I like biking and I like going places, so logically I thought I would like the two together but I was wrong, dead wrong. The last 48 hours were absolutely torturous. I began a test ride from Virginia Beach to Richmond, VA to see if I would enjoy biking across the country. In reality, it was me beginning an adventure in secret after a highly announced and altered adventure before. It was tough changing my plans so severely from a Bahamas trip to a Tortugas trip, despite each being equally exotic and challenging.
But this one, I’m abandoning it pretty easily because I only told like three people and I’m absolutely dreading the thought of actually following through with it. My time for freedom is precious before I matriculate med school in August and no way in hell am I going to spend it on busy roads getting shouted at by angry country folk.
Last night I made it home at 9pm from a 130 mile stretch from Virginia Beach. My ass hurt, my hands and body were bloody and I was exhausted. I remembered why recently I haven’t road biked as much as I used to. Richmond is an incredible community for cyclists, Blacksburg is even better. But Hampton Roads is about the most hellish place on Earth to ride a bicycle. I was run off the road twice and screamed at countless times. Structurally it is tough because of the bottlenecked roads over waterways. I understand. But the drivers didn’t make it any better.
Many people would be like, “Dude, don’t give up so soon. I believe in you,” and all that jazzy inspirational crap. The fact is, I know I can ride a bike across the country. That is not the question. The question is if I actually want to. And when I heard yesterday about a girl my age being hit and killed in Kentucky while riding cross country to raise money for cancer research, that sealed the answer to that question for me. A giant, big old screw that, I’m going into the woods for a while. Adios world. I’m headed out west to some big mountains.
Good call. Roads are really not bike friendly in the us. Heck, most of the time they aren’t even driver friendly. Where ya headed?
For sure. I’m probably headed up to the Northeast and maybe to Denali then headed back south to thru-hike the John Muir trail in late July.
Wow, I almost suggested the John Muir trail! I didn’t because I haven’t actually been on it, but it sounds like fun and for sure will be beautiful.