My Final Sign
This is our final day of the the Southern Tier. Nearly all of the above is behind us except for 41 miles and a tire dip in the Atlantic Ocean. The weather is still fair and we are off on the final leg. Every mood is upbeat and our hearts light, our legs lithe and our spirits soaring. We will have accomplished that which only a tiny fraction of a percent of the population has attempted. There will be others who have gone further, faster or more often but this is our day and the end of our adventure. Throughout we 14 mostly strangers have become friends and forged a memory to last us through the rest of our days.
Bike Sandal Tan
It is an easy ride and while we are eager to finish it, dip our tires and reunite with family and loved ones there is a part of us that sees the end with some regret. We will have other adventures but this one will always stand tall in comparison. Cammie and Kelly have been great guides across the continent and throughout they have helped us work together to accomplish this. At the very end we have chosen to wait for everyone to finish and ride together for that celebratory tire dip in the Atlantic.
Sad Reminder on the Final Day
It is fitting that this, our last day, is also National Bicycle Safety Day. It is also sad but fitting that along the route of this last day that we see a reminder of why bicyclists and drivers must both do all we can to make this sport one where safety comes before all else. We passed the memorial with thanks that our own journey was without any serious incident.
The Last Few Feet
My Lift After the Tire Dip
Our final rolling moment comes at the beach in Saint Augustine, Florida where we ride together to the water’s edge for hugs, shouts of joy, ceremonial bicycle lifts, champagne toasts and the total glee of one of life’s great moments. It will stay in my mind and I hope those off my Southern Tier family forever. Whatever lay ahead, this memory will last!
What began as an idea hatched between some high school buddies in 1969 finally became a reality with this journey. (Just where are those buddies today?) Why it took so long is a question nearly everyone of us can answer. We all have dreams that merely stay dreams since living our daily lives has a way of getting to the front of the line. It does not have to always be that way. Each of us has the ability to make at least some of those dreams a reality if we really make doing so a priority in our lives.
If I had a lottery ticket for every time I have heard someone say, “if I win the lottery I am going to…” I would still just have a pocket full of useless paper. Winning the lottery is a poor strategy for doing anything but if you think about it, really think and plan, you can take steps along the road to making that dream a reality. Actions speak louder than wishes.
I have always been a stubborn person but I feel I have been so in a positive, not selfish way. I believe in setting goals and taking steps, even baby steps, towards reaching those goals at every opportunity. Owning my own business was one such journey that began before I even had enough money for a down payment on a car. It appeared unreachable when I started and at times I appeared to be moving in the wrong direction but persistence coupled with learning and thoughtful planning paid off in the end. Truly, anyone could have done it if only they made doing so the priority I made it.
The same was true for The Ride of the Nearly Departed. I began by getting my body in shape, not all at once but gradually over a number of years. Further down the road I began to try to bicycle for longer distances and to do so in a way that would allow my body to adapt. There was a wealth on information on a number of websites such as Sheldon Brown’s deep and information rich pages on how to do so. Not every day, but regularly and without fail, I took baby steps towards making my dream from 1969 come alive. I did not buy the most expensive bicycle but one that I could afford and which had what others who had made the journey advised would do the job. I researched doing the trip self contained, either with a friend or by myself and when I found I did not have anyone to share the adventure with, I began to research organized rides until I found one that seemed a good fit for me. Solid plans were made and then it happened.
A unexpected and previously undetected medical condition put me on my back and nearly in the grave. I was glad to be alive but my dream seemed shattered beyond repair. However, I asked the medical experts and they said not to abandon it in haste. There was hope. Hope that needed to be coupled with caution, hard work and a bit of cooperation from my body. Even if I was not able to make the ride on the date I had signed up for, it could still be possible in the future. I made that goal a priority in my life and each day, took a step in that direction. As it turned out I received a cautious and tepid approval from my cardiologist and a strong admonishment to listen to my body and not hesitate to abruptly end the trip at the first hint of trouble. I made sure my plans now included an exit strategy as well as an attitude that constantly whispered, “take it easy,” in my ears. The ride was back on! The rest you read about in the preceding pages.
One final thing: Never give up on you dreams. Stop wishing and start acting to make those dreams a reality. Keep at it. Find a way. Be willing to make compromises and explore other paths to your goal and even if do not get there, you will get closer and maybe find a reality far more satisfying than what you first imagined. Only you can make it happen.
If you decide to ride across a continent or on any long journey here are my tips and thoughts. They are not all you need to know but may prove useful. They are offered without endorsement and may not suit your needs as well as they did mine.
Physical:
Get your body in shape gradually. The older you are or the newer you are to bicycling the longer the time you should allow to build up your endurance. Try to push yourself too fast and you could set yourself back with an injury.
Get a physical checkup as a first step
Join a bicycling club of group if one is available
Ride as often as you can and in all kinds of weather. You will hit head winds, rain and cold days so learn what they are like ahead of time. Once you do you will be better prepared to face them when they crop up on the road.
Research and learn from the experiences of others
Find out what spinning is and practice it
Take your time, you can not go from 0 to 60 in a few weeks
Try to not get caught in the cadence, it is an adventure not a race! Take time to enjoy yourself.
Equipment:(My thoughts, and maybe not even the best ones for you, the advice of others will likely vary)
A steel frame touring bike that fits you. (aluminum and composite frames are fine but not necessary. As long as you can carry your bike for short distances if required, it need not be extremely light)
As low a gearing set up as you can find (I had 16.5 gear inches on my lowest gear and found it great on the long steep climbs. My fellow riders without it sometimes wished they had it. I had a 44-32-22 crankset installed to go with my 11-36, 10 speed rear cassette. This was a great combination and easily handled even the steepest climbs.)
