\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Biking in South Florida<\/a>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cycling through the Florida Keys<\/a><\/p>\n
Details on the 2+ week main event: Introduction:\u00a0 <\/strong>For those of you who do not know me, last summer (2021) I was hoping to bike the entire East Coast of the United States, from Key West to Canada.\u00a0 That trip didn\u2019t happen because of a number of problems.\u00a0 For example I put myself in the hospital with heat stroke after pedaling too much during a heat wave.<\/p>\n I am concerned about heat stroke again.\u00a0 Tomorrow is the first day of doing serious mileage on the bike and the weather forecast is 92 degrees Fahrenheit, with 65% humidity and a 10 out of 10 on the U.V. index.\u00a0 In simple terms, not a great day for doing exercise outside.\u00a0 Instead, it is a good day to be lying by the pool with a cool drink.\u00a0 Hopefully, the weather will be better later in the week.<\/p>\n Here are some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about this trip .<\/p>\n What is the goal?<\/strong>\u00a0 In May I did a short trip that covered Fort Lauderdale to Key West, Florida.\u00a0 It is now July and I am starting in Norfolk, Virginia and pedaling north.\u00a0 The final destination depends on the weather and how I am doing.\u00a0 The heat and humidity this summer is very high and my first goal is to live.\u00a0 My second goal is to bicycle a long distance.\u00a0 Hopefully, I will make it at least to New York City.\u00a0 After New York I will figure out if I am pedaling home to Boston or onward to Canada.<\/p>\n Is there any help?<\/strong>\u00a0 There is no help.\u00a0 I have no support vehicle, no one carrying my luggage.\u00a0 Given this is the East Coast of the U.S. there are a number of friends and relatives along the way in case things go sideways.<\/p>\n How much gear are you carrying?<\/strong>\u00a0 I have a backpack with about 15 pounds of gear.\u00a0 I also have a tool bag under my seat that has about 2 pounds of repair equipment.\u00a0 Most of the 15 pounds on my back are electronics, like a laptop and a spare phone, plus Gatorade powder and some emergency food supplies.\u00a0 At the start of each day I put in the pack and on the bike another 5 pounds of water and food so I am carrying about 22 pounds.\u00a0 That doesn’t seem like much for the first hour but at the end of the day it can be crushing.<\/p>\n Are you camping?<\/strong>\u00a0 I am \u201ccredit card camping.\u201d\u00a0 This is a funny way of saying that my plan is to stay in motels and hotels along the way.\u00a0 At my age, a nice shower and a comfortable bed go a long way.<\/p>\n Is the trip fun?<\/strong>\u00a0 Most bike trips are not fun in the moment.\u00a0 It is hot and tiring pedaling hour after hour.\u00a0 Plus there are some roads that are downright scary.\u00a0 However, there are two kinds of fun; in-the-moment and after-the-fact.\u00a0 Long distance cycling is more after-the-fact \u201cfun.\u201d\u00a0 I get a lot of satisfaction out of covering long distances on my own power.<\/p>\n Do you have an e-bike?<\/strong>\u00a0 An e or electronic assisted bike takes the challenge out of long distance pedaling.\u00a0 If I just wanted to cover the distance, I could have driven a car.\u00a0 I am pedaling an \u201cendurance bike,\u201d specifically a Trek Domane SL-5, which I purchased in 2018.<\/p>\n Any advice?<\/strong>\u00a0 A few years ago I rode by myself across the United States for the second time.\u00a0 At the end of the trip I wrote a short note to myself outlining the three mistakes I made on that trip.\u00a0 First, do not cycle long distances alone, because it is boring.\u00a0 Second, do not have a hard end-date, because it forces you to keep going when you should really stop.\u00a0 Third, do not use Google maps each night to plan out your route for the next day.\u00a0 Google has no idea if you are riding a road bike, designed for pavement, a gravel bike for unpaved roads or a mountain bike for wild terrain.\u00a0 Since I am riding a bike designed for pavement, going on gravel or wild paths is not fun.\u00a0 I wish I wasn\u2019t making the same three mistakes again, but I guess some people never learn.<\/p>\n The route I hope to do:<\/strong><\/p>\n This set of posts covers my biking along parts of the USA’s East Coast during the summer of 2022.\u00a0 Links to various parts of the trip are here. Details on the 1 week warm up trip: \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Biking in South Florida \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cycling through the Florida Keys Details on the 2+ week main event: \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 … Continue reading Biking The USA’s East Coast<\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Norfolk Virginia to New York City<\/a>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Biking New York City to Albany (Hudson Valley Greenway)<\/a>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Biking Albany to Canada Around Lake Champlain<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Route](\"\/zagorsky\/files\/2022\/07\/Map.jpg\")
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