3 ½ weeks on the road and fundraising has not exactly gone as planned, so I had two options.
- Quit the bike ride and start other forms of fundraising
- Speed up and get to PA as fast as possible and do other fundraisers
At first, I didn’t want to quit, so I stepped up the schedule and started doing more miles with less rest days. It wasn’t long before I burnt out. Luckily, I came across a third option. I decided to push the mission trip to January. I will be going on a different route now, but this will allow me to finish the bike ride and get much more out of it. More about my new mission trip route soon!
So I will continue on and enjoy the journey without a schedule. As I ride, I get messages here and there and I met people asking a lot of questions. So here they are… all in one place! If you can think of anything else, I’d be happy to answer!
Where do you sleep?
If there is a warmshowers host in the town I try to stay with them. Warmshowers is basically couchsurfers for touring cyclists. These hosts usually have great tips and are able to give you recommendations for bike trails. I could write a whole page on how awesome every one of these hosts have been, but I will refrain. Other than that I camp. I got sick of paying to camp on God’s green earth so I now stealth camp wherever… mainly churches. I try to call ahead and ask, but if I can’t get a hold of anyone I just set up and breakdown in the dark and no one knows. I’ve also shared motels with other bikers I’ve met or have met people in random places, such as gas stations and stay at their house.
Do you bring enough water with you?
Yes – Being alive 101.
Aren’t you scared?
No, I pray.
How much training did you have?
Not a lot. I biked no more than 20 miles in one day before starting.
What’s your favorite place so far?
Glacier National Park was awesome. Not just in the park, but the mountains before and after were amazing. I got to spend a good amount of time in this area and met some great people I'm still in contact with.
What made you want to do this?
My biggest fear used to be heights, so I went skydiving. Afterwards, I realized I could literally do anything… it’s only my own limits that hold me back. My second biggest fear (now #1) is living a normal life. I try to do and experience things that will keep me from living like everyone else. Biking across the US is not normal… so I was sold.
Do you get lonely?
No… How much do I really talk even when I am around people? Plus, I’ve meet so many people along the way that I end up having very interesting conversations with.
What did you pack?
Packing list has gone down significantly. I’ve learned to go without a lot of things. Here's what I have left…
- 2 biking outfits / clip in bike shoes
- 1 casual outfit / flip flops
- light jacket
- undergarments
- very basic first aid kit / pain meds (not the illegal ones)
- bike tools (multi tool, small wrench, 2 tubes, pump, 2 tire levers, patch kit)
- pocket knife / twist ties / zip lock baggies / matches / lighter
- laptop, iPod, phone and charging accessories
- water bottles
- small purse with any important documents / cards
- maps
- sunglasses
- tent / sleeping bag
- toothbrush / toothpaste / soap / hand sanitizer
- bug spray / sunscreen / bear mace (also carrying for humans J)
- book “Don’t Waste You’re Life” I picked up along the way
What’s the best part about the trip?
All of the people I’ve met… Every story is so interesting and unique. Follow the facebook page “1 girl biking” for stories on individuals I have met.
How many miles do you do a day?
Totally depends… anywhere from 40 to 115. I’ve learned less miles on a consistent basis is better. For me, 60 to 70 is comfortable.
How are you fundraising?
I am mostly relying on people I meet to show interest in what I am doing. However, this has not been very successful. People are only interested to a point, which is understandable.
I also try to speak at churches on Sundays. These groups seem to show the most interest.
I will be putting together something for when I arrive in Erie. Maybe a get together at the peninsula when I ride in? More details to come…
This brings me to my next question I get most frequently…
When will you be done?
Most likely the end of July. Since I have no schedule anymore, I will probably be taking a lot more rest days to explore different areas. Also, I may continue on after Erie, PA and bike down to Pittsburgh and then over to Washington DC.
