Rest Day in Columbus, MS

I've been riding steady since Gainesville, FL and my legs and knees were screaming for a rest day so I'm taking one here in Columbus Mississippi. This is a very quaint town and I'm glad I stopped here. I walked the streets this morning and took a few pictures with my cell phone, but it doesn't truly represent this historic city. Many of the homes have signs indicating they were built in the mid 1800's - the architecture is fantastic.

I also laid out by the pool for a little while trying (in vain) to remedy these unusual tan lines I have developed. I haven't had tan lines in years ;) but I suppose I should resign myself to the fact that I will have a farmer tan for the rest of the summer.

Hopefully I will get to see the new Star Trek movie later this afternoon. I have been very anxious to see it.

I took a peek ahead on my Adventure Cycling maps and determined that I will have a challenging week ahead with some steep climbs and possibly (much) cooler weather. The weather forecast this morning calls for lows in the 40's and highs barely reaching 70. Time to break out the leg and arm warmers.

I'm using Windows Movie Maker, a program I truly despise, to edit my weekly updates. I just edited and re-posted the week 2 video because I wanted to get the titles off the pictures so you could actually see them. Please watch at least the picture section over to get a better idea of the scenery.

Here are a few pictures I took this morning on my cell phone.

Flats & Rumble Strips

As I mentioned in the last video, I had a flat tire yesterday (rear of course) and I patched it with a self stick patch because the spare tubes I got from the bike shop were a different size (thick), which really upset me. I rode over 40 miles to complete the day yesterday & when I woke up it was still good. So I loaded up the bike and was ready to head out - now it is flat again. I unload, repatch and got going much later than expected.

About 40 miles into my ride with many up and downs with 90 degree temps - flat again. So by roadside I decide to try the new tube and thankfully it works.

Now I am way behind schedule but still enjoying the day except that Alabama really wants to keep their drunk drivers on the road because every road today had serious rumble strips on the entire shoulder. I'm still vibrating.

I rolled into my planned destination of Grove Hill, AL right at sunset and my map said I needed permission from the Police to camp in the City Park so I called & of course voicemail. I stopped an older couple by the Cemetary & asked where the park was & they told me. The man asked about my trip & and was impressed with my goal & progress. As Mayor of the city, he granted me permission to camp. :)

I used every bit of the day's light to get my tent up. I'll sleep good tonight.

Week 2 in Review

Week 2 of my bicycle adventure was great - hampered a bit by a family emergency involving Mom and a fall that badly damaged her leg. I have a lot of time to pray on the bike and too much time to worry. I want to give a shout out to my siblings who are there helping her before and after her operation which was today. I tried to keep my video light despite the bad news so here is week 2 in review.

Week One Video

Week one went smoothly and I covered over 400 miles from Ft. Lauderdale, FL to St. Augustine and then on to Gainesville, FL area. I'm going to try a YouTube link instead of posting directly to this blog because I think it will be faster. I hope you enjoy the week in review.

Well Underway!

Hello Spokes!

Just a quick update on my progress so far. I've traveled about 300 miles and am currently near St. Augustine, FL. Tomorrow I'll start heading West across the Panhandle of FL. I wonder if that strong east wind I've been battling will continue as I head west? Would be nice to be pushed for a while instead of pushed over.

For my many friends and family who have been praying for me - please keep it up! I've had some very good fortune getting cheaper campgrounds ($15 instead of $30) and some free meals and have met some very nice people so far.

I'll be posting a better message later this week (on a rest day) with a few videos. I wish I had more room on my hard drive because I have seen some fantastic scenery so far. Maybe I'll get an external hard drive that is light enough to bike up a mountain. Speaking of weight, I finally got the opportunity to weigh my bike yesterday and it is just over 100 lbs. (with water). I hope my legs will be able to handle that on a mountain!

For more frequent updates - please check my Twitter page. I'm trying to do a brief daily update on that site.

Thanks to all for the prayers and support!

Thanks to All!

Well tomorrow is the big day! I'm just wrapping up my last day (night?) at work and I'm anxious to get started. I've been overwhelmed with the support of my co-workers, friends and family this week. I've received many phone calls and txt messages and they had a nice send-off party for me at work with a generous donation collected from the people I work closely with. It was unexpected and very much appreciated!

