Preparing for this Adventure
Tjoan about his preparations for the journeyTable of content:
- Invitation & motivation
- Which Bicycle to bring?
- What to bring along?
- Travel Arrangements
- Fitness and Health
- Getting my Recumbent up to par!
Invitation & motivation
It was some 5, maybe 6 years ago when Menno first asked me if I would be interested to be his Travel companion on this Bicycle Adventure across the United States of America which has been his Treasured Adventure Dream ever since we read a book about this Bike Trail through the USA back in the late Seventies. (See Menno's pages for details on this)
Then I asked him; "When would that be?" and he said "Well sometime in the next few years for sure!" "Oh.. I said, well then, ask me again when it is closer because I do not know where I will be or what I will be doing a few years from now."
This Question was put to me again in 2005, but a Definite year in which he intended to make this Tour was still not really set. So my answer was more or less the same. But come 2006 Menno was sure it was going to happen in 2008. That time I said I would very seriously consider his invitation, but an answer would be given in 2007. Then early on in 2007 I made up my mind and told Menno my answer was Yes!.. I would come Along for the Ride!
Menno has been Planning toward the Realization of his Dream Adventure for a decade at least! My own preparations could start then.
Not deterred by his head start I set myself to the task to be ready for such a Journey by Bike in 2008! One year, that should be enough, shouldn't it?
Which Bicycle to bring?
My first consideration was: which bicycle to chose. A Touring Road bike, which I used on most all of my journeys up to now, or maybe a type of Recumbent bicycle which is Menno´s favourite touring bike.
After research was done, in April 2007, I decided to take the plunge into a entirely new cycling experience and become Proud Owner of a Recumbent Bicycle. The learning curve to master this new vehicle proved remarkably shallow for me and I soon enjoyed it immensely. Ok, I did suffer a few Minor Crashes but mostly paying a modest price of a bruised Ego. But now with well over 2500 km on the odometer I can say I am prepared to meet whatever this Road Adventure has in store for me and my trusted Challenge Recumbent bike!
What to bring along?
With the selection of the Bicycle out of the way, the next thing was to see if my stored Travel gear could still be used. Digging through the boxes and bags in which I had stored my gear I started to feel some excitement growing inside, this was the start of something alright, something good! My Travel spirit was re-awakening! And with this Rediscovered Spirit I continued with even more energy and the intention to go for it …all the way!
I decided to be very critical if what I had available would really still be up to the task and meet my, no doubt, changed standards of Comfort while Traveling.
The Tent
My favourite Marmot Mountainworks Burrow tent (bought in 1982) which has sheltered me in all weathers and seasons for years without any problem, now looked quite small to crawl in and out of. Yes, aging does make one a bit less flexible. It offers no sitting up room and hardly any space inside besides that required for sleeping.
I decided I would no longer enjoy sleeping in this condition for months on end and would have to buy another tent. It´s very low Weight and Compactness is why I chose the Burrow at the time. Any new tent that would have the headroom to sit upright, extra space to have bags inside and still be equal or beat the Burrow in weight and compactness. That, I admit, is a tall order when you know the Burrow.
Laser Competition, sitting upright and with extra space
But, amazing, I found a worthy successor! An award winning Tent with a Guinness Book of Records mention for being the lightest full size, complete, one person, double fly tent! The Terra Nova Laser Competition. Roomy, light and compact! It had it all… and I got It!
Storage: Bike bags
How am I going to bring all this new gear along?My recumbent bike has need for Special Bags so there was no question if I needed New bags but which bags I would choose.
Banana type bags are limited in choice and fairly equal both in size and quality so the selection was easy. The Reflective stripes on the sides and the handy pouches on top sealed the choice. To attach to the rear rack I chose bags from the Waterproof Ort Lieb range. It will be in these bags that I will keep Food.
The new banana type bike bags
Foodstuff should Never be kept Inside the tent thus avoiding attracting rodents and ants or far worse a Hungry Bear! Being waterproof I can leave the bags Outside in any Weather and in case of Camping in Bear country I can hoist them up a Tree!
