Virginia is definitely kinder to cyclists then Kentucky with no steep hills to climb the last 3 or 4 days. Today, Monday, it was a 57 mile ride to Lexington, VA. I am again staying in a motel because there a very few campsites and no City Parks or churches where you can stay or put up your tent. Very different from the Midwest.
Although it's raining just now, it only started once I was in my room. I think my planning for keeping out of the rain is amazing! So, my rain gear is still unused after 68 days on the road. Let's hope it stays that way.
Tomorrow the weather looks fine again and it will be my last climb of the trip, over the Blue Ridge Mountains. They are only go up to 3,300 feet so nothing compared to the Rockies. Still, I have been told that the views from up there are amazing. I will let you know. After that, it's downhill all the way to Yorktown.
On Sunday it was again a short 55 mile ride to a hostel in Catawba, VA. There were 5 Appalachian Trail hikers and me, the only cyclists.
The place was just one big room with a wood stove, easy chairs, table, cooker and 5 bunk beds. It feels homely, but the two hosts were definitely on the eccentric side. Due to that, there was a bit of a wired feel to the place.
All hikers apparently have trail names, like Whittle, Funny Girl, Dragon Fly and so I am Scotty here. Interesting social dynamics, very different from the TM community. It took me a bit of time to tune in, but I was still the odd one out: they were doing 10 to 15 miles a day, l was doing 60, 80 or even 100.
Anyway, I had an interesting conversation with Whittle, an elementary school teacher from Georgia. I asked him if they had similar issues to the ones experienced by schools in Florida where DeSantis, the governor, is implementing a range of very restrictive policies on what can be taught in schools (gender, critical race theory, etc.). He felt that this wasn't the case in the county he was teaching, as it was very middle-class and one of the wealthiest in Georgia. One of his main challenges seems to be immigrant parents from south east Asia who wanted their children to focus very much on academic achievements.
Later on he asked me about haggis and I talked a bit about the 25 January and Burns' supper. However, I quickly realized that he had no idea of who Robert Burns was. Whilst Burns is probably celebrated in certain circles in the States, he is likely to be considered a socialist, and therefore incompatibility with mainstream American culture. Strange. You would see slogans like SOCIALISM SUCKS but I haven't found out what people's understanding of socialism here is. I am sure I will still have an opportunity to quiz someone about that.
Talking to hikers about my trip so far, they were really worried about drivers, cars and trucks, much more than I ever was. One of them mentioned two women who gave up on the TA after a couple of hundred miles because they felt too exposed on the roads. You certainly have to shut out the what-ifs, and just focus on doing the best yourself. Anyway, so far so good, but I am putting they said out of my mind.
Cycling along I was again thinking about equipment. Remember Jan and Half Moon of the doughnuts and lemonade I met on Day 28?
Jan was cycling the Continental Divide Trail on a $6,000 custom made bike. Unfortunately, on any rough ground, she got frame wobble and it became dangerous. She got in touch with the makers and I just heard that she had to send it back from repairs. This means that she will have to finish the CDT next year.
I then thought of my own bike. A frame from my old mountain bike, handlebars from Cameron's old bike, second hand hydraulic brakes from the Bike Station in Perth. The wheels are the only thing I had specially made . All in all, a cheap, thrown together affair, or to say it in another way, carefully selected components, assembled over a number of years to meet my exact needs. So far, it's proven to be the right way to go about it, with no mechanical issues, or problems with my back, knees or wrists, etc.. My bike probably cost 1/10 of her's and has been much less trouble.