Forget narrow and tubeless tires. This is not a road race. I used 32mm Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires with a protective liner between the tire and tube. I had one flat tire in over 3000 miles.
At least two spare tubes and a patching kit with tire irons
A folding spare tire and tire patches (different from a tube patch)
A compact tire pump of good quality (I loved my Topeak Road Morph G tire pump. It has foot pedal, built in pressure gauge and 120 psi hose.)
Panniers or some sort of mounted container for your daily equipment. A backpack can work but they are hot to wear and can be uncomfortable.
If you are using paper maps, I found a handle bar mounted bag such as Arkel’s large, waterproof bag a great thing to have. It carried my camera and other things I wanted at my fingertips and it provided an easy to access and see, rainproof map holder that I was able to check while riding.
At least 3 water bottles or hydration pack
Good quality head and tail lights (Rechargeables seem to be all the rage but you can buy batteries nearly anywhere. I went with regular battery powered lights and never had to worry about finding a place to plug in a recharger. If you do decide decide to go with rechargeables make sure bring along a backup power supply)
A good tent with ground sheet if camping
Strong tent pegs for that tough, dry, hard packed dirt in the southwest
Clothesline and clothes pins
Zip ties, duct tape, electrical tape and wire for emergency repairs. (You can wrap some duct tape around a pencil stub or small tube instead of taking a whole roll. It is handy for relining a blown out tire, patching a torn rain suit and is tough enough to hold up for a day or two.)
Needle and thread
A good sleeping bag with a low enough temperature rating (I had a dual rated bag that had less insulation on one side. I used the heavier side as the top for cooler nights.) I stayed away from the more heavily insulated winter bags and found that having a set of well insulated long-johns, a jacket and knitted cap to wear on the below freezing nights kept me warm and comfortable.
A comfortable sleeping pad
Ear plugs
First aid kit
Bicycle helmet (wearing it is a MUST)
Rear view mirror (I loved my EVT Safety Zone mirror)
Bicycle lock with a cable and spare key
A basic plate, bowl and drinking cup set in a mesh bag along with eating utensils
Basic bicycle tools to allow you to tighten loose hardware, replace a broken spoke or make adjustments. (M-Engineering’s NBT2 lockring remover is a handy tool for removing a rear cassette to replace a broken spoke on that side of the wheel!)
Sunscreen including a smaller container to carry on your bike
Desitin or other butt rash cream
Chap stick with sunscreen
Flashlight and head lamp
Personal hygiene stuff including some emergency toilet paper to carry with you each day for those times when nature calls and you are not at home.
Clothing
At least 2 riding outfits with padded seat shorts (wash after EVERY day’s ride)
Some sort of reflective vest or triangle for heavy traffic or gray days
Two changes of casual wear for after the ride is done for the day
Warm cycling and casual wear the mountains and those cold desert nights
Rain gear including shoe protection (pedaling in wet shoes sucks!)
Spare socks
Sandals or Crocs for shower wear
Some sort of head wrap to wear under your helmet to keep the sweat out of your eyes or you bald head from becoming sunburned
Casual footwear (if you ride with cleated bike shoes you may want to carry them with you since some businesses do not appreciate having their floors scratched up)
Knowledge:
How to change a tire and repair both tube and tire (practice it!)
Basic bicycle maintenance (things like chain cleaning, derailleur adjustments, brake adjustment, how to replace a broken spoke, etc.)
How to spin (learn what it is and practice it)
Basic first aid
Everything you can about bicycle safety and road etiquette including how to ride with a group
Know your route or ride with a group that does. The Adventure Cycling Association is a great organization with a wealth of information, tours, maps etc. Start there!
Local knowledge about your route. Visitor centers are always worth a stop and a bit of research online before you go and regularly while on the road can supply you with “must sees” that you won’t want to miss. It also helps to know where you can find water and other daily necessities along your daily route.
Read my blog and the many other writings that are freely available on the internet. There is a wealth of information out there. Some of it may be misleading but if you read enough from different sources the truth will emerge!
Other Stuff
Find Me Spot or other satellite device for emergency communication (My family loved that my Find Me Spot could send them my location and a “I am OK” or other message from anywhere.)
A cell phone with a data plan
The GPS navigation device of your choice. (real handy if you do not have a good cell phone plan with the ability to display your location and maps or for those places where your cell phone is a paper weight)
East to West OR West to East?
Most folks ride west to east to take advantage of the supposedly prevailing winds. Unfortunately, unless you are riding your bike 30,000 feet above the ground, those winds do not prevail. You are just as likely to face headwinds on any given day traveling in either direction. Which way you choose to go may have more to do with when you plan to travel.
If east to west you want to start early enough in the year to be through the desert before it gets too hot. However, you want to be late enough to miss the colder weather in the southeast. This usually means considering a February start or even late January. Just expect and be equipped for some cold days and nights and maybe even snow when you get to the higher elevations in New Mexico, Arizona and California. It can even get quite chilly nearly anywhere along the Southern Tier route.
Folks going west to east usually try to start in late February or before the end of March. Even then you can still get below freezing weather in the mountains and some cold days elsewhere. The desert can also get plenty hot by late March and you may find some businesses in the desert locations already closed fro the season by the middle of the month. Either way you go try to be ready for whatever Mother Nature could throw at you and be prepared to hunker down for a day or two in some climate controlled location if the weather turns dangerous.
I hope this helps and enjoy your adventure. I certainly did.
