The Final Trip List

This is by no means a complete list for any trek, but it contains the items I have chosen to take on this one.

Clothes: sun/rain hat, rain jacket, rain pants, heavy shirt, tights, 2 l/s shirts, 2 jerseys, 3 shorts, 1 sleeveless shirt, 1 convertible pant, 3 sox, glove liners, beanie cap, extra shoes, shower shoes, toiletries.

Camp stuff: tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, headlamp, stove, cook pot, spoon, fork, cup, fuel cannister(s), matches, four meals.

Tools: chain lube, 2 spare tubes, patch kit, extra tire, electrical tape, lock tite, cresent wrench spoke wrench, mulitple Allen wrenches, chain tool, pedal and hub wrench, needle nose pliers, spare cables. spare spokes.

Bike stuff: cable lock, head light, spare batteries, bungee cords, helmet, 2 headsweats, gloves, sunglasses, 3 water bottles, 6 energy bars.

Personal stuff: medications, glasses, first aid kit, GPS, maps, journals, cell phone, camera, pocket knife, H2O purification tablets, chapstick, sunscreen, address book, credit cards, some cash, phone card

On Bike Selection

Touring bikes can come in many flavors. When I started surfing the Net for touring bikes the Ken Kifer, Downtheroad, and, eventually, the Commuter Bike sites led to my selection of the Koga World Traveller. One of the main reasons was it's reliability and the possibility of several long treks in the next few years. I wanted a solid bike, designed specifically for touring, outfitted with bullet-proof components. The Koga fit that bill. It has longer chainstays allowing your feet ample room to rotate on the crank without hitting the panniers. Eric Schwartz, owner of the Commuter bikes in Santa Barbara, was truly a pleasure to work with and made even made the drive there well worth the effort. Curt and I drove down to get fitted for the Koga's and I was astonished at the amount of time both Eric and James spent orienting us with the bikes and fine tuning them. I would highly recommend them for any serious bike purchases and intend to use them for any of my own. Eric has continued to be a terrific support throughout the planning stages of this trek. For instance, Curt's bike was run over and Eric was able to send a replacement fork and front Tubus rack immediately so our training schedule was barely effected. He has offered to overnight any parts we may need on the voyage as well. I've purchased many bicycles over the years and I can say that I've never received that quality of service. I've added a link to the Commuter Bikes.

Tips on Our Training

Preparing for this tour has been challenging in many ways, training being one of the most important. Curt and I picked up the bikes in December and began with hour long sessions. Both of us were already aerobically fit. By early January we were biking around an hour and a half every other day. At the mid-point we added full panniers to acclimate to the increased demands of touring. By the end of the month, we were biking either to or from Mesquite (35 miles) and threw in a trip to Vegas a couple times (60 miles). In February we continued to rapidly increase the distance and slowly increase the average speed, weather permitting. Biking for several hours became the norm and as the end of the month approached, the trips to Vegas and to Mesquite and back increased, as did our speed. We included one camping voyage to Zion, parking in Bloomington, Utah and pushed for 50 miles until we reached the park entrance. I was surprised at the costs we incurred in that two day trip ( $25 camping fee, $12 Zion Park entrance fee, dinner was $25, breakfast $11, two lunches totaling $12, misc. $3). March has been more of the same. We have tried to ride two days consecutively and then take a rest day. Because of two different schedules that hasn't always been the case, but I'm confident we are ready for the beginning of this adventure. I was spent early in the training, especially after a 60 miler. Not anymore though. Some conditioning took place along the way; the rest will come during the ride.

On Saddle Sores

I made my most important and quite possibly my final purchase for the trip last night. Although I have read a great deal of information on bike touring over the last couple months, little has mentioned the exceedingly important impact of the bike seat on the tender points of contact on your backside. My Koga World Traveller comes standard with a stiff Brooks leather saddle. Rumor has it that once "broken in", it's quite comfortable. Eric Schwartz, owner of the Commuter Bike Shop in Santa Barbara, provided another option in the Selle SMP, which seemed to fit immediately.There is, however, no replacement for accumulated saddle time, and, of equal importance, adequate bike shorts. Personally, I find the road bike style shorts embarrassing and somewhat offensive to the general public; mountain bike style have a looser fit and would blend easier for touring purposes, but I haven't found any that provide the snug fit and padding necessary to endure long hours in the saddle. Defeated by extreme discomfort, the problem led me back to lycra Trek road shorts with plenty of chamois, supplemented by Chamois Butter to reduce abrasion when (not if) I can no longer tolerate the agony. I recommend the very best shorts you can find, consider it money well spent, and take a light pair of outer shorts if you can't tolerate the public exposure!

In the beginning....what.

Following the purple highlighted line, here's the plan: We (I'll introduce the participants in the who section) will start on March 29th, 2007 from Apache Junction, Arizona and, using Adventure Cycling Maps (designed specifically for bicyling), we will follow the Southern Tier to St. Francisville, LA, turn Northeast along the Great Rivers route to the Nashville area, and then turn East along the TransAmerican route. A couple days short of the Atlantic coast, near Waynesboro, VA, our paths will diverge. Although it doesn't show on this map, my path will take a turn North, eventually intersecting the Great Allegheny Passage, a series of converted rails-to-trails providing a dirt path right into Pittsburgh, the home of my parents. I'm projecting 60 days in travel time, which includes 6 days off and a daily average of 75 miles. This is an unsupported tour so it means that we must carry everything needed to "Gorilla" camp and cook along the way. I have done extensive research on this project and will, time permitting, provide links, books, and other relevant info.

In the beginning....why.

Back in 1974, after graduating high school and waiting through a delayed enlistment program for the United States Air Force, I had planned to backpack the entire Appalachian Trail. To make a long story short, the plans fell through and here I am 33 years later preparing for an equally epic adventure. Prior to my retirement in the end of May 2006, I searched the Internet for information about biking across the country. However, that idea remained on the back-burner until after the resolution of a more important challenge. I was running for the Moapa Valley Justice of the Peace position against a 20year incumbent and it promised to be a challenging race. He won the election by a very narrow margin (23 votes) and so, with mixed feelings, this seed now had a chance to germinate. The decision was made to bike across America. I found some valuable sites which I will list on this BLOG. My friend, Kim, who is more computer savvy, has helped me generate this site to keep my family, friends and anyone interested updated on my progress.