On Thursday morning I met a young man who was on a cross-country bicycle trip and had camped overnight at Brookside Park. He said he had started from Jacksonville, FL on April 30 and was headed for Seattle and then San Francisco. At first he was riding about 75 miles a day, but now was doing only about 50. When he was doing 75, he was getting to his overnight destinations late and he was very tired. I asked why he had camped in Brookside Park, and he said that he had asked the police if there was any place he could camp, and they recommended the park.
He said that Rensselaer is three miles from a frequently-used bike route that follows secondary roads. He had had three flats and one broken spoke, and the broken spoke seemed to been a bigger problem than the flats. He was able to carry an amazing amount of stuff on his bike.
The storm Wednesday night impressed him a lot (it did me as well because it knocked down my TV-cable/Internet connection), and he enjoyed the softball game in the park. In fact, I am sure if he remembers Rensselaer at all, it will be for the storm.
I kind of envy those who can get out and do a real journey like this guy. In the past almost all trips of any length were journeys, but now with our transportation system you can go half way around the world in comfort. But I am now old enough to settle for comfort and forgo the adventure.
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2 comments:
A friend and his then-girlfriend now-wife biked from LA to South Bend. Some colleagues walked from Indianapolis to the Florida Keys, following John Muir's walk. Folks who make this incredible journeys are inspiring!
We have lots of cross-country bicyclists spend the night near us. They usually do a 65 mile bike ride one day and a 100 mile bike ride the next to get to the two nearest towns on the main highway.
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