Last Entry Before I Depart on Monday, May 4th.

Good morning,
This will be the last entry until after I start my trip on Monday morning, May 4th. You previously saw the equipment I was going to take along as well as a picture of my bike about 3 weeks ago with snow in the background. Well, it's still cool outside but now the equipment is packed, for the second time and ready to go. I'll take the bike out this morning for one more test run just to make sure everything is secure. I think the added weight to the bike with all equipment, supplies and gear is about 35 pounds.

The bike does handle differently than without it and it will be interesting to see how it handles in the wind, with all this gear aboard. Especially a cross wind, as the gear tends to act like a sail.

What I really have left to do is what anyone who is leaving town for an extended period of time does. Make sure bills are paid, the yard is cleaned up one more time and my stuff in my office organized and put away so as not to bother anyone who might need to be poking around in my absence.

Once on this journey, I promise to post as many pictures as is possible with as little jabbering as I can. Pictures speak a thousand words; you don't need both!

Here's a few to begin the journey:



This the gear I will be using to maintain and repair the bike as well as some safety gear for use along the way.



This gear is clothing and personal items. The clothing has been bagged in refrigerator freezer bags to reduce their mass as well as to make sure they are water proof inside the carrier (pannier).



This is the camping, cooking, sleeping and dehydrated food gear. Food for 2 meals X 3days which I will use only if I cannot find food in the towns along the way. My intention is to camp 2 out of 3 nights, but much of that will be determined by the weather. Wet and cold = B & B or motel.



And finally, here's my transportation and gear all loaded up for the trip. The bike has been tuned up, works just great and I do believe I have all the stuff I will need to make a safe and fun adventure out of this trip from Muscatine, IA to New Orleans along the Mississippi River.

Last Entry Until a Day or Two Before I Leave, Sunday, May 3rd.

Too many people write too much in these journals before they leave. There is not much more to say until I start. Also, most everyone writes more than is necessary.

I'll try to be brief from now on.

Question of the Day

I'm about to ride 1335 miles on a trail from north (up) to south (down). I've read and experienced that prevailing winds, when they occur, are southerly. i.e., from south to north. However, the trail, if one starts in Muscatine, runs up to down. So the question is: Which direction should I ride? New Orleans (up) to Muscatine, or Muscatine (down) to New Orleans.

All the assumptions are true for both rides. The distance up or down is the same, the time of the year is the same, the weather will be the same, the weight of the bike is the same, the grade of the route is the same and the rider is the same;

1) Is it smarter to ride down a trail that has a slight downhill grade against the wind, or,
2) Is it smarter to ride up the same trail with the wind, when it blows, at your back?

If you have a comment, please leave it by clicking on "Comments" below.

A Correction From Yesterday and A Couple of Pictures

I did not ride 50 miles yesterday, although last night my body felt like I'd ridden a thousand. This morning, got up early and drove the route. 42 miles exactly. The good news is that I know I could have gone the last 8, so am still comfortable with my conditioning.

Today a shorter route, about 30 miles on the Fox River Trail which I picked up in Algonquin and rode south towards St. Charles. A couple of pics of today's ride follow. This is really also an experiment to see how easy it is to post these pictures. I want to make sure I can do it before I get off on the trip.

Although the trail follows the Fox River downstream, here's a picture of the trail going up hill. How does a trail going down, go up?

The Fox River Trail with the river very high as a result of the snow and rain this past winter.


Trail Dawg. A hot dog stand just north of Carpentersville on the Fox River Trail. Great dogs, soft drinks and chips. Just near the end of my ride today, so a welcome sight for sure. Delicious. PS. Today I brought my money. PPS. My bike with rear rack attached in the foreground.


And finally, a picture of all the stuff I'll be packing into those 4 yellow packs that hang off the bike. Everything in the list posted last month including a couple of things my son Dave suggested I add to the list. Thanks Dave

I'll Be Brief. Sort Of.

Today, after the longest winter since the extinction of the dinosaurs, my bike and I finally hit the streets! What a glorious day here in Chicagoland and a glorious feeling to be finally riding outside instead of training in the basement.

So excited I started out without my pump. Went back and got it.
So excited I started out with only a couple of dollars on me. Actually three.
So excited I started out with my new camera and after only one picture, the battery died.
So excited, I probably went further than I should have, 50 miles through rolling hills. We'll see how many leg cramps I get tonight.

The good news is that I got the 50 miles in just over 4 hours, which included about 15 minutes to wolf down a hot dog (I could have eaten three) from Tracks, one of the great hot dog stands in the Universe. I think I got $.23 in change back.

Today, following the suggestions of many who have ridden before me, I practiced riding and shooting the Mace, using inert products instead of the real stuff. Quite easy, as long as the several mailboxes, fire hydrants, signposts and tree stumps along the road weren't snarling or barking at me. Let those dog packs come. I'm ready for them.

My intention is to ride the same route tomorrow and if I can pull it off two days in a row without ripping or tearing something in my body, then I'll judge I'll be more than ready to ride consecutive 50 mile days on my trip, which incidentally, starts 1 month from today.

Tomorrow I'll have a new battery for the camera, some money, the tire pump on the bike when I leave home and should have another great day of riding. Right now, it's about 8:00. UCLA lost to Memphis in the NCAA quarter finals, (bummer), and I'll probably fall asleep on the couch shortly, so please don't call to give me a bad time about UCLA or their basketball game.

No April Fools - Sort Of...

Unlike Southern California, where I'm from, in Chicagoland one can look out the window at a perfectly sunny day - especially now that in April it is supposed to be warm - and although it looks like it ought to be warm out, it isn't! Looks 70, IS 48.

Looking ahead at the 10 day weather forecast, it looks like it will be in the mid to high 50's on Sunday, so that's the day I will take my bike outside for the first time this winter and ride my 50 mile workout on REAL roads, with REAL fields, REAL cars on the road, REAL barnyard dogs and REAL people and things. Wowsers. What a concept.

If you've been reading this blog, you already know I'm a weather woos, preferring to ride inside until it warms up some. This winter is long and cold, so "warming up some" is going to have to be the mid-50's. I only have a month left before I leave for New Orleans, so road work outside is critical. Saturday's the day, then.