Yesterday I did get dressed to ride my mare, but when I was headed down to the barn I heard all kinds of ruckus going on in the field and the dogs in the backyard going crazy barking. There was my sweet horse, galloping around like a maniac, bucking and farting and snorting at some imagined danger in the fields beyond our property. The other three were all were standing at attention, looking at the fields beyond. I couldn't see what had their attention, but just watching my silly horse racing around I thought "well, this is a big NOPE". Might not have minded when I was In my 20s, but at age 66 I tend to think twice nowadays. She is a sweetheart and would have settled down by the time I tacked up and we headed out, but....I left all four to have their silly equine fun while I went in the garage, mounted my ebike, and took it for a lovely 16 mile ride. Dressed in my riding clothes.
Had a blast, took some gravel roads I've never ridden - these being more towards the east which gave me access to an very very old gravel road named after the Confederate general, Jeb Stuart. This unique road includes the last remaining ford (unbridged at grade creek crossing) in Loudoun County. Unusual because we are only 50 miles as the crow flies from the capital of the US - Washington DC. A high density metropolis. And yet here we are with this old timey "horse and buggy days" type of road crossing. I did have the opportunity to go a different way around but this route called to my sense of adventure. Besides, I'd ridden through the ford on a horse, and once in my truck, (both times years ago) so...it wasn't a complete unknown.
Just decending the extremely rough and steep gravel road made me decide that, no matter what happened when I reached the ford at the bottom, I would keep going because backtracking would be a "not fun" effort.
When I reached the creek, and saw the depth and width, I did have an "oh boy, what have I done" moment of "maybe I better go back up the road and go the other way" because there was no way I could ride the bike through the water without the motor being submerged.
But...where there's a will, there's a way. I studied the water, the deep pockets that were almost hip high, and the banks of the stream...and saw a way across that was workable. It wasn't rideable. I had to walk. However it was the best...and only...option.
So... holding up the front of my bike so that the back wheel was supporting the bike's weight but the motor at the pedals didn't touch the water, I walked into the creek and threaded my way along the enbankment to where the creek narrowed somewhat at a rocky, swift moving shoal . Got soaked all the way above my ankles, but that sure beat negotiating going straight across which would have been over knee deep and meant I would have had to portage my almost 50lb bike completely out of the water.
The water was cold (it is end of December after all!), but it was fun! Yes, the rest of the ride home was done with water logged shoes and socks, yet an adventure that was well worth the smiles.
A fun and funny day.
The pic of my bike at the creek was after I had crossed. That old gravel road was unbelievably rough - I felt like I was mountain biking at times!
The sign at the top of the road. They are serious, too. When the creek floods there is no way, even with a horse or a Hummer, that one can cross.
Success! On the far side of the creek, looking back. The dark part of the water (if you look straight across) is very deep, even for a car. It is generally trucks that will use this road, and horses (fairly recently, too, judging by the fresh imprint of shod hooves on the road). My route was to hug the embankment to the right where the creek bed was shallow until I reached a shoal (out of view of this shot) and work my way across. Having a carbon belt drive meant I wasn't worried about a chain or derailleur getting wet.
I had removed the bike's front fender several months ago because I travel a lot with the bike in a car. My bike did get a lot of road dirt caked on the front downtube and around the motor casing from the wet gravel. Not a problem to brush off with a paint brush after everything dried, but I'm sure a splash guard would be a better option. I'll design and sew a custom one this winter.
Really, REALLY loving this bike!!! It is a dream to ride. Right now I stand at 1,143 miles (1,839 kilometers) ridden from when I purchased it in May. I'm going to try to make it 1,200 miles (1,931 km) total before the end of the year.
Merry Christmas everyone!
