Saturday we’ll head to Delaware, we think, and will cross this, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. A few days ago our 200k+ wheels failed us and are currently in the shop for big repairs. If finished today, as predicted, we’ll ride our bikes out to Merrifield via the W&OD and Gallows Road, throw them in the back and cross our fingers. Then, Delaware, here we come.
So, tomorrow’s trip is to join my dad’s family for my aunt‘s annual cookout, but…
Update! Cylinder’s cracked and may not be worth repairing…possibly need new engine or new wheels all together. So, we’ll be two-wheeling it for awhile, which is fine except we soon need to travel to Lucy’s vet appointment, our dentist appointments, etc. The neighborhood walks will have to do Lucy for now, and there’s a small shopping center across the street, so, until we hear more, I’d best fill up the water bottles… .
Grace
T
8noodles
Anita
justin
YogaforCynics
Twitter: Hugzbe4ugo
ah, the infamous Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Do they still have people who will drive you across if you are too scared? Bad news about the car. We don’t own one anymore but they sure are convenient.
Grace´s last blog post ..Things are just rolling along
Grace, you’re kidding. There are folks to drive you across the bridge if you’re too scared to drive yourself? Holy cow, that’s funny, though not to those who are scared, I bet. I wish we could do without one, but it’s hard with Lucy…I don’t think they make bicycle doggie baskets big enough for her!
Twitter: Hugzbe4ugo
There used to be – I think you had to request them, don’t know if that service is available anymore. The police have to “rescue” drivers who get part way across and then freeze. it’s a scary long bridge.
Grace´s last blog post ..Things are just rolling along
Jennifer down there at the bottom remembers these drivers. Being high on bridges (so to speak) never bothers me, though being up in a plane does. Hmmm…
oh bad news on the wheels. Sometimes with the cost of repairs your almost better off just trading it in. At least you have a shopping center close enough for the necessities.
ann´s last blog post ..The Boxcar Children
Yeah, for the cost of repairs we can probably find a decent used car, and with that many miles, who knows what will go wrong next, though I can’t imagine it’d be much more expensive than a new engine. Yikes.
Sorry to hear about the inconvenience. Is renting a car out of the question?
nothingprofound´s last blog post ..
Thanks, nothingprofound. Renting is definitely an option although we’re more likely to get this fixed right away or get something else for the same cost as the repairs. I’m afraid it’s more of an inconvenience to Lucy rather than us…she’s missing out on her visits to parks and the d-e-e-r and r-a-b-b-i-t-s…shhh…
Holly-Sorry I have not been by in awhile! Hope something works out for you!!! Car repairs! Arrrgggghhhhhh!
Ha! Yeah, argh is right! I just wish that Fairfax County was more bike-friendly. Very common here to have a nice paved path only to have it end in the middle of nowhere. Argh, again. And please, no apologies…I am a visitor/lurker…no commenting…am working on that!
Twitter: junkdrawer
Sorry to hear your misfortune. I’m always afraid my car will up and die some day (10 years old). Then again, I’m sort of jonesing for a new car, one where I don’t have to use my key to unlock. I don’t even have a CD player in mine. Good luck with the rest of the trip.
Junk Drawer Kathy´s last blog post ..Camping is For Other People
Hi Kathy. I know what you mean…the last time we took the truck in to the mechanic, the water hose broke just as we turned into the lot, so we’ve been pretty lucky (13 years old). A key to unlock? You poor thing! Thanks…the DE trip is off so I’ll catch up with family at another time.
Sorry about the car troubles. I can sympathize, of course. I remember once spending about $2K keeping a hoopdie driveable for 2 years, only to find out the engine was shot, anyway. I sold it to a wrecker for $75. OUCH!
Lana´s last blog post ..A Sunset, Etc.
Ouch is right, Lana. Yeah, we figure with a brand new engine, whatever else goes wrong shouldn’t be that bad…but of course, we’d probably be wrong there. Argh.
Twitter: craftybird
Hmmm, car troubles… sounds horribly expensive! You have my sympathy, it’s never a good time for a car to conk out on you. For relatively short distances, ever thought of getting a bike trailer? I used to have unlimited use of one and it was fabulous for shopping – you could load it pretty full and it would slow you but made no serious difference to how the bike handled. You can get covered ones which you could also haul Lucy in – I have a friend who took her dog, Frodo, everywhere that way. He was a border collie cross, about the same size as Lucy I’d imagine, and he’d recline like a prince on his favourite blanket while she cycled around town. I imagine Lucy would need a few training runs on safe local roads to get used to it :) I seriously, seriously recommend you give one a try – I’ve hauled heavy loads up to 10 miles that way.
Bird´s last blog post ..Stormy North Sea Sky
Hi Bird, and thank you so much for your suggestion. I can imagine that a trailer would be very useful, except I’m afraid that I’m too much of a coward to trust myself with one around here. The traffic on the main road zooms constantly at 45+ mph, with the drivers usually on cell phones and doing who knows what else. We do have some old bikes we want to fix up with panniers for trips to the grocery store. Lucy in the back? Ha! I’m afraid she’s not well-behaved enough to stay still, but in this horrid weather, who knows. She gets awfully lazy.
By the way, we’ve decided on a new engine for our old truck, so we should have it back in a few weeks. We’re still interested in bike trips to shop, though. :o)
Sorry to hear about your car troubles, though two-wheeling it is fun and at least you have some not-too-far-away options. I, too, have heard about the Chesapeake Bay Bridge driver service. I think about it every time I go across the bridge. I also remember a college friend from my Washington College days whose aunt was terrified of driving over it and then (with my friend in the car) knocked right into the guardrails. Oopsie.
Berkeley is a very bike-friendly place and I’ve seen more than one pooch in a kid’s bike trailer, but that probably isn’t a possibility where you live (plus those trailers are pricey, too).
Anyway, I hope you get some affordable wheels again soon.
Jennifer´s last blog post ..Thresholds of glass
Thanks, Jennifer. Yeah, we’ve decided on a new engine (actually, rebuilt) and although too pricey, it’s the best option for us. With a grocery store right across the street, though, we have no excuse to not walk or ride our bikes. We’re working on that.
I never knew about the driver service for the bridge…but many more drivers like your friend’s aunt and I can understand. Holy cow. Bumping the guard rail? I’m sure that such an experience would turn me into a bridge fraidy cat!
I wish the mindset here was more bike-friendly as where you are. As you know, here it’s all beltway and rushing around with no decent walking/biking paths for those who’d like to travel otherwise. Ugh.
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