SPENCERPORT, NY
DAY 12 JUNE 8 70.9 MILES
The reward for pedaling uphill is coasting downhill.
Anon.
Last night's campsite setting was a rich, green lawn at the edge of Lake Ontario. It was tempting to stay but, on the ride into town, I had passed a quaint B&B that appeared to have my name on one of the rooms. The Silver Waters accommodations were very comfortable even without comparing them to camping. Dinner was on the upper deck of a waterfront cafe only 2 blocks away. A great night's sleep easily followed a hard day of riding. This morning, Mike, one of the owners prepared an excellent breakfast of buckwheat, blueberry pancakes for me and I was on my way with a smile on my face.
After riding about 20 miles, we reached a bikeway that follows the Erie Canal. After all of the hills of the previous days, we looked forward to a route which was relatively level. After all, rivers cannot flow up and down. The euphoria was short lived, however, because the unpaved trail became quite rough and we did not wish to punish our trusty steeds. I noticed some riders on a highway adjacent to our path and confirmed with SIRI, my iPhone internal expert, that it was a prudent course to Spencerport.
The other riders were with a "4K for Cancer" group. Their mission is very similar to ours. They are 24 college age youth, riding 4,000 miles from Baltimore to Seattle. However, their route is 300 miles shorter than ours with a time frame 6 days longer. Slackers! They also complained about the hills on their route. After riding with them for several miles, we parted company and I headed for the next town.
A Wesleyan Methodist Church represents our accommodations for the night. A problem occurred when a light rain began to fall as we approached the town and it became heavier and heavier as we proceeded. I stopped and turned on my tail light to be more visible to traffic. There were complications in arriving because, at the last moment, it was learned that the address had changed. I utilized SIRI to take me to the new address but she consumes quite a bit of power. My phone went dead about a mile from the destination. And when the iPhone goes dead, all means of modern communication are lost.
I continued past where I thought the church would be but saw only homes. I said a prayer to please help me find the church and within 10-15 seconds, it showed on the right hand side of the road. I am extremely thankful. Quite drenched upon reaching the church, all was forgotten when I was warm, dry and comfortable again. The rain was still falling so we had pizza delivered. All is well tonight in Spencerport--wherever that is!
Tip: At least once a week, inflate your tires to the recommended pressure. They will last longer, be easier to pedal and you will ride faster.
