I looked forward to riding through Lynchburg early in my ride; that was before I actually rode through Lynchburg.
I left Madison and hit a fast downhill to the river followed by a very steep, steep uphill into Lynchburg. I actually had to stop a couple of times for a break. After reaching the top of the hill I was in the midst of construction and the not so nice side of Lynchburg. I never saw Liberty University but I finally did exit Lynchburg and set my sights toward Salem.
Before reaching Roanoke the ride was typical of what I had experienced thus far; very scenic. Once I entered Roanoke everything changed; the traffic picked up and I was immersed in a very commercial area.
The roads and sights became familiar from previous visits to Roanoke. I worked my way through the city and then entered the Salem city limits. I knew exactly where I was so that was exciting. The ride through Salem, past the church where Celeste's brother ministers, past the Salem Starbucks to Eric's neighborhood was nice. The hill going up to his house was not so nice; very steep. I started and finished the day with a steep hill. Once again I had to take a short break.
I arrived at the house, settled in, showered and then went with Joy and the kids to church for dinner and worship. It was a great night! I was happy to get my laundry done before bed since I was unable to do laundry the night before.
As I laid down to sleep I thought about the next day's ride and the major climbs that were to come. I actually enjoy the long climbs; I guess my first and second GTD rides through Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Nevada and the California Coast prepared me for such climbs. We'll see how tomorrow goes.
