Day Zero, Saturday, June 20, 2009

Its time to begin Radio Bob’s Big Biking adventure. OK here I go… no I won’t!

I’ve always wanted to ride a bicycle to Cape Cod from my home in St. Lawrence County. Why? Maybe I’ll find out in the next two weeks… or simply do the smart thing and quit!

This ride will offer startling vistas, quiet moments for reflection, a healthful challenge, beauty and bliss by the ton. Or this ride will offer nothing but long, hot, grueling days of dangerous health-destroying pain! I suppose I’d like to find out.

The plan was to start today… riding about 50 miles per day… arriving in Provincetown, Mass (the outermost tip of the Cape) in 10-14 days.

I’ve purchased a Fuji “touring” bike and lots of gear. A touring bike is a little different than your average road bike… it has a longer wheelbase so that you don’t kick the saddlebags (panniers) which ride over the back wheel. It also has somewhat larger tires to carry the heavier loads of a touring trip, and lots of gears (27) for those steep hills. Its supposed to be strong NOT necessarily light… this bike is made of good ol’ steel, not Carbon fiber or Chrome-Molybdenum alloy, but heavy steel, just like your 1950 Columbia one-speed!

Anyway, today is the starting day… but it isn’t because of the promise of Thunderstorms in Lewis County (Lowville is my first stop) as well as the probability of headwinds (nothing worse than headwinds!)

Oh well… think I’ll have a beer!