Do you think it should say "the RIDE is short, enjoy your life"? I took this picture on Day 5. It was a beautiful morning and things were going just fine. At the time, I WAS enjoying the ride and we all know that life IS short. For the past couple of days, I've been considering the reverse. The ride was short - too short and didn't accomplish even a portion of what was expected. But who am I to "expect"? Actually at this moment, I really don't know where this is going to end up. Each day since Sunday has seen great excitement as we ponder "what next". Each day has also seen - "man, I didn't think I'd be seeing signs to Rochester, MN. this soon". Well, I suppose it doesn't matter which way you read the billboard, it can still be considered prophetic.
So what next? Which way do we go? Should we use a bike :-) ? Well, as we've been coming back to Minnesota, I've been testing the boundaries of pain vs. movement and Brent has been repairing all of the things that the nearly 2 week use of the RV revealed as deficient. The RV is in great shape - and I'm getting somewhat better (depending on when you ask).
When we have the opportunity, we talk about "what next". I've been asked by some to write about these discussions in order to allow all of you to be included in these moving-forward brainstorming sessions. Getting the wind knocked out of me, knocked some (just some, mind you) sense INTO me at the same time. This isn't a "one-man" event - well, it shouldn't be, anyway. So you are certainly invited to submit ideas, suggestions and comments whenever you feel you have something to say. I promise to listen.
Today I will give you a little rundown of what worked and what didn't (in no particular order). I'm doing this as much for me as for you so that I have some way to recall these things. This was a great dress-rehearsal, and we learned quite a bit along the way. This will probably get to be a lengthy blog, but I know you miss my ramblings! Admit it!
Segway Setup
* It is possible to ride a Segway nearly 80 miles per day if you know the route intimately and are traveling on relatively safe roads.* 6 machines were used and would be the minimum to do this.
* The re-charging generator works while moving down the road.
*The fastening mechanism to keep the Segways secure now works.
Segway Riding - Sidewalks
* Sidewalks work well and are safer but they have more dangers (cracked slabs, tree branches, insufficient curb cuts) than one would expect. * They are more jarring on the feet because of this and the constant sidewalk to street to sidewalk adjustments are torture on the Achilles tendons.
* Crossing intersections require being extremely careful. The "Look both ways" lesson from Kindergarten is still good advice. (holding hands while crossing the street, however, is mostly impossible)
* Sidewalks take as much active diligence as riding on the road
* Sidewalks slow progress significantly over travel on straight roads.
* Sidewalks are the best place to meet people and introduce the cause.
Segway Riding - Streets
* There are many varieties of street shoulders. * Some streets have wide paved shoulders. Nice!
* Some streets have wide, class 5 rock shoulders - workable.
* Some streets have narrow paved or rock shoulders - not too nice in traffic
* Some streets have no shoulders and travel is dangerous, especially when curbed.
* Freeway clover-leaf interchanges should be avoided as they are poorly designed for pedestrian traffic. No curb cuts. No shoulders. Drivers do not expect to see pedestrians. Everyone one wants on or off the freeway at freeway-like speeds. It can take 20+ minutes to navigate one of these intersections.
* Re-routing calculations on the fly are time consuming and will always take the rider a mile or two out of the way creating yet again, another delay. New route preparation is required. As boring and time consuming as it is, Google Earth examination of roads is critical to the planning.
Other
* Under the conditions found, were the ride to be similar to the original, no more than 50 or 60 miles should be planned per day. Running late all day is stressful. It also requires that the rider stay on his/her feet much too long. * Under these conditions, it's a good idea to take more breaks between segments.
* Riding at night is NOT a good idea.
* If the route were to be similar, it is best that the chase vehicle remain within a few miles - bare minimum.
* Preparations for weather (sun, rain) were adequate.
* Within a day or so, anyone is capable of driving the RV
* RV is adequate for 2 individuals, but that would be the limit
* Estimates for gas consumption were adequate
* Parking along the way was adequate, but dump stations and water are difficult to find on back roads. An overnight stay at an RV park is necessary about every 4 days or so.
* People either love Segways or hate them. No matter where you ride, there are those who think you don't belong there. They are usually vocal - sometimes providing gestures.
* Everybody wants to be in front of the RV and they will run a stop light to get there.
* Best advice received: "When riding a Segway, assume you are absolutely invisible to every driver and pedestrian around you. If you DO become visible, assume they are aiming for you."
* Riding a Segway in many locations is dangerous.
* Riding a Segway in some locations is peaceful and beautiful - and I miss that.
* It's a good idea to know a little bit about an RV and its systems before using one. I failed. Brent did not. But I'll pass next time (probably).
* Wear and tear on the rider's feet is significant. Cushioned pads help. Foam shoe inserts help. Nothing works well though. I've heard it called foot narcolepsy. An adequate term, I suppose. Interesting note: 3 days after stopping, feet and ankles swell like Tim Allen becoming Santa Claus. Ho Ho Ho.
* There isn't much jarring on back or wrists. Was over-prepared this time, but that's never a bad thing.
* The sun CAN burn you in the morning. But it's SO nice to ride without the hat.
Tomorrow I'll be back. We discussed a couple of interesting concepts that I need to share. It will be an interesting blog. Plan "C" will allow room for TONS of people to become involved. The new ideas will eliminate many of the "problems" listed above and will make this a much more effective event for having fun while raising funds.
The ride is short. Life is short.
May you enjoy both!
m
good idea to get all your thoughts down 'on paper' so everything you learned is not lost. but there was no section on "Segway driving - parking lots under construction". It's too bad that 3 people can't fit into the RV. Seems like having a 3rd person could help. But maybe even switching between driving RV and Segway would help too, so neither person gets too worn out in either role. It would be interesting to see if the Gold Wing could fit into the trailer along with the 6 segways. It would also need to be fastened, but it would give us some options at night. but, as I think of things, I will post them here - and of course, all suggestions from this side are just that - just suggestions.
ReplyDeletehere's another comment -- since the ride was cut short, don't award any Wii games. and maybe change it a bit for next time. Have people vote for the names, one name per person, the names with the most votes at kick off are made into covers and then the ONE with the most names at the end of the ride gets the Wii. Only 1 Wii game this way, there's more incentive to be the top name and there's more time for the voting.
ReplyDeleteOMG,,,,,,,i am sitting here shaking my head and picturing you. First though..........MIKE......You are awesome! What a creative, mind blowing idea! :-))!
ReplyDelete