Here is the take away from this post:  Don’t use Google walking directions when you are mapping out your bike trip.

Saturday, I left Grant Park, Atlanta at 10am.  A group of four of us were supposed to be riding to Birmingham, but trip planner, Justin, broke his clavicle the night before and the trip kinda fell apart.  But I decided to ride over anyway.

I printed up Google’s walking directions to the 15 mile mark of the Silver Comet trail.  I was off!  Out of Grant Park.   Through the hood.  Down highways.  Braving honking speeding cars.  Turn right at Mitchell Pl in a mile.  Wait, I just went two miles.   Wait, Google says..  What?  Where is Mitchell Place?  I am in Austell?  Austell.   The directions were treating me real bad.  Walking directions!  BAH!

I sat at the corner of 78 and 278 for a bit.  I noticed that the thread was coming through on my rear tire.  I got pretty fucking bummed.  I was averaging 7 miles a hour after riding in circles in Austell for an hour or so.   The best way to the trail was up highway 6, speed limit 65.  I did not want to ride that road.   I called Anna and texted Jennifer.  I told them I was dejected and I did not think I could do it.   They told me I could do it.  I believed them.

There is a parable or story, perhaps it is history.  Dostoevsky?  Anyway, this guy gets a ticket to heaven, but he was to walk hundreds of millions of miles to get there.  After walking about a million miles, he sit down, tired of walking.  After a big chunk of time, he figures that if he is going to sit forever, he might as well walk forever.   He finally gets to heaven.  Heaven is so fantastic and the walk was so worth it, he says that he would gladly repeat the walk a million more times to get to Heaven.   I thought about this guy a lot.  I just figured, what else am I going to do but ride my bike to Birmingham.  I elevated Birmingham to be the equivalent of Heaven.

Also, I had made 25 spoke cards.  Handmade prints of Vulcan.  I had to deliver these.  Having something to deliver is a huge motivator.  I never knew this.  “Castaway” suddenly made sense.  I looked at the spoke card in my spokes.  Vulcan totally looked back and me and told me I can do it.

So!  The trail!  I found the trail.  I texted everyone, “I am on the trail!”  They all texted back all those good feeling things people say when they know you can do something and you are not so sure yourself.   I found a bike store and I was able to get a new tire.  I ate.  I drank some wine.   The wine fit in my water cage!!  Bandit!

Then everyone’s friend, the dude who knocks over your bike, showed up.  He broke my rear shifter.  Thanks!   We set up the rear wheel so the chain sat in one of the middle cogs and I was rolling again.   My spirits were up!   I texted everyone,  “My spirits are up!”  They gave me hugs.   My ETA to Anniston was 7pm, local time.   I ended up being 3o minutes late.

Lunch in Rockmart.   Past the point of now return now.

Cedaryonkers.  I mean, Cedarton.  From this point on, I did not have cell phone coverage.   I raced the sunset to the Alabama state line, but it beat me real bad.  As a consolation prize, the state line gave me stars to look at.  Atlanta has taken away the stars from us and put them in a box.  Sometimes Atlanta will show us a planet if we are really good.

After the stars and the state line and wine and Cliff bars, I was off.  Tons of rabbits started crossing the path.  A deer.  An armadillo.  A dog or coyote?

My light was dim and I rode off the trail several times.  I learned to look up and see where the tree line was in the sky.  Does that make sense?  It does at night, on the trail on your bike in the dark.

I thought a lot about people I know.   I started to get excited.  I called Anna from Piedmont AL.  They said they would be there.  One more hour.   I felt surprisingly good.  I rode hard.  I rode off the trail a few more times.  I got blinded by lights as I rode near roads.   Anna!   Elisa!  Rebecca!  Alan!  Jennifer!  I will be there soon!

Trail head.  Or foot in this case.   Anna and Elisa pull up.  I kiss them both on the cheek.  They thought I was being a bit forward, but I did not care.  I was really happy to see them.  I loved these two.  They were going to take me to go eat pizza and give me a ride home.  I asked if I could weep and they said yes.  I gave them their spoke cards.  Pizza.  Beer.  All the other Birmingham friends.  Happy.

Google, I forgive you.