Paddle
Across Florida Dave’s
Bike Ride Across
the US Lessons
Learned while preparing for
the trip |
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I’m hoping this
list of “Lessons Learned” will help others who aspire
to do their own trips. I know I
announced my intention to ride
a bicycle across the US without much knowledge of what
it would entail. |
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Resources: There are a lot of resources on the web. You can get advice on gear lists, bike
selection, routes and for me the best is the motivation I get from reading
and contacting others who have done bicycle tours. The ones I use most are: http://adventurecycling.org/ Adventure
Cycling Association. This is the main source for bike tourers. I became a member to support them and out
of gratitude for all the information and contacts I’ve made due to their
site. They have everything from
detailed route maps, How To, to Forums, Classifieds, and people looking for
Companions to join them on trips. A
must use resource. http://www.crazyguyonabike.com crazyguyonabike This is great for Journals of people who have done various
routes/trips. You can look up journals
by Categories and even break it down to United States, Coast to Coast, East
to West – which is the direction I’m going.
It also has Classifieds and discussion http://bikeacrossamerica.net/
and http://bikeacrossamerica.org/
by Steve Garufi
This was the first site I read that inspired me to persue my dream of
a bicycle ride across America http://bikeacrossus.chipeta.net/ This is where I got my route. I even emailed the guy and he said the
route was good and that that modeled it after Steve Garufi’s route from 2008
with modifications he suggested like not going on 82 from GA through MS. Use Google to research.
I read lots and lots of articles and contacted several cyclists to get
information and inspiration. Lessons
Learned: The first thing I learned is “the mind is the weakest
link.” This is true. If you are someone who enjoys endurance
activities like marathons, hiking all day, triathlons, extreme sports, then
you may already have the right mindset.
When the day is long or conditions stink and your body is asking you
to stop, you have to have the will to go on.
That is why there are very few people I would invite to go with
me. My paddle across Florida kayak
buddies I invited (they couldn’t make it due to time) without second thought
because we have suffered together but all have that “quitting is not an
option” attitude and the “we will persevere” mindset. If you want to do an epic trip like peddle a bicycle
across the United States, there will be a lot of people who think you are
nuts, they’ll say “you won’t make it”, and many other negative comments. You DO need to absolutely want to do this
trip. You DO need to be self-motivated
to do it no matter what. That is why
my best adventure buddy said he can’t join me – he just isn’t into it. I absolutely understand. I get motivated when people think I’m nuts
or say “You won’t make it.” I really
don’t think this is nuts – it is completely doable for most people. They just need to get out of their comfort
zone and experience life. That said,
this isn’t for everyone, but do not sell yourself short. If you even think you may want to do
something like this, do some smaller trips and see if the spark is still
there. If so, go for it! Pace yourself: Make sure your
cadence is high enough so you don’t over stress your legs which could lead to
cramps or injury. Better to have it in
a lower gear, go slower, and peddle faster.
You may need to experiment. I
always have to remind myself to do this. Cooking. I don’t think so. I have changed my mind and for long days I
know I would rather get to camp and open a can of beans, etc and eat it cold
than to have to cook and then clean up.
I don’t plan on bringing cooking equipment on my trek across America –
at least not this time when I will be going for long days. Meeting People. I believe in the good in people and I seem
to always meet good people. Be good,
honest, generous, and expect good things and they will come. Navigation: DO NOT rely on Google Maps Bicycle
routing. It will put you on closed
roads, dirt roads, mountain bike trails, etc.
If I can’t get a street view of a road, I don’t put it in my route unless
I have local knowledge. Training October 2013: I
have started to get serious about training.
Some days I say “Yeah! I can do
this!” while other days I am wondering what I am getting myself into. I know I can do 60 mile days and most
people agree that is a good target. I
need to do 90 plus days and the negativity from people sometimes gets me
down. My mantra is now from the
Phillip Phillips song “Home”: “Don't pay no mind to the demons they fill
you with fear.” I say that to myself when the doubt starts
creeping in. Not that
friends, family, well-meaning people are demons but that the negative
thoughts fill you with fear. Go back
to the first point made in Lessons Learned.
The mind is the weakest link.
Be mentally strong. Train well
and know you can do it. February 2014: In
December 2013, I burned out training too hard for the upcoming bike
ride. So I dialed it back a bit and
then picked up my training in January 2014 since the ride was closer at two
and a half months away. I have been
riding fully loaded with what I am actually bringing less just a few
things. This is advice I took from
others and I know it is really preparing me for the ride. I worked up from doing 35 miles a day on
3-day weekends (I am off work every other Friday) and this last weekend I did
70, 80, then 55 miles fully loaded. I
took routes where I go over one of the highest bridges in my area. It has been a warm winter in south Florida
so I did most of my rides in mid 80’s which I feel
also strengthened me. I will meet my
companion this weekend for the first time and we will do 3 days of riding
fully loaded together in central Florida.
Plan is to do 60 to 100 mile days. I AM PSYCHED. I
know I am fit enough now and just want the trip to begin. Epilogue: What went wrongFriday March 28, 2014I'm typing this the morning after I got home. I lay awake last night analyzing the trip and all the details/work I put into it. Here are my conclusions and lessons learned: 1) I was determined to do this trip
no matter what and I should have postponed or found a group with SAG to go
with instead of going solo. Don't be too stubborn to change your plans! 2) Going without a SAG would be ok if in a group and if the route hit more places with supplies and accommodations. 3) Consider the daily mileage - I had a time constraint - thus the 90 mile per day goal. This is very aggressive even with being fully supported. I know I could have done it if supported (I would not have had to carry all that weight) and with others to share in the adventure. 4) I have a heavy bicycle (Surly
LHT) that weighs in at 42 lbs with racks, fenders, water bottles filled, seat pack, and
ignored the weight consequences. 4) I am happy I tried and I learned a lot about myself and my limits. I also know I could do this trip if I do it right next time. |
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