The morning was cold but winds were light, and shifting towards my direction of travel as the day wore on.

As the day warmed, I was entertained by more butterflies.

I knew that today’s ride was especially hilly–and it was.  Hills were generally longer and steeper.

I usually love crossing a bridge over a creek but today was different.  Going downhill to a creek bridge just meant that I needed to climb back up to match the surrounding topography.

I experienced the lowest speeds going uphill (6 mph) and the fastest speeds downhill (30 mph).

Speaking of speed, I sped through a downhill so fast towards the James River bridge that it was unsafe for me to take the left turnoff to the pedestrian/bicycle bridge.  I crossed the bridge with cars and trucks and was fortunate to be able to cut over to the intended path before having to explain my situation to the toll taker.

As I transitioned from days of rural riding towards the urban sprawl of Fredricksburg, stoplights seemed like a new thing to me. I missed the rapid stop-and-go of those rural stop signs.

I also encountered rush-hour traffic, which I readily navigated through using bike lanes and medians.

Although today was tiring, I felt remarkably good at the end of the ride.

Today’s tally: 85 miles