Hypochondriac Horror

The tickle in my throat isn’t bad, but it could soon be strep or even a peritonsillar abscess requiring emergent surgery. My knee has a twinge which is no doubt my right ACL waiting until I’m deep in the Canadian woods before it tears from my tibia. And if that doesn’t leave me stranded, then undoubtedly the pain in my lower right abdomen is a smoldering, soon to rupture appendicitis. Leave it to a doctor to know all the things that could go wrong with my body. Leave it to me to think all those things are going wrong.

In the past, I’ve run some ultras that have taken the better part of a day to complete and even done some short, multi-day bike trips. I’m familiar with the feeling of every ache being a major injury and a sniffle soon to be pneumonia all leading to failure in the event or inability to even start. However, I’ve never gone on a 60 day “event”. There wasn’t any travel insurance offered when I bought the maps and getting two months off work again is unlikely until I’m retired or dead. So, we have to start when my days off from work begin. That continues to heighten my ailment anxieties has me hiding at home and when at work, standing 10 feet from people so nothing can ruin the start of this Great Divide Adventure!

Of course, feeling good at the start of a 2700 mile bike ride is easy. It is fifteen minutes later, with the town fading behind you, forest closing in on all sides, and weird sounds all around that you really start wondering about what might soon go wrong. On top of my worries about physical well being, I’ve been heaping on a truck load of worry about bike well being. What will break down and will I have what is needed to fix it?

Just the other day I was putting on a new tire for the trip. As I spun the wheel I found a broken spoke. No problem, I have spares for the trip and know how to fix it. BTW, front wheel spokes don’t break.  It is always the rear wheel on the cassette side. I pulled all I needed from my bicycle tool box. Eventually I was down to where I could replace the spoke. After truing the wheel and replacing all the parts I had removed, I looked at the pile of tools I’d used. Good grief, it was a pile of stuff I hadn’t even considered taking on the trip!

Repairs aren’t that difficult, IF you have the right tools. Having recently ridden my fully loaded (e.g. trip ready) bike a bit more, I’ve been seriously considering leaving everything, even clothes at home. I just couldn’t face adding more tools and weight. What will break on the trip: spokes, bottom bracket, pedal, derailleur? Who knows? It makes my stomach queasy just thinking about it. Of course that queasiness might also be giardia lamblia or clostridium difficile or amoebic dystentary….aggghhhhhh. Let’s just get on the trail already!