Day 1 – 30.5 miles from Tallahassee to KOA campground off I-10

Back on the road and it feels good. We got a late start this morning from Tallahassee but I’m glad we did it. That meant we got to go to a really good coffee shop and then I went out to a bike shop on the north side of Tallahassee and had Randy fix my brakes. He took an hour on them, so that’s a sign I really needed that work. I have learned that unlike with traditional bike brakes, one does not adjust the cable to adjust the brakes. Instead one only uses the in an out lever for the pad itself. Lesson learned.

There is something about transporting yourself on a bike, carrying all that you need to sleep and eat and take care of your daily needs, that is very grounding and calm ( except of course when you’re hot and tired ). It is also gratifying to pick up from where I left off five years ago on my bike tour-leader experience from hell that ended abruptly in Tallahassee.

I am back stronger from that experience, knowing that I would not be in the life I am in right now if that had not happened — serving as county commissioner and living in my perfect little house in Green Acres. Instead, I might have continued to lead bike tours for well-enough off, primarily white and retired and from the northeast and the west coast – and I would have wondered if being in a service job like that was really what I needed to be doing with the rest of my life.

The first day of a tour is what give you gives you confidence that you can do the rest. Riding a fully packed touring bike is very different from riding my road bike or my fancy E bike. It’s an impressive endeavor. This bike, my salsa, is made of steel, strong enough to carry panniers in the front and the back in which I pack all my belongings and needs for the week. The back right pannier holds my tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad etc., everything I need for shelter and sleeping. The back left pannier holds my clothes — cycling shorts and tops, my bathing suit, one or two pairs of shorts and tops for me to wear after the ride. In the front panniers, I carry my cooking gear and food and tools and office equipment, meaning electronic chargers and a mini iPad. Together with the bike itself and 3 full water bottles, that adds up to about 90 pounds. That seems like a lot of weight, but once you get the bike moving, it rolls pretty easily and it’s a very solid ride.

We followed a multi-use trail to the eastern side of Tallahassee, and got the opportunity to see a lot of public parks and waterways and even a bike pedestrian bridge over a major thoroughfare. Then for a good long while we rode along the Old St. Augustine rd under a scenic tree canopy announced on signs along the route — protected from the warming sun in idyllic cycling conditions. The road, now bypassed by most motorists In preference for I-10, shows it history; the road has worn down over years resulting in high banks on either side.

The tree canopy only lasted so long and then we were out in the sun. With such a late start, almost noon, the temperatures were now in the eighties and the stores in the neglected small towns we cycled through were all closed so we found a Spanish moss draped oak (?) to sit under for lunch and then a church water faucet for filling up our water bottles.

Around 4:30, we rolled into our campground, an old KAO mostly filled with RVs. Even though it was 2015 and 2017 when I did my cross country bike trips, the muscle memory needed for setting up camp took over and before I knew it, I could soak in the pool, take my shower, eat some instant rice mix with added chicken from a one-serving packet and finish my day tucked into my tent and writing this blog. There are frogs chirping around me and other night sounds one would expect when camping but dominating all this is the roar of vehicles on I-10, which I’m hoping will lull me into an easy sleep tonight.

Lessons for future:

1. keep the first day short like we did today — just 31 miles. That gives you time to get the kinks out of your set up.

2. Consider getting another point-n-shoot canon for photo taking and get one of those phone holder.

3. Also get the smallest face-cloth size magic-material towel.