June 21, 2008, Saturday

Bristol, VA

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Today's ride was a short 36-mile loop in the country around Bristol. Options included a climb to the top of South Holston Dam and another loop to Bluff City that added 26 miles to the trip. The day started out much cooler than expected, a welcome relief from the hot days on most BikeVA rides. With a forecast for rain we packed some rain gear. As usual I carried more stuff than we needed, with two panniers mostly full that added another 15-20 lbs. to the bike. We don't travel light.

Luckily there were only a few drops of rain throughout the day. It was cloudy which kept the temperatures very mild. The climbing started early on the route. We rode from the motel to the start, about 2 miles away, along Route 11 that had little traffic on an early Saturday morning. There were many riders starting out as we joined the route at around 8am. We stayed on Rt 11 for a while until we headed south toward South Holston Lake. While there were few shoulders on the roads, there was little traffic which was slowed by the mass of cyclists.

Bike Florida cohortsSouth Holston DamMountains rising from South Holston Lake

There was plenty of food at the first rest stop at Osceola Island, next to the South Fork of the Holston River where several anglers were fly fishing. A wier is located there that helps provide better conditions for the trout. There were many fishermen, lined along the river and along the spillwater just downstream. The restroom was not built to accommodate so many people at one time. Whenever a urinal was flushed water bubbled up from the drain in the center of the floor.

We saw several familiar faces among the cyclists, many of whom we've seen on previous tours. There were also some cyclists from the Northern VA bicycling community, including FABB member Dennis F. He was a volunteer route monitor, directing cyclists at the rest stop on the 26 mile loop. We cut the option to 10 miles which gave us 50 miles total. Just after the rest stop we were headed downhill and I heard a crash behind me. A big rider had gone down hard, his front derailleur or cable somehow getting caught in his front wheel and he went straight down. He laid in the road for a while and we debated what to do. A route monitor was nearby and we flagged him down.

Osceola IslandLine of fly fishermenMechanical support

The monitors usually ride the route, stopping during the day at certain assigned locations to help with directions or warn about dangerous situations. The ride wouldn't be the same without their help. The monitor who arrived to help tried to diagnose the problem and do what he could. He determined that the bike was not rideable which was probably just as well. The rider was shaken but like most people in that situation, he wanted to continue. He was badly bruised with deep road rash abrasions on his arm and legs.

Bristol, VA-TNLunch line at Cumberland Park, BristolLunch

Earlier at the rest stop we had chatted for a while with "Tennessee Man" who is actually from SW Virginia and knows the roads we were traveling well. We first met him on the Tennessee Capital to Capital ride in 1996 at the top of a steep climb. He was riding his Lightning P38, a short wheelbase recumbent. We see him often on various tours, usually with a different recumbent. He now rides a TiRush, the same bike Kerie rides. They compared notes about fenders, racks, and bags. He told us about an older gentleman in his 70's who rides the Creeper Trail every day; it's his job. He has ridden over 120,000 miles, mostly on the trail. At least that's what we think he said; the Tennessee Man has such a thick Virginia accent that we don't always understand what he's saying.

Tent city overlooking Route 11
We returned to Bristol for a good lunch in a local park; veggie wrap, pasta salad, and a cookie. The line was long but moved fast. After we ate we headed back to the motel to avoid what looked like a storm coming. It never did rain during the day, just a few isolated drops. After showers we laid down for a minute and ended up sleeping for about an hour. We were winding down from the stress of our normal lives and tired from the day's ride. We felt refreshed after the short nap.

Line dancing in Bristol
beneath the Birthplace of County
Music mural
Dinner was downtown and after a quick tour of the Tent City we parked in Bristol and ate the catered dinner of veggie lasagne, salad, green beans, and pecan pie. The bluegrass group playing for the cyclists was very good, and later we danced with the locals to the music of a county and western band. We knew a few of the specialty daces, the 16 step, the schottische, and we did the two-step. Now we're preparing to leave the car behind tomorrow and ride to Kingsport, TN.

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