Finally Finished Florida

Alright, welcome back to week two of this thing. It was full of long days in the sun, angry drivers, and of course more tire issues. I’ve added photos to the Photography page, but I’m still trying to figure out how to format the darn thing. I don’t really get to fuss around with things until I’m somewhere that has internet, so maybe next week I’ll be able to find a format I like more. Until then, enjoy the mess over there… just scroll down until you see the rotary gallery. That’s where I put a few of the photos from this week. Oh, I also gave myself a challenge and only used my 24mm lens, but since I’m on a crop sensor it’s closer to a 36mm. I hope you enjoy this weeks disjointed thoughts from the saddle.

April 12, 2021 70.27mi

The few days off I took were great but I was ready to get back on the road. I felt like I had accomplished a lot but knew I hadn’t even made it out of Florida yet. The first 20 miles or so were pretty rough, it felt like I hadn’t been on a bike in a month. Of course there was a real steady NNE wind that felt like it was trying to push me backwards. There are times I almost forget what I am doing because I’m doing this alone and all I do is wake up, ride my bike, sleep, and repeat. Thankfully an older couple was stopped at the light with me and asked where I was headed. They were shocked, and impressed and wished me luck as I pushed off. I ended up falling for the first time when I was turning to exit to use a beachside restroom. There was a bit of sand and my heavy bike flipped up in the air like it was made out of paper. What a perfect occurrence to tell me it was time to rest for lunch! I just had some minor scrapes and my bags saved the drive side of my bike. Recharged and giggling at myself for taking a spill like that, I pushed off to finish the day. My rear tire had something to say about that. I felt the typical skating when I flat happens with this much gear. After some yelling I looked up a bike shop just so I could use their compressor to fill up my tire after I patch it and… there was a shop across the street from where I stopped! Given the fact that I was steeped in some Monday blues the bike shop was closed. I couldn’t believe it. Closest one that was open was 8 miles away, just before the state park I was staying at. It looked like a pinch flat, and the tire liner I had bought a few days prior had completely failed. After searching for the hair sized tire fiber that was giving me issues the week before, I slapped a tube in that I had patched up over the weekend. I was angry and ended up buying new tires and tubes from the bike shop. They were all very nice, and suggested I email the liner company to tell them their product failed. After some deliberation I had them put on a set of Specialized Sawtooth tires, something I’ve never ridden. Stumbled in to Anastasia State Park just before 5pm… last full day in Florida tomorrow!

April 13, 2021 68.70mi

Today was not a good day to ride a bicycle. Let us try again tomorrow.

April 14, 2021 73.97mi

Fort Clinch State Park was pretty cool! The raccoons were somewhat manageable and only kept me up for a few hours. Sadly, the fort itself was still closed when I rolled past on my way out. Weaved through some nice residential streets, zipped down some scary highway miles then BAM I was in Georgia. What a treat, finally completing Florida. There were times there when I felt like the state just went up the entire damn east coast, feeling like I would never get outta there! I spent the rest of the day on long, straight roads that were mainly utilized by logging trucks. They were a pain most of the time, considering they didn’t give me adequate space to feel safe as they passed. In those moments I just need to keep my head down and continue to grind out the miles. Excited for a shorter day tomorrow after stacking a few longer days.

April 15, 2021 38.83mi

Slow rolled it this morning because I knew there weren’t as many miles to cover today. Biked along some more scary roads with cars ripping past while I biked on a small shoulder. All of the roads are marked for cyclists, what’s up with the drivers down here? People ask how I bike in NYC because it’s so dangerous but man does this feel way worse. It adds a lot of mental stress to riding and adding that to the physical stress makes for some long days. Later in the day I was able to ride some beautiful live oak lined streets which is so so nice after long hours on the busy roads. Some cousins were driving up from Florida and I was able to meet them across the street from where I am staying tonight. It was nice to see familiar faces after a long few days, I am feeling pretty beat up. I pitched my tent behind an old manor that serves as a bed and breakfast occasionally. Two more days of riding then I’m taking a 0 day in Beaufort, SC. The mental stress of doing this is really starting to kick in.

April 16, 2021 48.63Mi

Woke up nice and early after finally getting a good nights sleep in the tent. It turns out the old manor has been in the family of the groundskeeper since it was built in 1905. We spoke for a while after one of the RV residents told him I was having a hard time with something (I wasn’t), so he came to the pavilion I was eating dinner at last night to see if I was alright. He said that guy is always trying to get in to other peoples business, told me to watch out for snakes and we parted ways. I had a relatively short day again so I wasn’t in that much of a rush, unless I was on 17. When I get on 17 I just kick it in to high gear and try to get the miles done as fast as possible (which isn’t that fast because I’m pushing an 80+lb rig). I have a lot of time to think about things when I’m on my bike. I realized some drivers just enjoy seeing how close they can get to me without slowing down or moving over, even when they are able to. It’s frustrating at times and I do yell just to get some of that anger out. The logging trucks are still all over the place and they are so loud. I can hear them coming from way behind me. They rip by me with their trucks full of fresh cut trees. Their piney terpenes almost make me forget how rude they were just moments before. Anyway, back to a longer day tomorrow and I get to cross Georgia off the list!

April 17, 2021 73.32mi

Woke up early to rain so I went back to bed for a little longer. I spoke with a rude lady that was demanding people around about my tour. She told me that she drove across country for $800.12 in 1979. I told her that it is 2021 and that’s not possible these days and pushed off towards Savannah. I took my time going through Savannah because I had never been there. Yesterday I connected with the Georgia/South Carolina coordinator for the East Coast Greenway and he gave me some recs on where to grab a quick breakfast in the city. I stopped at Henny Penny and grabbed an egg sandwich and a churro muffin. Only mistake I made was I didn’t get two of each. They were so, so good. I walked through a relatively busy Forsyth Park that was holding a nice little farmers market. Spent most of the rest of the day on dangerous roads surrounded by cars refusing to give me a safe cycling space. I passed another guy on a touring setup. He had 5 gallon cat litter bags bolted to his big for his panniers. I didn’t stop, and I will regret that for a long time. I’ve spent days wishing I could talk to another person doing what I’m doing. Hell, I’ve even thought trash cans in the distance was another tourist only to realize… it’s a trash can. The reason I didn’t stop was because I was in a good traffic pattern on 17 and didn’t want to lose that, I was cruising as fast as I could. Still, I wish I had stopped to meet the guy. The day ended on 6 miles of the Spanish Moss Trail. What a treat that was, it was well kept and it was being used by locals. It made me very excited for more rail trails as I get further north. Off the saddle tomorrow to restock then I push to Charleston on Monday. I’ll be riding another 6 days before I take another 0 day in North Carolina.

Don’t forget to check out the Donate page at the top of the website! I’ll be doing a big thank you to everyone that has donated to Stage Notes and to me personally once I get a bit further in the tour. There’s quite a few people already so I’m trying to figure out the best way to do it!