Dream Ride Preparations, Part 2

“When are you leaving?” is the first question everyone asks me. The second is, “What is your route?” I’m not married to a particular date or a particular route. A lot remains to do before I can roll off with a clear and happy mind. It might be mid-Summer or even Fall before I start, and my route will depend somewhat on when I take off. Being properly prepared is part of my birthday gift to myself. I’m collecting gear I love, arranging logistics to allow maximum head-space for creativity on the road, and enjoying the preparations Summer is good for riding the Rockies from Missoula to Boulder, while cooler Fall weather would allow a southern route through the Southwestern deserts. The only part of my route that’s fairly fixed will connect family visits in Southeastern Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia, and South Carolina. What I most miss, living on the California Coast, is Spring in the Southeast. And even if I don’t leave until December I can get there in time for the Spring Peepers. I’m itching to get out there, though! Today I’m looking forward to using my fast road bike (a vintage purple Miele) to get to a business meeting a few miles North along the shore of Monterey Bay this afternoon. It’s sunny and there might be quite a tailwind on the northbound leg along the ocean. That means headwinds on the way home: good training for crossing the Plains, in any season.