A year ago I was two days from commencing my first (and so far, only) tour. I set off on August 7 and had to answer numerous questions regarding my sanity for doing something so strenuous in the heat of summer. I was confident of my conditioning and ability to remain hydrated after more than thirty years living in the south. There were numerous other things that challenged me more than heat.
I mention this now as an explanation for my meager postings recently. I have been working at putting my experience into an understandable format for anyone else considering setting off on a bicycle adventure. The most difficult thing about the pre-trip events was finding relevant and useable information. There's plenty of information, but so much of it is aimed at people with greater personal resources and experience. I was approaching my ride from the most basic of places. I needed a bike and equipment and an understanding of how to deal with . . . well . . . everything.
My journey from ignorance to novice knowledge was, in its own way, as exciting and frustrating as riding, but it was definitely a necessary part of the whole experience. I never imagined that there could be such heated and sometimes profane arguments about saddle choice or tires!
I am nearing the end of this post-ride assessment and will begin putting some of the information here so others can benefit from my experience of successes and frustrations. Maybe it'll help some would-be tourists to make bike choices, for instance, that will please them as much as my Safari pleases me.
If you're a regular here, thanks for being patient. If you're just passin' through check back occasionally.
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