Impromptu Bicycle Tour
There I was enjoying a simple home cooked dinner with my friend Elisabet and she drops a bomb on me. “My friend and I are riding our bikes to Gianesville. Would you like to come?”
The first subjective thought was a resounding “Yes!” The objective engineer in me promptly took over and started analyzing this offer.
- I have not been riding regularly.
- Elisabet and her friend have been riding less than me. They work out though.
- We need someone on call either in Jacksonville or Gainesville or both in case something un-repairable breaks on the trip, namely a Plan B.
- It is 70 miles away. We are not even used to riding a third of that regularly.
Between Elisabet’s pleas of being spontaneous and my objective reasoning, I decided to sleep on it.
I have always wanted to tour. The three people whose tours encourage me are Ken Keifer, Russ Roca and Laura and The Stouts (who tour with two toddlers). I was skeptical about going on my first tour alone. This tour is an opportunity to have company and do a short trip. I also had some strong candidates for a Plan B.
Between the conflicting subjective and objective thought processes, I managed to find quality in this adventure. First thing the next morning, as early as it is allowed to send text messages, I replied,” Fcuk it! I am doing it”.
Desperate emails were sent to Russ Roca and Jack “Ghost Rider” Sweeney. Their tips are very much appreciated and summarized below the map.
We leave on Saturday morning, reach Gainesville by evening, rest, then leave the next morning and arrive in Jax the same day. This is the route that we have decided on.
View Jax to GNV by bike in a larger map
Some good advices:
- Take three spare tubes
- Make sure the valves on the tubes match the air pump
- Start with a big breakfast which will help you power through the first twenty miles
- Stop every ten miles to snack
- Eat apples, peanut butter
- Plan for a good lunch that you can look forward to
- Use padded mountain biking shorts
I am outfitting the Xtracycle with luggage. The heaviest items are food and water. This is my packing list:
Medical:
sun block
Tylenol
Antacid
napkins
after-shave (disinfectant for cuts)
bandage
Gear:
1 padded mountain biking shorts (wash and dry upon reaching)
4 t shirts
1 long pants
2 compression underwear
1 pair of boxers
rain jacket
safety glasses (for riding in the rain or in the dark)
sunglasses
iPhone
iPhone charger
extra batteries for headlight and tail light
rag
cycling cap
Dr. Bronners liquid soap (good for washing face, hands, hair, plates, clothes etc)
paper map (in case technology fails)
Tools:
duct tape
swiss knife
2 adjustable wrenches
13 mm wrench
bike pump
3 tubes
Nylon rope
Food:
3 bottles of water
museli
cheese (Brie)
trail mix
roast beef sandwiches
sweet potato chips
Hot/Cold insulated bag (folds flat and lighter than a cooler)
Spoon
I plan to buy a cup of yoghurt and blueberries to eat with muesli Sunday morning before riding back. This I will do once I reach Gainesville.
I will try to post pictures on this blog as we go through our journey.
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