Rhode Island: A Small State Big on Surprises



The photo above is of a kinetic bicycle sculpture spotted turning in the wind during a terrific-sounding loop ride through northern Rhode Island. The ride, and the photo, were taken by Bryan Lorber, an RN in vascular access who's also an enthusiastic cyclist. But not until this outing was he an overnighter. 

"Although I have cycled quite a bit in Rhode Island, I had never done any multi-day trips here (or anywhere else)," Bryan writes at his Bike Overnights post, Northern Rhode Island: History + Hospitality. "So, the purpose of this overnight tour was twofold: First, to practice fully-loaded touring with a camping component; and, secondly, to see Rhode Island and share with readers the surprising diversity of this smallest of states.

"Rhode Island is densely settled," he adds, "with Providence the primary population center and state capital. Interestingly, though, once you get away from the major highway corridors of Interstates 95 and 195, the state is surprisingly rural, with excellent cycling." 




As he pedaled through the capital city, before he reached that great rural riding, Bryan found himself surrounded by history -- particularly along the venerable Benefit Street, which he calls a "textbook of historic preservation."

In addition to the excellent road and bikeway riding he experienced, Bryan had the opportunity to camp out on the farm of a couple named Paula and Pete, a connection he made through the Narragansett Bay Wheelmen. Their hospitality "made the tour," Bryan writes.


He also had nice things to say about his rig. "My Tout Terrain Silkroad expedition bike with the Rohloff Speed hub was just amazing. I'd put over 3,000 miles on her (Joan) since last May, so I already knew how good she is -- but on this ride I was carrying approximately 30 pounds of equipment over some hilly terrain. The Rohloff drivetrain performed flawlessly. I still own a derailleur bike (Bridgestone RBT), but can't imagine ever buying one again. Any future bicycles in my life will have a Rohloff drivetrain." 

For more Rhode Island road magic, read Bryan's story in its entirety at BikeOvernights.org

Our current Photo of the Week, shown below, might look familiar. That's because it comes from last week's special summer-solstice Bike Overnight, Alaska: Bears and Bikes and the Midnight Sun, by Kate Batten.



BikeOvernights.org Photo of the Week, 06.22.12.

Top 3 photos by Bryan Lorber.

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BIKE OVERNIGHTS is posted every Monday by Michael McCoy, Adventure Cycling?s media specialist, and highlights content from BikeOvernights.org. Previously, from March 2009 through January 2012, Mac posted weekly at Biking Without Borders. He also compiles the organization's twice-monthly e-newsletter Bike Bits, which goes free-of-charge to 45,000 readers worldwide.

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/06/rhode-island-small-state-big-on.html

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