For me, European bike trips have never been about riding from Point A to Point B. My buddies and I far prefer the explorative method of riding. Rather than being blown off the bigger “red roads” by the noise and dust of passing semis, we seek out the serenity and quiet of remote alpine valleys on the smaller “white roads” – views of massive rock faces and glaciers at every turn. We’ve carried road bikes on our shoulders over high mountain passes, slid down vast glaciers along side our bicycles, and stumbled upon more quaint villages than I can count.
-Gary, founder and owner of clif bar & company
For me, I haven’t gone on a bike trip yet. Every Saturday when I drive to the Sanctuary, I think and dream about riding there. 35-40 miles each way. About twice what I do on a workday for my bike commutes. Worries about my fitness and about getting lost are what stop me, the kind of worries that will seem absurd once I get on my bike and do it.
There’s something about the bike. It is therapy, it is fun. It is transportation, it is independence. It feels good.
May 16, 2009 at 6:38 pm
To take a trip off the beaten path, could you get a GPS for the bike?
May 16, 2009 at 7:38 pm
yes! I’ve been looking at a couple of them, actually. The lower end one (garmin edge 310 or something like that) is reportedly $179 at Costco. Normally more like $350, and I’m not even sure it has mapping capabilities. It is more a bike computer that is based on GPS rather than tire rotation, can keep track of more and different things…there are yet more expensive versions that do have mapping capabilities though. It quickly gets up to $600-$700, and I’m *really* not ready for that kind of investment, when most of my rides are to and from work!
May 17, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Oh, I imagine that the view, from your bike, would be so different, from the one in your car. Can you imagine the photo’s? The way the air would change as you moved away from the city?
Oh, I hope you do take this trip by bike some day soon!
map packed, water bottle(s) at the ready!!!
May 17, 2009 at 7:27 pm
Thanks, Sorrow, you have gotten me extra motivated to tackle this soon! I had been thinking that Memorial Day weekend would be a good time to do this for the first time, since I’d have an extra day to “recover” before my next ride to work.
Of course that is *next* weekend, something that crept up on me! But other than looking at maps, there’s little to do to prepare, so I might as well!
It is true, what we see while on the bike is so different. Even when we’re on the same roads as we take by car, there just seems to be so much more in the world.
May 21, 2009 at 8:55 pm
[...] I want to ride the 35 miles to the sanctuary, and I think I’m finally ready. Sorrow’s encouragement / excitement happened to be just what I needed to push me over the edge from dreaming to planning. Ready or not, [...]