This weekend was Adventure Cycling’s Bike Travel Weekend. I decided to join in since school was out. I decided to ride up to Starkey Wilderness Preserve.
Sounds great, right! Well, I left a few variables out while planning the trip. The first thing I neglected to calculate in was the 85-degree temperature with no cloud cover most of the way. I’ve never done this ride in these weather conditions. I don’t usually think of 85 as being all that hot. But of course, I’m usually just walking around, not putting major physical effort into something.
I also chose a couple of diversions. I decided to go a further west along the beaches instead of following the Pinellas Trail the whole way. It was a nice ride, but it added miles. The Google also took me a different route as I got closer to the park. Instead of cutting across on 54, it took me on trails and back ways. From a riding perspective, it was nicer since I didn’t have to deal with all of the traffic. But it, too, added miles. Overall, these diversions added 10 miles to the route I normally take (an extra hour of riding).
During the last 10 miles, I was pulling in some of the meditation tools I learned last week. “I’m pedaling away my delusions! I’m pedaling away my delusions!” “High five, muscadine grape!” as their vines snaked through a fence. I was laughing and singing these things. If anyone had seen or heard me they’d probably think I was crazy. At that point, maybe I was.
I left my house at 9:00, expecting to get there at 3:00-ish, which is how quickly I’ve made the ride in the past. Yesterday, I made it closer to 6:00, sweating, overheated, and exhausted. Fifty-nine miles. In 85 degree heat. Damn…
My mind was moving slow. I didn’t even get my stove out. Fortunately the food I brought was pre-cooked, so I was able to enjoy kielbasa, bread, and cheese with no fuss.
At one point during the ride I was feeling very hot, so I decided to take off my shirt and just rode wearing my sports bra. I did put sunscreen on, but apparently not enough. Lobster red just gives a bare-bones idea of how red my back is today.
My friend met me at the campground for a night of camping. We talked for awhile as the sun went down. I went for a little walk, since the campground had stargazing. Clouds were coming in and most of the people had left by the time I got out there. I walked back to my tent.
Even after riding nearly 60 miles in a day, I still wasn’t all that sleepy. I went and took a shower and then laid down. After a little while, I heard raccoons getting into something. I thought I’d put all the food away, but I forgot I had a pear and some dried cranberries in my handlebar bag. They had gotten into those. Too, as they ran, they took off with my pool noodle, which I’d been using to let drivers know to stay at least 3 feet away (the law). It was sitting on the picnic table, but the raccoon took off with it and then dropped it. I can’t help but wonder what it thought it was!
Nearly 59 miles. My longest one-day ride to date. Very honestly, I don’t ever want to ride that far in a day again. If I had to I would. But in general, I’d much rather ride a few hours, get to a place, and have enough energy to check out the place.
I was fortunate that my friend met me at the campground to camp with me last night. She has a big SUV, and luckily for me my bike and panniers fit nicely in the back. Instead of riding home today, we got some breakfast at a diner and then she drove me home. Between my sunburn back and the heat, I am oh, so thankful.
Wherever I do my next tour, it will be cooler, and I won’t plan so many miles in a day. I do like bike touring, but I’m finding I’m more of a fair-weather tourer. I’m Ok with that.