Country Back Roads and Other Rainy Places: Riding through the Delaware countryside

56 miles
12.4 mph aver.

Today’s ride was really different from yesterdays. Yesterday we rode 25 miles up hwy 1 through Ocean City and Fenwick Island. We could have been riding down the Grand Strand at Myrtle Beach. We had stores and quick shops the whole way. Today we rode through the Delaware countryside and did not see a store until we arrive in Chestertown.

The traffic was almost nonexistence as we rode over country roads. Again the ride was rolling so we coasted down grades and pedaled up them. There was very little wind and it was at our back. There was also no bathrooms so Susan wasn’t real happy about that second cup of coffee she had for breakfast. I tried to tell her. The bad part was it started rain about two hours into our ride.

Now, we have rain gear that includes rain pants. They keep the rain out but they keep the sweat in. You get wet either way but at least sweat is warm. That’s the plus. The real downside is those ¾ length lycra bike pants are a little tough to pull up when they are wet, especially when you are in a hurry along the side of a farm road. It’s funny how you don’t see a car for hours and then when you have your pants around your knees here comes the whole community. It was really sort funny from my point of view, though Susan never did see the humor in it. I bet she will cut back on coffee tomorrow. All in all it was a nice ride, even with rain, for most of the time; but about 5 miles from Chestertown it all fell apart.

Our turns and roads where right with the queue sheet until then. We were riding along expecting the next turn to be John Powell Rd and right with the mileage up came Fox Dell Rd. Since our road dead ended into it we turned left like the queue sheet said. It did not take long to realize we were lost. It was so rural we couldn’t even find someone to ask where we were. Using our compass and a road map we finally got back on track but not before we burned up 4 miles going the wrong way. All told we added 6 miles but we did make it.

After checking in we dropped our stuff in the room and headed back to town. The rain had stopped about an hour before we arrived so the sun was shining. After Susan made a few purchases we stopped at a coffee shop and had a donut. Not a bad way to end a bike day.

Tomorrow we turn and head back south. Rain is still being forecasted and the winds will be 5-10 from the SSE. We are headed that way so it looks like a head wind. What would a ride be without a head wind.