3speed

Go enjoy your tour! It sucks about your friend, but he'll get over it eventually. If not, he wasn't a great friend to begin with. If he's a good friend, he'll wish you luck and tell you to have fun. Go have a little adventure before you start into the daily grind of work.
Was it up hill both ways in the snow while you were storming Normandy too? You know plenty of kids, 18-early 20s, are still out there on the front lines, right? They're still worried about their relationships with their friends and loved ones, just like I'm sure they were back then. Simmer down and don't let the heartless meanies in the world get to your core so much.

jamawani 

Happens all the time - probably more than 50% - in my experience.
I get frustrated - esp. when I modify plans to fit the other person's schedule -
and then he or she drops out. But by now I am used to it.

Most people just cannot swing all the necessary ingredients - including psychological -
to embark on a three-month or longer bicycle tour.

jefnvk

There it is, you answered it yourself. Don't go now, maybe risk never going, go now, maybe wind up with two tours.

No clue what kind of school the OP attends, or what level class this was, but generally not all classes are offered every semester. Likely the original class was a prerequisite for future classes which now can't be taken. I got off a bit failing one of my fall core classes, which wasn't offered again until the next fall, it left my entire Spring opened up without any core classes. Granted, I used the time to kill a bunch of gen-ed classes abroad, so it wasn't totally a waste!

I came out of physics with a crappy grade over not showing up. Passed the exams, homework, and the labs with flying colors, but my "class participation" was weighed nearly as much as the exams and homework.

Wilfred Laurier

So weird...

When I was in post secondary education (engineering), attendance was not taken or recorded. If you didn't go to class that was your own tough luck. I took a first year math class (full year class from Sept to April) that I stopped attending at Christmas because I found the prof to be much harder to understand than the textbook. I got assignments from classmates. Nobody had told me that the hard-to-understand prof had retired at Christmas, and when I showed up for the final exam the replacement prof looked at me incredulously and said "are you sure you're in the right room?"

I got an A.

In terms of memorable events in that exam, a close second to the prof's reaction was the guy sitting next to me in the exam who either had a nervous breakdown or some kind of drug reaction and started shaking violently, then ran out of the room and threw up in the hallway.

wphamilton

The simplest advice is sometimes the most brilliant. Who is to say that there can't be two trips? Worst case it's a potential trip that doesn't come off - no worse than the current situation.

jefnvk

Twas how it was for most of my classes (I'm Computer Science/Engineering), but Physics used these wireless response thingies, they would put up questions during the lecture and you'd have to hit A-D on your remote. Graded simply on a response being recorded, just to prove you were there.

It was quite common to see someone with three or four of the devices on their desk, clicking them for their friends who were absent.

wphamilton

What happened, Clinton stopped for a photo op on a bike tour around the lake with a "random" supporter?

wphamilton

Ah good. I was afraid she was taking Physics classes on the sly, and they were so easy that she didn't go to classes. And then shafted her roomy over it. That would have destroyed my illusions. Or affirmed them, I'm not sayin which.

Wilfred Laurier

She might have had a copy of the course notes on her email server, so the world will never know!

McBTC

Having been on a tour heading north from Palatine -- back in the 80s -- and, remembering miles of Wisconsin flatness, punctuated only by roadside bars and A&Ws, I'd consider taking these developments as an opportunity to liberate the planning process--e.g., how about both of you start talking about what would be an even better tour if it turns out that you may end up riding alone (saving the Chicago tour for some other time when both of you can participate). For example, you might start thinking about taking the train to San Francisco and heading south or going to Vermont or camping out on a trail ride, or going with a group, etc.

floyd0117

I think this is the best advice. I will still go this summer, as planned, but I guess I could save the Lake Michigan circle tour for another time when he can participate, and go somewhere else for now. This idea has me excited; so much possibility...

But I cannot afford a ticket on any Amtrak or plane, absolutely not. I would have to leave from Chicago. There doesn't seem to be many desirable routes that don't lead to farmland, other than the circle tour...

Anyone done any great 2-4 week trips starting from Chicago?

Big Lew

Have you looked into the cost of renting a 'one way' car or mini van
compared to the Amtrak or plane? I found using Greyhound or a rented
car the cheapest mode to go long distances.

Miele Man

Things like your health and ability can change in an instant. Should something happen that makes you unable to ride a bicycle any moore or to ride any distances on a bicycle in future; you might really regret this lost chance at taking that trip alone.

Like the Old Man who walked across the country said to the reporter when asked what the hardest part of his trip was and replied, "Why, it was taking the very first step Sonny. taking that first step".

Cheers

Yan 

2.5 years! I would have gone alone two years ago let alone wait yet another summer. Touring alone is way better than with a partner, unless it's a love interest. Get up when you want, sleep when you want, take rest days when you want, eat what you want. Freedom is the whole point of bike touring. Having a partner sucks.

djb

I saw that you set up a topic asking for Chicago area trips, all the best with that.
Sure alone is fine, with someone else is fine also. My first ever bike trip was alone leaving my front door from Montreal for about maybe 2 weeks, so I get doing a loop with no travel expenses. Thats money to pay for food or the odd campground or whatever.
In the end, daily expenses are not much more than eating at home if you don't do restaurants that much, so it can be pretty inexpensive all in all, but really though, if you can find a route that is appealing, do it and have a good time. If you are a social person, you will have good contact with people, and if the trip is about 2 weeks, then its not that long to be on your own if you do find it a bit boring on your own.

you've got many many months of looking at potential routes, and perhaps possibliities of finding a lift somewhere and riding back or whatever. Dont forget if coming to our country, you'll need a valid passport of mostl likely 6 mths after the trip date.

Ridefreemc

I just turned 55 and have not taken that cross country trip I planned after high school. College, marriage, and work got in the way for all those years. i've done plenty of great and fun stuff, but the cross country trip just wouldn't fit once I got "responsible."

Go man go!

arctos

I prepare for every tour to be completely self-sufficient even when expecting to tour with others. Then if someone bails out due to injury, family emergency or even a change of mind, I can proceed with my plans without interruption if i so choose. It has proven to be a useful approach over the decades on several trips.

Cyclist0108

You should only tour with people who are better at physics than you are.

That way, if you find yourself stranded half way between Nowhere and Podunk in Outer BuFuchistan, you will have someone who can help you spend your time mastering the Clifford Algebra of the gamma matrices.