Steve Fagin: Check the tide before biking on River Road

Merrily rolling down River Road in Mystic the other day, I glimpsed rowing shells sculling downriver and wooden ships tied up at the Seaport, while a lone osprey – a straggler that would soon be winging its way south for the winter – circled lazily in a cloudless sky.

No wonder so many cyclists, runners and strollers choose this route along the west bank of the Mystic River – it’s not only spectacularly scenic, but relatively flat, except for a few short hills near Old Mystic – and most drivers move over, and sometimes even stop, to give non-motorists the right of way.

Approaching the I-95 overpass, I decelerated to avoid a puddle, but quickly realized it wasn’t a small puddle, but a section of river that had overflowed, thanks to a high tide, full moon and rising sea level. I hopped off my bike and carried it through ankle-deep water a short distance to dry pavement, and resumed riding.

A few seconds later, though, I had to dismount before another flooded stretch – this one spread shin-deep for more than 100 yards, across a salt marsh on both sides of the road. I would have been better off in a kayak.

Time to bail on River Road. I turned around and detoured onto hillier roads with heavier, faster traffic. Rats.

My mood, and socks, somewhat dampened, I found myself silently grumbling at each passing mile.

Look at all those blankety-blank nips! And beer cans! A sea of Fireball and Bud Lite!

Hey! Slow down and move over! I got no bike lane here, and by law you’re supposed to give me three feet!

Why doesn’t somebody fix all these potholes?!

Keep barking yourself silly, miserable mutt! Do you keep this up every time a bicyclist pedals by?

Speaking of bicyclists, I passed several without helmets.

How stupid are you? Think your head is harder than asphalt?

And so on.

Eventually, I calmed down and finished a 25-mile ride.

A few days later, after checking the tide table and moon cycle, I decided to give River Road another chance, and invited my neighbor Terry Fedors to join me.

A perfect fall day – morning fog gave way to blue skies, bright sun and light breeze. Buoyed by the view, we zipped along on dry pavement, passed through downtown Mystic, continued south on Noank Road, and pulled over at Esker Point for a short break.

Phil Plouffe and Bob Ten Eyck joined us there, and the four of us pedaled into Mumford Cove, then Groton Long Point, on a route that took us on a scintillating short loop: Island Circle, Island Circle North and Island Circle South, overlooking glittering Mumford Cove, and the wooded east shore of Bluff Point Coastal Reserve.

“One of the best spots in southeastern Connecticut!” I proclaimed. No flooded roadway, potholes, nips bottles, beer cans, barking dogs, crazed drivers or clueless, helmetless bicyclists. In fact, nobody but us giddy riders, savoring a sunny day in early fall. What could be better?

It was such an alluring course that we pedaled through Mumford Cove and around Groton Long Point two more times before riding back toward Mystic. My son, Tom, joined us aboard his bike on River Road, and when we finished, I checked my digital odometer: 65 miles. Not bad for a day’s ride.

Ideal weather, exquisite views and wonderful company make the miles roll by. Low tide also helps.