Only 12 days left until I leave for my Cross Country bike tour. The Seattle group of the tour has already been on the road for 30 days! We will be meeting them about 25 days from where I join our group, which is the Colorado group.
I still have a little work to be done before I am completely ready to leave such as wrangle up all my gear and make sure it is ready, get the bike in the shop for a full tune-up and a stem riser installation, as well as find housing for my group for about 5-6 nights.
You will be able to read this blog (www.paulbaker.tk). As well as my groups blog, www.fromthesaddle.org & the whole Trek's blog at www.trektoreenergize.org
Along with blogging I will be doing some Video Blogging. On Friday I am getting the new iPhone 3GS that has video capabilities. Hopefully I will be able to post a video every two days or so with a big recap video at the end of the week. We will also be shooting a documentary as we go that is being focused as somewhat of a "public service announcement" that bicycles can be an efficient mode of transportation!
For those of you who wonder! This is the bike I will be riding on the trip. It is a "Fully Loaded Touring Bike." This means that the frame is a little longer than a normal bicycle allowing a better weight distribution for the gear you have to haul. I'll be carrying everything I need from a tent and sleeping bag to food, pans, and a stove. The bike weighs in, when loaded with gear, right at around 55 lbs. Because of the weight the bicycle is geared lower than the usual bicycle for the extra power needed to move the bicycle as well as to crank it up and over hills and mountains.
