June 13, 2018 Getting ready to go Coast to Coast Number 5

You would think that after four coast to coast bike tours the getting ready to go butterflies would not be a problem. However it seems like this year they are worse than ever.  This could be that I have had a real motivation problem with the training.  When we got back to Kelowna in mid-February  I was suffering from a running injury and that coupled with three foot high snow banks and the gray skies of a Kelowna winter  crippled my energy to go down stairs and sit on the stationary bike for a couple of hours.  Besides the ride is months away and I will train later.   Before I knew it we were off to China on a three week tour.  Filling my belly three times a day at the buffet didn’t help and I came home carrying an additional five pounds.   Yikes now I have less than two weeks to get ready.  So I hurriedly set my bike on the trainer and pedaled away.   

Agnes is going to drive me down to Everett Washington and will drop me off June 16 and she will continue on to Bellevue to visit one of her Trilogy quilting friends. I will be on the road Sunday morning June 17 and headed east for the next 64 days.  Arrival in Gloucester MA Aug 18 and fly home the next day. 

How hard can it be? The first week of this tour has four back to back century rides up and over the Cascades mountain range.  At least the weather forecast this year is for sunny skies and a bit of a tail wind.  In previous years it has been pouring rain and gale force head winds.

I have made a couple of changes for this year.  The big change is I am going to take a cot rather than use my self-inflating Therma-rest mattress.   Hopefully this will prevent me from getting a sore hip where I sank through the mattress and my hip would be on the ground.   The second change is a new fly for the tent.  The old fly had become brittle from too many days in the sun.   Not a big change but I am hoping that I will be able to find my tent as it is now gray rather than the yellow I have become so accustom to. 

I will be riding on my Giant OCR Formula One which is an al carbon fiber bike and is equipped with Shimano Dura-Ace components.  It has a triple front crank and a 10 speed rear cassette. This bike has taken me across the United States on three prior Coast to Coast rides.  It is a very comfortable bike to ride and it knows the way.

Here is a picture of me wearing one of Fran Consagra’s cycling kits. It is a beautiful kit with matching bib shorts, jersey and arm warmers.  Fran was an excellent cyclist and was always an inspiration to me.  He helped me with my photographic efforts and offered tips on how to improve my shots.   To honor Fran I am going to campaign his kit across the country.  I know he would be pleased to see his kit go across the US.   Keep a look out on the blog for Fran’s bike kit as I cross the country.  

Thanks for following along. 

Remember to subscribe and all your dreams will come true.

Terry