Day 34, Tallahassee FL to Chipley FL

October 25

Today was a bit of a slog in the end, a bit sloggy. Maybe it was the not enough sleep, maybe it was too many beers last night. I'm not sure. What I think it is though is nutrition, I'm not eating enough. I only had a sandwich for dinner yesterday and it was fairly small. I definitely need more for than that, so many more calories. Also vitamins, need to remember my vitamins more.

The bicycle house guy made me some breakfast though, coffee and eggs, which was great. Good guy, apparently has some brain injury (coma?) And woke up and started this bike co-op. Following his dreams and really helping people out. Good guy.

After that though my legs just weren't pumping strongly. I slowly made it out to Quincy where apparently the porchfest was happening. I think it was just people playing music on their porches, not sure though. Anyway though, had a really average lunch at a small cafe and they were really slow. Average experience at the very best, contributed to the slog.

From there I just cycled it out, mile by mile. The scenery was okay, the hills were rolling and realized that the radio is terrible. I honestly can't imagine why there are radio stations anymore. I'm this close to swearing off radio entirely because this is getting out of hand. I swear that the station I was listening to was only playing about 8 songs. I decided that I can exercise my power as a consumer and go to a different station. The next station had the same 8 songs and maybe 3 more. Outrage. I get it Taylor Swift, your shaking it off. I just don't need to be constantly told that! And don't even get me started about being about the bass, don't get me started.

I'm in a hotel in Chipley tonight because I really just wanted to sit and do nothing. I've since polished off an entire pizza and could probably eat more. I'm going to see how much water I can drink also. I realize that I'm drinking a bunch of water but never need to urine. The water just goes into the system.

I also watched remember the titans, love that movie.

Oh and I crossed into central time so that's cool. So long east coast time, football starts too late in you. Central or bust!

Trip stats
Hours riding: 6:58.49
Day miles: 93.17
Total miles west: 403.19
Average speed: 13.3 mph
Max speed: 35.5 mph

Day 33, Fort White to Tallahassee FL

Pretty alright day overall, first full day on the new wheel and it rolled true. Had a slow start leaving the campsite but once I got rolling I was an absolute rocket ship. Just built for speed. Made great time.

I had lunch at a little restaurant in Madison and it was amazing. The brick house restaurant served me up a beautiful pulled pork sandwich with some great barbeque sauce. I had some fried green tomatoes on the side too, fantastic. Can I take a moment to talk about sweet tea also? It is so sweet and quenching, I'm crushing it often. Kind of wish I was drinking it right now...

I stayed in the bicycle house in Tallahassee which was an.... Experience. I didn't know what to expect but I knew it was free so that is nice. Turns out it is a funky bicycle co-op with some colorful people working there. I slept on a futon mattress behind a locker, oddly comfortable. I also went out for drinks to a place called the fermentation lounge. A hipster bar in the hipster part of town where I met some people from Cleveland and a guy who went to university in Newfoundland. It was fun to talk Newfoundland with someone, we had a laugh.

Overall a great day I guess, good wheel and good times.

Trip stats
Hours riding: 6:04.54
Day miles: 87.82
Total miles west: 310.02
Average speed: 14.4 mph
Max speed: 33 mph

Day 32, outside fort white to outside Madison FL

Well it was a good day, a fantastic day even. The best day? Let's not get crazy about it but it was really nice. Turns out it was cold in the night and I actually need to get in my sleeping bag instead of just lying on it. Cool air, finally a decent sleep camping. I think I went to sleep at 7:30? I had my book out and ready to read but it just didn't happen. Feel right asleep, no power. Slept in even, got a late start, no regrets. Camp oatmeal and coffee never tasted so good.

My regret of the day was that I misinterpreted my map and missed out on some barbeque for lunch. I could have eaten at Bob's butts barbeque! What am I doing down here if not trying to eat at Bob's butts? That's the point! It would have been amazing, it is officially the one that got away. I've had some good barbeque but I need more than this, I'm distraught over this one. It was right there! Bob's butts! Aaaaaa!

