A Visit to Delaware

Yesterday was uber crappy weather for "safe" riding in the city and so I packed it up and hit the 95 Sou' to do a road ride down in Delaware. I parked at mi padre's house right by the Brandywine River valley and then I rode to Newark via Greenville route. It was great to hit those roads again, it's hard to believe the difference in traffic from Philly to those empty stretches of road.
On Papermill Rd. into Newark I ran into Fitzy and Fort James http://manicmtbr.blogspot.com/ on his new dope FORT machine.
That's one thing about riding in Delaware, I always seem to run into someone I know. It was great catching up with those guys, though I had to turn around after a bit as I didn't want to climb a killer climb for the second time in 1 hr.

So I hit Newark and then rode one of my favorite roads of all time, the good ol' Creek Road through White Clay Creek State park, (sorry Vonck for not stopping and saying hi!, I was stinky by then and didn't want to scare your fine ladies).

I then hit 896 to see Ted Logic, Gwen, Teague and Super Sid. Sadly none of them were there, but I see Ted Logic completed his super badass deck and I wrote on his garage windows to let him know I had been there. At first I just wrote "BC was here" then I realized that sounded stalkerish, and so I wrote to let him and Gwen know that their deck looked fabulous...Ted could you build one for me in Sou' Philly?

It started to rain a bit as I turned back and started riding towards White Clay Creek state park. Still warm though and I was feeling great. While I was climbing one of my favorite roads up out of White Clay park, my lady text'd messaged me and needed an immediate response. I couldn't call her as she was in a class, and so I did the smart thing and kept riding up the hill no handsy while I text'd her to let her know I wouldn't be back in Philly by 4pm. Who would have thought you could multitask on a road bike?

I was still feeling good after 3 hrs and so I decided to start riding up into MD towards Marky-Marc territory. It was then I noticed the dark clouds swirling in the sky, reminiscent of a Ghost Buster's movie. I decided something scary was happening in Marc's neck of the woods and so I high tailed it to Appleton Rd. and did a TT on a 20 mph tailwind on 273 back to Newark. I was flying, but coming up the final hill into Newark, my rear end was feeling squishy and sure enough, my second ride on the brand new set of tyres was getting a flat. I rode on the front wheel for as long as possible, hoping to get to Wooden Wheels, but alas, I had to stop on Delaware Ave. and fix it. It was quick and painless, but still it sucked as I was rolling and I always love that sharp turn off the train tracks and onto DE Ave. I've almost been hit there at least a dozen times and lost the rear wheel a few times too, but have yet to lay it down. It was a bummer not to take that turn at a quick pedal.

I still swung on by WW's to say high and get some water for the return trip to Wilmington. I miss that shop as it is sooo spacious, very unlike the City where bike shops think it's ok to be clusterphuk.

I high-tailed it out of WW's pretty quick as the dark clouds were swirling and the wind turning brutal. It was no fun the drag up Papermill Rd. to Limstone Rd. I even ran the light at Limestone b/c I was feeling cooked and was out of food and was starting to feel a little bonkie.
Of course I come up to the next light and some chick has parked her car on the shoulder and not only will I have to ride in a lane, she's even out of her car with a Digital SLR taking my picture. I was like shit, hope she's not some off duty cop. She yelled and said she's with the "Community" newspaper of Hockessin. She asked where I was riding to and I told her Wilmington via Brackenville/Ashland Nature center, and so sure enough when I rode by there 20 minutes later she was hanging out in the rain and took my picture. It was just too cheesey, but cut out the picture and keep it if any of ya get the Newspaper. I was COOKED when she took the shots and I guarantee I look like crap. I just want to see how bad I look.

I made it back at my dad's house at 4:30, I had left at 11:40 and so I was dead/cooked/fried. I inhailed a protein bar and then just laid down on his living room floor. Of course no one was at his house when I got there and then here comes my dad into his house and I'm lying on his floor half dressed and feeling bonk+pain. Good thing he's seen it before or else he probably would have actually worried about me. The warm shower felt as good as sex for the first time. My body couldn't move, but oh the warmth felt great all over my body. I split, hit the mobbed Trader Joes and then hit 95 back to Philly, then hit the bed by 8:30. The lady wasn't happy I had dissappeared all day, but she got all of me today, so all's well.

Took today off as I was uber cooked. Funny, I missed Marc and Diane's dinner at Le Bus by 24 hrs, as I ate there tonight with the lady. She had the Couscous, I had the Black Bean Enchilada. Both were damn good and went great with whatever the wine was that "Winnie" had recommended. I ordered a bottle of it, as it was way cheaper to order it by the bottle then by the glass. Neither Thea or I drink much and so half the bottle was left when dinner was over. I asked the waitress if she could please retrieve the cork and she said they don't allow people to take bottles out, I was like damn, you should have told me before I ordered the bottle...Anyways, Thea solved the solution and made the bottle dissappear and luckily my friend Anne was having a dinner party up the street and so I hooked a sister up with the half bottle to start her night. That's what friends do...

Good 2 days, one more to go...can't wait for some long miles tomorrow. Hopefully tomorrow will be no boring-ass ride through the suburbs like these chaps all seem to salivate for. Riding in DE/PA/MD yesterday reminds me of how great it is to ride over a mile without stopping for a light/stop sign.

ride on,

-BC