When I did my 1300-ish mile ride when I was about your age back in 1979, I was having a blast riding my mid-'70s mid-grade 'ten-speed' (the '75 Fuji S-10S in my signature). No special touring bike needed!!! I was in shape (5'8" and less than 140 pounds), and was used to riding several hundred miles per week. I had built up a fantastic set of wheels with the help of my college cycling club. I had lost my summer job, and with school less than a month away, I didn't think it was worth trying to find another temporary job. So with nothing better to do, I just set off to see my relatives 500+ miles away. No plan, Just ride.

I didn't carry cooking or camping gear, preferring to 'stealth camp' under a tree or under a bridge. I bought my food along the way. I'd ride a couple of hours after sunrise, stop at a diner or mom and pop restaurant and grab a 'breakfast special' for $1.99 or 3.00 at most, then ride a few more hours, munching on stuff I picked up at roadside stands (fruits, berries and veggies). Then ride some more and stop at a fast food place for a couple of burgers, fries and a shake. I spent around $8/day.

I only had two sets of clothing, plus a waterproof windbreaker with a hood. I even did laundry at a coin laundromat after four days each way (about midway) in whatever town I came across. Everything fit into a small duffle bag that I strapped to my cheap rear rack.

To me, this was a wonderful ride across America's heartland - Cleveland OH to the middle of Wisconsin and back in mid-late August. The weather was just about perfect - only rained one day, temps near 80 and 60 at night. Small towns in the Midwest are rarely more than 10 miles apart. Roadside vegetable stands are everywhere, many on the honor system with a cigar box to leave your money in. I had stopped at one roadside restaurant in the middle of nowhere to grab something to drink since it was north of 85° that afternoon, and they were dumbfounded that I had already ridden 80 miles that day. They wouldn't even take my money for the meal! One of my favorite things to do was if I saw a lawn sprinkler going in the middle of the afternoon, I'd stop and run through it a few times, and soak my head (and my clothes) in it to cool off.

The only bad thing that happened was on the way home - about two days from home - I taco'd the rear wheel too badly to fix, so catching a ride to a town with a bike shop to get a replacement wheel held me back a day - and it also taught me a valuable lesson - have a 'Plan B' or access to more funds to pay for emergency repairs if something goes wrong!

All in all, the memories of that trip are simply priceless!

Now that I retired last year, I'm planning a 'retirement ride' of just over a thousand miles. This will be at a bit slower pace, and just a nice three-week ride in the countryside to see the sights, history and quirky attractions in small town America. More of a bicycle tourist than touring by bicycle, if you catch my meaning.