A Better Ride

Today’s weather was good enough for another test ride of the Streetmachine. To be honest, after Saturday’s 31-mile ride, I had very low expectations. In fact, I had all but decided to take the bike back to Bikes at Vienna, tip my helmet to Tim Fricker for letting me try it out for a week, and moving on.

The ride started with yet another precarious bike mounting. I then rode the 3/4 of a mile circuit around my neighborhood. I made it a point to consciously keep my shoulders against the seat back, something I didn’t do on Saturday. Within a couple hundred yards I could tell the bike was handling much better. I suppose the change in position had put more weight on the big, fixed rear wheel and less on the underseat handlebars and the small front wheel underneath the seat.

After one lap, I stopped. Instead of planting my left foot, I slid off the front of the seat and popped up to a standing position, just as I had seen in a YouTube video and just as I do on my Tour Easy recumbent. Bingo. I dismounted surprisingly smoothly. After an awkward re-mounting, I slid back on the seat, pushed my shoulders into the seat back, and pedaled. I wobbled a bit but I was underway more or less in a straight line.

As I did another lap I tried to focus on technique. Shoulders back, arms relaxed. Find a comfortable gear. Head up. Success. This time the pop stop worked better. As I slowed to about three miles per hour I slid forward and let the momentum of the bike push me into a standing position.

Now it was time to leave the cozy home loop and try some other skills. I rode to a nearby neighborhood and went down about eight different cul de sacs. Initially, I tried to consciously steer the bike with the handlebars. Nope. After a few 180s I learned the secret. Pedal, lean, relax. Let the bike do the work instead of my arms. Success. After a few left handed 180s, I did a few right handed ones. No problem.

I rode over to Fort Hunt Park and took the bike on less-than-perfect road conditions: asphalt with some gravel, slick spots, and tight squeezes through orange traffic barrels. After a couple of 1.75 mile laps I had things down. I also learned that after the pop stop I could easily reach my water bottles. While I’d prefer to drink while riding, I don’t think that’s a skill I am ready for just yet.

I left the park headed into two more neighborhoods, each with a circuit and a small hill. As I rode and gained confidence, each passing mile was a bit faster. I did notice that if I was distracted I tended to drift a bit. A few times I seemed to be headed for a curb. Relax. Lean. Recover.

Next up was a bigger downhill and uphill. The downhill was a little sketchy (I tensed up) but the uphill was straightforward using the granny gear.

The last challenge of the day was crossing the George Washington Parkway. I was in a too-high gear and my bike was pointed up about one degree making the initial push of the pedal difficult. After a couple of false starts, I made it across easily.

The last mile or so my form deteriorated. I can’t say I was tired physically but my mental focus was pretty much gone. I turned onto my street, rode past my house and did a low-speed u-ey. I didn’t quite have the room to complete the turn and ended up pivoting on my left foot. Bad idea. My knee did not like it one bit and is barking a few hours later but I am sure it’s fine.

So lessons learned: (1) the pop stop means that my left hip doesn’t bear nearly as much stress as on my first rides. (2) The bigger stress to my left hip comes from my awkward mounting of the bike, not the dismounts. (3) The more I ride, the better my technique becomes. After Sunday’s ride, I was exhausted from mental stress and my upper body was spent from trying to physically control the bike. After today’s ride, I finished feeling very good both mentally and physically. My upper body was not the least bit tense.

Another thing that is working well is my choice of pedals. I took the Catalyst pedals off The Mule and put them on the Streetmachine. These pedals are extra long and have grippy studs. My feet are pretty happy.

So, tomorrow afternoon, I do another test ride. This one likely will feature bigger hills and more starts at road crossings.

Stay tuned.

Hip Don’t Lie

This week I was planning on test riding the HP Velotechnik Streetmachine I have on loan from Bikes at Vienna. Since I do not own the bike, I am being careful not to ride it in rainy weather. I did manage to ride it in gusty conditions during my 31-mile test ride the other day. The bike handled just fine. The weather forecast for the last two days has called for intermittent rain so I haven’t ridden it since.

Yesterday I decided to ride the Tank, my Surly CrossCheck instead. The reason was twofold. First, I don’t much care if the Tank gets messed up with rain. Second, I needed to test out a problem I had after my Streetmachine test ride. It involved sharp pain in my left hip.

