Roy's Bike
It was cool and windy today. I rode along A-1-A in a very strong wind coming off the ocean. I had to gear down 3 notches lower than I would without wind. I moved off the beach a couple of block with hopes of having less wind, but the difference was marginal. Even though it was cool, I worked up a real sweat. The ride was enough to get an adrenal work up.
It is bike week in Daytona so we have a lot of motorcycles everywhere. They are worse than automobiles for bicyclists. They own the road.
I am looking forward to our trip next fall and have been training and getting supplied. I have a 2011 Trek 7.5 FX with 11-34 gearing. It has a carbon fork and 700cc x 32 non-punture slick tires. The speed odometer registed me going 53mph down Chestnut Mound the other day. Way too fast? This is a 1.5 mile hill. We won't be encountering hills like this in Florida, Thank God! Coming back up is tough, even with my 34 tooth cassett. This is a very fast and light weight bicycle. I have added fenders, panniers, handlebar bag, and lights. I have a one man tent that weighs only 2lbs, and a sleeping bag and air mattress and a MSR Whisperlite backpacking stove that will burn on a wide range of fuels; unleaded gas, propane, etc.... I am planning to make some local camping trips to Defeated Creek, Edgar Evans, and over to Daryl's in Hermitage. Also, I am hopeing to do a couple of days on the Nateze Trace. I may even ride over to Rock Island for a day or two. I want to enjoy life while I still can, who knows what the future may hold. My health has been a concern for awhile now and I don't want to spend my final days remembering the past, I want to live today. Goal setting and working towards that goal is more important than the actual trip. If we don't get to do the trip for some reason, I will be disappointed, but will not regret the time and engery I put into preparing. It has been said that life is a journey, not a destination. I have always believed that and it is this that propells me now. My journey may have hit some turberlant waters, but the ship of life has not sunk. I just have to trim the sails and chart a new course. My battle cry is, "Sallie forthe to Key West,,, and beyond". Roy and I always wanted to sail around the world, maybe we'll get to do it on two wheels instead of on the wings of the wind. Either way, the adventurous spirit stills lives in both of us and where there's spirit, there's hope.
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