April 13, 2024
Some Call It A Shakedown Ride
The Introductory Pages Keep Coming
Never before have I done a shakedown ride in preparation for a bicycle tour. I never thought I needed one. That's because my bike always worked nicely on my day rides, therefore, naturally, I was pretty sure it would continue to do so on my tours.
Also, I never needed any extra practice riding with a loaded bike because, for more than two decades now, I've been carrying loads of meat, fruits, vegetables, canned foods, milk, beer, etc. in my panniers at least a couple times per week.
Another also, thanks to my year-round cycling and cross-training--activities like shooting hoops, snow shoveling, dog walking, high speed lawn mowing, and constantly running up and down the stairs from the Greg Room to the kitchen and back--I generally believed I was in decent enough physical shape to conduct a bike tour.
One more also, I always know what gear to bring. It's mostly the same old gear I carry on every tour, which is also the same old gear I used to bring on backpacking trips for so many years. Almost everything I need for a tour, which isn't much, is packed away in a big box.
In other words, I've got it all down pat. Tour preparation has always been easy for a dude like me who has never ventured on his bike beyond North America, and I have the same cocky self-assuredness for this trip. Ergo, the next couple pages aren't REALLY about a shakedown ride. I prefer to call it "A Fun Overnight Bike Ride That Just Happens to Precede an Upcoming Bike Tour."
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Two days ago, I saw some nice weather ahead. I said to myself, "maybe I should take advantage of the unusual 70-degree temperatures and go for an overnight bike ride. The next day, yesterday, I said to Son of Bing Bong (my bike), "let's do this." Then I went to the highest authority and presented my plan to The Feeshko. She approved. In fact, she approved so quickly that I suspect she was looking forward to getting rid of me for 24 hours or so. Less than an hour after she approved, I turned my left ankle and fell to the floor while running down the stairs from the kitchen to the Greg Room.
My ankle had pain all night, but it felt better this morning. There was far less swelling and bruising than I expected. I walked with a little trouble, but rode my bike with no trouble at all. As far as I'm concerned, the overnight trip is still on. It begins tomorrow.
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7 months ago
7 months ago
7 months ago
7 months ago
Other than my Bluetooth speaker and my beloved smart phone, I won't be carrying electronics on my overnight trip. I won't be posting a live action journal. For me, that means less encumbered riding. For you, that means the unbearable suspense of waiting a couple of days to read about what happened.
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7 months ago
Such a familiar feeling... :D
7 months ago
I hate when that happens!
7 months ago
7 months ago