Sleeping
In this department some changes took place: my old Sleeping bag with separate Silk inner lining, washed and smelling nice looked as inviting as ever to crawl into, so it will come along. A new lightweight and compact Sleeping mat was bought and for comfort a Blow up Pillow was added.
Cooking
My multi-fuel Optimus Cooking Stove is still up to par for Food Preparation so no new one is needed. A nest of Two pots with lid and a small kettle, all a bit dented and worn will come along again too! A well worn foldable Aluminium Windscreen is replaced.
New in the kitchen is the Water filter, a robust Expedition style Katadyn filter was my choice, a pump action 1 litre/minute water producing Capacity and a total of 50.000 litres Ceramic filter Life would do well. Now any Freshwater Source can be made suitable for Consumption.
Water will not be a scarce commodity any longer and stove fuel will be conserved now that unsafe water no longer needs to be boiled before use.
Clothing
What am I going to Wear?About clothing: here have been quite a few changes. Not because there was little left to choose from but who would want to appear on recently taken Travel photo's wearing identical clothing that you wore on those taken at least 10 years earlier. Not me!
A new suitable wardrobe was selected with criteria on Quality, Lightweight and Compactness plus Durability of course. Highlights are the fine Gore tex Rain gear and Rab Windbreaker All are well suited to protect me in various weather conditions. SealSkinz Waterproof socks will keep my feet dry. Lightweight undergarments and cycle clothing can be combined to form layers to suit all riding conditions.
Camp Gear
The above were the main Categories in which selection was needed. In the camp gear category I bought a lot of new stuff because New Technology and materials have made things Lighter and Smaller or Stronger than their predecessors and Inventions led to very handy Gadgets to make things simpler then they used to be. I could not resist to get some of those. A handy clothesline, a foldable washing bowl for laundry and personal hygiene. Lightweight foldable plate and bowl completed by, yes, foldable cutlery! Mini Led lights to have a light source in the tent at night, Lightweight high absorbent towels and that is to mention a few of those new acquisitions.
Deserving mention, because it is Totally New to me, is the addition of the Computer Eee Pc from Asus. It is with this tool I keep the website Up to Date and maintain communications. To sustain Battery power for this Asus and other battery dependant devices like Cell Phone and Digital Camera I have a 12V- 12Watt Foldable Solarcell panel to charge these. It will Fold out over the top of the bags on the Rear Carrier and can collect sunlight all day long during the ride!
I will let you know if all of the above live up to expectations when actually put to hard use on the road!
Travel Arrangements
In the last quarter of 2007 it was necessary to make the Final Decisions on When to Start and Where and consequently apply for a Visa to enter the USA. Since the Duration of our Stay would go beyond the usual ninety day staying limit for regular tourist purpose such a Visa is required. Online, on the Site of the American Consulate in The Netherlands, I had to fill out an application form. Next I had to collect items like my Valid Passport, recent Photograph and Various Documents to support my application. Then Menno and I made an appointment with the American Consulate in Amsterdam to file our application in person.
In the application procedure one is invited for a short interview in which you have to explain your Reason for wanting to visit the USA and answer Questions like who is Paying for your trip and where you intend to go etc.
It all the whole process plus waiting time took some hours and then we went back home.
The Passport with attached Visa is send through Special Delivery Mail to your home address. In my case it was there the very next day! Good service! In all it cost me some 110,- Euro´s (160,-$ US) in fees and other costs to get this Visa.
Getting There and Back
Finding and booking flights to and from the USA.Nowadays a visit to a Travel agent is not needed as one can do all that on your own computer at home. Atlanta, we had decided, was a logical Port of Entry and starting point for our Bike Travels. Flying in from Europe it is has shorter flight duration then when the choice had been to start on the West Coast, Non Stop flights are available and Weather wise it has good chances to be better in late March then further North along the East coast. Also we both have Friends living in Atlanta and thought it nice to visit with them.
So a return flight Amsterdam Non Stop to Atlanta had my preference. After some surfing on various dedicated Travel shop sites I found what suited me. I booked and paid for it All on line. Conformation would be send via Email. Sure enough the Email was there and the printout paper version is proof of my booking and is needed at the Check In desk on the Day of Departure.
