The Long Way Around

So the obvious question of course, is, "why".

It's also "what", actually.  That's actually easier to explain than the "why".  For those unawares of the situation, the "what" of "Cannonball", or the "Cannonball Run" nee "Scooter Cannonball Run", is essentially a cross-country rally-style race, starting from Ocean Beach, San Francisco, CA and ending at Ocean City, Maryland.  Yes, that's a good long way.  In the order of 3000 miles (mayhap a bit more).  

And yes, it's to be done on scooters.

The trip mirrors Highway 50, somewhat, which means it's a central route, that covers some of the highest mountains in the US (we reach a top elevation of ~14.5k feet), and vast open stretches of desert and winding roads.  It spans 10 days, each day providing a "leg", with people attempting to complete the day for timed ranking.  There are checkpoints that must be visited to consider a day "complete".

There are several classes, most of which surround the displacement of the bike in question, and whether the bike is manual or automatic.  My bike, the Vespa Granturismo 200L, is a 198cc automatic bike, putting me in what's considered the "up to 250cc" auto class.  The class contains many of my good friends and fellow riders (including my clubmate, Jess).

That, in a nutshell, is the "what".  The "why", on the other hand, is much more challenging.

Things that complicate the matter:

• the relatively recent birth of my daughter, who has just turned 4 months
• the hectic break-neck pace of my workplace
• my general familial obligations
• the fact that I am not particularly rich

Ultimately, there are a million reasons to not, and there's no need to enumerate them.  Rather, I'd rather highlight the reasons I am doing this particular challenge:

• there's no time like the present to do things that might otherwise be untenable several years down the road
• I've managed to not do anything profoundly idiotic in quite some time
• I've been fascinated since its inception about whether or not, I as a rider of two-wheeled vehicles, have the fortitude to complete a journey - the test of my limits is important to me
• it's an experience that will not only bring me closer to the friends of mine who are on the journey with me, but will be something I can speak to for years on end

At the end of the day, I'd rather be able to say 20 years down the line that I did something remarkable like crossing the country on a vehicle not particularly well designed for such a task, than to say that I heard about some people who did it and considered it an interesting feat.  It's not the type of thing one gains notoriety for, but it's the type of thing that helps define someone's experience, and it's a commitment I made to myself several years down the line that I intend to keep.

Saddle up, I suppose.  I'll be updating from the road as best as I can, starting September 11th.

Next up:  what I did to a bike called Grace, and why I think that for whatever reason it'll stop me from dying a horrible death.