My big bike trip is looming huge on the horizon. Just two weeks from tomorrow I will be meeting up with a great group of women to ride from Fort Lauderdale to Bar Harbor, Maine.
After $$$ of work (new shifters, cables, wheels, tires, cassette, chain) my bike is at the bike shop getting packed for shipment. I could literally have bought a brand new bike in Florida and just left it when I got to Maine, for less than it has cost me to get this work done and ship my trusty steed from home. But I suppose it wouldn't be quite as nice a bike, and I'd still have to have that work done on my bike when I got home. That's what I'm telling myself, anyway.
It remains to be seen whether I'm really in shape for this trip. I've ridden a total of about 500 miles so far this year, and my longest ride has been 45 miles. Hopefully the fact that it's very hilly here, and the first week or so of our trip will be in flat Florida, will help. I definitely feel older than I did when I rode my first cross country, the Southern Tier, 10 years ago! And I'm sure not carrying any less weight.....
This will be my 8th tour with WomanTours . I've done:
The big island of Hawaii -- 2003
Zion, Bryce, Grand Canyon loop -- 2004
Southern Tier from San Diego to Florida -- 2005
Arizona spring training -- 2006
Underground railroad, from Mobile Alabama to Niagara falls -- 2008 (after which I rode on to Michigan self-supported)
Northern Tier from Anacortes WA to Fargo ND -- 2010 (after which I rode on to Minneapolis self-supported)
Death Valley -- 2012
I've ridden my current bike on all but the first of those rides, and have ridden 1000+ miles per year even on non-tour years, so I suppose it must have a good 20,000+ miles on it. It was probably time for the new shifters. I think every other component has been replaced at least once.
I guess you could say I like WomanTours pretty well! I am so looking forward to getting into that "bike, eat, sleep" routine again. There's just nothing else like it.
Stay tuned.....
2 comments:
I look forward to following your blog again as you do the east coast. I think I first ran across your link to northern tier and read it all as I contemplated doing southern tier (did it myself last year with womentours). I'm signed up for east coast next year, so this will be my first opportunity for a peak into that tour. Happy trails! I'm excited for you!
I look forward to following your blog again as you do the east coast. I think I first ran across your link to northern tier and read it all as I contemplated doing southern tier (did it myself last year with womentours). I'm signed up for east coast next year, so this will be my first opportunity for a peak into that tour. Happy trails! I'm excited for you!
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