Bicycle Across The U.S.

It’s decided in my mind.
I’m going to do this next summer on a motorcycle!
I put in to work several weeks ago that I will be taking next summer off. I just put a down payment on a bike(buell blast). The buell may or may not be the bike I take. God only know. But I’ll have a while to practice and get my skills up on the little guy!

I wish I had some one to go with me. All my friends and coleuges are either afraid of motorcycles, can’t take off of work, have kids…etc the list goes on and on.

Anyhoo, untill further notice here are my idea for the ride, as much as I actually want to sketch it out.

1. Visit all my kit-plane manufactures I would consider building a plane from, and get rides in all of them! They are located all over the country. Florida, TX, CA etc. This would be a fun call to adventure.
2. Rush out to the west coast, pick up a friend or two, and ride to Alaska! This does sound like fun!
3. Scenic Byways of the USA. I just learned about these today. Basicly, they are beautiful highways in the US! What a perfect choice to traveling by motorcycle!

And that’s it for the basic idea of it all:)

The more you just go out and do something the more likly you will meet people with the same interests!

Have been comuting to work. About 20+ miles round trip. Do it 2-3 times a week. In the past couple of months 6 or 7 people at work have gotten into cycling again! Three of them bought new bikes, and three others have been comuting also!

I’ve even started to get a feel for the types of folks who would want to go on a cross-country or other epic trip.

1. Fast ones, These kids do decathilons, endurence racing, have super expensive light bikes and wear tight cloths. They also generally think they are better than the rest and turn up thier nose at anyone who cycles in a “lessor” way.
2. Trick Kids, They have these little one speed bikes, tiny wheels and bounce all around NYC. Never wear helmets. Usually punks.
3. Hipsters, These people drive me crazy. They go out and buy 30year cruiser style bikes for $500, and think they are getting a deal. They ride in the street and are generally skill-less and completely unaware of the world around them. No Cell phone when riding in NYC traffic folks, are you dumb?!
4. Critical Mass cats, these folks seems to ride for the sake of pissing people off. They weld “art bikes” as I like to call them. Hugh crazy handle bars…Tons of fun indevidualy, but get a little excited when in groups.
5. Messengers, these people are my heroes. They get to ride all day long. And they are strong, and they are fit, and nimble. They have unprecedented riding skill sets, and can predict traffic patterns at least several blocks a head! They are gods. Many of them ride fixed gear bikes! They are really really good.
6. Commuters, this is my second favorite bunch of cyclists. These are the people who like riding bicycles. They have families, they have mortgages etc…they commute into work, all year around to either same some money(not much) or simply to enjoy the ride. Commuters generally are riding “k-mart specials” as I like to call them. They are heavy solid bikes at around $70-$140 dollars which will last for YEARS before ever needing matainence.
7. Touring Crowd, this group of people does not believe in riding unless the trip is in a beautiful country side, or ends at a winery etc. Generally an excited and informative bunch. Usually all very hip to the latest bike technologies and ergonomics.
8. Food Delivery Guys, this is my third favorite group of bikers. They honestly make up more than 2/3s of us. Generally very careful riders who obey traffic laws. I like anyone who can ride a bike for a living.

Two weekends from now some friends and I are going on a little bike trip.
I’m calling the trip Boats Bikes & Beaches.

The idea is that we hop on the NYwaterway ferry down to Sandyhook NJ, we bike around a bit then hang out of the beach and then head home again.

This is my seconded planned bike ride! Last year up in Maine when I attended the house building school. Shelter Institute.

It’s fun and not difficult to rally the troops up also.

Bought an old beater and traveled around Maine with it last summer. Was exciting to breath new life into something and make it valuble again for very little cost.

But if I really want to go on a longer trip, seriously, I will need to get a slightly nicer bike. One that at least fits.

I’ve signed a new two contract at my job.
So that puts the trip off for two more years potentially…..

I’m not happy with that.

Something is going to have to give.

Do I was this more than I want my own home? A new motorcycle? Perhaps do the trip on a motorcycle? Two years would be great time to learn all the matainence I would need….

Something is going to have to give.

Also, my boyfriend has no interest.
That is something also. “Anything is something” as Gertrude Stien would say…. but in my opinion: Some somethings are more somethings than anythings. And that should not be taken lightly!!!
ha!

I’ve wanted to do this ever since I missed the oppertunity to go with some other home schoolers back in….well umm… I could not have been more than 13 so..about twelve years ago?!?

Some ambitious father had placed an add in Growing Without Schooling back then…but the group was leaving soo soon, I was a child…were poor, and what little money we had my parents had spent on me so I could do a foreign exchange alternative education summer camp sort of thing:) Yeah cry me a rive right? Ha!

I’m getting a bit restless WAITING for an opportunity to come my way. Learning to ride a motorcycle has made my question whether I would like to go on one of them instead….but there is something so completely romantic about traveling a great distance on nothing but some food!!!