Progress?

We rode across a new bridge today. Cyclists would generally appreciate the fact that this bridge was wider and was higher so we didn't have to climb as far to make it back up the hill, but this one was disappointing.

The town of Rex is on the Quad County route that we rode this morning. One of the picturesque highlights of this route is a one-lane bridge that passes next to an abandoned mill.




The mill was built in the 1820s and had been used off and on until the 1930s. In 2007 when these photos were taken, the sluice is nearly completely gone and the site is overgrown, but you can see what the site looked like 25 years ago.



The new bridge diverted us around both the old bridge and the mill. We missed the highlight of the ride!

Next time we ride this route, we'll skip the new bridge, take the slow route, and climb the extra few feet so we can recall a piece of watermill history. At least the cars won't be in our way anymore.

Clicking the images will bring up a full-size image. Helps you climb into the scene.

Ride Summary

Round Trip Distance: 51.5 miles from Virginia-Highland
Number of Cyclists on the ride: 17 initially with 14 finishing with us.
Route: Quad County (courtesy of L5P Flyers) with modifications on the return to avoid Bouldercrest but catch a bit of fun on Weelaunee (between River Road and Flakes Mill).
Weather: Warm, but not as warm as we expected.