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Observation and Perspective
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| Ride Stats |
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Distance:
38.93 miles
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Time: 03:48:00
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Max Speed:
0.00 mph
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Avg Speed:
0.00 mph
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Temp:
Max: 91
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Category: general: touring -
group
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Route:
Canal East : from Durhamville to Rome and back
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Weight:
241
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Altitude Gain:
0 ft
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Avg Power: 0 W
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Calories Burned: 0
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Avg HR: 0 bpm
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Terrain: Road: Flat
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Bike: Specialized 40lb-Globe 700c Hybrid
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Club: USA Towpath and Trail Riders association |
| Weather Conditions: overcast and comfortable, then Hot |
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An adventure to be sure; Four years ago, Fred and I had planned to do this ride. Back then Fred was 78 years young.
The main reason 4 years passed without us doing this run was due to the towpath trail being in need of re-grooming. The Old Erie canal towpath from Durhamville to Rome was due to be groomed and graded back then. As of last year this section was finally complete. We started our ride where we had finished our previous Eastern most effort back on July 17, 2007.
The idea was to ride to Rome and return. Along the way I hoped to see a "historic canal village", an "old dry dock", and maybe Fort Stanwix...
We got a little bit off track around the 16th mile. After the stop at the Erie Canal village and a talk with the caretaker there, we continued on the towpath to a point where the trail seemed to cross the canal and continue on the opposite bank. Well that turned out to be an odyssey of sort...
The trail was clearly no longer "towpath" but was now an ancient rail-bed that has been used for "4-wheeling". I urged we press on. Some spots on the trail were too steep to ride a bike so we walked those areas. Fred said he was going to continue to walk his bike on the path as we searched for an exit. I told him I would scout ahead looking for a cross road for us to leave this trail...
The cinder rail bed was closed in a bit and the black cinders were loose. Lots of Skeeters on the path too. When my front wheel got buried on a slow speed wobble, I took a tumble and bent my rack and dislodged the rear fender mount -I was on my butt. I straightened the bike out and found the cross road a bit further on. Doubling back to find Fred, I find walking and looking a bit disheveled. He had taken a tumble too, attempting to ride on those cinders.
At the crossroad (Muck Road) we made our way down from the trail. Stopping under a tree in someones front yard we attempted to straighten Fred's badly bent rear wheel. Fred got the wheel running "good enough" and we headed into Rome.
Stopping at Ted's Ice Cream Parlor for water and a polish sausage sandwich. Then we continued into downtown Rome. We pedaled South of Fort Stanwix with the goal of getting back to our starting point. With 20 miles of towpath and roads to travel in the heat of midday, we pedaled down busy Erie Blvd. Eventually made our way back to the Erie Canal Village and onto the towpath. We did get a glimpse of the "old dry dock" area on the way back too.
Upon reaching Lock 21, Fred rested. His ribs ached from the spill he took earlier. He felt that perhaps his days of doing long rides should be left to the past...
I went on ahead back to the truck. It took 1 hour for me to pedal back, load my bike, and pick up Fred on Lock Road.
Except for Fred's tumble the trip went well. My tumble was minor.
Addendum 7/15/11: Fred says "No Problem" or health issue from his fall on the ride. He said he slept well overnight and the next morning there was no rib pain! He does have some bike wheel maintenance work to do.
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