Some things to know about cycling on the Eastern Shore:
1. The Eastern Shore is flat, but not as flat as you think to the east of Route 50. I've trained on hills a lot the last several years, and there's something to be said for downhill.
2 It's windy, probably windier than you think. Wind is the hill that doesn't end.
3. There's a lot of farming on the Eastern Shore. We're famous for our sweet corn, of course. But there's plenty of livestock, and further south, we're famous for our chicken farms. Combine the smell of some chicken farms with some downwind. . . . Well, you get the point.
4. Bring plenty of water and stuff to eat. Besides places on Route 50 and stores in Easton, St. Michaels, Oxford, and Tilghman, there aren't many places to get food or drink. Many "towns" are crossroads without any stores -- Unionville, Tunis Mills, Ivytown, Bruceville -- nothing.
5. The locals are friendly to cyclists. If you've run out of water and see someone on their property, they're bound to let you have some water.
6. The main roads have wide bike lanes -- easy to ride two abreast on the Oxford Road, the St. Michaels Road, and the like. The side roads don't have bike lanes, but they're really beautiful and there's almost no traffic. Grab a map, pick a place, and check it out. That's how I found many of the routes that I plan to post on this blog.
That's it for now.
1. The Eastern Shore is flat, but not as flat as you think to the east of Route 50. I've trained on hills a lot the last several years, and there's something to be said for downhill.
2 It's windy, probably windier than you think. Wind is the hill that doesn't end.
3. There's a lot of farming on the Eastern Shore. We're famous for our sweet corn, of course. But there's plenty of livestock, and further south, we're famous for our chicken farms. Combine the smell of some chicken farms with some downwind. . . . Well, you get the point.
4. Bring plenty of water and stuff to eat. Besides places on Route 50 and stores in Easton, St. Michaels, Oxford, and Tilghman, there aren't many places to get food or drink. Many "towns" are crossroads without any stores -- Unionville, Tunis Mills, Ivytown, Bruceville -- nothing.
5. The locals are friendly to cyclists. If you've run out of water and see someone on their property, they're bound to let you have some water.
6. The main roads have wide bike lanes -- easy to ride two abreast on the Oxford Road, the St. Michaels Road, and the like. The side roads don't have bike lanes, but they're really beautiful and there's almost no traffic. Grab a map, pick a place, and check it out. That's how I found many of the routes that I plan to post on this blog.
That's it for now.
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