Pedaling for Patriots

Rob was looking over our route through Florida and there is a “shortcut” that we could take. However, there is a warning to watch for alligators, coral snakes and quicksand. Guess we’ll be going the long way!

We wanted to share a picture of us in front of our “Pedaling for Patriots” van, wearing our new shirts, courtesy of Custom Ink!

If you see us on the road, make sure to honk and say hello!!

Yesterday we put our primary bikes, the Treks, into the Bike Lane shop in Reston to have their final overhaul before we start our ride.  In checking our mileage on both primary and alternate bikes, we’ve covered close to 4,000 miles each since we started getting ready in late April.   We’ll maintain our training rides over the next two weeks and then use the first few days of September to get all of the things done we need to do, both at home and for the road.   We are anxious and read to get started!   We are excited about the journey to come, the ride’s intent and mission, and getting the word out about the Fund and the people it helps.

On our 14 August ride we ran into the first Director of the National Clandestine Service Jose Rodriquez as he was flying down the bike trail.   Jose gave us his usual sage advice, this time about bikes, and we were off in the opposite direction.   We hope Jose can link up with us in Texas or towards the end of the ride.   Jose was pivotal in the war on terror and his contribution to the growth of the Clandestine Service critical during very difficult times.   Jose is a true hero and a great friend!

So I was thinking a lot about common courtesy yesterday on our ride. Being on the W&OD trail on a Saturday is always interesting. There are more walkers, more bikers, more strollers, babies and children. That means that for those of us in training, we have to slow down and be more cautious than we are during the week when the trail is “ours”. Unfortunately, there are a few who come out and ride as fast as possible, as if they own the trail and everyone else is in their way.
Saturdays also bring out people who are not entirely clear about the rules of the trail. Stop signs mean you must stop, look both ways, and cross when clear. Some inexperienced riders – along with those speed demons – disregard the stop signs and cross regardless of traffic. This leaves drivers frustrated, angry and generally unhappy with bicyclists. This causes ALL bicyclists to get a bad reputation. But, drivers need to slow down at bicycle crossings and be a little more cautious as well.
Yesterday we were at a crossing which usually has very little traffic. (The road dead ends about 100 feet from the crossing.) A group of young riders (middle/high school) did not stop at the stop sign just as a car was nearing the crosswalk. The expletives that the driver yelled will not be reprinted here, but suffice it to say they were many of them. Yes, the group was in the wrong but was that reaction really necessary?
All of this caused me to dwell on a recent email I received from the pastor of Floris UMC, Tom Berlin:

“We neglect basic acts of courtesy that the Bible calls “kindness.” Kindness includes kind words, patience, showing respect to others no matter what they do for a living, avoiding degrading language, being helpful and thinking of the needs of others as well as our own agenda. Christ followers are called to a life of gentleness. This is often confused as wimpiness. Gentleness is not getting rolled over. It is having the strength to be polite in conversation because you are in control of your emotions and do not have to have everything your way. It is having the courage to apologize when you are wrong. It is having the good sense to communicate in ways that are functional and polite rather than rude and anonymous. Gentleness is the capacity to care for others as you care for yourself. It is a quality that parents should be teaching their children by both word and action. Life is often out of our control. Gentleness and kindness are God’s gifts to us so that we will remain in control in such times. This is my encouragement: let’s be civil to one another as a way to show the world how Christ has influenced us. Let’s be kind. Let us be gentlemen and gentlewomen.”

So if you’re a bicyclist that needs to go fast, perhaps you should find a road that’s clear of families and people out for a leisurely stroll. Otherwise, you need to slow down and share the trail. And if you’re a driver, the next time you’re out and see a bicyclist, please slow down and give them a little room. And maybe a little wave. We’ll be sure to do the same!

A number of weeks ago we received a very touching donation; wristbands for our ride. They are printed with the words, “IMO Khost OGA 12/30/2009” and there are 7 stars, one for each of the 7 CIA agents killed in the Khost attack.  We have been wearing these bands each day, as a visual reminder of the reason why we are riding.

We did a 72 mile ride yesterday and ended up in Alexandria, VA about halfway through. We stopped in to the Firehook Bakery for breakfast and it was delicious! We had an egg and cheddar croissant and the egg and cheese had been baked right in. It was the absolutely perfect – only to be upstaged by the very friendly staff and patrons. It was so nice to walk in and be welcomed and feel instantly “at home”. We will definitely be going back! (we’re looking forward to trying the salads!)

We took the ferry over to Surry County, VA and had a great ride past corn, peanut, cotton and soybean fields, u-pick farms, and through the Chippokes Plantation State Park. We visited Bacon’s Castle (built in 1665), saw many beautiful churches and enjoyed seeing a birthday party petting zoo in someone’s front yard! It would be great to live in this area, as there are plenty of back roads for training. There were many miles where we saw nothing but tractors on the road. Hopefully we’ll have the opportunity to come back and ride here again!

We had a great ride yesterday around Williamsburg, VA. We were surprised to find so many bike lanes along the highways! Such a nice change. Motorists seem much more accustomed to seeing bicyclists as well, so most were very polite. We had a great lunch in Colonial Williamsburg (The Trellis), about halfway through our ride. Snooty hostess (I don’t think she appreciated our “outfits”), but the food was excellent. We did a loop around Jamestown Island, which was very scenic but the Colonial Parkway is 5 miles of cobblestones, which gave us quite a bumpy ride! The weather was gorgeous, as there had been a major storm the night before. A welcome change from the 100+ degrees we have been riding in!

We had the most amazing experience with a deer yesterday. We were on the W&OD, near Reston, and I saw what I thought was a very large dog, running with a woman. As we got closer we realized it was a deer and she stopped to watch us as we cycled past. We were no more than 2 feet from her! I’m not sure who was more curious. Every day we see groundhogs, chipmunks, squirrels and rabbits, but this was the first time we’ve seen a deer that close!