The Cycle Tour is on hold until 2012 at this time.
This project needs a name!
But that won’t stop me from starting to lay out the page for it.
I need something short, concise, but clever and catchy. Something that instantly identifies it. I can’t just call it The Project, or Al’s Bike Ride. Well, I could, but I’m still hoping for catchy.
If you think of a clever name for it, please let me know. I can’t offer a prize or anything, but you’ll get my thanks and I’ll give credit to you.
I’m leaning towards Places I Have Never Been Tour, after a Willie Nile song… Please, come up with something better!
The Project
Who? Me. I’ve been a off and on again cyclist since I was a kid. I’m addicted to blogging and this will be much more interesting to write about than my life of late. I have always wanted to travel and see the country. I’m a Ham Radio operator and a tech nut. I sometimes help build robots.
What? A long-distance self-contained ride around the country on my recumbent trike. I’ll spend as much of the time as I can camping, or staying in places offered to touring cyclists. In the event of bad weather, physical illness or just for a rest, I’ll do an occasional hotel.
When? The Spring/Summer of 2011. It’ll last until I either get tired of it, feel I’ve reached the end, need a break, or something interrupts it.
Where? Yet to be determined. I have several routes in my mind, but nothing definite planned yet. The longest trip I’ve ever taken has been about 100 miles and included one night of camping. I basically proved I could do it, but that’s far from actually taking a real trip. I may start with a reasonable length trip (1-2 weeks) and see how it goes. The most I ever rode in one day was just over 200 miles but that was a long time ago… 50-75 miles a day is plenty to see the country.
How? I told you, on a recumbent trike! I’ll be carrying everything with me, camping gear, food (stopping at stores along the way) and the tools I need to capture this adventure and share it here: camera, netbook, Ham Radio gear, smartphone, etc. Also, to power all that, a solar panel and storage battery to keep it running. (No, no electric motor on the bike!)
Why? Why did the mountain climber climb the mountain? I’ve wanted to do this for years, but work and a family came first. Now, I’m retired, the kids are grown to the point of near self-sufficiency and it’s time to do this. My wife probably has no interest in doing this. She’s also still employed. I may not be physically able to do this by the time she quits or retires. So, it’s now or never.
Getting out of the house and doing something will probably mean I can do something like this later, because I hope it will keep me fit longer. I know for sure, if I don’t, I won’t be.
More Why? I’ve read a number of accounts by people doing variations of this. It’s not at all new and therefore is very doable. I hope I have learned a little from those who have gone before me. I’ve certainly been inspired by them.
Often, tours such as these have a goal, a purpose, or something to promote. I’m looking into being able to use my trip in that way as well. As my close friends and family know, but many of you might not, I have two sons with Cystic Fibrosis. One has received a lung transplant. (You can read about it in the archives of this blog.) The other is facing one. He is in the pre-evaluation stages, meaning it’s not going to happen anytime soon, but they are taking the steps to get him into the system and be ready when he needs it.
If my ride and blog could do anything to raise awareness for transplant programs, organ donation, or cystic fibrosis research, it would be a really cool thing, don’t you think? I’m looking into ways to do this and hope to put things together for that purpose.
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