Surry Bike Ride 4-26-11

The Tuesday Group outings are gearing up for the good weather season. This Tuesday, most made a long trek to Surry from their comfortable abodes in steamy VA Beach, Norfolk and environs. It was worth it. Surry is very rural and the escape from choking traffic into the clear breezy air of Surry County lifted the spirits of all. Phyllis, Glen and Brian just rode over on the ferry. Vic and Margaret P, Bruce and Margaret J, Ellis and Marti M, Ed, Jane O, Mark, Katrina, Diana, Bob, Dottit, Van and Kama all drove from far away places.

All were impressed that Brian was actually prepared. He had route maps. Actually he had two sets of route maps (more later). Brian's reputation suffered a relapse when all realized he had bought a book and just copied the routes. But it worked out. The main ride started at the Surry County Government center which has a large convenient parking lot--and clean bathrooms. A good start. The ride to Chippokes Plantation is an easy spin through the rural farmlands of peanuts, cotton and soybean. There was an occasional vehicle on the roadways, but very few cars all day. It was more like a giant bikepath. After visiting Chippokes Plantation and checking up on the status of the fruit orchard the Tuesday Group planted a few years ago, we all expect a call to arms from Bruce to come re-plant more trees in the near future. The deer are torturing the young trees. About half are gone. But it is always a pleasant place of solitude around Chippokes on a weekday. After completing 2/3 of the route, Brian whipped out another route map from his book, Ride 22, entitled "Ride to Nowhere". It would add 12 miles to the route for the day. Five guys (hey, that is a good name for a restaurant!) took the challenge while the rest were enchanted by the siren song of the Surry House Restaurant with its reputation for good lunches and ample deserts--peanut this and peanut that. Of course, Van on his racing bike and Bruce with his piston legs wore out the others who barely managed to keep up. So we ate more when we arrived at the restaurant. The Surry House was nice enough to put us in the back room by ourselves so we could sit together as a large group. It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that the weather during our ride was hot and we were..... well, I don't think so.

The waitress kept telling us that a storm was coming. We ignored her, but finally took the hint and decided the day was done. Back to the cars and a good ride home. But WAIT, Jane O ticked off the local Bad Dog on the route back to the parking lot. Jane tried to outrun a Pit Bull that had broken loose and used his large teeth and loud bark to maximize terror in anyone caught passing by--like Jane! She lived to tell about it.

Another good day with good friends. No flat tires--well, Vic was losing air--and no accidents. We will do the full "Ride To Nowhere" another time.

Brian