Back in 2019, I rode The Mule 3,000 miles from Indiana to San Francisco. My left knee and hip were screaming at me the entire way. When I returned home I had a series of cortisone shots that put things right. An MRI revealed that my left knee has very little cartilage in it. I suspect that several crashes on my bikes which nearly always involve a fall to the left have damaged my hip as well. As long as I am careful and refrain from mashing big gears, both the hip and the knee behave themselves.

After riding the Streetmachine, the sharp pain in my left hip returned. Aside from my decrepit anatomy, the cause could come from a number of factors.

First, when I stop the bike, I have to put my left foot down. I need my right foot ready for the first pedal stroke at start up because my left knee won’t tolerate the initial mashing. Also, the seat is rather high so when I stop, the bike leans hard to the left. The bike (and the engine) are quite heavy. I suspect this weight is part of the problem. When I stop the Tank, also a heavy bike, I only put my left toe down because much of the weight is borne by the wheels. My body weight is mostly on my arms and my right foot which is pushing on the right pedal. On tour, there’s an additional 30 or 40 pounds of gear to add to the equation. Thus, the pain during my 2019 ride.

Another issue with the Streetmachine is the process of getting started. Getting rolling is ungainly to say the least. It usually takes me two or three tries to get rolling. Each time I have to start, I have to re-weight my left hip.

A third possible issue is the shape of the seat. The sides of the seat curve up. When I stop my left hip bumps awkwardly into this curve.

Finally, when I get off the bike, I swing my right foot over the front of the bike, supporting the bike and all my weight on my left foot. I then pivot on my left foot toward the rear of the bike. This spinning motion probably adds stress to the left hip.

My wife took a short video of me riding away from the house the other day. I rode down my front lawn, over some root heaves, and into the street. The bike was quite stable but I noticed in the video that my shoulders and head were leaning forward. All the videos I have seen online show the riders’ shoulders pressed against the seat back. So I might just not be riding the bike properly. Given my lower back issues, this may not be correctible.

The forecast for tomorrow and Wednesday looks pretty good. My plan is to take the Streetmachine to a local park and practice starting and stopping, mounting and dismounting. I will also try to concentrate on committing to the seat with my shoulders more.

I have until Friday to make a final decision. Fingers crossed.

Use the Force, Luke

Yesterday I brought the Streetmachine home on a garage sale, trunk bike rack. I had concerns that it might end up falling off the car on the Beltway but all went splendidly. At home, I made a few adjustments to the mirror, bell, and bike computer and rode around the block a few times. With each lap, I mounted and dismounted the bike. I am proud to say that I didn’t fall once.

I used the YouTuber’s mounting technique which worked well. Take hold of the seatback and stand up tall. Tilt the bike a wee bit toward you then lift your foot over the boom and plop it on the opposite side. Done. For dismounts both the YouTuber and Melissa use a spin move that takes the right foot over the cranks and ends up with you facing backward. It’s actually easier than getting on.

I had heard that stopping would be a problem because the seat is somewhat higher than most recumbents. That extra inch or so before the left foot hits the ground will take some getting used to but it’s not a big deal.

Starting the bike is another matter. You push forward with the right foot then quickly lift your left foot off the ground so that it can complete the pedal stroke and send you merrily on your way. If you don’t succeed, gravity may send you not so merrily onto your left side. This sort of thing happens with all bikes but the twicthy underseat steering adds a bit of excitement to the process. If you fail and put you foot back down you can start again, of course, unless the procedure leaves you in the middle of an intersection with an Amazon van bearing down on you.

To start the ride today, I rolled down the front lawn and over a half dozen tree roots. The suspension made easy work of the bumps. I rode what I call the perimeter ride, a circuit around the Mount Vernon neighborhood. It features plenty of curves and a few very gentle inclines.

In Fort Hunt Park I encountered a couple of short stretches where the asphalt was torn up. The Streetmachine handled the gravel and bumps without trouble.

During the entire ride, I had flashbacks to when I first rode a bike without training wheels. I kept feeling like I was going to fall over. I could feel my shoulders rising up whenever some normally innocuous situation arose. Sit back, relax, and trust the physics!

One cool feature of this bike’s design is that you can pedal through turns because the pedals are high up and half a leg length in front of the front wheel. Once I realized this, turns became much less scary. And more fun.

The ride did highlight some other interesting aspects of the bike. Most bikes have the front wheel in front of the rider. The Streetmachine’s front wheel is beneath the seat. This means that the wheel encounters bumps a split second after it normally would. Tim Fricker, the Bikes at Vienna owner who is letting me do a week-long test ride, mentioned that one odd thing about underseat steering is that people are used to steering cars and bikes with their hands in front of them.

