The BiQUE Ride - Day Two - Part Two

I stopped at Wicklow Beach park so I could eat a snack. I didn’t stop at a restaurant for lunch. I really have no desire to eat anything huge and then get back on the bike. I had some munchies with me and I sat and enjoyed the view of the lake and had a frog keep a watchful eye on me as I ate. I wonder if he was looking for a handout. I don’t think frogs eat nuts and berries.

There are a LOT of train tracks to cross. In a lot of cases there are three tracks. I was crossing one set when I wondered what it would be like to be in the middle of crossing when the lights start flashing and the bars go down. I looked down the track to see the lights of a train and YEP - those lights started flashing and the bars went down. I was across the tracks when the bars went down. But trust me - you do NOT mess with those VIA trains. Those trains fly by in a flash. They toot their horn multiple times and you had better be out of the way. They are short and whiz by in a blink of an eye.

For the most part, I have ridden all this route before - several times actually and parts of it, I rode in the opposite direction. Some stuff I recognize, some I don’t.

As the day was coming to a close, we knew there was an issue. There’s a bridge out over the Murray Canal. On a bike, that isn’t always a bad thing as you can sometimes “work” your way through the construction. As we did earlier on a section of road that was under construction. Actually, they were building a bike path beside the road and it was closed for that. But the road itself was rideable so no issues.

But the bridge? That was a different story. It looked like a very serious construction project and there was no way to cross the bridge. That meant a TWENTY K detour. Now we did have the option of taking a shuttle around the bridge, but where’s the fun in that? Nope - I rode up to the bridge - saw the mess and then turned around and went on the detour. My back was getting tired but still had legs to get to the hotel.

Now when you got to the other side of the detour - there’s the flipping bridge. What took us 20 K could have been done in 200 M. That’s bad!!!  The worse part - that bridge has been out for almost ONE Year and the locals are NOT happy. A short trip to Brighton requires them to drive 30 K instead of 10K. No idea when the bridge will reopen. Come on construction people - get your act together. The bridge was to have been completed in May.

Since my lunch break, I was looking forward to some chocolate milk. That would have been the perfect thing to hit the spot. But our hotel is isolated and no stores around. Sad face. But I thought I would ask the kitchen if they had chocolate milk. Nope - then the lady said - you know what. Someone left a jug of chocolate milk and I could have it. Now it was open - I didn’t care. That’s how much I wanted it. So I sat outside on the front porch and enjoyed my chocolate milk. As I was enjoying that, two other riders came up. They had also ridden around the detour. I arrived at 3 PM. Bud, our fearless leader also rode the detour, but the rest of the group took the shuttle.

After my shower where I had to scrub the crude off my legs and arms - dirty and sunscreen and sweat, I took a walk down to the small beach. These’s a small trailer park right here as well and a number of them stay all year long. Hmm - getting out of the city is looking better and better, and while most of the people had dogs, I don’t think my dogs are ready to leave their backyard. Apparently they were running around like mad yesterday and Lexi ended up in the pool and Murphy in the pond. Those two crazies.

While our rooms are nice here, they are NOISY. I have two guys beside me and I can hear EVERY WORD they say. And it was quiet, but now they’re up. The person above me is a lead foot. And how many times can you walk back and forth across your floor. I was ready to yell out at everyone last night, but I’m so patient!!!

OH - total mileage for the day? 123 K

I think that covers it.

Have a super day!

Ciao!