2800-mile Bike Trip from Detroit starting soon!

Several days ago, I had the delightful experience of meeting another blogger, Lord Keiella of Rode to Me - 2800 miles. 7 weeks. One Bicycle. We met because he is planning a 2800-mile round trip bicycle ride to Florida to have a man to man talk with his 97-year-old foster father. During the trip, he hopes to lose weight, shape up, and make personal growth discoveries, a noble cause indeed. As a person who has set off on somewhat similar adventures, I'm rooting for him every inch of the way.

Lord Keiella posted to Freecycle, an organization to which I belong and support, a list of items he needs in order to make the trip. They included a one-man tent. I didn't have a one-man tent, but I did a lightweight 1 ½ man backpacking tent. (Please don't ask me to explain what half a man is!) It's a comfortable size for a person hiking or biking alone, with room for gear if it rains, or a very cozy size for two who don't mind being very close. BUT, I didn't know for sure where all the parts of it were. I took a chance that I'd be able to locate them and emailed Lord Keiella. He said he was interested, I found the missing parts, and he came over yesterday.

I was interested and excited to meet him. I had no idea what to expect. It turned out he was friendly, interesting and thoughtful. I showed him how to set up the tent, even though he was an experienced camper, because the North Face Tadpole I gave him had a few quirks.

Lord Keiella is based in the Detroit area. He's planning to leave July 2, 2010 He will be stopping at Pensacola, FL on the way to his foster fathers, to see the oil spill and its effects on the birds, animals, beaches and habitats of the area. He hopes to make 100 miles a day. 60 under his own power, his "Meat Motor" and 40-ish using a small gasoline engine to assist, that he expects to get 125 mpg with. He expects to arrive in Florida, if everything goes well, around July 19th, stay and visit with his foster father, and then ride back, stopping at some yet-to-be-decided places up thru South Carolina, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. He hopes to make Myrtle Beach one of these stops.

You can see more details about Lord Keiella's trip at his blog. (He's a lot funnier than I am!) Be sure to check the list of items he needs to complete his trip here, in case you have anything lying around you could donate to him.