The Bicycle Ride I Never Took

When I was in my early twenties, I had an idea that never quite went away. I wanted to take a long bicycle trip.

Life intervened, as it usually does. There was always work to do, bills to pay, or some practical reason why the trip needed to wait. The years passed, and the bicycle ride remained one of those things I intended to do someday.

Now I am nearly 79 years old, and someday has arrived.

I am planning to ride my bicycle from Sac City to Dubuque, across the state of Iowa. It will not be a race, and I have no intention of pretending that I am still twenty years old. I expect to ride somewhere between 30 and 50 miles a day, stopping at hotels along the way.

The route will probably take me through Rockwell City, Fort Dodge, Waterloo or Cedar Falls, and eventually Dubuque. I want to follow the old Highway 20 route as much as practical and see Iowa at bicycle speed.

Traveling by bicycle is different from driving. In a car, towns and farms pass by through the windshield. On a bicycle, you notice the hills, the wind, the weather, the smells, and the people. Every mile has to be earned.

I have been rebuilding an older carbon-frame bicycle for the trip. By the time all the work is finished, I will have about $1,200 invested in it. That is more than I originally intended to spend, but it should be a dependable and comfortable bicycle.

There are still things to prepare. I need racks for the panniers, a small toolkit, spare parts, suitable clothing, and a way to carry everything without overloading the bicycle.

I also want to take my Canon EOS Rebel 2000 film camera. Digital cameras make photography easy, but film makes a person stop and think before pressing the shutter. I hope to take a few photographs each day and perhaps use them in later blog posts.

The trip will require some planning beyond the bicycle. My idea is to tow my Dodge Caliber to Dubuque behind my pickup, leave the pickup there, drive the Caliber home, and then begin the bicycle ride. When I reach Dubuque, my truck will be waiting for me.

That may sound complicated, but long bicycle trips generally involve some sort of transportation puzzle.

I plan to stay in hotels rather than camp. At my age, a shower, a decent meal, and a comfortable bed are not luxuries. They are part of what will make it possible to get back on the bicycle the following morning.

I am not doing this to set a speed record. Finishing safely is more important than finishing quickly. If the weather turns bad or I need an extra rest day, I will take one.

The ride is partly about seeing Iowa, but it is also about proving something to myself. Growing older limits some things, but it does not have to eliminate every adventure.

There is always a temptation to wait until everything is perfect. The bicycle could be lighter. My legs could be stronger. The weather forecast could be better. I could have more money saved.

But if I wait for perfect conditions, the bicycle ride may remain the ride I never took.

So I am getting the bicycle ready, gathering my equipment, and working out the route. When everything is reasonably prepared, I intend to start pedaling east.

I sometimes wonder what the young man who first imagined this trip would think of the old man finally attempting it.

He might be surprised that it took me nearly sixty years.

But I suspect he’d be pretty pleased that I finally got started.

Later