It’s ironic that today’s entire ride was stressful. I don’t have the muscle memory for this kind of bike so I have to think about every little thing. I have to keep reminding myself, sometimes out loud, to relax. Use the force, Luke.

You can carry pretty much anything you need on this bike. Unlike all my other bikes, everything you need is behind the seat. There’s nowhere to put stuff in front of you. In a way this is a good thing since you will be fully immersed in the riding experience. This came in handy when the driver of a humongous SUV back up into the road in front of me without looking.

About 20 miles into the ride, I tried out the Mount Vernon Trail. It is substantially narrower than the road so this was not a trivial exercise for the wobbly newbie. Along the way I stopped to help Jonathan and Shareen (sp?) fix a flat on Jonathan’s bike. It turns out the pump that I bought and don’t like is pretty useful on skinny tires.

April 2025 – The Not So Cruel Month

Reading

Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection by John Green. Green is famous for writing several, very good young adult novels, including The Fault in Our Stars. Lately, he has shifted to adult nonfiction. This nonfiction work explains pretty much everything you’d want to know about TB, and then some. TB is very rare in the developed world but continues to kill over 1.2 million people per year worldwide, despite the existence of effective medicines. The causes of this situation are poverty, social stigma, poor medical and non-medical infrastructure, the spread of HIV, and pharmaceutical companies more focused on finances than medical outcomes.

Watching

Daredevil Born Again. Just as Andor is Star Wars for adults, Daredevil Born Again is Marvel for adults. A complex plot that evolves over nine episodes (with nine more to come). It tells how blind lawyer Matt Murdock is sucked back into vigilantism by the murderous corruption of New York City Mayor Wilson Fisk and his sinister wife Vanessa. Shockingly explicit violence and vulgar language make this series utterly inappropriate for kids. Charlie Cox as Murdock and Vincent D’Onofrio as Fisk are exceptional as is the supporting cast.

Andor Season 2: Diego Luna returns as Cassian Andor in this prequel to Rogue One, which tells how Princess Leia obtained the plans for the Empire’s death star in the first Star Wars movie. Over the course of the two seasons, we learn how Andor becomes radicalized in the fight against the Empire. Luna is fantastic as is Stellan Skarsgard (Is he in everything?) and the rest of the cast. Andor and Rogue One are the very best of the Star Wars canon.

Riding

The highlight of the month was my week long van-supported ride up the 444 mile Natchez Trace Parkway with a group of 12 others. The tour itself worked out quite well but was nearly spoiled by some shambolic pre-event administrative by the Adventure Cycling Association.

My back did not handle the tour well, so when I came back home I shifted from The Mule to Big Nellie, my long wheel base recumbent. My back is still messed up but the discomfort that seemed to last all day during the tour is now more intermittent, a welcome development.

On the last day of April, I test rode an HP Velotechik Streetmachine, a short-wheel-base recumbent with under seat steering. It’s quite tricky to ride. I did about ten laps of the parking lot at the bike shop before venturing out on the W&OD bike trail. On the way back to the shop I diverted to a neighborhood street to try my hand at climbing and at riding at speed over speed humps. Climbing was tough (it’s a heavy bike and the pedals were a bit too close for optimal mechanics) but the speed humps were fun thanks to the bike’s suspension system. The seat is higher than my Tour Easy so stopping can be awkward. This seat height also means that getting on and off the bike is challenging and, frankly, a bit scary. I consulted Melissa, a Natchez Trace rider who owns a Streetmachine, for tips. She was very helpful. I am also watching whatever I can on YouTube.

The Streetmachine in one of its seemingly infinite configurations.

Since I have been a regular customer of my local recumbent bike shop for nearly 25 years, the shop owner, Tim, is letting me test ride the bike for a couple of weeks to make sure I can handle the bike’s unusual characteristics. (I can just see Tim having a heart attack yelling “REFUND? REFUND?!” if I bring the bike back.)

I broke 1,000 miles for the month (1,019 to be exact). The Mule, mostly the bike tour, accounted for 631 miles. Big Nellie chipped in 360 miles. For the year I have racked up 3,458 miles. To be honest I am fast approaching burn out and hope the Streetmachine can put some life back into my riding.