I'm also debating whether or not I'm going a bit crazy on the road here. I don't think so....but that's what a crazy person could say....

I ran into a couple older touring riders going the other way. Stopped for a chat and heard the legend of bicycle Bill! Apparently there is a homeless guy who just cycles the country. I might be able to catch up with him and apparently he has some great stories. He rides with some really wide panniers so I've heard, riding wide!

Going to Tallahassee today, home of the Seminoles. I get to stay there for free at a bike house so that is nice. Free stay!

Trip stats (lost data midway, if the computer is in the sun it resets) all estimates
Hours riding: 5:30
Day miles: 78.38
Total miles west: 222.18
Average speed: ~14 mph
Max speed: 33.4 mph

Day 31, Gainesville FL to outside Fort White FL

Well it finally happened, a good day, probably a very good day actually. I got up early and when got on my wiggly wobbly bike everything came back to me. All the bad feelings from yesterday's ride were there immediately. The bump with every rotation, the wheel twisted like a rung towel. Terrible. Awful. I almost ended the trip that day.

Went out for breakfast while I waited for the bike shop to open and had an ultimate skillet, delicious. Little did I know that pre-skillet Bradshaw, with his doubts and concerns was in for a surprise. My bike is fixed! New wheel among many other things, turns out it was in quite the shape. Repairs done included:
- realigning the front brakes
- brake tightening
- replacing the front shifting cable
- aligning the shifting head
- cleaning of the cassette
- new chain
- new wheel, checked and installed
- quick bike fitting which included dropping the seat and handlebars and changing my cleat position

After all of that it was only $200, the last bike shop told me the wheel alone would be $350. No thank you other bike shop, I'll go with these guys. It was all so good that I wrote a review on Google, my first review of anything online ever. Ever.

So after all that I think my woes are over with and I'm riding so fast right now. It was a short day of riding because that all took quite some time but I'm feeling very fast right now. Pulled into Fort White and could have either bought groceries for the campsite about ten miles away or some ribs to go from Charlie's. Got the ribs! Amazing cornbread and beans also but I was debating if the coleslaw was a bit funky. I debated right up until I finished the whole thing so I hope I don't get poisoned. Great ribs though, talked to the chef about them, good ribs. The funny thing too was that one of the other customers thought I looked like her brother so she bought me a beer. Turns out it's not only Brad Pitt lookalikes that get perks.

Now I'm in the campsite outside of town and it is nice enough. Hoping for some real speed tomorrow though, I want to open this baby up!

Trip stats
Hours riding: 4:07.09
Day miles: 51.45
Total miles west: 143.80
Average speed: 12.4 mph
Max speed: 28.9 mph

Day 30, St Augustine FL to Gainesville FL

Well today really tested my patience. There was a point today where I said, "why does it have to be like this, just let me finish today!" My wheel broke another spoke and this time it is the last straw. New wheel, no exceptions.

It all started off so great, sun shining and not too hot out. Then it immediately went bad because turns out I had a flat. Didn't even get to get on the bike. So my early start turned into a late one and I'm stuck on the side of the road changing a tire. It's been awoke since I've done this so it took a little longer that expected. Job done though and I even bought a new tube right along my route. Things could be getting better.

Nope! Now the spoke breaks, forty miles into the day and that wheel looks like it could snap at any moment. I'm tightening spokes loosening others and it doesn't matter, the wheel is messed up. I have to keep riding because the nearest bike shop is in Gainesville so hourly I can limp in. It was terrible. My wheel is shaking everywhere and there is a noticeable bump on the flat spot. The whole rest of the day I'm just cursing my wheel, but also praying it will hold on.

