It's Not Far I'll Ride My Bike

It's Not Far I'll Ride My Bike I would enjoy your virtual company on my bike ride across the continent!

I've had a few wonderful days on Lopez, followed by a very creepy Warmshowers experience. I want to caution all solo tra...
07/14/2023

I've had a few wonderful days on Lopez, followed by a very creepy Warmshowers experience. I want to caution all solo traveling women in particular to be very careful in choosing your hosts. I will definitely go about choosing mine differently from now on.

On a lighter note, I did a kayaking tour and a few beautiful hikes, and I always enjoy chatting with fellow cyclists and locals. I am just now waiting for the ferry to head back to Lopez Island from Orcas Island. Enjoy the photos!

My tent neighbor snored a lot, but it was still a good night, and I enjoyed quite a few conversations with the other cyc...
07/09/2023

My tent neighbor snored a lot, but it was still a good night, and I enjoyed quite a few conversations with the other cyclists last night and this morning. We all rode to the farmers market in the village, and I added a small loop I'd done before and stopped for espresso and a brownie before heading back. The campground is so peaceful. There are kids running around having a blast, and it's fun to watch the ferries from the beach. I'm in a different campsite tonight with beautiful views.

I woke up to some pretty thick fog and quite chilly temperatures, both so welcome after the heat of the city. My hosts m...
07/07/2023

I woke up to some pretty thick fog and quite chilly temperatures, both so welcome after the heat of the city. My hosts made coffee and waffles and sent me off with a sandwich and peas from their garden. Lucky me! The ride took me along the shore for a bit, past the Naval Air Base with its roaring jets, and up over the Deception Pass bridge, which is always beautiful. There was a lot of traffic, pretty unnerving and ugly to be around, but I took a few peaceful detours. Stocked up on a bit of food for the islands, anticipating higher prices there. I'm just now waiting for my ferry. Looking forward to a full rest day tomorrow!

Friends, it's been a while! I've missed being on my loaded bike, and it feels so good to be out of the city. I'm taking ...
07/07/2023

Friends, it's been a while! I've missed being on my loaded bike, and it feels so good to be out of the city. I'm taking two weeks to ride up to the San Juan Islands here in Washington State. Riding for 6 hours with my gear, climbing many 10+ percent grades felt hard but it was also incredibly familiar. I stopped in many places to take in the beauty and had great conversations with locals. I am lucky to have wonderful hosts for my first night who have toured all over Europe and have lots of stories to tell. We had a great salmon dinner on their deck overlooking Puget Sound.

4 weeks post-tourQuite a few people have asked me if I am going to write a book about my tour. At first, I thought, why ...
09/23/2022

4 weeks post-tour

Quite a few people have asked me if I am going to write a book about my tour. At first, I thought, why should I? I'm just one of dozens of people who ride across the continent every summer. I met quite a few of them. But then while I was riding my bike today I thought, why not? It would be a fun thing to work on this winter, and it would help me process my experiences.

Most importantly, though, I am so grateful to those who have inspired me to go on this adventure and to those who have encouraged me and cheered me on, so why not inspire others in turn by writing about my tour. Perhaps it will help others feel more confident about touring, or perhaps readers are just curious about why a woman in her late 50s would decide to take 4 months of unpaid leave and spend three months on a bike. I am wondering what questions people might have. And it doesn't matter if you're a cyclist or not. Any question will help me find a direction.

This will not be a route guide. I will talk much more about the mental, emotional, and physical experience, with some time spent on preparation, gear, and practical aspects.

What would you like to read about?

🚴‍♂️🚴‍♂️🚴‍♂️ -- Angela

1 week post-tourI thought some of you might be interested in hearing how it feels to be off the bike after being on for ...
08/30/2022

1 week post-tour

I thought some of you might be interested in hearing how it feels to be off the bike after being on for 3 months. My very wise cousin, who I am staying with in Maine, insisted that I stay with them for at least a week or two to recuperate, and I'm so glad I listened to her!

I have been blessed with wonderful food from their garden, many naps, good conversation and laughs, coffee and gin and tonics on their small rowboat off the harbor, evenings at the beach.

