First Gear

Okay so, most of you know, some of you care and few of you understand: we are going on a bike trip, in the winter.

Liz (my cousin) had been very adventuresome in the last few years and I've always had a streak of it myself.  She was planning on going on a bike trip alone, to push herself and explore some of the country on two wheels.  When I saw her at Thanksgiving, she told me what she was doing, and I was clearly jealous of the experience she'd be having.  I jokingly, and not so jokingly, told her I'd go if she waited until I was on winter break to leave.

How Liz and I typically do road trips.

She called me the next day and said "I've thought about it and I want you to come."  I've actually done a bike trip before (when I was 14, with a group), and I've done an assortment of outward bound camps, I enjoy camping, I've hiked a 14er in Colorado (14,000 ft altitude, mountain) a few years ago, I love kayaking, I've done some road trips (one with Liz), etc.  I mean not that I've done as much as some of you, but I figured "I can do this."

I forgot that I'm almost 27, I'm a bit out of shape and bike seats are not comfortable.

So since Black Friday I've been "training" on my bike trainer which is in my room, biking at the gym and also by eating all the holiday goodies at my holiday parties.  You could say I've been taking this training thing very seriously.

I scored some gear from my mom who has done a trip like this in Italy a couple years ago, bought the gear I didn't have and fixed up a used bike so it is practically new (yay recycling!).  Essentially, I'm ready.  If by ready I mean freaking out a little because it's been too cold to do riding outside (as I sit here it's flurrying).  I'm just worried a little due to not having been on the road much for training, it will be the first time in ages I'll be riding with my gear in panniers and that we're using maps as our guide versus an actual guide.

These are no ordinary maps, however.  They are from Adventure Cycling Association  and they plot out routes that are as bike friendly as possible, with hostels, campgrounds, bike shops, gas stations, etc along the route.  So we should be good.   Also, I'll be praying for service along the wooded way, so I can use the navigation app on my droid.  Fingers crossed.

http://www.adventurecycling.org/routes/index.cfm

So with all that being said, we are in good hands (ours), we're two smart 20 something's and we'll figure it out as we go.  We've plotted out our first 5 days of biking, ranging from 35 to 50 miles a day.  We start in Charleston, SC and meander through Georgia and hopefully have the speed, agility, strength and energy to get Jacksonville, FL by the 8th of January. 

There is some fluidity to our timing, locations etc, so we'll keep you posted as we go, pending cell reception. 

Well, that's where we're at now. We leave Sunday night on on a train headed south...

The trip will be successful if most days are sunny and 60 degrees, we don't run into bears/snakes, we aren't accosted by toothless backwoodsmen and if drivers are nice to us and give us the shoulder of the road.  I'll do my best to take many pictures, post our progress, keep track of the southern nuances we're bound to see.  

We appreciate all the support and encouragement and "What the hell are you doing that for?"s that we have gotten so far, and will continue to get!

Cheers and spokes,

Esther