Day 12: Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!

October 17, 2019

...just replace “torpedoes” with 30mph headwind and it’s accurate

All morning I was inside hiding; should I go out or not I was deciding; by noon; the weather was not ending anytime soon; so I said, “20-30mph sustained winds or not, I’m riding!”

I couldn’t take it anymore. Out of my 12 planned days on the tour I rode 2 in the rain, canceled two, and had 6 successful days (not counting the canine assault). So I wanted to have a riding day on my final day 12. But remember the “bomb” nor’easter? It was blowing from the NW with sustained 20-30mph with gusts to 50mph. So I stripped the bike of half its weight and rode north into the headwind from Trenton, NJ on the D&R canal path. While not the “most safe and secure area” I didn’t feel unsafe, but I would not want to be there after dark is all I’ll say. Since I grew up in the area this was one of the few places I hadn’t ridden.

Right around where the train bridge crosses over the Delaware River at Yardley, PA. Who doesn’t love the sound of a train passing by?

This is kind of the story of this tour, huh? I detoured on a side road through Ewing, NJ

The winds were definitely sustained, and several of the gusts had me shifting to a lower gear to keep moving forward heading north. At one point the winds took down a huge tree branch with a loud CRACK and subsequent crash into the canal water. I had to lift my bike over a separate fallen tree that fell victim to the storm. But I made it to Lambertville, NJ and crossed over to New Hope, PA. Now onto a path I have ridden many times before.

And now the wind was at my back! I flew out of New Hope and south in my 2nd highest gear (and when the wind gusted, I could have shifted to my highest but whatever).

Riding southbound on the canal though New Hope

Just south of the town it passes by some condominiums on the path and you feel like your riding through a French garden

Delaware River on the left, canal on the right, path in the middle. Great riding. Best of all, it’s not raining :-)

Once I arrived home, my mom and I got ready for dinner and went out to a local Italian place and sat for a little over two hours enjoying the meal, the discussion, the community and neighborhood atmosphere of the restaurant. Great end and final meal to the tour. I don’t think the meal on Amtrak will come close to that.

Mom and I toasting you, the readers, that you made it through the trip and journal (bet you couldn’t wait for it to end :-))Thanks for reading!

I’ll post a restropective in a few days, but basically that’s it. A little over 500 miles from a planned 750. 12 days - 7 in sun (or partial sun), 2 riding in rain, and 3 days canceled because of storms. Talk to you all later!

Heart

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Today's ride: 32 miles (51 km)
Total: 501 miles (806 km)

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Bob DistelbergCongratulations on finishing the ride, despite all the obstacles along the way. I enjoyed following along. I always enjoy following a ride happening in the northeast, close to home for me!
Bob
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4 years ago

Scott AndersonCongrats on finishing the ride, and sorry you didn’t have better luck with the weather. Thanks for taking us along!
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4 years ago

Paul Mulvey@Scott - thanks for following along. Weather is weather, whether or not I like it :-) It might be unpleasant in the moment but a week or two later looking over the pictures I'm sure I'll remember all the good aspects of the tour (like riding along a bike path with no-one else around listening to the wind in the leaves and traveling through the fall leaves.
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4 years ago