June 25, 2008, Wednesday
Abingdon to Bristol
It's unusual to have good weather during a Bike Virginia tour. It's usually hot, humid, and often rainy at least one day. This year was the exception. We had mostly clear skies, low humidity, and mild temperatures. With the good weather and very scenic routes, the tour ranks high as one of the best. There were a few glitches, such as the quality of the food at rest stops and some of the dinners, the unpredictable shuttle buses, and other relatively minor logistical problems, but these are to be expected. Bike Virginia has a reputation for excellent planning and provision of facilities for cyclists and it will be difficult for the new organizer to live up to that reputation.
The ride today was a mere 40+ miles from Abingdon back to our cars in Bristol. While the two cities are only 10 or so miles apart, we took the scenic, roundabout route. We headed east out of town along quiet country roads leading to the town of Emory and Emory & Henry College. There was good recorded country and bluegrass music and lots of snacks; fresh fruit, muffins, and sandwiches. It was a surprise to see young kids, who were attending a music class nearby, hop on their bikes and ride off, large musical instruments on their backs.
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| Farm outside Abingdon | Gently rolling | Emory & Henry College rest stop |
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| Rolling farmland | Whites Mill rest stop | Waiting to cross Rt 19/58 |
We started the day's ride late and were among the last of the riders. On the last day of BikeVA most people are anxious to finish the tour and start their drive home. It was especially true here in the far southwest of the state as most people had long drives ahead.
After a brief stop at the campus bookstore we continued our ride, passing some of the few families on the trip, either riding tandems or hauling trailers, or both. We passed the slower riders on the hills and they would pass us on the flats on the rolling terrain. The final rest stop of the trip was at White's Mill again. We lingered for a while. We weren't anxious to end the tour but with a 6 hour drive ahead we didn't want to linger too long.
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| One of many old barns on the route | Approaching Bristol | No more celebration cake |
It was another lovely ride back into Bristol. The final miles were not so pleasant, along busy Route 11, but we had no problems with motorists and the ride went smoothly. We heard of no accidents and there were no emergency vehicle sirens in the distance. We were among the last to arrive at the church where our bags were unloaded and the celebration lunch was being served.
With the mild temperature, we didn't miss the hassle of sweltering while loading the bikes and getting ready for the long drive. The final lunch was a disappointment; more overly spicy pasta and no cake. They had run out of the celebration cake that Mary Turnbull used to cut and serve to cyclists over the years. It was symbolic. There is a new ride director this year and there were many small logistical problems that occurred. It's a big event and has a great reputation that will be difficult to maintain. Many of the excellent volunteers that have helped make it a great ride are aging and probably a little burned out. It will be a challenge for the new director to either continue with the current volunteers or develop a new crew. However, even with the few logistical problems, it was a good tour, with very scenic routes, wonderful weather, and some great bike riding.