Introduction

Didn't I just get home from a long bike trip (New Zealand)?   It sure seems that way, but apparently it's time to go again.  My philosophy is to do the trips I want to do while I still can.  Don't think this body will go on forever...... Next up is another WomanTours Epic.  This one is the "Underground Railroad".  It follows (approximately) the Adventure Cycling route of the same name.  Technically the route starts at the Gulf of Mexico but when WT scouted the route they deemed the first 400 miles (from the Gulf to Fulton MS) to be "unsafe".  Not sure what exactly they didn't like.  So - we'll start in Fulton, MS.  The route ends in Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON, although the Adventure Cycling Route goes on to Owen Sound.  


Total distance is about 2400 km.  Total climbing (and descent) about 18,000 m, or 60,000 ft.  I always like to see my distance in km and my climbing in feet; I feel like I'm making more progress that way!  We will average about 90 km per day over 27 days of riding.  Our longest ride will be 147 km (day 7) and our shortest will be 28 km (our last day).  Average climbing is about 2200' (670m).  The first half of the tour is definitely more hilly than the second half.  Only one day over 500m after day 15.  Sounds like we'll just be coasting to the finish line!  We start pedalling on May 12th and finish on June 11th.  I am fortunate to have Lisa Little Legs coming to meet me in NOTL.  I will fly home from Hamilton on the 15th.  

I'm glad I have the New Zealand miles on my legs because our spring in Calgary has been very late in arriving.  Even the last week of April had really chilly mornings so that it was impossible to get in any long rides.  We had a fine day for Bill's Hills on April 29th and I'll get in one more moderate ride on May 3rd.  That might be it for training.  First day out is about 125 km; could be a shock to my system.  

I whined incessantly about my hip tendons on the New Zealand trip.  I'm hopeful that this trip will be a bit easier on them.  I'll be back on a road bike, and perhaps more importantly - my road bike.  I have worked diligently on my physio exercises every day and have had a number of shockwave/laser treatments.  Here's hoping............  One wrist and one shoulder are still unhappy from the New Zealand trip, but I'm pretty sure the road bike posture will be a lot easier on them.  

I'm really hoping that we'll get exposed to a lot of history on this route.  Over the past few months I've managed to do some reading on the Underground Railroad topic and era.  Shocking what humans can do to other humans!  

Here's what WomanTours says about the route:
"We'll follow rivers north through Tennessee and Kentucky.  Then the North Star will guide us through Ohio, along Lake Erie and into Canada on the Peace Bridge to Niagara Falls.  Our journey ends in Niagara-on-the-Lake,Ontario, Canada.  Filled with history, the Underground Railroad is also beautiful.  You'll ride beside the Tennessee and Ohio Rivers.  Although there are no major climbs, there are many sections of roller coaster hills.  We'll ride some distance on several paved rail trails."

I did a very little of reading about the route from other sources.  Sounds like loose dogs will once again be an issue - argh!  And as we experienced in the Kentucky and Virginia portions of the TransAm route last fall, it sound like some of the grades on the hills in the early days could be quite steep.

I'm once again looking forward to meeting the participants and guides on the trip.  I know a few of them from previous epics, but most will be new faces to me.  






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