Natchez Trace Tour – Final Thoughts

It’s been over a week since I competed my van-assisted tour of the Natchez Trace with the Adventure Cycling Association (ACA). I’ve had time to reflect on things. Here are some thoughts.

Tour Administration

I signed up for a tour that began in Nashville, a 10-hour drive from home. Day 1 of the tour was supposed to involve a 9-hour shuttle ride from Nashville to Natchez. Apparently previous participants found this unappealing. (I can’t argue with that.) A week or so after I committed and paid for the tour, I was notified that the tour would begin in Jackson, Mississippi, a 15-hour drive away. It would still involve a shuttle from the end in Nashville back to Jackson. I was notified that if I wanted to return to Jackson at the end of the ride, I would have to cough up an additional $75 for a seat on the shuttle. Finally, the itinerary was changed to include a 90-mile day. These changes gave me the impression that the entire operation was amateurish.

Participants were also advised that it would be wise to bring a light-weight road bike instead of a heavy touring bike. The Mule, which I long ago altered with easier gearing for touring, has carried me on 8 loaded tours over 10,000 miles. The Mule was not amused.

Fortunately, once I was on-site, the mishigas stopped and the tour itself was well-run.

After the tour, I received an email with a link to a feedback survey from the tour organizers at Adventure Cycling. Like most people, I have filled out dozens of on-line surveys without incident. This survey was a Microsoft product that failed to accept my login information. Try as I might, I couldn’t crack the secret of launching the survey. I have never encountered survey software this lame before. I ended up sending an email with some feedback to Adventure Cycling instead.

Operational Aspects

The tour co-leaders were Jeff and Beth Ann, both of whom are very experienced. The experience showed. There was a system to every aspect of the tour. The whole thing went off like clockwork with only a couple of glitches that were easily resolved.

Shopping for and cooking dinner, breakfast, and lunch was the responsibility of the riders, organized into groups of two or three people each day. It was obvious that the idea of rushing through a long ride to shop for food so that the rest of the riders could eat before dark was unappealing. We all knew this cooking and shopping arrangement was part of the tour but the reality of it just didn’t sink in until the second 70+ mile day. Remarkably, each group had a creative chef and support crew. Vegetarian options were provided which is quite a trick when cooking outdoors for 15 people. Also, Jeff taught us how to make coffee using a French press. Suffice it to say, bicycle tourists drink the stuff by the gallon and it was very good.

On the second day we were confronted with a situation near Jackson. Traffic is quite heavy in this area. Trail users are normally required to use a side path but the path was under construction. The tour leaders offered a shuttle ride past the problem area and we all accepted the lift. Safety first.

The 90-mile day began with a long, steep-ish climb from our lakeside campground back to the Trace. Some of the riders were already tired from three long days. It became clear that most of the riders wanted nothing to do with the either the distance or the climb and requested a “push”, a shuttle ride 20 or so miles into the route. The tour leaders met this request without drama. (It’s a serious pain to load and unload the bikes onto the roof of the van so the leaders’ cooperation was not without significant effort.) I decided to ride the whole 90 miles. Jeff had told us of a stone wall (a man’s tribute to a relative who walked the Trail of Tears) that was a must see along the route. There was no wayfaring information on the Trace so we would have missed this otherwise. It was beyond cool. Unfortunately, with 90 miles to cover in a day, I felt I couldn’t stay at the wall more than a few minutes. (As it was I was the last person to finish for the day.)

Tour Lowlights

Sleep: For some reason I struggle to sleep on bike tours. Camping, hotels, Warmshowers…it doesn’t matter. I don’t think I had more than 4 continuous hours of sleep on any night during the tour. When I arrived home, I slept like a log for 3 straight nights.

My Back: Whenever I was off the bike, I had back pain, caused by my lumbar spinal stenosis. Lugging things to and from the trailer, hefting my bike up to Jeff on the roof of the van, not consistently doing my therapy exercises, poor sleep, and driving 15 hours to the start all contributed to an incessant dull ache in my lower back whenever I was on my feet. (I had no such pain while riding, however.) Once home, I switched to riding Big Nellie, my Tour Easy recumbent, for a week and got back on my therapy routine. It feels much better now but I am still thinking of getting a referral to a surgeon.

