Weekly Bonus #2- The Equipment

Just to make this more fun for everyone reading, I'll break the equipment down into three categories: The bike, the gear, and the food.

The Bike is a gem. It was practically a gift from Al Sunderwurth, who by the way happens to hold a few gold medals in cycling. You'll have to ask him about it sometime if you get the chance.

There are a few special features that I think set this bike apart from most others. They are the handlebars, seat, water bottles and tires. The Handlebars are set so that I can get as many positions as possible for maximum comfort. I usually change the way I'm riding every fifteen minutes or so, or when I'm trying to avoid wind. The seat is lightweight and has a "hole" in it to allow me to be able to reproduce after the trip is over. For that, I am quite thankful. There is an interesting fact about the bike seat though; it doesn't matter what kind of seat it is, your butt will still be sore. There's nothing fancy about the water bottles, but the fact that there are two is crucial for traveling long distances. There have been many times where I was able to pass through towns instead of stopping to refill a bottle. The tires are great (even though I have to patch tires a few times) because they are hybrid tires. That means that they are made for the road and "rough terrain." That is a major plus in my book because I don't know exactly what kind of terrain I'm going to be on each day. I'm sure that I would've had to change the tubes many more times if it wasn't for the nature of the tires protecting them.

The Gear is in part from Al, and some just random ideas of stuff to bring along that I heard cyclists talking about. I have panniers (saddle bags for a bike), a tent, hammock, sleeping bag, sweats, medicine, lock, clothes, helmet, shoes.The helmet, shoes, two pairs of biking clothes, and panniers I all got from Al. The helmet has a sun blocker/rain blocker. That's a plus for riding in any weather. The shoes fit the clips on the pedals of the bike. That means that I can pull instead of pushing if I get real lazy or want to work different muscles. The biking clothes are spandex material which makes me look ubber sexy and very out of place in the mid-west. All of my gear is in the panniers on either side of the front and back wheels. People are amazed with how heavy the bike is in retrospect to how light it looks. I may have packed a few too many things. We'll see! If I use everything, then I didn't pack too much.

Now the sleeping bag and sweats are just obvious; no need to explain. Well, maybe to say the sleeping bag is fleece. I did that for compact light-weightedness. The tent is your average 5'X6' juniors tent. Now, being 6' even, it makes the diagonal sleep a little difficult. But, I make due. I used the lock a lot in the East, but have barely used it at all in the mid-West. I do lock the bike up to the tent at night while I sleep, though. It helps me to sleep better. I have not used the hammock, yet. I'm really hoping I get the chance to, or I'm afraid I'll feel like I was hauling it for no reason. I'm waiting for an area with no mosquitos to fend off, and then I'll put it up.

Now, the bulk of my weight at the start of the trip was the food. Looking back, that might not have been the best idea, because there are so many places to buy food out East along the route. But, my legs are used to it now, so when a lot of food on board is mandatory, I'll be ready for it. I have lots of snacks. Now, these aren't your normal, everyday snacks. They're more like energy foods. I have power bars, energy gels, nuts, granola, tuna, slim jims, and energy powders to put in my water. I also have some fruit snacks with vitamin C in them. I think a big part of making the trip is staying healthy. I do stop at restaurants along the way, but for the most part I eat what I carry on me.

I have actually been given gifts along the way as well, and I put those safely in a secret pocket on the bike. Shhhh. Don't tell anyone.

I hope you enjoyed hearing about the equipment for the trip. Thanks for reading and as always, feel free to spread the word and/or donate at http://www.rotary.org/en/endpolio/Pages/ridefault.aspx