A but antsy and curious, I got on my bike again yesterday and felt fine for about 15 minutes, but then noticed how my body severely rejected this activity. I often got signals like that as I was riding across the continent, but they usually receded after a few minutes. So, stubborn as I am, insisted on riding for about 4 hours at Acadia National Park despite my body's severe reprimands, but it was incredibly laborious and the entire time, I felt like I needed to get off my bike and take a nap right there on the side of the trail. My body must have known that it is finally in recovery mode, trying to get my attention to make me stop this nonsense. But I am being good today, resting and napping, and I am going to treat myself to a massage this afternoon. I don't plan on taking another ride for at least another few days.

The closest feeling I could compare this fatigue to is jet lag. Every afternoon, still, I feel like somebody clocked me on the side of the head. I slept for 10 hours last night and just got up from a nap. I am slowly learning to listen to my body and to honor its needs after asking so much of it.

And now a few numbers I put together for another page, which I thought I might share here.

Total distance: 4,000 miles
Me: 59 y.o. female
Bike: 2012 Jamis Aurora Elite
Tires: Schwalbe Marathon with tubes
Flats: 0
Mechanical failures: 0
Days on bike: 75
Rest days: 16
Average miles/day: 53
Provinces/states: WA, BC, AB, SK, MB, ND, MN, WI, MI, ON, QC, ME
Funds raised for Rails-to-Trails Conservancy: $737

If you're curious about any other aspect of my tour, feel free to ask!

Thank you all for following my journey. It has been such a pleasure to have so many of you on board and to read so many wonderful comments!

Oh and now my favorite photo with my cousin!
08/22/2022

Oh and now my favorite photo with my cousin!

Woo hoo! I made it!!! I rode 4,000 miles from coast to coast!Thank you to all of you wonderful people who have encourage...
08/22/2022

Woo hoo! I made it!!! I rode 4,000 miles from coast to coast!

Thank you to all of you wonderful people who have encouraged me over and over again, for your kind words, your support and love.

This last day had more challenges: construction with horrible pavement, an unexpected stretch of bad unpaved rail trail, three very steep climbs (pushing my bike), the last climb with mosquitoes viciously attacking me while I was unable to defend myself or get my bug spray out. I ended up running up the hill in a panic!

But then I made it to the Atlantic where my cousin Ciona was waiting for me, and that was such a great moment. There were two families at the beach observing this crazy lady pushing her bike into the water, but we ended up explaining to them what we were doing and they loved it.

Now for some food and rest!

Maine is testing my determination! Today was another 4H day: hills, headwinds, heat, humidity, so I was glad to have pla...
08/21/2022

Maine is testing my determination! Today was another 4H day: hills, headwinds, heat, humidity, so I was glad to have planned for a shorter distance. There was a lot of traffic, but I was blown away how courteous most drivers were. However, I have realized that I swear a lot when I'm exhausted and in traffic. Today, most of my swearing was directed at Harley riders. I will never understand how people can think it's ok to cause that much completely unnecessary and avoidable nose pollution. What are they out to prove? That their motorcycle can produce louder farts than others? Sorry but I've really had it with those things. But I am now in a quiet place by a beautiful lake.

What a hidden gem Maine is for bike touring! I'm loving these last, hilly days of my tour. My hosts drove me around to s...
08/21/2022

What a hidden gem Maine is for bike touring! I'm loving these last, hilly days of my tour. My hosts drove me around to show me the sights, and we had a wonderful simple dinner and great conversations about everything from books to cultures to bike touring. I feel so very fortunate to have met so many wonderful people!

I'm in Maine! Lots of climbing today, but my legs still remember the Rockies, and after the initial WTF, they did what I...
08/19/2022

I'm in Maine! Lots of climbing today, but my legs still remember the Rockies, and after the initial WTF, they did what I asked of them. At one point, a man pulled up next to me on an e-bike and started talking to me in French. I had serious trouble understanding much of what he was saying, and he told me he spoke Beauceon, the local dialect. I told him that I could understand Beauceron, but the French version! Of course those two dialects are not at all similar. I don't think he even knew that there is an area in France called the Beauce. He seemed quite surprised.The ride was beautiful, and though there was little traffic, I still had to wait about 30 minutes at the border. I'm having my dinner beside a lovely lake, grateful for a cool, sunny day.! And I was just invited to stay with a very sweet couple who were volunteering at the local museum that I visited. I have a nice bed and everything I need. People are awesome!

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Lopez Island, WA

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