Neil Brennen and I have come to realize that we have different touring needs, and we've decided that Shake, Rattle and Roll has been our last tour together.
I'm sorry to see this happen, but I'm glad we rode together for the time that we did. It's been fun, and we learned a lot from each other over touring 700+ miles together, not to mention day rides and organized rides.
Even if not explicitly stated, NOW has always been at least somewhat about learning and improvement. "What can we do better next time?" was a standard conversation after a tour.
- Packing - I tend to overpack, and I still do. I like to think that I've improved since I brought 4 paniers and a huge camp roll for a 2-day trip.
- Climbing - the hills of Chester county (where Neil lives) are truly epic. Our tour to Bethlehem highlighted that there are always steeper hills.
- Camping - I've now camped 4 times with NOW, the only camping experience I have to date. I'm at the point where I can set up and break down in a reasonable amount of time, and can get a decent night's sleep in a small tent.
Planning - Mapping appropriate roads, setting the length of the day to something realistic, and planning to ride in an area that's interesting to begin with are all important things to know how to do if a tour is to be successful.
0 comments:
Post a Comment