Touring the second day
If second breakfast seems common to bicycle touring, then is the second day struggle a common element as well? In our experience, we have found that the first day of touring goes well, even if there are minor equipment failings along the way. It must be the excitement of hitting the road and starting a new adventure that makes the first day of cycling doable without any nagging questions about the saneness of embarking on such a tour and no concerns about the physical ability to engage in such an expedition.
There’s just something about the second day of touring. If the first day is manic, the second day is definitely in the depressive phase of the cycle. The initial excitement has subsided, the reality has set in, and for some unexplained reason, the second day becomes difficult. Of course, this is just anecdotal evidence from leading several group tours. We can’t figure out the cause of this phenomenon. We try to plan accordingly and make the second day one that is not too physically demanding, but this isn’t all about the physical aspect of pedaling. Like touring itself, it is more a mental event that remains a mystery.
I would like to say that we have taken this into account for the transcontinental tour. The second day for us is from Longview/Kelso Washington to Portland. After much consideration, reading online journals and poring over maps, the current plan is to take the ferry from Westport Oregon to Puget Island and then to Cathlamet. From here we will ride down Route 4 on the Washington side of the river. We will be hopscotching from Washington to Oregon a lot.
We will cross back to Portland via Vancouver. And should we experience that second day distress, we have the option of using the MAX in Portland. Since we are planning on early starts, we don’t expect to need to resort to this, but it is always nice to have a plan B in place.