"Last summer I tried to ride from San Diego to Las Cruces, New Mexico. I wrecked on day one. It was random. A freak accident. The kind of thing you can't plan for and can't really explain. But it stopped the tour before it even began. For the first time in my life, I didn't finish a cycling tour. And that sticks with you."
"For a while, I thought I'd pivot. Maybe I'd ride RAGBRAI. Maybe Oklahoma Freewheel. Maybe something organized. Structured. Safer. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized something simple: I'm not a group rider. I don't thrive in crowds, chaos, and "event energy." I'm a plodder. I ride steady. I ride alone. I like long stretches of quiet road and the rhythm of my own cadence. That's not rebellion - it's temperament."
"I live in the desert. I've ridden thousands of miles through wind, dust, and endless horizon. And after driving back home from California last summer, I realized something: I wanted green. I wanted shade. I wanted river bends. I wanted history. I wanted small towns with character. So I chose the Mississippi River. This isn't about conquering the river. It's about riding beside it."
I attempted a San Diego to Las Cruces tour last summer but wrecked on day one, ending the ride before it began. I prefer solo, steady riding and dislike crowds and organized event energy; group events feel wrong for my temperament. I chose the Mississippi River because I wanted green, shade, river bends, history, and small towns. The plan begins June 1 in Le Crescent, Minnesota, crossing into La Crosse, Wisconsin, and covering about 65–70 miles per day to finish Year One in Bowling Green, Missouri. Year Two heads toward Memphis and Year Three to the Gulf. My son will drive a support truck so I can stay solo while safer and spend time with him.
Read at Theoldguybicycleblog
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