I don't have much more to say other than thank you to all my Spokes for your support of my adventure!

Slightly Bruised

One thing I forgot to mention about the "shakedown" ride was the little spill I took. My bike is equipped with peddles that my shoes clip into with cleats. Most touring bikes and even normal road and speed bikes have this same type of system that allows you the added power of being able to lift the peddles as well as pushing them. It is a great system but does take some getting used to. I have been practicing and feel confident with them, but they can cause problems on a sudden stop.

On an unloaded bike, I can balance for several seconds even at a total stop. But on a loaded bike as soon as you stop - it wants to go down! I had such a situation on the shakedown ride when a driver making a left turn either didn't see me or figured I would stop for her. I managed to stop the bike quickly but I was still clipped into the peddles when the bike decided to go down. Thankfully I unclipped just as I was about to hit the ground and didn't go all the way down. But I did fall enough to get a couple nice bruises on my legs.

The woman said sorry as she continued on and I decided to chalk it up to a good learning experience. The bruises will heal soon and I made a commitment to never ride a bike with cleats without a helmet. I recommend this advice to all riders whose shoes are attached to the bike in any fashion. The other lesson here (that I learned long long ago) is that drivers do stupid things when it comes to bikers. My advice to all bikers reading this is to follow the rules of the road and always assume the drivers will do something stupid. You won't be disappointed.

"Shakedown" Trip

On Saturday I did a "shakedown" overnight camping trip to make sure I had everything I would need for the real ride. Here are some short videos of that trip. 2 things to note:
1. Microsoft Movie Maker SUKZ and that is why you get 3 unedited videos instead of 1. I'm looking for an alternative.
2. Part of the "Shakedown" ride was to see if I can post videos using my phone's Internet connection. That failed - which is why I'm posting it today. It may have been due to poor cell service out at the park.

Wheels in Motion

It is official - I just submitted my (hopefully temporary) two weeks notice at my job of 12 1/2 years. It is either the most bold or worst thing I have ever done. I'm going with BOLD!

Weather or not my company takes me back, I still have a good feeling that everything will work out for the best.

Meet Larry the Long Haul Trucker!

I know it may be a little silly but I name all my stuff. I call my house La Casa de Tropical, my car is named Rex and now I'd like to introduce the new bike I will use for this adventure. His name is Larry and he is a Surly Long Haul Trucker. Lets take a look.....

Note: In the video, Larry is wearing Lone Peak brand panniers purchased from TheTouringStore.com

Good Fortune

My fortune cookie today said:

"Your present plans are going to succeed."

I'm not even going to open up the 2nd cookie. :)

All A-Twitter

If you would like to get text message or online updates on my adventure, you can follow me on Twitter! I'll be sending out a message once a day (or whenever I can based on cell service) with my location or special event. I'll also let you know when I post a new video on this blog. I promise not to overdo it with the messages. A lot of folks are worried about me being out in the world all by myself - I think Twitter will be a great way to put them more at ease. Plus, its a great way to join me on my journey wherever you may be.

Help for Haiti

Lots of folks do distance rides for a particular cause, and in fact I was in the Florida AIDS ride back in 97 from Orlando to Miami. and raised over $1000.00. I'm doing this new ride for no particular reason except the pure adventure of it. But I do have a charity that I would like to mention and I hope you might support. The crisis in Haiti is real and many people are literally starving to death. This island has been hit by disaster after disaster - some natural and some political. Many people live in poverty and there is massive corruption by those that have money or political power. The island has endured several major hurricanes in recent years wiping away what few possessions the poor people had. Trees, a priceless natural resource, have been completely destroyed in many areas causing terrible mudslides during the summer rainy season . Haiti is in dire need - and you can help. Please give to Food for The Poor - a trusted organization recommended by Haitian friends of mine. They provide food, shelter, and even trees to Haiti and other destitute nations. If my ride can somehow help the people of Haiti, it would be a double blessing.

Google Map!