I had indicated, while filling out the booking form online, I would have a Bicycle in my luggage and so I was called by phone a few days later by a nice lady from the Travel shop. Not only did she tell me that it had been Confirmed with the Airline there would be a bicycle and that it was cleared by them but also if I was Aware of the Extra Cost this would Add and that this Fee would have to be paid at Check In. An extra € 125,- Each Way would be the cost for the bike. Not a little fee 182,-$ US! Twice!!! Oh well!! And …the Bicycle had to be presented at Check In in a Box. The last Instruction I was aware off.
From that Point onwards I was committed, with the Flight dates firmly booked The Countdown had begun. Only a few things more to arrange and I will be set and ready to start this exiting Journey!
Fitness and Health
I have always been sport minded and actively doing various sports thus my overall level of fitness has been good to very good all the time. As you can guess Cycling plays an important part in my life. A whole selection of bikes is available to me: A Folding bike which I use in conjunction with public transport whenever I travel somewhere in The Netherlands. It is my transport before and after using a Train ,Bus or Tram. On all these the folded bike can be brought along for free. A Touring bike is there to hop around town and longer rides as well as Travel Abroad on.
Also available is a Mountain Bike to ride the Trails in nearby woods or a Racing bike for the shorter fast rides and now the Recumbent Fujin for the longer Fast rides and of course Traveling. It is not often a day goes by that I do not ride at least one type of bicycle.
Running is also a regular Activity. At least once a week I train with a small group like minded people and then we work on Technique, Power and Endurance. On occasion I have participated in locally held Competition.
Indoor Spinning is another addiction that has me sweating several times weekly in the evening. Because of all the above exercise my overall condition does not require any extra training to be fit for our American Cycling Exploits. It will be only be a matter of adjusting to the Rhythm of Travel and get into the Groove I'd expect.
Also part of my Preparations in the Health Department was a visit to my Dentist. I had a thorough Dental check up done to make sure no hidden trouble was brewing there. I left the Dentist Chair with a clean Bill of Health. My dentist sponsored me with 3 small travel tubes of toothpaste so as to make sure I would not return to her chair with a mouth full of trouble. She also wrote me a Prescription for a drug I could pick up at the Pharmacy and bring along in my First Aid Set. Besides toothache it will soothe all kinds of pain she said. Thank you Leonie!
Getting my Recumbent Up to Par!
Of course I cannot forget to mention the fact that also my Fujin went to have a Health check! For this I took it to a specialized Recumbent Bike Shop. This shop, named ACE, is in Winterswijk, a town in the east of this country. To get there and back I took the train and bought the extra ticket for the Fujin. In the well equipped workshop, overseen by the owner Mark Burgers and with his occasional Input with the more Tricky bits in maintenance, his Assistant Bike mechanic Mathijs and I gave my Fujin a thorough overhaul.
We Replaced the freewheel Cog with one which had a larger range for a lower gear ratio. Consequently a new chain was needed. A new Gear Changer had to be fitted to handle the largest Freewheel sprockets now. A new front fork with Integrated Challenge Steel spring Fork Suspension was fitted, a set of new wider Touring Tires was selected (my Fujin had narrow racing tires fitted), Bearings of moving parts were overhauled. And a host of other routine check up points were worked through. Where wear was spotted, replacement was the remedy.
A short list of small Spare Parts was drawn up and the parts put together in a bag to fit in my repair kit. It contains parts like nuts and bolts, chain links, electrical connections, brake pads, inner tubes and so on. Xtra outer tires for both front and rear wheel were added. (I will send those ahead to some point along the TransAm Bike Trail).
After several hours working on it the Fujin stood Re-assembled back on the workshop floor now fully Road Ready: A Challenge Fujin to Meet the Challenges Ahead! Thank you Mark and Mathijs!
Well now, If you have read this far, you now know most of what is there is to know about my Preparations to get to the Starting Line in Atlanta. In my stories I will no doubt make mention of my experience with the various items in my Travel gear or Clothing and evaluate if I would choose to bring them along again! So this is maybe a Reason to stay Updated with my Stories, there might be an Item among them that you thought off bringing on your next trip.
If you want to know more Details consult the Gear list elsewhere on this site.
PREPARATIONS
