The BETA Ride

I finally loaded the bike with all or nearly all my gear and went for a ride. The anxiety I felt about handling a fully loaded bike disappeared quickly. The obvious handling differences relate to slower steering as expected. The feeling is like automobile oversteer. I adjusted in a few miles. The remarkable thing was how different the overall ride felt. I was able to understand what has been said about the the flexibility of steel frames. Where the lightly loaded bike has been stiff, sending the shock of bumps to my hands, fully loaded it does not. Guess that's part of what makes it a touring bike.

I packed food, cooking supplies, maintenance and repair items and first aid items in the front panniers. Right rear holds a few civilian clothes and one very large non-cycling shoes. The need for clothes to accommodate a few days off the road and possibly chilly mornings made this part of preparation difficult and shoes were the toughest decision. One of my Nike old man mall walker shoes (sans Velcro) fit in the bottom of the rear bags as if custom made for the purpose. Two light T-shirts, one one pants, some socks and underwear comprise the basics. A mixed fiber outdoorsy long (roll-up) sleeve shirt will serve multiple purposes. Never a fashion plate, my civilian wardrobe is probably adequate. Atop the civilian clothes are campsite accessories; rope, gossamer plastic sheet, deck of cards, book, extension cord and a few other relevant items.

On the other shoe in the left rear pannier is daily clothes, toilet items, and my netbook. The clothing and microfibre towels should provide excellent support and crush protection. Both rear panniers can hold a bit more. I hope there are not too many tings I haven't thought of, though I suspect that one of the things the first tour teaches is the difference between wants and needs and how to distinguish the two.

I bungee cord a dry bag holding tent, ground cloth, sleeping bag and sleeping pad too the rear rack and will probably add a used but usable original equipment Continental touring tire.

The handlebar bag holds my rain cape, spare gloves, multi-tool, batteries, camera and other miscellaneous items. I'll carry a day supply of Lara Bars and other food items. My cell phone, wallet and such will ride there along with the maps.I didn't purchase the Ortlieb map case so I will carry the maps in waterproof zip bags along with a small notebook and pen. This, too, is going to be a catch-all and it not overfull, yet.

One of the obvious things to carry in open pannier space is spare water. I don't think I can carry too much water since temperatures are going to moderate very little until my return. Most people question my timing for the trip because of the 90 degree plus temperature. It's all about hydration and pacing. I didn't decide to do this a week ago, I've been riding in heat for years and have learned the value of water. Experience counts.

It gets more exciting each day. The remaining thing to do is be as certain as possible of "Where" and "How far." Motels are sparse in Coastal Georgia and South Carolina. It is also that way between the Outer Banks and Richmond. Then there is the return route. I will depending a lot on Google Maps and all the other online mapping options. I guess if I didn't want to face challenges I could stay home.

Ready? Not yet.

I commence my adjusted lifestyle today working four day weeks allowing alternate four day weekends. The idea is to schedule long rides and overnights during the long weekends as part of being ready for August. Cedar Key (50+ miles), Steinhatchee (60+) and, eventually, St. Augustine (100 or so) are suitable destinations. Other parts of the plan are successive 50 mile loops and state park camping.

I purchased he Safari in April of last year and have accumulate 4800+ miles. I am more satisfied with the bike now than ever, in part because of additions and adjustments; tires, stem, pedals, fenders, saddle and so on. The Travoy has made my carless lifestyle more successful adding capacity over that available with panniers and making grocery shopping painless. Brooks doesn't need my praise, but I am one of those who has found their saddle to be ideal. Break-in was painless (literally and figuratively) but did require that I understand a B-17 was not going to behave like a gel filled pad. Maintaining good posture is a significant part of the Brooks' comfort, too, meaning I can ride more comfortably and (I hope) longer.

The value of Schwalbe tires has already been documented. Like Brooks, Schwalbe's have detracters, but for reasons irrelevant to me. Heavy? So am I. Hard to mount? I had no problem. Ultimately, they work well for me and I doubt I will ever choose anything else.

The biggest question remains whether I can handle the demand of 1000+ miles. Camping? Motel? Weather? Traffic? Secondly, if I handle all the physical and mental issues can I (do I want to) challenge myself with a do-it-yourself trip to the Skyline Drive? Doubt is generated more by the route after leaving the mountains. Do I traverse North Carolina and head for the South Carolina coast? Do I add the Blue Ridge Parkway and then cycle Georgia from north to south?

While I cannot plan for everything if I prepare myself well I suspect I will be able to handle whatever comes along.

Are you following me?

I have been using the Burley Travoy long enough to have opinions.

The Travoy does exactly what it is supposed to do. It has allowed me to purchase and transport a week's worth of groceries without incident. My presence moving along the aisles does not seem to cause obvious disruption or consternation and I am learning how to gather items so they can be bagged most conveniently for the return trip.

One of the motivating factors in buying the Travoy was the inconvenience of strapping a bicycle rack to my bike when I rented a car. It was obvious that some things cannot be slipped into panniers and if I intended to continue this two-wheeled existence I needed a solution. Only the Travoy offered a high enough level of convenience and efficiency. I imagined putting the rack on a trailer and eliminating the inconvenience. What I imagined did not even come close to the ease by which the Travoy accepted and carried the rack.

Twenty-four miles of Gainesville's streets reaffirmed what I already believed. The Travoy is cool. The bike rack fits perfectly and is easily held in place with three bungee cords. When I picked-up the car on Friday the Travoy quickly and easily folded compactly enough to fit perfectly behind the car's front seat. Low pressure tires provide the right level of rebound over bumps and roll easily enough to make little difference in pedaling effort. Only the occasional click from the hitch gives real evidence of the trailer behind. Only the weight limit (sixty pounds) and imagination create parameters that can't be exceeded. Beyond that, if it fits I can probably carry it . . .  them . . . all of them.

A short transit on a dirt path through a stretch of woods takes me from my complex to another paved street when I go grocery shopping. Too and from are handled with equal ease. The trailer is no wider than my handlebars so it is easy enough to determine whether a passage is wide enough. As with city street bumps, the low pressure tires handle off-road competently.

It's not built for touring and that was never my intention. Burley promotes it as a tool for commuters and it fits that role perfectly. All I can wonder about now is its durability. A few thousand miles from now I will have an answer to that question.