Hills on the Horizon

A seemingly infinite list of things goes into planning a bike tour.  Uncertainty creeps into all planning. 'How much gear should I bring?'  Am I too out of shape to pull this off'?'  'Is the bike OK for a long haul'?   These three questions are the most common ones I've thought of in preparing for my ride next month to benefit the Outer Banks Wildlife Shelter.  On the first question, the daylight will be short and the nights could be cold.  West Texas is cold even in the spring!   I've got double layers of just about every type of bike gear one could dream of, but it all adds weight.   The second and third querstions are related.   My bike recently flew out of the back of my truck, suffering damage such that the wonderful Swiss wheels I rode on other tours were dinged pretty bad...their appearance now resembles that of overflipped pancakes (photo).  So I have been without my touring bike for quite some time.  The good folks at Downingtown Bicycle (PA) have it waiting for me, so I can  try the fixed version of my machine before shipping it to the west coast.  The tour promises to be a mighty test for the newly rebuilt bike and its rider.        

Jumping Off A Cliff

Today I launch "Pedal 4 Wildlife II," the official name for my bicycle ride across the southern tier of the United States in January 2013 to raise funds for the Outer Banks Wildlife Shelter (OWLS) in Newport, North Carolina.  OWLS (www.owlsonline.org) is a non-profit dedicated to treating thousands of animals each year.  Your tax deductible donation via Pay Pal and through OWLS' secure website will help OWLS continue its mission to care for sick and injured wildlife in coastal North Carolina.  My ride will be self-funded and self-supported.  Your donations will directly fund the treatment and shelter of OWLS' patients. 

I am excited to be sharing my ride with you on these pages.  I will be posting daily updates and associated photos at the start of the new year;  postings will chronicle my slow but methodical spin from the west coast back to the east.  I encourage you to share this site from friends and colleagues that wish to follow a long and slow yet immensely rewarding journey across the world's greatest country.   
                 
     "Life has, indeed, many ills, but the mind that views every object in its most cheering aspect, and every doubtful dispensation as replete with latent good, bears within itself a powerful and perpetual antidote."  -Lydia H. Sigourney