But
I'd already been to Georgia so I thought of Alabama. Then Mississippi
came up. I kept thinking and eventually decided it wouldn't be too hard
to keep going just a little more and check out New Orleans while I was
at it. And Houston too.
My bike was ready to go. It had been my trusty commuter for just under
twelve full months of riding, or about 14,000 miles. It's my learner
bike, purchased after failing a riding course but with an obsessive
determination to ride well. By now, I considered myself an accomplished
rider who should have no trouble on a long trip like this. Never mind
that I had just learned how to ride a bicycle in late summer of '03
- that was thousands of miles ago.
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Day
1
I
start out at 1 p.m. for my first stop, an overnight stay at a friend's
place in Gainesville. I end up taking the ol' scenic route, i.e., I
missed my turnoff for the turnpike, adding about 80 miles to the ride
and four traffic jams. It takes almost seven hours to ride 400 miles,
including one meal stop and two fuel stops. Heavy winds wake me up a
few times, till I get further inland. The gusts were so bad through
one sweeper that I took the whole curve almost upright at 70 miles an
hour. My average of 90 mph helped drop about five miles from every gallon,
bringing it down to 35.
A
decent night's sleep should get me ready for Louisiana tomorrow evening.
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