Category: A Ride for April

Flat terrain and a flat tire looping around Emerald Isle

(If you’re new here, please see this post to learn what The Ride for April is all about or, if you already now, please click the button below and donate in support, please!)

My second preparatory ride for the 300 miles of the Ride For April was my most ambitious: almost 110 miles over 2 days. The big caveat: riding along the eastern coast of North Carolina is about the flattest terrain you can find.

Almost eight miles of the ride took almost two hours, navigating around 2-foot deep potholes.

That said, the ride wasn’t without its challenges. As pictured above, a big unpaved chunk of road was a big mess. I passed a pickup truck trying to navigate the same road; I was able to go at least a little faster than it could, dodging the worst bits of road.

Then on the second day, I got a flat tire just outside the lovely little town of Beaufort. Nice town but a flat still sucks, particularly when it’s the first time you’ve had to patch one on a relatively new bike. The remaining 25 miles of riding was a little anxious as I kept checking to see if my patch was holding.

But among the high points of the ride were two journeys on the Minnesott Beach ferry. On the first day, I was virtually by myself (top picture). On the way back, I shared the ride with an enormous construction vehicle. Just one of its tire was almost twice the size of my bike.

Also, on the first day, I started at a lovely coffee shop with a dragon in the adjacent pond and ended the day at the beach. Pretty sweet bookends to a long day!

On the second day, I had to ride up and over some pretty steep bridges but the view from the top of them was gorgeous (sorry — couldn’t stop and snap a pic!) And even as I was feeling anxious post-flat on the second day, I rode by a house that reminded me that, all and all, my life is pretty fantastic!

Please tell your friends and family about The Ride for April and lend your support. Thanks!

A down-and-back to Charles City is my first real touring test

(If you’re new here, please see this post to learn what The Ride for April is all about or, if you already now, please click the button below and donate in support, please!)

If I’m going to trek 300 miles next month, I’ve got to get in shape. Also, I’ve got new panniers for my bike and need to get used to living out of them, so the weekend of March 25-26 I rode down to the Edgewood Plantation from Richmond as a first training ride for the big one in April.

It was a beautiful day in Richmond, as I crossed the Lee Bridge on the way to Capital Trail that would take me to Charles City.

I didn’t take any pictures on the trail on the way down because I’ve done the Cap Trail a couple dozen times. I did capture this silly shot of me chowing down on pizza to pack in some cards, bought from the Dairy Queen at 4 Mile Creek.

I made decent time and arrived at the plantation just after 7pm. I didn’t really know what to expect when I got there but what I found was eccentricity to the nth degree. Here’s the house and the foyer when you first walk in.

The couple who run the place are nice enough but they are very old southern folks and talking with them will a little like walking through molasses. As quick as I could get away from them, I did, repairing to my room to watch some basketball before fading off to bed.

The next day after breakfast, I packed up and rolled another mile and a half to Berkeley Plantation. It’s famous for being the location of the first Thanksgiving (apparently). Here’s a view of the plantation behind be and the monument to that first gathering:

It was a nice enough day but windy as all get out, and I was riding against it most of the day as I was heading west. I was good and tired by the time I made it back to RVA after almost 41 miles on the road.

Day 1 and 2 of this ride approximate the distance of days 2 and 1 of The Ride for April. I feel moderately confident I can make it through those two days now, at least. The 5 or 6 days after the first two, well, I’m still not convinced…

Please tell your friends and family about The Ride for April and lend your support. Thanks!

Cheer me on, support nature and remember April Sayre

Last November, an amazing and accomplished old friend, April Pulley Sayre, succumbed to cancer. The loss to the world and to all who knew and loved her is profound (please read more about April below). On April 23rd, there will be a celebration of April’s life in South Bend, Indiana, where she lived with her devoted husband, Jeff, who she married back when I first met her in 1989.

On April 25th, I’m setting off from the shores of Lake Huron in eastern Michigan, planning to bike to South Haven on Lake Michigan. As per the image above, the distance from lake to lake is about 250 miles. I am asking that you cheer me on in this effort by supporting the environmental foundation that April and Jeff established, called the April & Jeff Sayre Fund for Nature.

Just 1 cent per mile will result in $2.50 more toward the great work of this fund. Of course, if you can give 10 cents, $1 or even $10 per mile, that would be awesome! I have plans for some special gifts for people who give the most money but honestly, any amount you can give will be greatly appreciated.

I have never done anything like this before – neither rode my bike over so long a distance nor organized any personal fundraiser like this. Which makes me especially grateful, both for your moral support of me and your financial support of this foundation.

To Give Your Support

Simply go to the April & Jeff Sayre Fund for Nature GoFundMe page and donate! Please add a comment like “To support A Ride For April” so I can thank you personally.

If you feel comfortable, please ask your friends and family to lend their support as well. You can send them to Ride4April.com and that will redirect them here. THANKS!

More About April

Her personal website.

An obituary from Publisher’s Weekly

A remembrance in the South Bend Tribune

April’s Healing Earth Facebook page.

More About the Ride

While it is approximately 250 miles from Lake Huron to Lake Michigan across the southern expanse of the state, when all is said and done, I will be biking about 300 miles in two main chunks.

Here is my planned route from Port Huron to Paw Paw.

And here is my loop from Paw Paw to South Haven and back.

You can follow my preparations for the ride and see the adventure as it unfolds on this site under “A Ride for April” or by clicking here.