Holiday Cycling

This holiday weekend was back to back bookings for our crew of local wheelmen. Friday night we planned our first true night ride of the year and Saturday we trotted down the path to Ft. Harrison and back...

Friday University of Richmond Ride - 15.18 Miles
I skipped the camera for this ride with the thought that lighting would not be ideal and the same line up (Mike, Grant and myself) would be on the ride the following day. To my surprise Russ answered Grant's door when I knocked and I immediately kicked myself for leaving the camera at home. The elusive Russ would go uncaptured , but the ride would go on. We took off down Patterson to the U of R campus where we snaked our way over to the Huguenot Bridge to cross over to the southside of the city.

The sidewalk on the bridge was a bit hairy at spots and Grant caught a few over hanging branches in the face, but everyone made it unscathed. The bridge dumps you off at Riverside Dr, which is pitch black at night. I had brought along a back up head light for Grant only to find out that it was less of light and more of a marker so we could locate Grant in the dark. Mike rolls with a motorcycle headlight on the regular though so they paired off into an less than safe buddy system.

We wrapped up the ride around 9:30pm and made plans to hit a bar for food and drink. We decided on Dot's Back Inn and called up Sarah and Crystal to join us. The food was straight up tasty and the owner even stopped over to say hello. Mike and Sarah informed us that Dot's had been featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives a show on Food Network whose host does those incredibly annoying TGI Friday's commercials. Nothing to hold against a friendly proprietor and delicious food though.

Saturday Fort Harrison Ride - 27.54 Miles
We were up early two wheels rolling to beat the heat and traffic out to Fort Harrison. Russ passed, Grant and Mike showed up as planned and this time I brought my camera. The loop out and back to the fort is becoming ever more familiar as this is the forth time we have taken the trip. We made good time with little to no stops and ended up back in the city for lunch at Mezza. As the ride was relatively uneventful I'll let the photos in the link below close out the tale. Pardon, uneventful save the musical stylings of Grant and Mike channeling Michael McDonald at lunch, but being to embarrassed to let me record a video.

Photos from Saturday