Dre' and Carl Save The Day

Wednesday, May 17. Brookside KOA (near Stonewall Jackson's Shrine) to Fredericksburg, VA.

It's much later, and you may be able to tell that we have not made it out of Fredericksburg. Less than 20 miles, but we've called it a successful day (hey, it's our musical).

We were about 5 miles from F'burg and my tire gave out again. We tried to patch it, but in the end we had to gamble that our our last tube would get us to Bike Works. (drum roll, please)

We rolled in to F'burg on six inflated tires, and Dre' took a look at the damaged tube and my tire. It didn't take him long to find 2 tiny shards of glass that were imbedded inbetween the tire treads. Dre' also suggested that we change the rim tape to plastic or cloth (we're using rubber rim tape), and we opted to put in tire liners on both of our rear bicycle tires. I feel like I'm riding on steel-belted radials now.

While we were there, we also picked up chain cleaner, more spar tubes and packets of GU (edible gel--sounds yummy, right?). And, as long as we were burning plastic, I talked Matthew into replacing his Camelbak hydration system.

Camelbaks are just one brand of hydration system, but they're probably one of the most popular among cyclists. These days, hydration systems hold not only water, but have zippered pockets, loops, and a sort of bungee-cord restraint system--my guess is that REAL touring cyclists carry everything they need in just their Camelbak.

Matthew's model is about 8 years old, while mine is brand new. I've been watching him struggle with the way the shoulder straps distribute the pack's weight, as well as a small-ish fill spout on the bladder and a lock mechanism for the bite valve. The bite valve is what makes the Camelbak easy to use while keeping both hands on the handlebar. The lock keeps the valve from opening when pressure is applied accidentally--say, if you happen to set the pack down on top of the valve This is just a waste of water, and the carpet in the Richmond library will get really damp if it takes a while for you to notice . . .

So, while Bike Works has relieved us of a nice chunk of change, we're ready to roll. We lock the bikes to the rack outside the shop, and begin the hunt for the elusive Carl.

We stopped a couple of men in shirts and ties--they knew where to find Carl. Turns out that we were heading in the wrong direction, so we decided that lunch was in order. We'd skipped breakfast and hoped to get to F'burg in time for a mid-morning breakfast, but it was now 1:30pm, and the peanut butter crackers we'd had in kamp were a distant memory. Several folks recommended Old Town Grill, and we stumbled on it without really trying. Staying the night in F'burg was at this point, a foregone conclusion, so now we just needed to find a hotel--and Carl.

The Visitor's Center staff confirmed Carl's location, so after lunch (around 3pm) we set off. Carl--really, Carl's place--is a landmark custard ice cream shop in F'burg. They use a 1940's Electro-Freeze to make 120 gallons a day of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry custard.

I've never had custard before this, but I know folks who RAVE about it. We rolled up to Carl's stand, and while there was a little bit of a line, we had our cones in almost no time. I now understand the karma that is custard. It's what soft-serve wants to be! Carl's is softer than soft-serve-wanna-be's, and because they use eggs to make custard, it's very creamy. I sort of expected it to be heavy, but it was really very light and tasty. Go Carl!

I took a couple of pix at Carl's; next time I get to a library I'll upload them.

We rode another few miles to find a hotel, and get our weather-channel fix. The weather around here looks fine for the next couuple of days, but we're looking at the state of the roads in New England. We'll be there in a couple of weeks, and we may have to find an alternate route if some of the raods are washed out.

But for tonight, I feel better knowing that there was a reason for all of my flat tires. I'm ready to tackle the hills again tomorrow.