Who, Where, Why: Riding With A Gang

It’s a snow day here at the edge of Cape Cod. After spending some time perusing some of my bike friends blogs, and responding to my friend at biking to work, I began to feel a bit nostalgic. My original intent was to put up a link to my two previous blogs at blogspot. amidnightrider, and fairhavenroadie. I know, it’s true. I was a spandex wearing, speed freak, hammerhead at one time.

I began blogging in 2005 and always pined to do long distance bike touring. A corporate job prevented me from loading my bike and going for a ride for two or three months. I eventually settled for shorted one week tours. Supported and unsupported.

After fourteen years of bike touring, I’m pretty sure that July of 2019, was my last. This past summer I sold my touring bike and all the accessories. A few days later, I sold my road bike. I don’t miss either one.

Like many of us in the “older” generation, we read these journals and dream about riding our bikes for months. Camping, sleeping in fire houses and churches, meeting people who invite us into their homes for showers and dinner. For two years I read them and put myself in the place of these young riders, daydreaming and looking, not unlike the starving waif, gazing into the window of a fancy restaurant at the filet, and foie gras. However, things happen to convince us that riding our bikes for three months, alone, may not be in the cards.

In 2007 I threw caution to the wind and rode my bike for a week in Austria. CLICK HERE for the story.