It has been decades since I began the adventure of a lifetime. In 1999, my son Dan and I started off on a self-supported bicycle trip across the United States. Unfortunately, eleven days and 660 miles into our journey, my wheels slid out from underneath my bike while crossing railroad tracks during a rain storm, and I crashed. While I wasn’t hurt badly, suffering little more than a good case of road rash with minor cuts and bruises, I gave up. In retrospect, I realize that my spirit was hurt more than my body.
To this day I regret that decision but I’ve never given up on the dream of cycling across the country. So, I decided to give it another shot. Please join me on my ride across the USA. I hope to share the adventure and some of the lessons I learn along the way.
In that spirit, here is the 1st lesson learned – wet railroad tracks and manhole covers can be as slippery as ice.
Ken Whittaker