A Word of Truth

(Thomas)

So, as I sit in Shenandoah Joe Coffee House (in Charlottesville), I can't help but feel obligated to tell you about the "not so good" side we've experienced just in the past 2 days. Bicycling is tough... 50 miles on a fully loaded touring bike (about 70 pounds of equipment, plus a bike weighing 27.5 lbs, and that additional water weight!) is not easy. Combine that with these Virginian hills, 85 degree weather, a sore butt, and exhausted legs.... Makes for a tough trip.

I have to remind myself, while sweating up a storm, increasingly thirsty, hungry, and tired, that the journey is the blessing. Yet, I'd like to emphasize, that sometimes that's hard to remember. From an outside view looking in, I'm sure many of you think our venture sounds like a joyous tour around the country filled with adventure, beautiful skies, and a cool breeze! At least, that's what we were expecting.

But it isn't always this way. In fact, many times during the day I yell at myself for thinking this was a good idea to begin with! (some slight humor--but really).

The rewards are nice, of course. I already have a greater appreciation for some small things: A/C, water, showering, other cyclists, and the concept of 10 miles! 10 miles becomes much more real on a bicycle... much more. But sometimes these things are outweighed by the more visible discomforts.

Yesterday, for instance, Daniel and I had to physically get off our bikes and walk up a road while coming into Charlottesville. The road was a steep hillside that followed miles of ups and downs through the Virginia countryside. Day 2 and we had to walk half a mile. My pride and spirit hurt from that one.

Now granted, it was a rather large hill ;)  But, as I reflect, I realize something essential - we made it!! and I feel good about that.

The lessons learned over this trip will surely grow in number, but so far here are a few things we've embraced in terms of safety:

Even with our limited experience so far, I feel much better about cycling on the road. Being cautious yet aggressive is necessary.

Daniel and I have devised a couple techniques to stay safer:

1. Be obvious - don't make rash moves. Clear intentions are better for you and the driver.
2. Take the lane - don't always hug the right side of the road, act as a "car" and let it be known you're on the road. This is something that is tough to do because you find yourself fighting the instinct to stay out of the way of traffic. I read being about 2 feet from the curb is best. It has worked well so far. 
3. Always stop - Stop signs are for bikers as well! I got stitches from a failure to do so last semester..
4. Hills - you want a stopping point with high visibility, so the top of a hill (when you're most tired!) is not the place to do so. 
5. Flashing lights - Daniel and I both have red blinking lights attached to the back of our equipment. I feel that this is a great asset to our safety because it can be seen better than a neon shirt while in the shadows of trees or when the sky is cloudy. 
6. Most importantly - Don't cycle next to Daniel. He seems to be the frequent catalyst to any of my near crashes, due to his tendency to swerve while focusing on his stirrups, his helmet mirror, or God knows what.