The Fixed Itinerary: I didn’t think about this when I signed up but normally I draft an itinerary for all my tours. Each day’s ending point is determined by the availability of a place to sleep. If I am feeling spunky, I ride farther (I’ve done more than 100 miles in a day several times). If I’m dragging, I take a short day or an off day. On an organized tour, you pretty much are locked into an itinerary. Not much of a lowlight, but I wanted to mention it anyway.

Waiting: It takes quite a long time to cook and clean up dinner for 15. It’s nice to have company but the waiting can get irritating. It’s worth noting that the leaders’ organization helped keep this under control.

Truck Sewer: The drive to and from Jackson was especially stressful on I-40 in Tennessee. The truck traffic was incredibly heavy. From time to time the trucks would clog both lanes and traffic would go from 70 to 0 without warning. Ugh.

Tour Highlights

Weather: Days began in the 40s with temperatures rising above 55 degrees within an hour or so. It rained for a grand total of 15 minutes. Once. Humidity was low until the last day. Darn near perfect

Bugs: Except for a spider bite on the first or second day, I saw virtually no evidence of bugs. This sucks for the frogs and birds but it was pretty amazing for bike riders and campers.

The Road: The Natchez Trace does not allow commercial truck traffic. The pavement reflects this. It was smooth nearly the entire way. There were occasional expansion joints but these were the exception. There was very little wild life. Road kill was minimal (but the armadillo was pretty cool).

Windsor Ruins: Windsor Ruins is about ten miles off the Trace. The road surface was rougher and the terrain was hillier. It was worth the extra effort.

Wichapi Stone Wall: This thing was amazing. I could have spent well over an hour there. It’s only a few hundred yards off the Trace. A must see.

Cypress Swamp: We rode through a cypress swamp on the third day. There’s a boardwalk but you can also see the swamp from the road. Spooky. (No, we didn’t see any gators.)

Scenery: Leaving Jackson on Day 3 we rode by a 50-square-mile acre reservoir. Other than this and the cypress swamp, the Trace passes through woods and small farm fields for the entire route. With mostly very light traffic (except near Jackson and Tupelo), no turns, no stop signs, and no traffic lights, the Trace is hard to beat for losing yourself. (If you want to you can park your bike and take a walk along the Old Trace footpath. Just the thing for the tired cyclist.)

Showers: Getting into the vibe of a long bicycle tour typically includes a few days in a row without showers at night. Not that I find this appealing. We had showers on all but one night. Well played ACA!

Leadership on the Ground: Jeff and Beth Ann were both very experienced tour leaders but they had never led a tour together . They complemented each other like Astaire and Rogers. Jeff is the chill-est human on the planet. Beth Ann is a bit more frenetic. They were organized, knowledgeable, helpful, and utterly professional.

The Riders: I’m an introvert and find that self-supported solo touring is my preferred way to ride. It’s remarkable that I can only think of one unpleasant bike tourist I have dealt with in all my time on the road. Even so, putting 13 people together on a tour is pushing your luck. Fortunately, our Natchez Trace group of 13 riders was remarkably harmonious. And old. Eight of the 13 riders were between the ages of 69 and 74. And fit. Dang, some of these old folks can move! And pretty good at cooking. And intellectually diverse: we had, among other things: a doctor, lawyer, bank examiner, economist, professor of environmental science, farmer, and eagle expert. We heard funny stories about life on a submarine (don’t press the red button) and the full contact ballroom dancing.

Food: One of my biggest problems on a bike tour is eating well. Peanut butter on tortillas is my go to. I have been known to inhale a Pop Tart or four for breakfast. One big advantage of this tour is that the food was pretty darn good.

Three More States: I added 3 states (Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee) to my list of states biked in. I’m now up to 41. If I had thought about it, I easily could have driven to Louisiana and Arkansas. Oh well.

Four Miniature Mysteries

I have been having a series of strange things happen then un-happen lately.

I drove back from my Natchez Trace bike tour in one day. I made four pit stops along the nearly 1,000 mile drive. When I turned into the second gas station, I noticed a groaning sound coming from my left front wheel. Not good. After buying gas, caffeine, and snacks, I found a open area near the truck parking area and drove in slow circles with my window down. I could clearly hear the groan with each rotation of the wheel. I inspected the wheel and could see nothing unusual. With no realistic option, I decided to continue my drive and hope for the best. I made it all the way home without incident. The next day I drove the car and made a couple of tight circles. The groan was gone. Hmmm…

I did laundry after the trip. Nothing unusual. Afterwards, I washed a sweater using the delicate cycle on both the washer and dryer. During the drying cycle the wee screen on the dryer’s controls said that there was lint build up on the outflow from the machine. I replaced a clogged filter (a pair of pantyhose) and manually cleared as much of the flexible vent tube as I could reach. I started the dryer and went outside to check the outflow of air. It was practically blasting out of the vent. I went inside and the message re-appeared. I had spent the better part of an hour screwing around with the machine so I quit. I think the next step is to try the modern day version of smacking the machine on the side: unplug it and plug it back in.

