Looking Back

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.

Some Miscellaneous Stuff

Replaced the cassette on the Safari yesterday. It hadn't reached the point where it was a necessity, but would have needed it with the next chain replacement. Before I set off last August I discussed with the people at FNBS (Bikes and More) the possible need for a lower bottom gear than was provided by the original Shimano Alivio 11-32 since I intended to ride hills far steeper than anything here in north central Florida. Consensus was that the 11-32 would be adequate. It was, but, the lingering gearhead mentality urged me to take the plunge. I chose to invest in a Deore upgrade and a lower gear justifying it as a worthwhile investment. Monday was one of those days where I felt a compulsion to ride. I set-off on one of my usual circuits and made the 50 miles in four mostly leisurely hours. As I approached Micanopy I felt the same urges so typical of longish rides; I wanted some Gatorade! Arrived at Pearl and discovered I'd left my wallet at home. There was no lack of water aboard the bike, so hydration was not an issue and I had several Larabars to take care of carb needs, but sometimes a cold drink feels so damn good! With the near completion of the Archer to 91st Street section of the Archer Braid Trail I saw many more riders on Monday. (Guess that means it's no longer my personal/private ride.) No longer do we have to contend with heavy driver volume on any GCC rides going to or through Archer. Nice! Being able to start at the Tower Road Publix and access the Trail after a short transit passing Barnie's then using the already existing trail on the south side of Archer Road makes the trip to Archer safe and pleasant. May people are uncomfortable with using the Bike Lane west of I-75 on Archer Road, but I ride it often and have never had a serious incident. Of greater concern is the stretch from 34th to I-75 where I use the sidewalk instead of riding in traffic. Drivers wanting to turn onto Archer Road are mostly unaware of walkers and riders whether you use the north or south side of Archer.

Create Maps or search from 80 million at MapMyRide

Is Describing The Same As Naming?

Was sick for most of a week and finally began feeling more like I should. Seems like it takes longer to recover from colds and flu than it used to, or maybe I was sicker. Because I felt closer to normal today I set off on a grocery and bottled water run, a round trip distance of three miles.

After replacing most of the drive chain of the High Sierra I feel like I have finally done right by a machine that’s been remarkably dependable, even after long periods of disuse and neglect. It wasn’t a big problem skipping the middle ring for short trips, but got to be tedious if I was out all day. With all three chain rings useable again it fits my around-town and commuter needs very well. With fair skies and a mild temperature it was a close-to-perfect ride.

Schwinn High Sierra and Burley Travoy Grocery Run

The Safari’s long wheelbase, extra large frame and rear rack make it a very close fit for the Travoy, but on the Schwinn the fit is perfect. Recently, the Schwinn was at the center of a brief discussion at Bikes and More where the question was asked whether it qualified as mountain bike or had become a hybrid?  Hybrid seems to define a bike intended to be a hybrid and can include trekking, cross, commuter, city and comfort designs, The distinctions and differences between and among these designs can be pretty indistinct and more a matter of taste, or so it seems to me. I could put a set of off road tires on the Schwinn and use it as a mountain bike taking it back to its early heritage where it would easily outperform me. Its utilitarian qualities and durability make it a good fit for this small urban community. My nomenclature, therefore, is inexpensive transportation device.

More Life at 12 MPH

There are lots of us out there, people who prefer moving more slowly and with greater deliberation. Whether I would do it in a more challenging climate and geography is something I don’t have to decide or test. I have great respect for the women who blogs about living a bicycle lifestyle in wintery Alaska and the staff at Bicycle Times who do it in Pittsburgh whose snow and hills I experienced five decades ago.

Bicycles as a real transportation mode expose us to interesting people and unusual opportunities and I identify one of each below.

I feel vulnerable aboard a bike without a mirror, much more than when I ride sans helmet. Maybe it is a lingering subconscious fear of rednecks in pickups that was consciously put to rest in August as I safely traversed the secondary and tertiary roads of coastal Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. Irrespectively, I like knowing what’s behind me, so I always don glasses with a mirror attached (Safari) or bike-attached (High Sierra).

The best wearable mirror I have found is the Messenger Mirror, about which I have written previously. It is a winner in price, flexibility, size and practicality and now in customer service. The small mirror is attached to an irregular shaped rubbery pentagon which slides onto the temple piece. When one of the holes split because I had persistently pushed the piece too far onto the wide temple I contacted the manufacturer who happens to be the owner, salesperson, web master and customer service department. He was for some unknown reason off on a bike tour. Maybe he’s into bikes? So, I get a return email saying that he’ll send me the replacement piece when he gets back home.

I have purchased several Messenger Mirrors for personal use and to give to other riders because $5.99 and a shipping cost of $0.92 is . . . well . . . cool. Until the manufacturer/owner/salesperson . . . ok . . . until Bruce got back home I simply began using the backup I’d purchased before setting off on my tour. A few days ago the part arrived. The part and note are shown below where he seems to suggest that I am doing him a favor! Now, I have another backup. Whata deal and whata guy. Thanks, Bruce!

On the way home from an errand I had the good fortune to see one of automobilia’s fun vehicles. In the past, while living in metro Atlanta I’d see the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile occasionally, but hadn’t for many years since moving much further south. Apparently this version was headed for Miami as it turned onto I-75 southbound.