I finally reached the end of an ACA map! Because I started in Washington DC, and rode to Yorktown, VA before heading west, I’ve been on the same map, Map 12 of the Trans Am set, since May 21! But today I reached Christianburg, VA, which marks the end of that map, and now I am on map 11!
Today’s route was again marked by rolling hills, some of them quite steep, but mostly very short.
I met Kent, who lives along the TABR, and has great memories of riding his bike all around the area. I encouraged him to recapture that joy. He also noted that there used to be a bike race (from his description, a criterium?) on those roads that was cancelled because some of the local farmers didn’t like the disruption, but Kent missed it. I agree with Kent!
When I got to Radford, VA, I had lunch at a Thai restaurant (Thai This Express) where not a single Thai person could be seen, and it was quite good. The owner was a boisterous and friendly man with a booming voice who sang along with the 1970s music, and once noted that it was better than Justin Bieber. I pointed out that’s a low bar! 🙂
I finally had my first “close pass,” by a driver in a giant pickup truck with lots of decals on the rear window. I yelled, “Stop!” I wanted to tell him how awesome the drivers of Virginia have been, and tell him I wasn’t so much angry as sad and disappointed that I wouldn’t leave the state with an unblemished experience. I was really looking forward to trying to give him a major guilt trip. Probably fortunately, he refused to participate in my fatherly fantasy, and kept going.
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