On Sunday I drove my car to brunch at a friend’s house. I turned on the car radio. No sound came out of the speakers. The radio seemed to be operating fine: the display lit up, the presets worked, the clock worked etc. I put a CD in the radio to see if that would work. The display worked fine but once again no sound came out of the speakers. I decided the likely problem was a blown fuse. After the brunch I started to drive home and reflexively turned on the radio. It worked! I put a CD in and it worked too.

My man cave has a bathroom located directly behind my TV chair. I was watching a baseball game when I heard the toilet flush. As a long-time homeowner, I know this is caused by a bad seal in the tank. On my way home from a bike event on Saturday, I picked up a new seal. I set it on the vanity with the intention of installing it sometime on Sunday. In the ensuing 24 hours the toilet functioned completely normally.

I am sure there is a rational explanation for these mysteries but, for now, I am staying clear of the furnace and the oven.

Natchez Trace Tour: Day 9 – Get Back

Last night the tour group went out for Greek food and ice cream to celebrate our adventure. Sadly we had to pass on the Loveless Cafe which is something of a legendary place hereabouts. The biscuits are to die for, so they say.

In the morning we had hotel breakfast (lame), made ourselves lunches, and loaded the bikes one last time on top of the van for the drive back south to Jackson. Josh and Denise stayed behind to continue their vacation separately. There were handshakes and hugs.

The remaining 13 of us piled into the van and seven hours later were back in Ridgeland where we started. Rolf, Mark, and John-the-Fastest headed home. Beth Ann took the van and trailer to DC. More hugs and handshakes. Mike, Greg, Melissa, David, Jeff, Heather, Virginia, and I stayed behind and had dinner at a pizza place. After that Greg and Melissa headed off to another hotel. More hugs and handshakes.

The 15 of us were a remarkably harmonious group. No drama. Just some bitching and moaning from some old guy from Mount Vernon, Virginia.

Tomorrow those that remain will hit the road.

———

I neglected to mention a few things about the tour in previous posts.

Bugs: There were nearly no bugs on this tour. Normally you get mosquitoes in your tent if you forget to zip it closed. Not one got in my tent.

Coal rolling: A few of us were coal rolled (deliberately spewing black exhaust) by a pick up truck driver.

Old and on the way: Of the 13 riders, six were at least 70 years old. Two more (both John’s) were 69. We kept up with the five youngsters just fine.

The F Word: Each day featured 14 riders, one of whom was either Jeff or Beth Ann riding sweep. This works out to more than 6,800 rider-miles. We had one flat. Jeff was gracious to take the hit for the team.

Tour Leader Jackpot: I did not hear one cross word, not the slightest complaint, about our tour leaders, Beth Ann and Jeff. They worked their butts off for us and even arranged for near perfect weather, including a much appreciated tailwind on the last day.

I’ll do one more post-mortem post about the tour later this week. Hopefully, I then can transfer an edited version as a journal on Cycleblaze.com.

Natchez Trace Tour: Day 8 – Summertown to Nashville

The lawn where we camped at Chris and Rob’s home is lush. It made for perfect tent sleeping. Not that I slept well but still…

Having access to our hosts’ kitchen menace could have loaded baked potatoes for dinner (I was stuffed) and co-leader Jeff’s amazing scrambled eggs (cooked slowly with buttermilk).

Rob arranged for the local police to help us get back to the Trace (we were four miles away) safely. I left a bit early and missed the escort. What a cool thing for the police to do.

Just before the Trace we stopped at the Meriwether Lewis National Monument . He was either killed or committed suicide. in any event, the monument is his grave.

Here lies “the dust” of Meriwether Lewis

Back on the Trace the riding conditions were once again nearly perfect. Temperatures in the low 60s with sunny skies and a gentle tailwind.

About ten miles we encountered a 400+ foot climb of a mile or so. It was granny-worthy; I pedaled up the beast at a steady 4.2 mph. It was a big effort but would have been brutal with a fully loaded touring rig.

