Gunnar Roadie - Toys in the Attic - Rockford General Store

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Sunday afternoon the high temperature was in the low 70s. I couldn't miss this opportunity to ride to one of my favorite cycling destinations, Rockford General Store. This has been one of my favorite rides for more than twenty years. The community of Rockford was incorporated in 1819 and at one time was the county seat of Surry County, NC. Rockford General Store opened for business in 1890. The store has a nice front porch with benches and rocking chairs to relax on. Large glass jars of candy are what I enjoy most on the inside of the store. On this trip I filled a small paper bag with chocolate covered coffee beans. There are lots of interesting things to buy in the store and there is also a grill located inside. Click here to visit the Rockford General Store web site.

One of the attractions that I have enjoyed in the past, while riding to Rockford, was the "low water bridge". The "low water bridge" was a one lane bridge built in 1962 that crossed the Yadkin River. It was built just above the water's surface and didn't have any guard rails on the sides of it. The bridge was built of wood with a layer of pavement on top of the wood. The bridge would often times be under water after any significant amount of rain. The surface was rough and uneven on the bridge. It was always exciting to ride across the "low water bridge" on a bicycle.  Unfortunately the old bridge was replaced in 2002 by a modern two lane bridge made of cement. The new bridge is much higher above the river. 
On the way to and from Rockford General Store I saw many cyclists on the road. Some where riding solo, but most were in groups. The nice weather had cyclists pulling their bikes out to enjoy a warm ride in January like child pulling toys out of the attic. 

My ride ended up being approximately 65 miles in length. I'm glad I was able to take advantage of such a beautiful January day and do one of my favorite rides. Today it's overcast and rainy, so it's back to riding on the rollers.

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My Gunnar Roadie on the new Rockford Bridge.

The view of the Yadkin River from the new Rockford Bridge.

The old low water bridge at  Rockford during a 1997 civil war reenactment.

Gunnar Roadie - Project Bike - 2nd ride on a windy day

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Gunnar Roadie

With a cool front blowing in from the west and a major storm brewing off of the North Carolina coast these combined to  make today a windy day to ride a bicycle. I headed out to try and make the group ride that was leaving from Lewisville. I was running a little late and when I got on the road and started battling into a head wind, I thought I probably wasn't going to make it there in time. Sure enough when I arrived at the Lewisville Town Square the group of riders had already left. 

I was feeling good and enjoying riding the Gunnar Roadie, so I didn't even slow down at the town square, and just headed on for the community of East Bend, NC. I'm still making adjustment to the fit of the Gunnar Roadie and as I rolled through East Bend I was deciding on where and what adjustments to make to the Roadie. I knew I wanted to roll the handlebar down some and was looking for a good spot to make the adjustment. I pulled off to the side of Smithtown Road and got out my multi-tool to make the adjustment. Just as I was loosening the stem bolts to roll the bar down a bit, a lone rider passed by hunched low over his handlebars and pedaling hard straight into the head wind. I rolled my bars down some and tighten the handlebars in a hurry. I wanted to catch up to the rider who had just passed so we could work together and make our progress easier into the headwind. Once I reeled him in I sat in his draft. He pulled for a while and then pulled off. I haven't gotten around to putting a computer on the Gunnar Roadie and didn't know how fast we were going. I was trying to hold a steady pace on the front while he was drafting and wanted to do my share of the work. As the road turned we really were headed directly into a headwind. I clicked to an easier gear on the back of the Gunnar and picked my cadence up a bit. After I felt I had pulled for a fair distance I pulled off of to the left. The other rider pulled along side and said "I don't mind pulling, but I'm not going to be holding a steady 24 mph the way you have been doing. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the Gunnar Roadie had been performing. I didn't feel like I was working very hard or going very fast. The Roadie is just such a smooth and stable riding bike that it surprises me. I had been enjoying the bike's great ride and handling from the first pedal stroke of today's ride. At this point I introduced myself to my riding partner and asked his name and destination. He told me his name is Joe and that he was turning left at the bottom of Richmond Hill and heading to his home in Booneville, NC. We chatted awhile and then he turned left just before we reached the Rockford Bridge. I turned right onto an unpaved road to try the Gunnar Roadie out on a surface other than pavement. 

This is what the dirt road looks like that runs along the river as seen from the Gunnar Roadie.

The Gunnar Roadie performed as well as I could hope for on the dirt road. I always enjoy a little bit of adventure like this one. As I was riding back up towards the paved road and the Rockford Bridge when I saw three riders crossing the bridge. They were headed the way I was planning on going. Towards Rockford and the Rockford General Store. I picked up my pace to see if I could catch up with them at the store. I knew the rest of my ride would be much more enjoyable with company. 

The bikes on the porch of the Rockford General Store.

When I arrived at the store I was glad to see three bikes parked along the store's front porch. I found a place where the Gunnar Roadie would not be likely to be knocked over and headed for a restroom break. The Rockford General Store has been a favorite cycling destination for me for over 20 years. Not to many years ago the owners did a fabulous job of renovating the restrooms. The store offers great food, a wonderful atmosphere and a perfect front porch to take a break on. What more could one look for while on a bike ride?

The Gunnar Roadie in good company on the front porch of the Rockford General Store.

This is the sink in the men's restroom. I know this is a strange thing to take a photo of but  I always get a kick out of this sink. When you push down a button behind the wash tub, that serves as the sink, water flows out of the red pump into the wash tub. There is a drain in the bottom of the old wash tub.

Anytime I go into a store and they have an antique Coca-Cola drink box like this one I have to have a small bottle of coke like the ones picture on the front of the drink box.

