Traveling on two wheels?

...no, walking! Plans are apparently made to be changed

It was April when I planned a trip to Hawaii for late October of 2004. I enjoyed last year's bicyle tour around the Big Island so much that I decided that I would repeat a variation of it this year. That was an easy decision to make, but the ultimate decision for the form this year's trip will take was a hard one for me.

On May 20th, I had a somewhat spectacular bike crash on my way to work. When I was released from the hospital, I was still set on this trip being a bike tour, but I think that I knew in the back of my mind that it would be a stretch. I gave myself until the end of August to decide whether my trip would be a bike tour as planned, or would be something else. It was a hard decision for me to make, because I really wanted to do it as a bike tour.

I've been back on my bike since the 3rd of July, six long weeks after the crash. My docs have told me to expect it to take six to twelve months (from the date of the accident) to return to what I'd consider normal. I'm definitely not there yet. The longest ride I've managed so far is 28 miles, and that's a long cry from what I'd need to be able to ride comfortably for a happy multi-day ride around the Big Island. Looking back at distances from last year's tour, there are three days that I think would be a big challenge to me in my current condition - two days between 50 and 60 miles that have a few long uphills in them, and one day of 40+ miles that is all uphill. At this point in my recovery, I'm a long way from a 50 to 60 mile day, to say nothing of the hills. And while two months is definitely enough time to prepare for a trip like this one when I'm in what I'd consider to be normal physical state, it just doesn't feel like reality to me right now. I wasn't too concerned about the extra weight on the bike from carying my gear since I'd already decided to do the trip with just 2 panniers (the smaller front panniers carried on the rear rack) and a minimum of gear.

My decision is to go to Hawaii in October without my bike. I don't think anyone will disagree that the Big Island of Hawaii is a wonderful destination, even without a bicycle. I'll still be wandering around the island and I can't imagine taking a vacation that doesn't involve some physical activity. I'm sure I'll do some hiking in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and in some other spots around the island. Maybe I'll spend a little rest time on a beach. Maybe I'll do something different like find a place to rent a kayak and do a little paddling in the ocean. Maybe...