The landscape we passed through is mixed forest. There was little understory perhaps because this is the early Spring. The trees in this area are a few weeks from fully leafing. This allowed the building tailwinds (and sunlight) to push us along.

Until we took a rest break at 26 miles I was feeling surprisingly strong (thanks, no doubt, to the tailwinds) once underway again I felt sluggish. Maybe the 200+ feet of climbing in the next four miles had something to do with that.

By the time we stopped at 46 miles I was pretty pooped. I ate all my munchies to no avail. I headed out for the final push with Greg who was riding in an upright position on a heavy hybrid bike.

We plodded along accordion-style. I’d get way ahead on downhills. He’d close the resulting gap on the uphills.

The terrain seemed to have an infinite number of rolling hills. Finally at 60 miles they came to an end and we were treated to a 3-mile, 300-foot descent.

The Mule Abides near the Northern Terminus

We’re turned off the Trace a mile or so before the northern terminus to head to our hotel. The tradition is to have a celebratory meal at the Loveless Cafe but it was too soon after lunch. Greg used his GPS map to guide us through the streets outside Nashville to our hotel, the Hotel Avery.

I found out at the desk that the tour included a shared room. I had booked a single room separately. The hotel manager was super helpful in getting the conflict resolved.

Tonight we’re going out to dinner at a Greek restaurant nearby. I fear I’m going to fall asleep in my souvlaki.

I am knackered. According to Virginia, one of the riders, Bike Tour Midnight is 8 p.m.

Tomorrow we shuttle seven hours back to Ridgeland near Jackson.

Miles today: 67.5 Tour miles: 490.5

Natchez Trace tour: Day 7 – Tishomingo State Park, MS to Private Residence in Summertown, TN

Tishomingo State Park, MS to Private Residence in Summertown, TN

Last night I managed four solid hours of sleep. My tent was on a slight slope and I made the mistake of orienting it so I was lying perpendicular to the slope. (Sounds mathy?)

At 2:30 am in my struggle to find a comfortable position my left hamstring went into spasm. The cramping was very painful and continued for 15 minutes or so. For the rest of the night. Every time I rolled over I expected the spasm to come back. It didn’t but peaceful sleep was not going to happen.

In light of the scheduled 90-mile day, Most of the group opted for a “push”, a lift from the van 20 miles or do onto the route.

I opted to ride the whole thing.

I rode alone for the entire day. I stopped at one historical place, the Wichapi Commemorative Stone Wall. It’s a memorial to the Trail of Tears. I could have spent hours there but I had much riding to do.

The route was hillier than earlier days. Mostly the hills were gradual. In the middle of the ride there was a 20+ mile false flat, a gradual upslope that is harder on your mind than your body.

One saving grace was that I picked up a tailwind for much of the last third of the ride.

I drank two bottles of electrolyte drink, ate two bananas, and drank a Gatorade. I hope they makes for a comfortable night.

I was the last one to arrive at the campsite, the front lawn of an old friend of Jeff, our tour co-leader.

Tomorrow is our last day. It will feature significant climbing and even better tailwinds.

Miles today: 90 Tour miles: 423

Natchez Trace Tour: Day Six – Tupelo area RV park to Tishimingo State Park

I neglected to mention that the second half of yesterday’s ride included light rain and 3/4 headwinds. The combination made the last 30 miles quite chilly but my rain jacket worked its wonders and I was comfy.

Today began with team Denise, Dave, and me serving breakfast and laying out lunch food. The real work was getting up early and cleaning things up. The food prep sounds trivial but we were serving 15.

After another night of next to no sleep, I was determined to ride slowly. I had plenty of company. Most of us were feeling the hurt after back-to-back long days.

It was quite chilly (40s) when we woke and only gradually warmed to 60 degrees. And yesterday afternoon’s headwind was back.

Pedal, pedal. Try to stay awake.

I did not go to Elvis’s birthplace in Tupelo. It would have added 22 miles to the day.

There were three overlooks. I was in a bike trance and missed the turn for #2. Suck it up, dear reader.

Today’s ride also featured more hills, albeit gradual ones, than previous days. We are entering the Appalachian foothills of Tennessee. Tomorrow’s ride will be similar but 90 miles. It will be a 3-state ride. (Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee.

We are lucky; the weatherman is forecasting a big tailwind.

Thank you, Jesus.

Miles today: 55. Tour miles: 333

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