Somehow it did and I'm staying with a nice PhD student here in town through warm showers. I got a free place to stay and a free dinner even but my thoughts are heavy on my wheel. I'm going to order one in to Tallahassee and hope that my current wheel can get fixed enough to get me there. Only about a hundred and fifty miles, hang on wheel!

Trip stats
Hours riding: 6:36.04
Day miles: 91.25
Total miles: 91.25
(I'm subtotaling, all the previous miles were going south so these are now going west)
Average speed: 13.8 mph
Max speed: 21.9 mph

Day 26-29, Hanna lake campground to st Augustine

It was an easy day and a good one cycling into st Augustine. I left late and had no trouble with the miles, there might have been a little bit of a tailwind even. Beautiful cycling also, a lot of it right along the coast with the water crashing. Some good surfing in those waters it looked like.

Pulled into at Augustine on Friday and checked into the hostel. Nice little place right in the heart of town. Had a chat with the guy at the desk about how difficult it is to enforce the parking in town. Apparently they have three spaces and are constantly towing cars. That night I went and grabbed a drink at the local microbrewery and met this guy sitting at the bar. We ended up talking cycling and ended up going to a cigar bar together. Overall, great night, I had a blast.

Sunday was a great day of hilarious football watching. I was at the bar and this couple came in and sat next to me, Detroit fans. We are chatting and having a laugh and the bartender is laughing along with us. Jokes were everywhere! We laughed about the sports cape, overusing the weird "aggressive" and drinking out of straws and gourmet Popsicles. Just funny. When the bartender's shift ended we all parted ways but not before hugging it out and taking a photo of ourselves. We became close very quickly. I went somewhere else for dinner and ended up meeting a Scottish gal watching the game who was also a great laugh. Overall, great people and a great night.

Also sat in the beach on Saturday, real nice beach.

Monday I'm having some barbeque in town watching the game. Mojo old city barbeque, pretty excited about it.

Trip stats

Day miles: 49.9 (39.5 getting to st Augustine, 10.4 going to beach and back)

Total miles: 1522.56

No other stats, data lost

Day 25, Yulee FL to Hanna Lake campground FL

October 16, 2014

What a day what a day, a fantastic day. It was supposed to be such an easy day that I felt absolutely no pressure. I only had about 30-40 miles to go to where I would get my tire fixed then I would lounge on the beach until the football game. Perfect plan....I kind of forgot I actually needed to cycle the miles though and even 30 miles still takes time.

I slept in, had a lazy lunch, was moving oh so slowly and just loving it. I discovered the elusive "Greenway" which is a different route from Maine to Florida. Gorgeous route though, could be for next year. Basically I was going slow and seeing the sights.

I saw the biggest spider I've ever seen that isn't a tarantula, the size of my palm with a web the size of a pillow. Freaky. Saw people fishing off the bridge as they are prone to do down here. Took a ferry across the river for a dollar, steal of a deal. A man told me about a "joke" he made at Wednesday church, it wasn't funny.

I checked into the most beautiful campsite I've ever seen at Hanna lake park. It is like being in the jungle but there are showers and fire pits. I also finally swam in the Atlantic ocean. It felt good and I want to say saltier than the pacific but my frame of reference probably isn't on point. Felt nice though, ocean, waves.

Technically I'm within the city limits of Jacksonville which has made for a confusing realization for me. I always thought Jacksonville was a dump town, the Detroit of Florida for example. Turns out it is kind of gorgeous with surfing and beaches and street markets and healthy people. I'm starting to think that maybe they like the jaguars after all also. Perhaps Jacksonville is an alright place at the end of the day, I've enjoyed myself here and that surprises me.

Tomorrow is another easy day, 40 miles to st Augustine for the weekend. I'm booked in to the hostel and am looking forward to it. Watch out Saturday market, I'm going to buy all your oranges.

Trip stats
Hours riding: 5:38.12
Day miles: 67.24
Total miles: 1472.66
Average speed: 11.9 mph
Max speed:25.6 mph