How Do You Get from Whiteville to Charleston?

***THIS POST HAS BEEN UPDATED TO REFLECT CHANGES IN MY ROUTE***

So, you might have heard that I have this bicycle trip coming up.  In about two months I’ll embark on a 255-mile, 5-day/4-night little self-supported bicycle tour from Whiteville, NC down to Charleston, SC.  Part of the reason for this trip is my own desire to forsake comfort and sanity while doing something I love; but another, much more important reason for the trip, is to try and help raise money to purchase Bibles for a Haitian pastor friend.  One of his dreams is to provide each of his students with their own Bibles.  (But I’ll say a little more about that later.)

I do find it interesting that when I tell people about my trip, one of the questions I often get asked is, “Well, how do you get from Whiteville to Charleston?”  While that may be a simple sounding question…answering it can be a little more difficult.

Once, when I was asked that question, I was so excited to finally find someone interested in my ride who wanted to hear about my route.  And so, I started talking…“Well, you see, I'll be leaving from my house in Whiteville and ride a short distance to Lake Waccamaw State Park.  From there I’ll continue down to Bolton and towards Shallotte.  From Shalotte I'll…”  And in mid-sentence I was interrupted.  “What I meant was, how do you GET from Whiteville to Charleston?  How do you get from one point to the other?  What about your bike?  What about your gear?”

Aahhh…that’s not the way I took the question, but it is something that I do love to talk about.  (I mean, you really can’t go wrong anything you are talking about bikes and stuff.  And so, I began talking and probably gave them much more information that they bargained for.

My bicycle is a Fuji Touring bike.  I was fortunate enough (due to the unfortunate closing of a national retailer) to pick this up at a ridiculously low price this past year.  It is a solid entry level touring bike that has a long and proven track record.  But more importantly, it fits my needs perfectly!  It is a steel framed bike…which means it is heavy.  But unlike my road bike which is supposed to be light and fast (not sure that it is really light and with me riding it no one would accuse it of being fast) this bike is built to carry gear over long distances.  It has wider tires than a typical road bike which the lower pressure helps provide a smoother and more comfortable ride.

One of the first things you notice when you look at the bikes are the racks…two racks.  One on the front and one on the back.  These tubular racks are what make it possible to carry my clothes, food, and gear for a week-long trip.  All of my gear will weigh in around 50-55 pounds.  All of my “stuff” will be packed into special bags, called panniers (pronounced, “pan-yers”) that attached with hooks onto the tubular racks.  This not only distributes the weight, but also provides a safe and secure method of attaching all my stuff to my bike.

Now, tires that provide a more comfortable ride are important and being able to carry your gear is important.  But I would suggest that one of the most important pieces of equipment for bicycle touring is not the bike, tires, racks, panniers, camping gear or anything else.  No, I believe the most important thing is the bicycle seat…or, in the cycling world, the saddle.  Let’s be honest, few things (besides a crash or mechanical problem) will bring a bicycle trip to a sudden stop like sore sit bones.  What are sit bones?  Well…think about it for a moment.  While most people would say it is your butt, it is actually the lateral boundary of the pelvic outlet.  Two bones that make contact with your saddle and in turn basically carry your weight.  The saddle on my Fuji Touring bike is a Brooks B17 leather saddle…which have been made in England, virtually unchanged, since the 1890’s…and they are extremely comfortable!  While I’ve ridden using this saddle, this will be my first multi-day trip with it.

Another key piece of equipment for bicycle touring is your panniers.  My panniers are the Axiom Seymour Oceanweave.  I have the entire set…two front panniers and two rear panniers.  One kind of cool fact about the Oceanweave line is that they are constructed from recycled fishing nets!  I typically organize mine so that each one has a different purpose in packing…my rear left pannier is my bedroom, meaning I carry my sleeping bag, sleeping pad and pillow, and other items related to sleeping in it; my left front pannier is my kitchen…here I carry all my cooking gear; my right front pannier is my pantry…which means my food gets packed here; and then my right rear pannier is my closet because, well, all my clothes will be packed here.  In addition to my panniers, I have a handlebar bag that carries items I might need along the ride like snacks, sunscreen, snacks, journal, and camera…and anything else I might can fit in there.

Finally, my tent and poles get strapped to the top of the rear rack.  I may not be the neatest or most organized guy around, but when I’m out on a bike tour I really try to live by the old adage, “A place for everything…and everything in its place.”  It really does make life so much easier!

And…there you have it…that is how I get from Whiteville to Charleston!

Remember…my ride is March 15 to March 19.  The Bibles for Pastor Sidor are $8.00 each.  I hope you will follow along on this journey and that you will consider helping us reach our goal!