WOW!

Talk about asking us to bear our souls!

I have been lurking on BF and especially the Touring subforum for so long I would have to look up when I started! I do a lot of road bike riding but in the past hadn't been able to do real tour rides. Sure I traveled to many sponsered day events, but wasn't able to take off for days due to family obligations. Over the years I have kept dreaming of throwing a leg over the top tube and not returning for days. As time went by, my children have grown up, some moved out and the other left at home is able to fend for a while. Last year I started gathering up "things" and experementing, sleeping out in the yard, testing my equepment. In the spring of this year I finally did my first over night trip and many loaded day rides in antipation for a ride I had been planning for a year! Finally the day came, and I was able to take two weeks off work. I was gone for 6 days, with one day off the bike, and rode 5 days. I stayed in Tennessee and mostly visited state parks with some time at my oldest daughter's home. I have sinse done more over night trips, ride the new touring bike to work nearly every day, and have next years ride in the planning stages!

So to all you dreamers, come here and KEEP THE DREAM ALIVE! Make plans, gather stuff, and creep twards your goal! It will be worth it, not many people ride multi day trips on their own, but is sure is fun!