I’m still up and down but since we turned the corner into March, I seem to be feeling better about the bike tour. For one thing, I’m getting the necessary things done.
I have a bike box. A new neighbor down the street bought a bike and put the box out for the trash shortly before I rolled by. Now I not only have a box, but I have a new friend and we may go biking a bit in the short time I have left.
I have ordered Marathon tires and they are on their way to Seattle. They are highly recommended as excellent tires so I shouldn’t have any flats or problems on the road.
I took the bike to a good repair guy, and he gave it a total going over. Everything is tightened, straightened, lubricated, inspected, and I have a list of things for the bike shop – new front brakes, new front gears, new back gears with 34 teeth (instead of 28) which he says will make climbing much easier, and he sold me a new front fork which I will have installed. It doesn’t have shocks so I’ll have the option to add a front rack if I wish. My shocks don’t work any more anyway, and the fork is ugly and rusted so I’m happy to replace it.
I continue to ride and today was a great day. I think I had been working harder than I needed to because my tires were low. Joel aired them up and the bike rolls much easier. It was also overcast today which really helped. When I rolled home after 28 miles, I still felt good and full of energy, much better than the last time I did the same route and limped home.
I have thought and thought about the GoFundMe idea and I have finally decided I am not going to do it. I don’t want to be responsible to supporters if I change plans or abort the ride at some point. I have enough income on my own to do this. I am ready to make the blog public so if people want to follow me that’s great, but if I can’t seem to get going with fundraising maybe it just isn’t the right thing for me.
I will continue to move forward with preparations –
Next week the bike goes to the shop for the necessary changes and repairs.
It’s time I start packing and riding with my real stuff rather than bottles of water.
I need to decide how I’m getting to Panama City.
I need to practice boxing the bike, and gather the supplies to do this.
There are still a few things I need to buy – tire pump, sleeping mat, rain jacket, handlebar bag (the thing that looks like a wastebasket isn’t going)… I think that’s about it and if I don’t find them now, they are all available in Seattle when I get there.
I think it’s all going to work out! With any luck maybe I’ll feel the same when I wake up tomorrow too 😀
The Silver Wheels Blog 