Look at the pumpkins! Fall actually is here!
Lately, a slight ache has been tugging at heart. I am on my bike every day but it isn’t quite enough. When go for a ride in the morning, by the end of the day it feels like a huge chunk of time has passed since my bike and I have been out on the road. But if I postpone my ride until later in the day-I have problems with the “you should be out pedaling” nudge.
The time I do spend biking is great but inevitably I have to turn back and go home. I love my home, I love my local area, but I want to explore a bit more and push myself a little farther.
Rend Collective, one of my favorite bands, is playing in Rochester next week. I think it the perfect opportunity for my first ever overnight bike trip. It is a 160 mile trip one way so my plan is to bike down Tuesday and Wednesday (the concert is Wednesday night). Then, I will spend the night in Rochester and bike back as far as I can on Thursday. I work early Friday morning so I will call someone to pick me up once I am done biking on Thursday.
My emotions about the upcoming trip are a volatile mix of excitement and raw nerves. Mostly, I am afraid of getting lost or having my bike or body break down. With every little weird pain I feel or every strange sound I hear while biking, I get jittery and wonder if I can actually make it to Rochester. This is new territory and I don’t know how the trip will go. What if something happens? But then I straighten my thinking out and my excitement returns.
My bike and I get to spend three days discovering new roads together. Watch out world!
Bike Like Crazy 
How wonderfully exciting!!! Watch out world indeed. Watch out Bri!!
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I have been inspired in part by reading about your bike journeys over this spring and summer. When someone told me about this concert, I knew the time had finally come 🙂
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I finally inspired someone???? You REALLY just made my day!!!
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Dan, if people aren’t inspired by your cycling it is their own fault!
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I hope your plan works out amazingly.
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Thanks Anthony!
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What a wonderful idea. I can’t wait to hear about the trip. Good luck. Stay safe. And, have fun.
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Thanks Gary! I am really excited 🙂
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Great plan. 160 miles in a day is long, but if you set off early and maintain a good pace you’ll do it! Looking forward to reading about the adventure.
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I think it’s 2 days….. I thought that at first too.
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So it is, in which case Bri will manage 80 miles a day without a problem!
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Yeah, it shouldn’t be too hard unless I get devastatingly lost somehow…
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It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.” ~ Bilbo Baggins
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It is true, once I am on my bike headed south, there is no telling where I will end up! I love good old Bilbo!
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wow this is brilliant, take lots of photos! love the pumpkins btw x
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Thanks! I promise to stop for pictures along the way 🙂
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That sounds so much fun!! I can’t wait to hear all about it. 🙂
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I get to bike along the Erie Canal, I am super excited 🙂
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Very cool!!!
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We all have those “what if” worries before our first tour. I can tell you from experience that withing a quarter mile of your ride, all those heebie jeebies will be replaced by a huge smile. It’s only a bike ride fercryingoutloud.
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I think I will be repeating that in my head over and over when I am trying to fall asleep tonight, “It is just a bike ride. It is just a bike ride. It is just a bike ride….”
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I often get these “I wonder if I can bike there?” thoughts when an event or occasion is mentioned to me. As others have said, just go do it, and you’ll soon overcome any worries of it you may have… but wait… I’ve been trying to catch up with your 4,000 odd miles already done this year by doing loads this month… how many miles will you now be doing this month?! *gets his notebook and calculator out ready…*
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I should hit the 800 mile mark, not sure how many more miles over that I will get. Catch me if you can 😉
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Good to know… on target… 😀
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Nice! Go Brian!
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…and getting lost only adds to the adventure of it!! I’ve had some of my best conversations while I was touring when I got lost!
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If you say so…I still don’t want to get lost though!
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No such thing as getting lost, your just taking an alternative route. Have a good trip.
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Truth!
And the trip was a blast 😉
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are you camping along the way? I’ve always wanted to go bike camping. As soon as I get some paniers, there will be no stopping me. Have fun and stay safe!
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I stayed at a hotel one night and at a friend’s place the other night, I want to go bike camping-I just need to buy a tent!
You will make such a pro bike camper, get those panniers 🙂
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