I have to relocate up here for the summer to go to college. A few weeks ago my wife and I made a Volvo trip up to try out the mapquest directions, look for an apartment, and meet the head of the program. All went well on that trip. The trip up in the Volvo took 8 hours with easy enough directions. We arranged to sublet a downtown apartment. All was well.
We went back home. I worked the end of my semester. Thursday I rode around a little, but sat around more. My wife had to work, but I had Thursday and Friday off by myself. Friday I got up and packed. Packing only took about 20 minutes. I grabbed a few pairs of jeans to ride in and some long sleeve t-shirts. The rest of the bag was a pair of Chucks, about 20 short sleeve shirts for class (one for each day will keep down the laundry!) and some shorts to walk around in. I stuck in some towels and sheets. Etc. It took up my entire full size bed. I walked around it and mulled it over to see if I had forgotten anything for about an hour. Decided I was good. So I got out the trusty canoe bag and stacked it in. I had never packed for three months before. Is it supposed to make a stack four feet tall? I was able to just barely get the large canoe bag to shut, but it did shut. It was then I thought that I didn't need to pack for three months, but instead for three weeks, then my wife could have brought the rest up when she came...but by then it was packed.
It was threatening rain so I carried it up to the bike. I put my soft briefcase and my laptop in one saddle bag and locked it up. The other saddle bag was toiletry items, sneakers, misc other things until it was full. The bright yellow canoe bag went across the pillion with some a bungee net (and the straps snaked through the passenger back rest). Looked good and stable. Dad loaned me a bike cover since I'll be parking outside for three months. It was already tied in a bundle with a bungee,so I strapped it to the luggage rack. Still looked good.
Friday night my wife and I went to a party with some co-workers on the lake. We drank Tropical Painkillers. We took a boat ride. We shot pool. We laughed. We ate brisket and pork shoulder that had smoked. We laughed some more. We had a good night.
Saturday morning I awoke at o'dark thirty. I was dressed, had kissed my wife, and was out the door and on the bike by 5:30. I was wearing my kevlar lined jeans (which are getting snug this season), my kevlar shirt, leather jacket, and my VRCC vest for pockets. I took off.
I shoved a bag of clothes hangers on top of the yellow bag, because that is what I nearly forgot.
Honestly, I was nervous when I took off. It wasn't the 475 mile ride that made me nervous (the directions were in my pocket). I'd been further than that before. It wasn't the early start, I prefer them. I think it was the whole back into college thing that has me nervous, I've worked my whole life to get this far, and finally I was jumping on the bike to go. I rode very stiffly for the first few miles. I almost wouldn't let the bike lean. I could feel the nervousness. And the bag behind me didn't help. It weighed as much as a small person. At first I thought it was bouncing in corners and over bumps. I was about to pull off and restrap it when it occurred to me what was happening. When I reached my left arm back the bag was still, but it felt like it was moving behind me. I had strapped the front of the bungee cord to the trim rail around the bag, which slanted it down behind me. I was feeling the bungee against my back moreso than the bag. Once I was able to figure out the load was stable I relaxed. I fell into a groove. I was an aware alert rider, but relaxed into the bike rather than fighting on top of the bike. It was still dark. Traffic was light. I was making good time.
I didn't want to set any land speed records. I had given myself time to leave early, stop for gas and food, and make it at about 70ish mph on time to Indiana to pick up my keys from the apartment office before they closed. I was shooting to getting into town around two-ish.
The directions were straight forward enough.
I-77 North through NC, VA, and most of WV. Take 19 (66 miles) over to I-79. Run that for 90 miles merge onto 68 (about 10 miles just to hop off and get into PA on back roads. The n mostly 119 on into Indiana.
Sounded easy enough. I had done it before.
Somehow, it just didn't go that well.
I was in VA by 6:30 and in WV by 7:30. I felt like I was making good time. All was going well.
Right before I was supposed to get onto 19 I fueled up and checked my directions. Somehow I looked at them wrong and thought that my exit was 30 miles away instead of being the next exit, so I over shot it. I wound up in Charleston WV at a toll booth. I asked the guy for advice, he pointed out that 79 started in Charleston so that I could go jump on that and take the scenic route back down to 68. Scenic route. 100 miles out of the way or so. I stopped on 79 at a gas station to double check my directions. I was still heading north and wanted to make sure I wasn't going to Ohio. The woman at the gas station assured me to just keep on, so I did.
I had lunch in Flatwoods, WV. That is the geographic center of WV. I ate at a Custardstand. Not a bad burger, nothing super special. While eating my hot cheese sticks I heard the radio calling for afternoon showers in WV. It had been a mix of overcast and sunny, but dry all morning. It was time for me to get out of WV before the showers set in. The pre-wedding bridal party at the table behind me eating chili dogs also didn't like the sound of rain.
I jumped back on 79 about 90 miles until my exit on to 68. That was simple enough. Well marked. 68 split off, no exiting really. The only problem was that I had convinced myself by then that the number I was looking for was I64. So I passed 68 in favor of a mythical 64. 30 miles later I hit PA on 79, which is about when I realized I'd done something wrong. I jumped off at the welcome center which was having an art show...and grabbed a map. The map on the table looked easy enough. Looked closer to hop on 21 and run that to 119 and head into Indiana PA. I was starting to run close on time.
Apparently the 'you are here' arrow was covering an exit, so I got off an exit early. I wound up in a rustic area where the game commission had posted signs about not shooting toward the road. Good advice. The need for signs did not make me feel comfortable. I finally quickly admitted that I was lost and pulled over in a driveway to check my maps. Dogs behind a fence barked at me and my unfolding skills. I always open to the back of the map. A local woman walked up and asked if I was okay. Just lost. She gave me directions back to 19 which would work. She gave me the easy directions through the country so I wouldn't miss it in town. She offered me a cold drink for the road, which was nice. She told me to ride careful and stay straight up when I hopped on the bike to leave.
At least I was willing to stop and ask directions. That was time 3.
Pretty West PA country road with switch backs. If I hadn't been pushing a clock then it would have been fun. I might have to go back.
It was pushing 1:30. I hit 119 about 1:45 and thought I was finally close! I was still half an hour out. Then it started raining.
Raining in the construction zone that I ran through behind slow traffic on rough wet roads. That slowed me down terribly. That half an hour took a lot longer than it should. Of course, I got lost in the rain and wound up in a neighborhood instead of on a toll road. That probably didn't help.
I got into Indiana, and then couldn't find where I was supposed to pick up the keys. The apartment complex on the outskirts of town they manage out of is not well marked. I finally gave up and called them for directions. I got there right a 4:00, picked up my keys and walked out as they closed for the day. Just in time.
So at 4:00 I was pulling into my new apartment, newly moved to PA for the summer on a bike.
The apartment was furnished. But sparse. I was carrying a roll of toilet paper, so that will get me started. I ran to goodwill and bought plates and place mats. Then off to the dollar store for silverware and some what nots. Then to Ollies bargain for a pillow. A bargain pillow as it turns out.
I ordered Chinese from the place down the street last night for dinner. This morning I'm going to hop on the Valk and go pick up groceries so I can eat breakfast and lunch.
Not a bad first weekend so far.
