WHAT'S THE PLAN?   ...

 

A lot of people have asked what my plan is for getting from Topeka, KS to Davidsonville, MD. I'm happy to report that about 75% of the trip is completely planned and I am ready to go. Details below.

 

After going into temporary retirement (hate the R word), I decided that now is the time to check this trip off of my bucket list. My first thoughts were to buy all of the baggage and equipment and camp by the side of the road every night and be a full blown, 'home on my bike' tourist.

 

See picture below for a view of what being a bike tourist looked liked 23 years ago (gotta love those slick early aqua blue Lycra shorts with the red bandanna!).

 

But then I got hold of my senses and started to realize that this was not realistic. The road is already very long. But carrying all of my own gear (60+ pounds), makes the road get a heck of a lot longer. And hitting headwinds with all that gear is a painful job. You become a sail and speeds slow to a crawl. On bad days, you can make better time running your bike, rather than pedaling. Knowing that carrying my own gear and being completely unsupported, the trip would be at least a 30 days. I realized that there is no way I could be away that long from home and my family

 

Looking ahead... 

 

I started researching other alternatives that involved having SAG (support and gear) help and a company that could lay my route out for me. I had heard of companies that did this, but had never looked into them. After talking with several companies, I decided to use Crossroad Cycling to help me in my journey. I spoke with the owner of the company and it was obvious that she was a tested veteran of cross country cycling. She had completed many trips across country herself, and her and her team have shuttled many riders across the country over the years. If you want to learn more, take a look at  http://www.crossroadscycling.com.  Crossroads will reserve my hotel rooms, give me support on the road (food, drink, mechanical) and carry 50 pounds worth of luggage for me from town to town. Having some company on the road is not a bad thing either!

 

 

Play by Play .... 

 

Crossroads will have a tour leaving in May from Los Angeles, CA. The group will be made up of about 25 different bikers from the US, Canada, and the UK. I know none of the riders, but am very much looking forward to meeting them. By the time I connect with them in Topeka, KS, they will have crossed half the country (the harder half). I will ride with them for 14 days through Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and finally landing in Erie, PA. After a rest day, Crossroads will hand me my bags, bid me farewell, and then my new friends will head north to Boston, MA. I will then begin solo heading southeast to Davidsonville, MD. I expect that it will take me 4 days to get home from Erie. I have not figured out how I will get support from Erie to Davidsonville (SAG, hotel, etc), but several have volunteered to help out, so I am not very worried.

 

I fly to Topeka, KS on June 5th, and if all goes well, I will arrive in Davidsonville, MD on June 24 (possibly June 25th).

 

 

I'm looking forward to the open road without all the gear on my bike. The feeling of flying down an unknown stretch that I have never seen and will likely never see again, and knowing that every rotation of the crank is one push closer to home, is invigorating and stands the hair up on my neck. The thought of nothing but rubber to blacktop and the wind in my face makes me more determined than ever to complete this personal mission that is less than 6 weeks away.

 

Can't wait to get back on the road. (The picture below is somewhere in Idaho I think).

Thanks to all for your words of support and encouragement. They are much appreciated.