Earl and I got a chance to ride the Flatbread 200k route yesterday, for him a check out for the DCR brevet on 11/11 and for me riding the perm version courtesy of Calista (thanks)!
The route is mostly east to start and then west to return and subject to the winds of the Delmarva. We hit the daily double with SE winds in the morning and SW / W winds in the afternoon, giving us a headwind for most of the day!
It was a beautiful blue day but started as the first legit cold ride of the year at 38° for the start! We managed the temps and by 10am it was into the mid 50’s and low 60’s rest of the day.
We kept focused on riding and getting warm and before we knew it we were at Slaughter Beach on Deleware Bay, enjoying the sun for a bit and ready to turn back west.
One of the highlights of riding on the eastern shore are the small historic towns and Milton is a favorite. It comes along around lunch time and one of the best stops is at Dogfish Head Brewery! There is a small food truck and great areas to hang out and enjoy. The tasting room clearly had a theme for the season.
One of my favorite parts of the riding on the eastern shore is the mix of farms, wetlands and forests. Rolling out of the woods, you get great views from the bike of the old farm houses and barns and the changing crops. We saw lots of late season harvesting of corn and soybeans yesterday and some early shoots of winter wheat.
Another interesting feature of the eastern shore is the tidal rivers. Getting over these rivers by bridge or even ferry is an important part of route planning in the area. One of the big ones is the Choptank and the crossing at Denton is one of the more scenic, as is Denton itself.
We didn’t take the time to stop in the Public House in Denton, but I recommend it for food and drink. It was time to finish the miles back to the start in late afternoon sun. Great route and great company!
Scene from the Bike 