Ok, this write-up was a long time coming. But, here it is:
We completed Route 6 on Sunday, November 26, 2006. Route 6 is located in the southern-most part of Raleigh, and connects Gorman St. in the west to Sanderford Rd. in the east. The day was beautifully sunny, if a bit chilly, and we were all well-fed from Thanksgiving dinners and leftovers. We also had our largest group yet - with over eight people (one from Durham and another all the way from New York!). It was also our longest ride yet - the entire route one-way was about 6.5 miles, which made for about 13 miles riding.
Most of the way is well signed and along residential streets, however, we did get a little lost in the part of the route along Renfrow Road just before we got to Rush Street and the intersection with Wilmington Street. There are signs for the route if you are traveling east-to-west, but none for if you are traveling west-to-east. We also encountered some uncomfortable road conditions along the part of the route along Trailwood Drive, between Thistledown and Lineberry, where traffic was heavy and speeding, and there was limited shoulder. There are a couple of nice hills, which can be tiring on the way up, but a lot of fun on the way back down. A fun stop along the way is Carolina Pines Park, where there are restrooms. We also greatly appreciated the gas station at the corner of Thistledown and Gorman, where we stopped for refreshments before biking back to downtown Raleigh. They have a nice grassy knoll where we dropped our bikes and had a mini-picnic. It'd be even better if they had bike racks and a bicycle-fitted air pump, then they'd really be doing some business. In general, the signage along Route 6 needs to be improved to make it easier to follow the route, and perhaps some bicycle amenities should be added - like racks and pumps.
With beautiful weather like that, and a nice residential ride most of the way - we had a great time. Up next - the story of halfway: Route 7!
