I've had a couple of people ask: Are you doing this in a group?
Well, there's going to the voices in my head. They're coming along for a ride.
But other than those guys, naw baby naw. Just me.
Here's a kicker: There's really only two people in all of Columbus that I could call in case I get into a spot of trouble, i.e., major breakdown, accident, I get sick, something like that. Both of them are far out of town themselves this weekend.
It's just me and my woefully ignorant "fix-it" skills. And a cell phone -- without cell phone coverage, mind you. Might as well be carrying a brick.
I've never done anything like this before. Yes, yes, I've certainly ridden further distances. The first leg is less than 60 miles. The second leg is about 75. I've made those distances quite easily.
But what I've never done is carry gear before. I have no idea the impact it will cause on the ride itself. Will there be a different center of balance? Will a truck zipping down the road cause a "sail-area" affect causing God only knows what kind of mayhem? What have I forgotten to pack that's really going to come back to bite me on the ass? (I'm used to having a car nearby. You forget something, you hop in the car and drive to go get it. Not as easy to make a 20 to 30 mile round trip to the closest CVS Pharmacy if all you've got to ride is a bicycle.)
I'm trying to picture myself doing various things, such as, taking a shower (what all would I need to take a shower? -- ack! Gotta bring a towel!) lying down to sleep (I figured out today I have no pillow), even simply walking around once I've reached any of my stopping points -- you don't want to walk in bicycle cleats. Solution? Figure out a way to tote along a pair of tennis shoes. Do I need to worry about the security of my stuff if I wander away from my "set up" camp?
I'm, well, eager isn't the right word, interested might be a better word, to find out what would make the trip better. What I could have done without packing. What I wish I would have packed. What tricks do I wish I'd known about riding with full gear? It's going to be a learning experience.
Well, there's going to the voices in my head. They're coming along for a ride.
But other than those guys, naw baby naw. Just me.
Here's a kicker: There's really only two people in all of Columbus that I could call in case I get into a spot of trouble, i.e., major breakdown, accident, I get sick, something like that. Both of them are far out of town themselves this weekend.
It's just me and my woefully ignorant "fix-it" skills. And a cell phone -- without cell phone coverage, mind you. Might as well be carrying a brick.
I've never done anything like this before. Yes, yes, I've certainly ridden further distances. The first leg is less than 60 miles. The second leg is about 75. I've made those distances quite easily.
But what I've never done is carry gear before. I have no idea the impact it will cause on the ride itself. Will there be a different center of balance? Will a truck zipping down the road cause a "sail-area" affect causing God only knows what kind of mayhem? What have I forgotten to pack that's really going to come back to bite me on the ass? (I'm used to having a car nearby. You forget something, you hop in the car and drive to go get it. Not as easy to make a 20 to 30 mile round trip to the closest CVS Pharmacy if all you've got to ride is a bicycle.)
I'm trying to picture myself doing various things, such as, taking a shower (what all would I need to take a shower? -- ack! Gotta bring a towel!) lying down to sleep (I figured out today I have no pillow), even simply walking around once I've reached any of my stopping points -- you don't want to walk in bicycle cleats. Solution? Figure out a way to tote along a pair of tennis shoes. Do I need to worry about the security of my stuff if I wander away from my "set up" camp?
I'm, well, eager isn't the right word, interested might be a better word, to find out what would make the trip better. What I could have done without packing. What I wish I would have packed. What tricks do I wish I'd known about riding with full gear? It's going to be a learning experience.
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