The Underground Railroad Bike Tour:Part One

  
          

Observations from atop my Brooks Saddle 

An unexpected health issues forced me to postpone my original Underground Railroad Bicycle tour.  However, my health improved whereby over the Memorial Day Weekend I was able to complete a portion of that trip. I have finished for the moment but I am not done with what I had originally planned.  I start this series of posts with reflections from my ride based on “Observations from atop my Brooks Saddle.”

It is funny how you make plans for a tour, you put in the miles and seat time; you prepare your bike, and your body.  What had started out as JUST A BIKE RIDE turned into something more.  I never thought about preparing my mind for the magnificent journey I was about to undertake until after I had completed my trip to understand  it had become something grand, something meaningful, and something more profound.  I never expected this. 

The Start: View from the Big Four Bridge-Louisville, KY

As I crossed the Ohio River on the newly opened Big Four Bridge between Louisville, KY  into Jeffersonville, IN., I happened across a lady in her 80’s who was out on an early Saturday morning walk.  I had stopped to setup my tripod and camera to take a few pictures of an Underground Railroad historical marker.  As this grand lady passed, I said "Good Morning".   Shockingly, she stopped and said, "Why thank you and Good Morning. I really appreciate you saying Good Morning.  It is a shame so few people have time to say Good Morning or hello anymore".  We chatted for a few moments about the stillness of the beautiful morning and how she likes getting up early for her morning walk. We finished our little chat along the waterfront; I, dismantling my equipment and she, strolling off picking up small bits of litter to deposit in a trash receptacle.   I thought how sad. This lady had lived so many years and her observations in this HUGE metropolitan area; was the lack of human interaction amongst so many people.

I packed up my equipment and started on up into the rural farmland of southern Indiana.  It was not until I reflect back on my journey to realize the more miles I put behind me away from the  metropolitan area; the more and more people I encountered, a greater number of those people who would greet me.   

Here I am retracing areas where in 1840’s to 1860’s, slaves walked over some of the same areas I was now riding to claim their freedom.  Here I am a black man on the Memorial Day weekend where many are remembered for their sacrifices for our freedom;  and my freedom to travel this land.  There were countless people who would offer a wave, stop and ask where I was going or where I was from, or could they take a picture of me or with me.  There were farmers working their land who would offer me something to drink and offered help when I made a wrong turn.  I had not prepared for this.  

It is only after this journey with these "Observations from atop my Brooks Saddle" over this Memorial Day Weekend traveling along a portion of the Underground Railroad Bicycle route as created by the Adventure Cycling Association, I can say;  I am proud to be an American.

                   Ride your bike today and see what you have missed.