Strada Biancha en Memoria

This blog is normally about commuting, but I thought I would add a post about a nice recreational ride this weekend.

After reading Pondero's recent post about his Strada Biancha ride, I kind of invited myself up to Sanger for a trip around Chris's unpaved road circuit on Memorial Day.

I have several bikes, but I wasn't sure which one would be best for this kind of riding. I finally loaded my 1983 Raleigh Marathon on the rack and set out to meet Chris.

The day promised to be a warm one, but there were still some clouds in the sky when we set out. After just a few minutes, we were in farm country.





A short way into the ride, Chris said something about a bridge being out, "but we can get across." He actually seemed a little embarrassed that the bridge was out, but I recall reading that this favorite bridge had been slated for replacement. After a few awkward moments, we were again rolling.







We got up on a ridge that seemed like the top of the world, and where God himself was reaching down from the clouds to greet us.



Some of the scenes looked like the the kinds you see on old jigsaw puzzles or postcards. It's hard to explain how beautiful the area is without going up to experience it for yourself.







I felt kind of privileged to get a glimpse into the countryside that inspires one of my favorite blogs. Then again, there was Slidell, Texas, which was barely a town; more of a crossroads.



It made me want to introduce the town, Hee-Haw style: "Slidell, Texas. SAL-UTE!"



There were places where the road looked like it went on forever.



The bike picked up a lot of dust.



But all-in-all, it was a good day for the bike. The Marathon was the perfect bike for this ride. I haven't been riding it much lately, and forgot how well we fit each other.





Thanks, Chris, for giving me a peek into your world. A lovely world it is.