Cyclist and Bike Florida coast-to-coast ride participant Tom Bilcze shares his philosophy for bicycle touring:
- Smiles before miles. Choose to take time to meet people and explore their towns over racking up the miles on the Garmin to make the most of the day.
- The worst can be the best. Challenging situations question, “Why am I doing this?” Those times linger on to become some of the best memories.
- Grab a stool. The best way to get to know people is to share a meal. Nothing beats taking a seat at a diner’s counter. This immediately leads to laughter and conversations.
- What’s the hurry? Touring by bike is escaping from life’s responsibilities. Set a target time to cycle but be flexible. It’s surprising how relaxed you are at the end of the day.
- Lost can be found. There will certainly be lost time on a tour. An unintentional turn can lead to interesting unplanned experiences to an otherwise often over-planned route.
