So Far, So Good!

My 30 Days of Biking in April continues to progress with my commitment to riding something some distance every day still intact. We’ve been blessed with some great spring weather this week and that has made it easy to get out and about on 2 wheels!

(A Beaverdam silo against the green grass of spring backdrop)

One of my new routes takes me by some pretty agricultural land including…

the field populated with cattle where the silo watches over the valley. This rural area has seen quite a bit of growth in recent years as it transitions from a landfill for nearby Evergreen Papers to the new Cattlemen’s Stock Yard, extension of the East Haywood Business Development group, and the nearby ball field complex.

I can tell that my cardio conditioning is making improvement as I’m adding small amounts of mileage to my daily rides and, at the same time, not struggling as much with the climbs. I’ve been impressed with the friendliness of nearby residents and new neighbors as they give sufficient room when passing and typically throw up a hand in greeting.

I’ve had only one unpleasant event where a SUV passed me in a blind curve on the section of road that leads to our home. While I wasn’t in particular danger, had any of the young girls that ride horses along that road been in the oncoming lane, it would have been a bad scene.

(Pretty log home in Beaverdam)

The homes along this road are represented well by this pretty log home on Beaverdam. The owners take good care of their property. The home and land always look very attractive. This section of road is pretty flat and makes for some nice spinning if you don’t hit it when the big trucks are rolling out the business area. My riding time has not coincided with their driving time thus far.

(Frontage Road along I-40)

Several years ago, the State of N.C. built this frontage road along I-40 to improve truck access to the business incubator area. On this particular loop, I get to work on my climbing muscles as I make it back up to Newfound Road. The road has about a 4 to 6% gradient and turns upwards again just at the crest that is visible in this photo. The lanes are wide and accommodates the moderately heavy car traffic and me as I slowly but surely make it to the top.

We have rain moving into the area tomorrow as an off-shoot of the winter storm now making its way across the mid-west. Hopefully, I’ll get a break in the rain long enough to keep my 30 in 30 commitment going. If not, I’ll ride another leg of the Tour de France on my ProForm spinner.

Until later,

-Zeke