I did a new, more detailed map on Google Maps that shows the exact trail I intend to do (which I can update if needed). It may take just a bit to load and looks a bit messy until you zoom in a bit. I put a link to this map in the sidebar for quick reference. I'm still in the process of putting in the town names and should have that done in the next day or so.

I learned that I will be forced to resign my job for this trip and hopefully they will hire me back when I return. Therefore I will be on a very tight budget during this adventure. If you happen to live on this route, or know someone who does - I would be most grateful for a place to pitch my tent and a warm shower. If you can help, please send me a note - and thank you in advance!

Email me here

The Right Tool for the Job

It has been a busy couple of weeks! I was feeling very under pressure with a lot of loose ends and so I made a plan to get a few major things accomplished. One of the biggest decisions I have had to make was weather to fix up my 11 year old Cannondale bike for the trip or get new equipment. Having decided that new was better I then had to decide what type of bike to get. This decision proved to be worse than buying a car - too many choices! Last week I finally ordered the new bike and it arrived this week. It was my Birthday on the 23rd and it just happened that was the day my new bike was ready! I promise I will post a pic of the new bike - hopefully by next week - but I wanted to get most of the accessories mounted first. I think I made a wise purchase when I finally decided on (say it with me tourists) the Surly Long Haul Trucker! It seems to be the bike of choice for bicycle tourists on a budget - not that it was inexpensive but rather a nice compromise between price and function. I think I will be quite happy with it.

Yesterday was a most unusual day. First, I finally made a decision on the bike and pannier bags I will be using on this trip and placed orders for both - they should arrive early next week. This was a cause of great excitement for me as I have been searching for the right equipment for months now and finally making a decision is a huge load off my mind.

However, my excitement was somewhat dampened throughout the day when at least 5 people on different occasions suggested that I seriously reconsider taking this trip in light of the current economic crisis the country is facing and the huge unemployment rate. Who knew the most adventurist part of this trip might be my career! So it was a mixed bag of emotions but the little voice inside still says "go!" so I eagerly await my equipment arrival and will likely take a short video when it arrives so I can test posting videos to this site.

73 days until departure! :)

After doing the map below and some calculations, I determined that I will need to depart on my trip on April 25th in order to possibly be in South Dakota by my family reunion (or Mom's birthday) in June. I expect this trip to take about 4 months. I could probably do it in slightly less time but I want to actually enjoy the ride rather than just get from here to there.

After a lot of thought, I have decided I am going to do the ride this year. You can read some of my thoughts about the decision here. Meanwhile, I have also changed the route a bit and I'm calling this trip "The Sibling Tour" because I will visit all my 6 siblings on the way. One sister near Lincoln, NE, my only brother in Harold, SD, 2 other sisters in Fort Pierre, SD - a sister in Gillette, WY and finally a sister near Seattle, WA. Here is the proposed map.

I was just about to change the name of this blog to something more creative and specific to my cross country bike ride plans. But I decided to keep the name Adventure Management because even though this ride could be considered "epic" I do not want to assume it will be my last adventure. So in the spirit of forward thinking I'm leaving the title to include this and all future adventures.

The busy Holiday season is here and I feel swamped! Plus the economy has tanked and I've had a lot of major expenses at my house which have eaten up all my savings for this ride. But I still intend to do it. I guess there really isn't a good time to go without an income for several months unless you are already independently wealthy - which I am not. Nobody ever said an adventure was easy.

On the plus side - I survived the layoffs at work and my company has said they are willing to work with me to make this ride possible. Even if they support me enough to just hold my job during my absence it will make the actual adventure that much more enjoyable.

Meanwhile, I've collected most of my camping gear and a good friend has loaned me some cold weather riding gear of his which will save me a lot of money. The next big step, which I have put off until the end of January is to get a new or previously owned bike capable of this journey. Either that or rebuild my older bike for the job. This will be one of the larger expenses and a careful decision will need to be made. Plus, there are a LOT of choices out there for touring bikes.

As 2009 arrives quickly - so will May. I've got a lot to do! Stay tuned for my progress updates. During the ride I intend to do a mostly video blog at this site. I've enjoyed watching some from other riders very much.

Happy Holidays!