for a brief time during this past month, i was thinking about taking my motorcycle along on this epic road trip. as fun and cool as it would have been to zip in and out of traffic in big cities with dorje, i decided to opt for hybrid bike to be the secondary mode of transportation when i got into towns. since my foot injury isn’t healing anything soon, i have reengaged in my first outdoor passion of riding a bike. i was telling uma about much freedom the bike gave me when i was young and for the most part, that sense of freedom from being mobile has carried through me for most of my adult life. and so this trip is sort of the ultimate journey on many levels. the question is how to travel far really far but also slow enough to take it all in. and so, that was how the bike became that happy balance where i can explore at casual pace and more importantly stay in shape. in addition, i been thinking about how this journey is being documented and my gut says that being on bike is going to provide me with more opportunities to stop and soak in the oddity of america.
anyway, it’s amazing how much bike technology has advance in the past 10 years. I opt to get a new hybrid bike over using my 20 year road bike for the trip and it’s been braking a lot of records in the few weeks that i’ve had it. although it’s not as light as a road bike, the comfort and stability of the bike is giving me new confidence! it’s crazy how the bike computer now syncs to a bunch accessories like cadence sensor and the light ‘network’. my favorite accessory has to be the rear taillight radar that gives me warning as cars approach from behind. although it can be annoying when you’re commuting with tons of cars, it’s a godsend when you’re in the country roads and can adjust your riding style base on the feedback!