Mike Begins Bike Ride On His Own

I

I arrived in Astoria the evening of the 13 of July. I found the Bicycle and Beyond bike shop on the corner of 11th and Marine Ave. You can’t miss it because it is conveniently located next to a coffee shop. That night I set up my computer in the coffee shop had a salmon salad that was excellent. The band began playing around 8:00PM and serenaded the locals with a variety of old time favorites.

The next morning found me at the same location for breakfast. At nine I went next door and put my bike together. The folks at “Bikes and Beyond” charged me $10.00 to receive my bike and they let me use the facilities and tools to put it back together. Not to mention the free suggestions and words of wisdom.

I begin this ride bombed because my companion rider and good friend Jon Knudsen had an unfortunate event that prevents him from beginning his trek across the nation. Needless to say I was and still am a bit apprehensive about riding alone, but the folks at the bike shop assured me there was little to fear. Plenty of bikes were out on the road and I wouldn’t have any difficulty sharing my day with a number of bikers and gracious locals. My first day started out after lunch. I grabbed a piece of BBQ chicken for the road and headed south. The ride along the coast is outstanding. There was a slight breeze from the South but not enough to slow me down too much. Once in a while a few drops of rain would cool me down but for the most part a good day.