might think not challenging (they’d be wrong) but trail camaraderie is part of the experience.

Eons ago the humans travelled with a woman they code named “Armpit Height”. She was a petite woman who, among other things, stated that you develop a very different perspective of the world when you live at armpit height. Cute as that story is, she called the humans “energizer bunnies”….always pedaling at a nice cadence…never coasting….every time she saw them, they were just pedaling away.

On the Katy, that is pretty much de rigueur. The humans are constantly pedaling; costing is never an option. Even when it is flat, you need to pedal. It is like climbing a mountain all day except that the incline is < 2% and you never get that mountaintop view. Still…yet another enjoyable day. Dead armadillos (not enjoyable, but different) and a goat pretending to be a mountain goat.

So, how do those energizer bunnies fuel? Not so well. Too many of the small towns have faded away; others don’t start opening for a couple of weeks. Grocery stores do not think about vegans, not even lactose intolerant folk (that vegans can use). It has been tough. Today’s lunch stop was good but no remotely vegan option besides French Fries. But, we are travelling with a group and those group leaders spoiled the humans rotten with hummus sandwiches…..Timberline is so cool.

But, what about me? Do I get care a feeding? Sigh….nope. I can live with the layers and layers of dust, but my chain…my life blood…it is just covered in limestone dust. A little lube, maybe? But, no. The human says it isn’t worth it….and I’ll get a new chain when we get home. Still…just a little lube?!?!?!