A Day on a Bike

I’m a little over two weeks in. This is happening. It has been filled with fun, surprises and challenges I didn’t anticipate. Every trip has its own unique challenges (and magic). You never know what they will be until you’re on the road. Here is what has unfolded for me so far.

Before I get into it, here is what a typical day looks like on the road…

I usually get up somewhere between 6-7am. I roll out of my tent each morning looking like Rocky Balboa – nearly pummeled to death, but victorious. What goes on at night? Am I allergic to grass? Is there something in the air? Maybe the struggles of the day just catch up with me at night? At any rate, I come out looking beaten to a pulp but still fighting.

Next is coffee to start kicking this body into high gear. I drink straight black instant coffee that is completely utilitarian and offers little pleasure unless I can score a few creamers from a convenient store along the way which help to soften the bitter blow.

I get breakfast started, which is usually oatmeal with as many things thrown in as possible like cinnamon, nuts, and sometime even chocolate. Then I begin the task of breaking down camp which always takes at least two hours. If I decide to have a second coffee after a particular rough night, forget about it, we’re now looking at three hours.

Now I’m on the road and cruising. I’m back. I got this. My four water bottles are filled and a fifth litre is tucked away in a pannier for good measure. Overkill? Maybe. I drink a lot of water on the road especially when its hot and every trip has been hot. I prefer to carry the weight of extra water and feel secure rather than have to go out in search of it. Believe it or not, Europe has been a challenge to find water. I didn’t bring a purifier on this trip so I have to wait for a valid potable source to fill up again.

I stop about every two hours to devour something. Not a meal, but rather a fist full of nuts and cookies, or a piece of fruit and peanut butter, something to fill the hole until I stop for lunch around 20- 30 miles in. Food equal energy, and I need a lot. It can get ugly. I feel like a Roman at the trough at times.

Lunch is normally some kind of sandwich- could be cheese and salami with avocado, tomato and onion or peanut butter and whatever will go with it without being totally disgusting. I don’t really get into it. If I’m near a store or bakery, I will look for something interesting and local otherwise I just eat for fuel. I keep riding into the wind, if something catches my attention I stop, if there is water and I’m hot, I’ll often take the opportunity for a plunge. If there is an interesting town or attraction, I walk through it and see the sights. I always have time to stop for a interaction or conversation with someone inclined to ask questions. This can often lead to a deeper understanding of each others cultures, attitudes and beliefs. This is where I learn and am stretched. These encounters might also lead to a coffee invitation, an exchange of social media information, or an offer to stay in my own apartment for three nights in an expensive resort town like St. Anton Am Arlberg in the Tirol region of Austria – like what is happening right now as I write!

When not in a fancy flat, I begin to start looking for a place to camp at around 4 or 5pm. This could still take a couple of hours if I’m not already dialed into a place. This can be after a day of cycling 30 miles or 100 miles. I don’t have a pre-subscribed number of miles. My body usually just says, “Enough already, take a break.” Or, the weather dictates when to stop even when I’m not physically ready. Sometimes I figure out the plan the previous evening, and other times I’m too exhausted and wait until the morning before setting off. Other times I may have a plan but then shift gears ( no pun intended) if I am too tired, or want to ride longer, or find a better offer along the way. This is all to say that I am open to the moment. When I have plans set in stone and become too rigid I might loose out on spontaneous opportunities and chance meetings. The only thing I ever regretted is when I said no to an offer to stay at someones house and have dinner with them because I had some self-imposed deadline. Or, I missed an important sight because I didn’t want to take a 15 minute detour. When I look back I say, “Damn, Denise you should have said yes to staying at that woman’s farm.” Or wherever situation I missed out on.

When I arrive somewhere, the first thing I do is set up my tent and get my mattress and bed ready. That way if it rains I have a shelter, or if I poop out completely my bed is already made. Then I start thinking about dinner. Again, it’s pretty boring. I only have a jet boil so it’s limited. I can do anything instant that doesn’t require regulating temperatures. I have incorporated tortellini and pesto with a little parmesan lately. That has proved easy and filling. Now I’m ready for a shower if I’m at a proper camp site. If I’m camping near water, I jump in. If these options don’t exist, I use wipes and a wash cloth and do my best to not feel sticky and sweaty. The longest I’ve ever had to go without bathing is three or four days. At this point, you can no longer stand to be in a tent with yourself.

ATTENTION: I’m interrupting planned programming. The keyboard on this old tired ipad is refusing to type. Each letter takes a grueling 5-20 seconds to appear. What should takes minutes ends up taking hours. Let’s see if I can figure out how to do this on my iphone?! For now, I’m signing off with some photos. Hang on for the rest of the story. Thanks for your patience until this is resolved!

Until we meet again high up on a mountain ridge or deep in a valley.

Warm regards,

Denise