Petoji is a credit card tour, meaning that I will carry basic cycling gear and clothing and pay for things like
meals, supplies and overnight accommodations along the way. Why choose a credit card tour over other methods of touring?
In the world of cyclotouring, I'm more of a cyclist than a tourist. I love to ride. A big part of the appeal of riding across America is the physical challenge. I've always wanted to do something similar to America By Bicycle's Fast America rides, which are supported tours that average about 100 miles per day. To me, that would be the perfect trip- just focus on riding and let the support crew take care of everything else. Unfortunately, their schedule doesn't work for me this year. Neither does the PAC Tour Elite ride. I'm on my own.
Hiring a SAG driver crossed my mind. It would be nice to pre-plan water stops, have a wide variety of food available, have spare parts in case of a breakdown, etc. In the end I simply can't afford it. There aren't a ton of bike tour companies that can do this sort of thing and the ones I found were too rich for my blood. I tried to be creative and look for a non-cycling specific tour guide or driver, but I ran into similar problems. A Petoji SAG wouldn't really make sense unless I had a group of 5 or more riders organized. I have no idea where I'd find 4 other riders who would be willing to join me.
A credit card tour is a decent compromise. I'm going to try to go as light as I can with just one set of off-bike clothes, mini tool, mini-pump, 2 tubes, patch kit, phone, Garmin, charging cable, sunscreen, toothbrush, ID, and credit card. (Note: I'm still working on the exact packing list and will post it later on.) Obviously there are a few concerns. The first is water. Towns are few and far between on the Western portion of the route. I've been mapping out mileages between towns and looking for any potential water sources in between. I'm going to want to carry 4 bottles on certain days. The second is the potential of a mechanical issue. A mini tool can solve a lot of problems, but not all of them. On my normal rides around home I know how to deal with a broken spoke, a broken chain, or a severely cut tire and slowly make my way back. However, that's usually only 50 miles away at the most. At any given time during Petoji I may be hundreds of miles away from a bike shop. All I can do is have quality equipment that is properly maintained and hope for the best. That's true of any ride, though.
I'd be a liar if I said I wouldn't prefer a SAG wagon. It would certainly make things easier. That doesn't mean that doing it by myself is impossible, and by the time I make it to Jekyll Island I'm sure there be a sense of satisfaction from doing things on my own.
