To get to the unfamiliar dirt roads, I had to ride on some paved roads, including a state highway. Fortunately, it’s still early enough in Frankenbike season that I was able to ride the paved portion before the sun went down. About four miles into my ride, I turned off the pavement onto Goldin Road, which is unpaved. It lasted about half a mile before it dead-ended. Bummer. I wasn’t really surprised, though, because when I was planning the route, I had zoomed in really close on Google Earth and thought that Goldin Road might not actually exist where the line showed.
I made a fairly easy detour and went to the second unfamiliar dirt road, Hayes Road. I had no reason to doubt Google Earth, which indicated that Hayes Road connects Felton McMichael Road and Clay Tillman Road, two dirt roads that I have ridden. There was even a nice road sign at the Felton McMichael end. At first Hayes Road looked like the typical dirt roads I usually ride on, even having a few houses where I started. As I continued on, though, it became less and less maintained. I really began to wonder about this road as it eventually turned into a giant erosion ditch with extremely deep ruts. I kept thinking that soon it would get better as I approached the other end. It didn’t get better. In fact, despite my bright front light, I went down in one of the ruts. I banged up my elbow, but I was fine to keep riding.
I checked the map on my phone, and I appeared to still be on Hayes Road or at least close to it. I decided to keep going. A mud hole here, a tree across the path there – this was becoming a true cyclocross ride! Surely I was getting close to Clay Tillman Road. Then I came to a swampy area by a creek. I had to turn around.
It was dark now. I put my front light on its highest setting. I was fairly certain I was retracing my route, but I checked my phone map again. Other than the road/path I was on, the closest road appeared to be a paved road I knew. For a minute I considered trying to go straight through the woods to that road. Then I realized that I was getting a little panicky and just needed to relax and think clearly. I developed a plan: keep going back until I reached Felton McMichael Road again and call Robert to come get me. I didn’t want to ride Frankenbike all the way home because I wouldn’t feel safe riding on the paved roads in the dark, even with my lights.
Periodically, I checked my phone map to make sure I was going in the right direction. Still, I got disoriented a few times. Once I even came to an intersection with a house that I didn’t remember seeing before. Another time I stopped when I thought I had taken a wrong turn. I rechecked my map, took a quick nature break, and got back on Frankenbike. I don’t know exactly what I did, but somehow as I was trying to clip in, I fell over so hard that I twisted my saddle and the right side of my handlebars. I couldn’t move either one back into place and had to keep riding cattywampus. At least I could still ride.
Finally, I got back to Felton McMichael Road. Robert picked me up and laughed with me sympathetically; he had had a similar entanglement with Hayes Road about a month earlier. At least it had happened to him during the day!
When we got home, Robert started cleaning up Frankenbike for me while I doctored my elbow. As you might imagine, Frankenbike was terribly caked in mud. Robert started with a hand shovel(!), but he had to switch to the garden hose. Also, he was able to straighten the saddle and handle bars. Frankenbike and I are both ready for our next outing.
Last night’s ride taught me a lot:
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A phone and a front light are invaluable.
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Google Earth isn’t always correct.
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Explore new roads during daylight hours only.
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Don’t panic.
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Even if you expect adventure, sometimes you get
a little more than you bargain for!
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