ECG: Final Preparations

I am often asked how one goes about preparing for a bike tour of several days to weeks. Well, actually, I’m never asked anything... the response is usually quizzical looks of sympathy directed toward my wife, Rene, who for her part is eagerly formulating plans to hit every quilting shop in the tri-state area in my absence. But for the sake of practice should I ever be asked, I would offer the following advice:

Begin several months in advance of your trip by creating a detailed spreadsheet of your proposed diet and training regimen, daily itinerary, anticipated weather conditions, and necessary equipment lists.  This activity alone should consume several days, and get you out of doing regular household chores (“Sorry, Hon, but I’m busy at the moment... by the way, have you seen the kitchen scale? I need to weigh my socks.”) Then a week or so before leaving, recall having made this sheet, realize that you’ve done none of it, and spend the next few days riding up and down the biggest hill in your neighborhood until your legs are properly rubberized for the trip and you can no longer sit on an uncushioned chair. Scrounge around in the garage and basement to collect your equipment, adhering to that old adage of the packing pros: “well, just in case.”  That expired can of bear spray you’ve kept from your trip to Yellowstone? May prove useful should you pull into a New Jersey rest stop, for example. Bungee cords are your primary ally in this war of accretion - wield them like a packing ninja.

That may explain why I’m never asked.  Bill, on the other hand, looks like he spent the summer open-water swimming across Delaware Bay, against the current.  I’m pretty sure he packed a spare T-shirt, but I wouldn’t bet on it, judging by the weight of his packs. "Just so you know, I didn't pack any deodorant," he announced when dropping off his bags.  "Me neither," I said, tucking my five-pound toiletry bag behind my back, "it's upwind all the way to Boston anyway."  Let’s just say you can expect to see a lot of scenic trip photos where he’s a little dot waiting at the crest of the next hill.

Today we load the car in preparation for a 6:30 am departure tomorrow. Rene will drop us at our starting point in New Castle's Battery Park, on the banks of the Delaware River, where William Penn came ashore in 1682. Rather than join the trail in our neighborhood, we're opting for a 15 mile head start to get us all the way across Philadelphia on the first day.  After dropping us off, Rene will continue on up to Marblehead, roughly a seven hour drive.   

Just a few final preps on the list: clean the bike chains, check the brakes and tires, charge all the electronics and lights, monitor the weather forecast for the umpteenth time, shift some of my things into Bill's packs when he's not looking. I'm thinking that after sitting out a year waiting for things to open back up,  we're finally good to go.


Our trip begins here.  


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