April 22, 2012

Finding Peace

After reading my friend Angela, aka Mosses, blog post, it struck a cord. I'm not ashamed to say that my eyes welled up. (If you don't visit her site to read the post, it is about her elderly great aunt, mentally slipping away). It made me think about the fact that life can sometimes be incredibly short.

Later that same day, I received the unfortunate news that another classmate of mine had passed away. She was thirty years young. Like a stiff shot of whiskey, this one is incredibly hard to choke down. I still cannot wrap my brain around the fact that someone my age has lived such an abbreviated life. 

If you've been following my blog all along, then you might recall me mentioning my crappy orange bike that I was challenged to race around my block. It was she that challenged me. And I never thought I'd be writing about her one more time.

We were never the best of friends growing up, but fast forward to adulthood and maturity, and we would bs whenever we crossed paths. Recently, I thought of her as I walked the halls of my old grammar school, and passed by my old maroon locker. I had a flash memory of us sharing some loud words in front of that locker (her wanting to kick my ass for some unknown reason; we never did duke it out). I smiled; 13 year olds can be so stupid. 

My last memory of her, is seeing her near the self check-out in the grocery store last summer, and I complimented her plaid cabby hat. She mentioned how her young nephew idolized her. 

Nicole, I hope you've found peace.

April 12, 2012

Cut it out

To sum up the way of life on the AT, this feeling was mutual throughout the hiking community: it cuts the bullshit out of life.

Now, dear readers, I am doing my best to keep foul language to a minimum, as some younger eyes may be lurking; I'm undecided if I will share this blog with students. But, I will insert where necessary.

Back to cutting out the bullshit.

Life on the trail is just as hard, as it is easy. There are no amenities or comforts, no sinks to brush your teeth in, no electrical outlets, and toilets consist of either a dirty privy, or a self-dug hole in the ground. A few times I feared the privy collapsing, and crashing into months worth of a very tall shit cone.

That's an easy life, ya say? Yes, so stupidly easy. What's simpler than having everything you need to live in one bag, slung over your shoulders? I challenge you to disagree.

I realize I will be in civilization way more often than hiking allows for, but the concept is the same: my bike will haul everything I need to live. It will carry my house, closet, kitchen, bathroom, bed, tool box, and on some occassions, a garden.

I'm anxious to, once again, cut the bullshit out of life, and return to the simplicity of a necessity-based existence. It's when I feel most alive.







April 8, 2012

I Can Fix Things

Andy gave me 24 hours of his time to teach me a ton of important bike mechanic/maintenance skills. It made him feel good to share his hard-learned knowledge with someone who appreciates it, and I feel better equipped to handle most failures that can happen on the road. Plus, I paid him with a few ridiculously good bottles of Stout, so it's a win-win! 

Awesome new skills: replacing a broken spoke, wheel truing, cassette removal, adjusting limit screws, adjusting gears with barrel adjusters, how to use a chain breaker, removing the master link and broken links, replacing brake pads, took apart the cassette, how to feel for loose bearings, and replacing brake and derailleur cables. I'm probably missing a few things, but we got it all covered. 

Did you know that when one spoke needs to be tightened, the two spokes directly on either side need to be loosened, since they are all working together to keep the wheel true? I didn't either. Even wheels have team work, how cool! 



Since I don't think Andy would appreciate me posting the photo of him sleeping next to his bike, I've decided to start a collection of him on funny bikes. Enjoy!

April 5, 2012

DIY Front Rack Bag

I have been looking high and low for the perfect front rack bag, but haven't found exactly what I want. Most were too tall or too long, hanging over the edge of the rack. After admiring Andy's bag, I decided that making my own out of a soft cooler lunch bag would be perfect for the job. Plus, I saved myself a bunch of money.

This is my nifty new, highly technical $8 insulated front rack bag. And by technical, I mean, I purchased it at Target. I used industrial strength Velcro to secure it to the rack platform, and 4 Velcro strips (used to bunch together wires) for extra security on the rails. Viola!



April 3, 2012

50 Days

A beautifully colored set of 12 ACA maps, outlining a ribbon of magical mystery from coast to coast, has arrived. I've looked over what my first few days will be; I have never been more excited to pedal down the Oregon coast. I'm picturing endless blue skies, cotton ball clouds, crashing waves, and a light warm breeze. In all likelihood, it will pour buckets, just because I'm an '09 AT hiker (my '09 comrades can commiserate).


I intently studied all of the famous passes on the TransAm, and wondered how ridiculously hard they will be, or easy? The Rockies are so different than the Appalachians, and I'm thinking that biking them will be similar to hiking them; fairly level terrain, very gradual ups, summiting a pass, and very gradual downs. Cycling the Appalachians should be as manic as hiking them; rolling hills, and crazy steep ups and downs (sometimes for absolutely no reason), or as hikers call them, PUDS (pointless ups and downs). I have a sneaking suspicion that I'm going to fall in love with cycling the Rockies. 

There will be lots of blood, sweat and tears between OR and the Appalachians, but I'm already supremely excited to cycle through a half-dozen trail towns in VA that I've visited on foot. One town in particular: Catawba- To once again, eat myself into a miserable oblivion at the Homeplace Restaurant. The day my crew and I arrived in Catawba was also the day of our most ridiculous hitchhike. Period. Read about it here. You're welcome, ladies. 

Well, I've collected everything I need. I put new tires on my bike, am still breaking in my Brooks Saddle, picked up a fancy jersey with REI dividends, mastered clipless pedals (without falling!), and, thanks to Andy, in a few days will be learning how to replace cables, adjust shifters and derallieurs, true a wheel and replace broken spokes. In other words, I'm ready. 

Andy.

Tires.