A woman touring alone?

[MomOnBike]

As someone who has toured by herself I say that it isn't all that different from riding in your own neighborhood. You just don't turn around and head home halfway through the day.

I rode from southern Minnesota to Sioux City Iowa - didn't quite make it back to Lincoln, NE - by myself and had a gas. I did take a cell phone and checked in with DH every night, but that was as much to keep him from worrying as anything else.

Anyway, even though I wasn't on an "official" bike route, I never felt unsafe. I even had the feeling that the local truckers were watching out for me. No, safety was not one of the concerns. Hypothermia, on the other hand...

As the commercial says, Just Do It. You tend to regret the things in life you didn't do.

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/journ...oc_id=941&v=6i

[Bad JuJu]

You tend to regret the things in life you didn't do.

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/journ...oc_id=941&v=6i

Roger that, MOB. You know that question they say you should ask yourself--If you knew you only had a day or so left to live, what would you be sorry you didn't do? Bet it wouldn't be stuff like painting the dining room, mowing the lawn a few more times, spending more time at work. But it MIGHT be taking more bicycle tours.....

[Summer23]

Wow, thank you everyone for your responses so far! I wasn't expecting everyone to be so positive about it. It's really encouraging - it must be a pretty awesome thing to do if you guys are so encouraging about it. I'm off to read the journals suggested right now (I'm getting kind of hooked on crazyguyonabike the last few days... CA in NC, you mentioned being able to filter by gender on there... how do you do that? I'm not seeing it.) and daydream some more.

Edit: Uforgot mentioned getting a road id. What's that?

[bcipam]

I've done it. Can't say it was what I wanted to do. Would have much rather had a riding partner. There were times I had no worries and times I was very concerned. I think you really have to know your route and have a plan. Be very self-sufficient.

I have a friend whose travelled all around the world by herself. She spent 4 weeks riding across mainland China. She's never been afraid or concerned.

[Bad JuJu]

RoadID is a personalized engraved metal plate attached to a strap that you wear around your wrist or ankle (or on a chain around your neck). It gives vital info about you in case you become incapacitated enough that you can't provide the info yourself, to people like police, paramedics, etc. You get the idea. Check it out here: Road ID

[Summer23]

Oh, okay! Cool idea. I always wondered why there wasn't something like Medic Alert for people who didn't necessariliy have medical conditions.

I was thinking about this some more today, and it occurred to me that anymore I do most of my traveling on my own, and I seem to enjoy it that way. I'm just extra careful, and I suppose touring by bike would be similar, just that the self sufficiency would be even more important.

Anyway, it's a fun thing to think about. I wish the weather weren't so rotten up here, and getting closer to rotten! I'm getting the urge to go try it for just a weekend or something, or just an overnight. No camping equipment or anything, though... hmm. I wonder how far it is to my mom's new house... hee