My ice cold Coca-Cola. Just like the good ole days!

I visited with the three other riders that were already at the store when I arrived. I already knew Brian and he intoduced me to Chris and Chuck. They invited me to join them on the rest of their ride. I gladly accepted and we left on our way to Siloam, NC and on towards East Bend, NC. We chatted and they were interested in finding out more about the Gunnar Roadie and the polished Velocity A23 rims. I have to admit, in my opinon the Gunnar is an eye turner. 

Half way between Rockford and Siloam was this view of Pilot Mountain. I stopped to take this photo then hurried to catch back up to the other three.

My three new riding partners: Chris, Brian and Chuck.

We rode well together and had a great time. We stopped very briefly at the store in East Bend and then rolled on towards the Flint Hill Road and Old Highway 421 intersection. At the 421 intersection we shook hands and I headed left and the other three went right. It was another 10 or so miles before I was done with my ride. I don't have a computer on my bike (next ride I hope to) but I have ridden this route numerous times over the years and know it to be approximately 65 miles round trip. This was the second ride on the Gunnar Roadie and both of them have been a pure delight. I look forward to my next cycling adventure on this wonderful bicycle!

Today was a day full of winds from all directions. Thankfully the temperature was right around 60 degrees for most of the ride. In the video below Lynyrd Skynyrd performs a song titled "Call Me The Breeze" in 1976.

Once my ride was over Poor ole' Joe kept me company while I cleaned up the Gunnar Roadie. I will have to use some soap and water on it next time to clean it up if I take it on any more off road adventures.

Click here to learn more about Gunnar Cycles.
Click here to learn more about Velocity Rims and Hubs.
Click here to learn more about The Rockford General Store.

A beutiful afternoon to ride to Rockford, NC 9/912

Finally it was a beautiful day to ride today. After a couple of weeks of unseasonably high humidity I was glad to see a cooler day with drier conditions. I wasn't able to get out to ride until 1:30 this afternoon.  The temperature at that time of day was in the high 70s with a slight breeze. 

One of my regular rides for the past 20+ years has been to ride to Rockford, NC. The route goes through East Bend, NC and Siloam, NC. There are lots of hills and very few cars between Siloam and Rockford. The mileage for this ride is just over 70 miles.

 At Rockford there is a historic general store to stop and take a break. The store is a tourist attraction. Saturday, September 15, 2012 there is going to be the 15th Annual Sweet Potato Festival at the Historic Village of Rockford. There is going to be live music, craft vendors, local authors and blacksmith demonstrations. Of course there is going to be food; sweet potato pies, sweet potato sonkers, pound cake, country ham biscuits, chicken stew, pinto beans and corn bread. 

The music will be from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Click here for more information and directions.

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It was a beutiful day to ride a bike. Between East Bend and Siloam there is this view with Pilot Mountain in the background.

These horses were enjoying the nice day and grazing on the grass in the shade.

There was one Mule in the pasture with the horses.
This mule reminded me of the movie star Francis The Talking Mule.

Below is the full movie; Francis goes to West Point!

Hutton Vineyard on Rockford Road gives this stretch an old world feel.

Some nice folks from Mt Airy, NC took this photo of me on the porch of The Rockford General Store.

The shady porch of the store is a nice place to take a break.
Inside, the store has lots of treats and antiques to look at.

Rockford, NC is beside the Yadkin River.
This is how the Yadkin River looks from The Rockford Bridge.

This is my friend Tom. I saw him twice during my ride. Both times our paths crossed we were headed in the opposite direction. We stopped and talked both times. After we went our seperate ways the first time, I thought to myself, I should have gotten a photo of Tom. So the second time we met, during our rides, I made sure I did. Tom is a great rider and makes sure that he rides 10,000 miles every year!

Poor ole' Joe kept me company as I cleaned my bike up after my ride. He is suppose to have knee surgery tomorrow, but his Ortopedic Surgeon put his surgery off till Wednesday. Poor ole' Joe enjoyed being able to be outside some today.

The Rockford General Store is still a favorite cycling destination!

Rockford General Store

Rockford, NC has been a cycling destination for years from the Winston-Salem, NC area. Of course a rest stop at the Rockford General Store  is the main event once reaching Rockford by bicycle. Inside the general store you will find over 200 different types of old fashioned candies, antiques and many different metal advertising signs for sale. Soft drinks like Nehi Grape and Orange Crush bring back memories of days gone by. 

Antigues at the Rockford General Store

Rockford, NC was once the county seat of Surry County. Surry County once encompassed Forsyth, Stokes, Yadkin, Davie and Rowan Counties. With that came a booming, bustling town. The county seat was moved to Dobson, NC in 1850. There remains a lot of history in Rockford and a number of buildings, which still stand today for all to admire and enjoy. The train still passes by daily, although no longer a passenger train, it is still fun for both kids and adults to watch.

Wrapped Candies at the Rockford General Store.

The Rockford General Store is an original old fashioned country general store that has been in operation since 1890. Creeky wooden floors, old fashioned candy jars, hoop cheese are just a few old timey items you will discover at the store. Located at 5174 Rockford Road, Rockford, NC 27017. 336-374-5317 Click here to go to the Rockford General Store web site.

Hours of operation:

Sun.: 10:00-5:00, Mon. & Tues.: Closed, Wed.-Sat. 10:00 -5:00.

The front porch was nice and shady today.

My bike sitting in the shade.

The Rockford Store is a destination for motorcyclist also.

I was so hungry today when I arrived at the store I ordered a hamburger from the grill inside the store.

Rolling out of Rockford, NC on a road that runs parallel to the Yadkin River.