Year: 2006

we got off to a late start but now we are on our way. We’re about halfway there. Driving with craig list friend johnathan. Having a good time and excited about trip. Open roads here we come!

Well, it’s very late and we are still packing! We had a very nice goin-away party for Greg, which involved him shaving off his beard and all his hair. He is hoping for less wind resistance. It’s been a long day of getting ready, but we’re almost there. We’ll be picking up the car very early tomorrow morning so that we can get ont the road first thing. We’ll be staying with Greg’s frind Vann in Seattle for a night, and then the adventure begins!

Here are some photos from the ride we did last weekend. I’m uploading them from my cell phone! That’s right, folks – now i’ll have no excuse for not giving you visual updates of every hill we climb and every burrito we eat! Plus, it looks like i can send longer messages than before.

It’s T minus 4 days and the pressure is on to get everything done before we hit the road. We’ve been doing as much training as we can between packing and programming. Greg, Nick, Nick’s friend Adam, and rode across the Golden Gate Bridge and into the Headlands on Saturday. The climb up was pretty steep, but once at the top we explored a tunnel complete with places for guns to protect SF. Once we made it to the other side there was a gorgeous beach calling our names. After that, we went back the flat way and had lunch in Sausalito and took the ferry back from Tiburon.

Last night, after I left work, I decided to ride out to Walnut Creek for delicious dinner with my friends Aaron and Dana. The ride up the Oakland Hills was pretty rough, but I made it! I went up Shepards Canyon Road, which has fewer switchbacks than the other roads, but the last 500 feet is super steep. I took my time going up. the downhill was lots of fun, but just at I was coming off one of the hills, I started to hear a clinking noise. Just as I was thinking about how I need to true my wheels before I leave, I looked down and noticed how wobbly my front wheel was. I had a pretty good guess about why that was, and when I stopped to check it out, I was right…broken spoke. That brings my spoke destruction total up to eight. At least for variety, this one was in the front. Anyone know how spokes in the front break?

Greg and I are having a little going away party Thursday night, so e-mail if you are interested!

Well, we’ve got a little over a week to go, and Megan and I are both scrambling to get ready. I’ve got some work to finish up, and Megan has to move out of her apartment. Unfortunately, all this last-minute tying up of loose ends means we won’t have as much time to get in shape as we’d like – but, then again, it’s not like we’d ever let a silly little thing like weak legs stop us!

Anyway, I think I’ve gotten the website working pretty much the way I want, so I can leave it alone for a bit – let me know what you think!
Over and Out