So as July rolls around the corner, I keep checking my "days till ride" counter and see that it is drifting closer and closer kinda like when you wake up at 6:30 then snooze then all of the sudden it's 8:45? Yes. That's about how I'm feeling at the moment. So as of now, I am at 38 days out and I still am for all practical purposes physically disabled, waiting for my knee to heal (it was injured waiting for a hamstring to heal, which was injured trying to capture the flag from face-painted bandits in downtown Oakland)...sigh.
However, in my rest, I have been developing and acquiring my gear list... which has been rather exhausting and expensive. It's also a little weird, because I'm accumulating all of this stuff that I supposedly need, yet I am going to have to haul every last ounce of it across the 2500 so miles and 15000 feet of elevation. Sounds like a great to to become a nomadic bicyclist.
Here's my gear list so far, without the nitty gritty cyclist details
2 new tires, 4 new tubs, 1 new trailer, 1 used hiking GPS, 5 new cycling maps, 1 new bike rear-view mirror, 1 new pair of bike shorts, 1 used solo tent, 2 new sets of brake pads, 1 new bike multi tool, 1 bottle of dry lube, new tire levers, spare chain connector....whew. My trailer comes in on the 26th so that'll be a real treat figuring out how all of that plus 2 sets of normal clothes, shoes, and normal people toiletries will fit into a small duffel that I'm going to be pulling around like it's my livelyhood. I wonder if people I pass on the highway will think I'm homeless? Actually, in the midwest that might not be such a bad thing since people might actually bring me into their home instead of throwing dimes at me.
Anyway, after all of this, I hope that when I roll into Gibson in early September I'll be presentable. I don't imagine I'll smell like a bed of roses when I roll in after 40 days on a bike. Maybe somehow on the ride I'll figure out how to overcome body odor and sweating, that is a rather long time I suppose.
Track My Progress - See My Trip Map
Why am I doing this?
credits to Justin Bond of Star Talent Events for the audio.
Thanks for stopping in! This summer, I'll be biking 2500 miles from San Francisco to Gibson City, IL to raise $4000 for the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition and the Ford County Youth Soccer Club. My route map.
Why?
There are so many reasons. As a youngster growing up in central Illinois, playing soccer, as rare as it was for the area, was an activity that really shaped me into the person I am today. Not only combining the importance of fitness and teamwork, but also leadership and discipline. I have always wanted to have the opportunity to give back to this organization (FCYSC), and I feel that this is my chance.
Living just outside of Gibson City causes every child to be an avid cyclist to survive that stretch of Route 9 to make it into town. As I've progressed into my current career as an urban planner, I realize how much of an impact cycling can make in certain parts of the United States, in reducing our dependence on vehicles, increasing our health, among other benefits. Atlanta is the place that re-energized my spirit for transportation planning and I hope to be able to return some gratitude to the ABC, a cause that I still feel has an uphill battle in that town.
If you have questions, please feel free to contact me at supawanich@gmail.com
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