26 May 2012

Love/Blue Ridge Parkway to Troutville VA 70 miles  (TransAm 331)

Heat. This is the story of late. Gina is on her bike by 7 am, an hour she hasn’t graced with her non-sleeping presence in many a month. Besides employment, few things can get Gina up that early. A great spin instructor can do it. An airplane ride to a distant land can do it. The scent of a Top Pot donut with a frothy cup of coffee can do it. And now the chance to beat some of the afternoon heat on the TransAm joins the list. These sweltering temperatures are starting to make a dent in Gina’s Treat Budget. But that’s one of the great things about bike touring: eat whatever you want, ’cause that next big hill’s going to take it right back out of you.

Today’s ride was to the constant backbeat of cicadas. These insects are reportedly among the loudest in the world. According to Wikipedia, “their song is technically loud enough to cause permanent hearing loss in humans, should the cicada sing just outside the listener’s ear.” Now we’ve all had bugs smack into us while riding and that little sting we feel at the point of impact can temporarily make us shake our head like a dog with water in its ears, but this cicada appears to pose a much higher level of threat to a cyclist than your average bumblebee smack. Imagine having one of these beauties caught in your chin strap, bellowing away. His eyes are freaky enough; you don’t need him making you deaf too.

Photo credit: Wikipedia

Humming my own pity party tune, I welcomed the bashful sun and its attendant heat here in Seattle by taking my party on the road, cycling north to Edmonds. No special treats for me except the artful views of Mt Baker and the Kingston ferry. Despite my TransAm envy, it’s hard to wish you were anywhere else when blessed with a sunny day in Seattle.