Weighing the Options

Cross country rides, like meals, come with many possibilities. There's the fast food ride that's less expensive because it hustles its riders from southwest to southeast in less than 30 days, averaging 120+ miles each day with no real breaks. It provides luggage transports, motels and meals. It's definitely a challenge and it's less expensive than longer options because you're on the road fewer days. But it also leaves little room for enjoyment or seeing the sights, especially when you're worrying if you will be able to finish the next day's ride before dark. It's a southern ride to minimize the distance.

Then there is the grocery shopping to fix you own meal option. You pack your bike with what you'll need, and if you're shopping at Aldi's you include a tent and bag for camping to keep costs low, you pick your own route and pace. It's least expensive, it's slower going and the outcome is least certain because you're dependent on your own culinary skills. You get to see and learn a lot along the way, you make mistakes and you correct them and when you're done you're accomplished in the kitchen.

Or you can pick up chinese food to eat at home. A little different than the previous option, this requires someone to accompany your trip, haul your stuff and provide SAG support. You still have to figure out the route and you don't get other riders to eat with like you do when you get out to a restaurant. The cost may be a bit less than eating out, but you have to figure stuff like route, motels or camping out yourself.

If you just want to eat an enjoyable meal with friends without devising the recipe or how to prepare and serve it up, you go to Olive Garden or Applebee's, kick back and order what you like,and then let the cooks and servers do what they do best. You find a ride that handles the details of determining low traffic routes, finding decent motels, providing meals, carting stuff to the next overnight and signing up others with whom to ride. It does cost more than shopping at the store or eating at McDonald's but if you're going out to celebrate your golden anniversary, you don't feel too bad about picking a place you know you'll like.

And so after weighing numerous options, America by Bicycle came highly recommended by Dave and Cathy who had ridden with them in 2001. The AbB Cross Country Challenge ride is at a pace that will challenge me and yet still allow for the time to listen to the birds or to what people along the way want to share with a biker coming through. AbB provides the route and maps to hit the most scenic roads with low traffic and special sights along the way. They will transport lap top, clothing, bike parts and PwP promotional materials from motel to motel. And they'll book the rooms, provide most of the meals, deliver snacks along the way, fix broken down bikes and generally make sure all I need to do is to pedal and enjoy. What a deal I say!