BesidesDaniel

Hello,
I'm taking my first big tour. I'll be biking around 900 miles in 10 days. I have my route planned & my stops cordinated with friends and family so I have a place to sleep most nights, I'm thinking of couch surfing the rest, (or should I just bring the gear to sleep under the stars??? ) This will be coastal riding so I'm expecting it to be quite flat. I've biked upwards of 80 miles to around 100 miles a day before but never more than 100 miles day after day. The cool thing is I play music so I'll be provided a guitar for a few stops and will make some money to fund the tour by playing.... my two passions together! So my questions are...

# 1 ... I'm not crazy am I? this is doable correct?

# 2 ... What are the 3 most important things you've had while out on a tour.

# 3 ... anyone ever biked the keys?

# 4 ... should I hold to my minimalistic ideals or really pack it down? what is the ratio/importance you give to weight as opposed to "just in case" stuff? I feel I'm in my prime @ the age of 28, I'm healthy and strong and unmarried and want to really give this a shot.

#5 - GPS???? what is the best way to route these tours???? what are your favorite gadgets for this sort of stuff?

here is my list of things I know I'll bring as of now...

TP,
plastic bags,
sunscreen,
3 or 4 good books,
2 changes of clothes,
toiletries
small towel,
lil bit of detergent to wash my clothes,
trail mix!


whelp, thanks for any responses and here is a map, if anyone wants to do a run with me from one city to the next then be my guest, also, if you live in one of these cities & would like to put me up for one night I'd really appreciate it!!!! I could give you a few of my CDS or cook you dinner.

8th Macon
9th fitzgerald
10th Waycross
11th Fernandina beach
12th St Augustine
13th St. Augustine
14th Daytona Beach
15th Cocoa Beach
16th West Palm Beach (day off from playing music)
17th Miami
18th Key Largo
19th Key West
20th Key west
FLY HOME

-danny

BesidesDaniel

oh yeah, I'm planning on selling my bike in KEy West once I'm there... crazy I Know, but I have quite a few and I'm doing it more for the experience... plan on posting it on KEy West C L for whatever I can get, getting a plane ticket home, and calling it a great ride.

gpsblake

It's not crazy but don't get tied up into being a certain place at a certain day. You never know about storms, bike breakdowns, heat exhaustion and such. And riding in 90-100 degree heat for 10 straight days at 90 miles a day on a loaded bicycle in July.... Not trying to discourage you, but that's a very hard thing to do in July. The best advice I can give you is perhaps plan more time to do the 900 miles, say 15 days or attempt this in October. You can do 30 miles in the morning, get into air conditioning or shade, then 30 more miles in the late afternoon. Or even give yourself a day off or two during the tour. Best wishes.

Jeraimee

I've pushed my Key West ride to November due to the heat. Be careful BesidesDaniel and have fun.

SethR

A couple of years ago a buddy and I rode from Gainesville, FL to key west (600 miles) in 9 days in June. We found that it is best to do all the riding between dawn and noon. The afternoon sun is brutal and shade is in short supply. Traffic can be an issue in south FL and around Daytona as well.

miamiturtleguy

Hi Danny,

Sounds like an awesome tour! I just completed BRAG 2011 Atlanta to Savannah and did Smart Ride 7; Miami to Key West. However those are both supported rides. I am planning a Miami to Savannah Tour for May 10 - 18, 2012, so that's one reason I'm checking out the touring threads.

Having done BRAG during the June heat wave, I would, as Seth suggested, do all your riding between dawn and noon. If you are really going to couch surf then you should be able to travel fairly lite, change of clothes, hydration and food, bike repair stuff, more Rando style touring. Perhaps just a handlebar bag and one rear rack bag.

Have you been training? Multiple long day rides?? I think even BRAG's seven days of 65 -75 mile per day average would have been tough for me without some serious, long multi-day training rides several months prior.

What kind of bike are you riding? I am currently looking for another bike to replace my Benotto road bike that got damaged in a car v bike crash in March.

Also, I can't make any promises yet, but I might be interested in riding the West Palm to Key Largo stage with you July 16 - 18. I would have to check with my wife first, but might be able to put you up in Miami. The thing is I've used up all my vacation time on BRAG and training for it. I would have to meet you in West Palm Friday night the 15th and ride to Miami on the 16 ; Key Largo on the 17 and then I would have to ride back to Miami from Key Largo on Monday 18th.

Tod (Miami Turtle Guy)