Homer begins our bicycle Odyssey. You won't have ten years to complete this one though, and you have to use a bike, rather than a boat. RUSA regulations give you an ample 13.5 hours. It’s early in the season, but as my friend Bob says, “Any reasonably fit cyclist can ride 200KM in a day. The recovery the following day might be tough, but it’s certainly do-able.”…and worth it, I might add.
As far as global warming...all I want is just enough to insure the roads will be clear for riding the inaugural "End-of-the-Road" brevet.
You won’t want to miss this ride. Homer is Southcentral Alaska’s banana belt, so I’m counting on the temperatures to be about ten whole degrees warmer than Anchorage. I’m also counting on the weather to cooperate enough to keep the roads clear. However, the 7 inches of snow we got here in Anchorage yesterday was quite a reality check. We're still locked in winter, but the grip is loosening fast. Keep the faith, folks! We’ve got nearly four weeks for it to melt. That’s plenty of time.
Get a preview of the route HERE. It's going to be a beautiful ride, with sweeping views of Kachemak Bay. For those riders into geographic superlatives, this ride will not only hit the “End of the Road”, but it will also reach the western most point accessible via the continuous North American road system.
As March 28th approaches, preparations for the Homer ride are solidifying. So make sure your RUSA membership is current.
Two Sisters Bakery is on board to ‘host’ the start. I got an e-mail from them the other day assuring me that there will be enough biscuits and assorted victuals on hand so riders are well fed and caffeinated before Le Grand Départ. I’m still waiting to hear specifics about parking there at the bakery. Please check back here at the AK Rando blog for updates regarding parking. We don't want to jeopardize their hospitality by taking up spaces in their entire lot for the whole day.
I’m also working on some nice accommodations for non-Homer riders so you can be well rested before the ride, and for the long drive home. I’ll post an update to that here too.
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