Two days, 180 miles, Biloxi to New Orleans and back, with Jesse and two NCCC volunteers, Meredith and Liz. Perfect weather – high of 73°, sunny, light wind. Yes, you can get a (mild) sunburn in November in Mississippi, if you’re on the road for 8 hours a day. Pictures below and the full set here.
I’ve been thinking about a bike trip to New Orleans for a while, and this weekend it happens. The weather is sunny with a high of 74°. The 90-mile ride follows US Highway 90 across the Mississippi coast, through Bay St. Louis and Pearlington, into the lakes and wetlands and finally through East New Orleans into the city. It’s time I’m bikin’ to New Orleans I’m bikin’ to New Orleans I’m going to need two pair of shoes When I get through bikin’ to you When I get back to New Orleans –Fats Domino (Adapted)
You know the quote: “As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.” Well, as a regular bicyclist, I naturally hate both drivers and pedestrians. But surely we can all get along? Dear Mississippi drivers: if you can learn a few simple things, we will both be much happier! When passing bicycles, particularly on a narrow road, you may need to wait until you can pass safely. Speeding by while leaning out the window and screaming “GET OFF THE ROAD, FAG!” is not an …
I took my new Trek out on its maiden voyage this morning, doing a route called the Biloxi North 40 with my friend Anne. The land here changes pretty quickly as you head north of the coast. Biking just a couple miles inland, the cities of Biloxi and D’Iberville morph into a rural landscape interspersed with concrete distributors and uninspiring subdivisions. The coast’s southern live oaks are replaced by scrubby forests of longleaf and slash pines. We headed out around 11, so we had a hot and sunny two-hour ride. The bike was a good choice; it’s a hybrid road …
Since my car met its end a couple of weeks ago I’ve been riding my bike. It’s not a great bike — an old, heavy street bike with two functioning gears that I found ownerless behind Hands On — but I’m enjoying it inordinately. At the distances I typically go, there’s no need to drive; the bike is hardly much slower, uses no gas (in Mississippi, where the majority of vehicles on the road are pickups or SUVs, bringing down the average a little doesn’t hurt), and costs barely anything. Plus, there’s something that biking does to reconnect you to …