Trans-Am

Picked up Jeremiah's touring bike today. It looks like I've made the cut, along with 41 other riders, to represent the Bicycle Film Festival and its sponsor, 42Below vodka on an expenses-paid, cross-country cycling tour called the 42Ride. I'm kind of a little bit excited. Maybe.

The bike is a truly excellent tourer, but needs a little work; the rear wheel was hastily built with inexpensive spokes, so I'll be re-lacing it with DT stock, possibly with a fun pattern. I picked up a new-old-stock 7-speed freewheel from CAT to go on the SACHS rear drum hub. I can probably find a seatpost to mount the new leather saddle I just ordered (It's the white one, to match my new helmet). I'll be repacking the front hub, but that's about it. The Schwalbe Marathons still look nearly new, and I'm really excited to use the Click-Stand.

Other than that, all I need are a few extra pairs socks, bike shorts (I have my Chrome winter knicks, some silly novelty shorts from Italy, and a set of bibs, but one can't have too many pairs of shorts on a tour), a pup tent, and a thermarest. Maybe a small dSLR or quality point-and shoot. Oh, and a huge bottle of Dr. Bronner's.

I plan to ride the bike to Portland on the 18th or so to see friends and for Pedalpalooza solstice ride on the 20th. Then on the 23rd, I'll break down the bike and take the MAX to PDX. I'll fly in to Newark, find the hotel in The City, receive some PR training. The morning of the 25th, we'll kick off the ride with a quick tour to Philadelphia. After that, the 42 riders will split into two groups; one taking the northern route, the other the south. I hope to take the more mountainous, less hot northern route:

NJ
PA
OH
MI
IN
IL
MO
NE
CO
UT
NV

We'll camp between media events in cities, and then meet in Los Angeles for the BFF and a big 'ol party on August 21. I'll stick around there for a day to visit my grandmother, then fly directly back to Eugene on the 23rd.

And then it's back to real life. Sigh.

I can't imagine getting this amazing opportunity without the support of so many people.

I need to thank my family for supporting me and trusting the purpose of my every endeavor, no matter how absurd.

I owe so much to all the people who have piqued and fostered my interest in the bicycle, including everybody from polo, especially those who were there from the beginning. Thanks to Sue at Blue Heron for answering all my stupid questions and cutting me a deal or two when I was trying to build my first bike, and all over again when I laced my first wheel. Thanks to anybody who's ever turned a wrench with me or showed me anything about the way anything mechanical works. I think I learned the most from Jeremiah, Big Jon, Garrett and Mikey-Mike. Thank you, Jan, for your vision of a sustainable lifestyle, and for creating institutions to realize that vision. Thank you, Irvin, for making me think big and introducing me to Karissa, who's taught me a lot about how to be a stronger rider.

Finally, thank you to anybody who I've ever met in any circumstance, because you're all a part of who I am.

Thank you.