Weight Weight ... Don't Tail Me

Okay, I’m not carrying that much. I did make the hundred-mile round trip to Atmore this weekend with my bike fully loaded. It was a pretty good ride. The Trek 520 handles the extra weight well enough; although with two sets of panniers and a strong headwind on the return leg of the trip, there were times

when I felt like I was piloting a box kite. I’m going to keep riding with the full load from now on as my departure date of April 6 approaches.

My plan is to camp as much as possible on this journey or at least avoid staying in motels. I will be relying on the kindness of strangers as well as the not so strange for assistance as I make my way north. I invite you to check out the route map and if you have family or friends along the way who might be willing to offer yard space for my tent and maybe even a shower, I would really appreciate hearing from you. You can drop me a line at pat@wuwf.org.

Last week I met Brice Nelson, a fellow cyclist from Iowa who was travelling through our area on his way around the world. He has set aside $10,000 and the next ten years of his life to accomplish this. Accordingly, he has a budget of $3.00 a day. He has already traveled over 2,000 miles and is doing a pretty good job of staying within budget. Needless to say, he is very good at the fine art of talking his way into food and accommodations. I’m taking notes.

Thanks for all the great comments and encouragement. I’ve enjoyed the discussion about dogs and appreciate the good advice. I’m hoping I won’t have to use any of it, but I feel well prepared nonetheless. Stay tuned for more updates …

What Do You Think?
As always we want your thoughts, opinions and feedback. Please use the links below to make a comment or suggestion and to see what others are saying about this subject.

You Don't Have to Register
To have your say, just choose the 'name/url' option and enter a screen name (you can leave the url field blank) or choose the 'anonymous' option on the comment screen.

Show Comments - Make Comment - Hide Comments

Man's Best Friend

Sorry for the lapse in blogging – I have been busy with last minute training, packing, and logistics. I read a great article in Adventure Cyclist magazine this month about dog encounters. Although my choice would be to not entertain such thoughts, the reality is that I will no doubt have some interaction with curious canines along my route. I am a dog lover and my non-threatening demeanor when walking usually evokes nothing more than casual curiosity from the dogs I encounter (with the exception of the Georgia pit bulls I met on my walk to Washington in 2007). But put me on a bicycle and suddenly I become a bane to their existence, or so it must seem to them. I have observed on my rides around town that even dogs who know me can’t resist the urge to make chase.

On this trip, I will be riding mostly on small county roads through very rural areas. The odds of encounters are greater, given the tendency for dogs in these areas to roam freely. More than one source has indicated that Kentucky is particularly well known for its “free range” canines. I will be packing a canister of HALT, a popular puppy deterrent. I’m not crazy about using it, however, as I don’t like the idea of spraying something in any creature’s face.

The article I read mentioned using a 120 decibel air horn (like those used by boaters) as a first line of defense and that the horn used by the author was rechargeable.
I found the EcoBlast online and it is way cool. Note the valve on the bottom of the can – I can recharge the horn using my bicycle pump – an endless supply of blast power! I’m hoping that the horn will convince my doggie friends to leave me alone and I won’t have to use the spray. I can also use the horn in heavy traffic to level the playing field with the 18-wheelers.

With less than one month until my departure, I am really anxious to hit the road. I guess I should be savoring my final days of cushy bedding and regular showers!

What Do You Think?
As always we want your thoughts, opinions and feedback. Please use the links below to make a comment or suggestion and to see what others are saying about this subject.

You Don't Have to Register
To have your say, just choose the 'name/url' option and enter a screen name (you can leave the url field blank) or choose the 'anonymous' option on the comment screen.

Show Comments - Make Comment - Hide Comments