Micro Adventure Day 6

Short post as I am beat. This week has been just brutal on me. The North Westerly winds have made cycling difficult and sometimes treacherous. At times I had the Fargo Oma full lean into the wind and that was still not enough to keep me headed in a straight line. That day and night gusts of 60 mph were reported.

As if the wind was not enough, the rains have chilled me to the bone both on the bike and in my bivouac. The crazy temperatures have ranged from a freezing 29 degrees to a balmy 50. To say this made packing a challenge is an understatement.

With all of that said, I would not have changed a thing. Getting out and exploring, even in such difficult conditions, is so ever rewarding. I have met beautiful people. Camped in gorgeous countryside woods, and had the luxury of 6 mornings of coffee and sunrise.

Yesterday as I was working my way through a small city, a gentleman rode up to me on his bike and asked if he could buy me a cup of soup and chat. Nigel was a fascinating older gentleman who is something of a bicycling historian. We had a wonderful lunch and then said our goodbyes. I love the fact that something as simple as a bike can connect people the world over. It is truly a beautiful thing.

Today I am struggling with a renewed head cold and am forced to seek warm shelter in hopes it does not get any worse. Between it and the weather I am now forced to change my plans and move into exploration mode. I will spend more time exploring the countryside and villages and save the Scottish Highlands for later in the month.

On a extremely positive note the Fargo is rocking as are my Porcelain Rocket frame bags. Bike packing the countryside is really a liberating experience as you are free to go where you like. I have traveled good roads, bad roads, cobblestone streets and muddy trails. The flexibility of this setup is amazing. More details on what kit I ended up with will come when I get back to my computer.