Your concerns are noted, and appreciated!
I guess we should take it as a good thing that certain friends have voiced concerns for our wellbeing. After all, it’s comforting to know that there are people out there who actually care about us. On the other hand, it’s funny to hear how some folks still seem doubtful about our efforts (we hear these things through the grapevine, never directly). We experienced this first 8 years ago when we made public our plans to go cruising, but seems even more funny now considering all that we’ve managed to work our way through, both on and off the water. Oh well. 🙂
Our planned departure is less than 48 hours away. On Thursday morning, after a hardy breakfast, we’ll point our bikes south, and ride up the long, steep hill that we’ve climbed dozens of times already. We have our first three nights’ stopping places already mapped out, and rather than trying to wild camp or book ourselves into an expensive hotel, we’ll be taking advantage of the hospitality of two different Warmshowers hosts, and one contact from our Facebook page.
The last of our gear packages arrived this morning, and in it was a puffy, down-filled jacket for Rebecca (mine arrived last week). It seems strange to think that warm clothes will be needed given that we’re heading to the desert, but nights and early mornings can get chilly, as evidenced by this morning where we woke to a damp fog instead of sunshine.
We plan ahead… bikepacking-sized maple syrup!
Along with dozens of other last-minute odds and ends, Rebecca has taken it upon herself to attempt to trace the Baja Divide route – the track that we’ll be following once we cross the Mexican border – onto the National Geographic maps that we purchased. It’s unlikely that we’ll have nice paper maps for all of our travels but for this section, where re-supply points can be days apart, we though that having them as a backup would be a nice touch. Hopefully this kind of prudent thinking will appease some of our friends’ and family’s concerns.
Both of you will be fine! Great planning does pay off. There have been others before you and there will be others after you’all. Saddle time can either be a bitch of a mind game but you both have solid background in training knowledge and how to push through….to make happen. I am looking forward to your travels. Good Luck. And golly have fun!
Thanks for the vote of confidence, Mark! We have no illusion that it will be easy, but are confident that we can make it work. It’s not a race.
Oh my gosh! You two will rock this! I have no doubts. Of course it is the kind of thing my husband and I do. As the same as sailing, may the winds be at your back.
A nice tail wind would be much appreciated! 🙂
Your friends shouldn’t worry too much about that. I never used the paper map while in Baja, I found the GPS in my phone and watch to be far superior and my partner had a GPS with maps, waypoints and route loaded as well, so we had triple redundancy in electronics alone. In addition, unlike on the ocean, there are people to ask questions of.
The Resupply Guide was essential paper, however: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B2CPibtC_VwdcnBJRjRSZUxPaGM
I always had that handy and constantly referred to it.
One morning, we woke up to a damp fog in Baja. BEST MORNING EVER!!! The miles came so easy while that lasted.
Fog in Baja? I would never have imagined it.
I plan to print off the resupply guide too so that we have easy access to it. As for the maps, my guess is that you’re right, we won’t use them much for navigation. They’re fun to look at though, to help visualize the big picture, just like the paper charts we carried on the boat.
Who ever peddles the fastest will be fine, bears, bandits, they will go after the slower rider. No worries. After all, its part of the food chain..right? And your going south instead of north, so its all downhill.
We have confidence in you, if you need any other advise or opinions, we both will be here for you for a long time 🙂
Your advice makes “me” feel better, or does it? 😉
I definitely believe in you and Rebecca. Knowing how much there is to learn on a boat, leaves me certain that you can handle this new adventure too! Of course you will have some tough times but that is to be expected. The difference is you two have the determination, physical strength and perseverance to push ahead. You inspire me to follow your dreams!!
Thank you, Lisa. It makes me smile to think that our travels, in some way, inspire others. Best wishes!
I will just echo another comment – rear view mirrors are really important! Also those rear light/cameras are pretty good. Ride safe, Mike and Rebecca.
I may not have mentioned this but we did purchase mirrors, and have them installed on the bikes.
All the best and happy pedaling!
K&D
Gracias, Amigos!
Bob & I were just saying the other day that we know that you both will do great with this new adventure. We met you two early on in your last and have known how well you plan and work toward accomplishing what you set out to do (but still realize that plans can always change) so we have no doubt that this will be a wonderful new way of travel for you both. Best wishes and hope that it works out to be what you wish it to be. Will enjoy tagging along (and letting you get the saddle sores for us!)
Thanks so much, Janice. We feel very fortunate to have crossed paths with you two. Thanks for being a part of our cruising experience.
Oh FFS, what is wrong with folks. Seriously. All my life I’ve dealt with that kind of nonsense. Bottom line is that most folks are averse to change. I should know Mike. That’s how I make my living now… I’m a Change Manager. People are change averse. Things outside their comfort zone give ’em the willies. Nothing pushes someone into unsafe space like challenging key assumptions about what it is possible for us to do with our lives. By homeschooling, cruising (bike or boat), hiking, walkabouting, trailering, caravanning, living off the land, living off the grid, name it… we challenge the assumption that you get a job, buy a house, have a partner, make offspring, raise them, get cancer and die. Yeah nah.
You’re right, change is a huge fear for most people, the thought that if something changes, the future will be worse off than what they have now. A fear of loss in certain ways.