The biggest changes to the BIKE include a new ergonomically designed seat for even more comfort, a new cassette that has lower gears to help climb the steeper hills, a new more powerful rear light to be sure cars & trucks can see me, and new tires. The tires are most interesting because I never heard of a folding tire before. Here is the box they come in with a water bottle next to it to give some size perspective.
The tires are 26" in diameter, specially designed to resist puncture & have minimum rolling resistance. With the folding feature, the spares also pack easily.
Getting MY LIFE ready starts with lots of off loading responsibilities at work, as well as being sure all of the 2018 year end accounting is complete. It also includes being sure everything at home is prepared. My wife Joanne & I will be driving to San Diego where the ride starts. Joanne will then spend some time with our newest grandson, Luka, in Julian, CA. She will then road trip back to the East Coast with our daughter Julie & explore around there as I am pedaling. So we have had to think ahead about everything in Wisconsin that needs to get done.
Getting ME ready has been going on for quite a while. The longest ride I have completed so far is Biking Across Kansas - about 600 miles in a week. The C2C (Coast to Coast) is almost 3,000 miles in 52 days. I have been working weekly with Chris Delcamp, a personal trainer at the Kettle Moraine YMCA. He is building my core, upper body & leg strength. I also ride as much as I can. Winter doesn't keep me off the roads unless it gets under 30 degrees, or if there is ice or snow on the road. Here is what I look like on a winter day ride.
The sad fact is that Wisconsin winters mean that I still spend a lot of time on my indoor trainer. I won't know for sure until I get out there if I did enough preparation physically, but if you follow this blog, you'll be one of the first to know. I did read somewhere that one of the best things to do to make it easier to ride is to take some weight off the bike. The obviously best way to do so is to remove some weight from the engine. That would be me! So I am working on that also.
Bubba, our tour group leader, says that the most important thing to bring along on the trip is a good attitude. I believe that, and I am spending a fair amount of time also getting mentally prepared. I'll share more about that as time goes on.
It is fair to say that I am getting really excited for this adventure of a lifetime. Thanks for your interest & feel free to comment or ask me any questions.