Bikes

Just a few days ago the search for a well-fitting road/tour bike ended, to my great relief. I had found a pristine Cannondale R400 Triple for only $500 on craigslist. The woman selling it had used it recently in a triathalon. There was no mount on the front for a pannier rack, but I was reassured by three sources that there were solutions to this minor problem. I had also read a few rave reviews of the R400 from habitual tourers. As it has probably already become obvious to those of you sensitive to the use of the past perfect tense, the bike is actually unsuitable for my purposes. The only way to get panniers on this bike is to drill holes for the racks, which cannot be done with carbon! I admit to feeling rather silly for not exposing this detail before exchanging money. Luckily the seller will take it back, since I hardly rode it 10k.
Now I've decided to overhaul my dear old Apollo '76, since it is the most reliable bicycle I've encountered, it's made of ever-coveted steel and it fits me perfectly (paramount for a long tour). This will save me hundreds of dollars. Time to get cracking (chains)!

In Preparation

(Or, How I Learned to Stop Resisting and Listen to Greasy Men Tell Me What To Do)

With just three weeks until THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO (Date of departure: May 14 from Calgary, May 15 from Vancouver) the preparation for this exciting journey is daunting. My travel partner Alexander and I have a rough pre-trip schedule laid out, obviously involving a lot of biking and camping. We have a few things still to acquire, gear-wise, but the biggest task I am faced with is turning my body into a trail-ready weapon of mass transportation.

I have never done something like this before. Of course, my family went camping and skiing in the Rocky Mountains when I was younger, and I have been on at least three major international voyages, one with only a backpack and a rail pass, but all of these experiences have been postively cushy in comparison to one month of bicycling 80-100km daily and camping nightly in the wild. My eagerness is tempered with the rattlings of fear that are prompted by thoughts of injuries or breakdowns in near-isolation, at night, with wolves and truck drivers scheming against us. The best way, I have found, to banish these fears is to
1) Research touring like I'm writing a thesis,
2) Gather materials and make lists like a fussy mother, and
3) Work my body harder than I ever have.

In keeping with these three directives, I have found some fantastic websites and books (links below), created a master packing list and, just recently, begun a training routine. This will be the first major project I carry out on my own, according to a personal ambition, with no higher organizational help (except their Highnesses Mum and Dad) and no crippling compromises. Already, I have accomplished more than on other projects, in that this trip is guaranteed to happen! How thrilling it is!

USEFUL AND ENTERTAINING SITES:

Our Route Guide (I have pored over this for weeks. The detail is incredible!)
The Oregon Trail Guide
Touring Tips from a wise biker kook
The Velorution
Analytic Cycling