44 Days and Counting.

Time seems to be speeding up on us, and the trip start is now only 44 days away.  I've been busy ordering spare tires, tubes, chains, etc.  I've also packed in some of our bicycles' unique parts.  It's not like in the old days.  Bicycles now have many more unique parts that are not common to similar bikes.  Take spokes for instance.  There are lots of different designs for the spokes in the wheel, which means that if you break one, a replacement may not be readily available in the middle of New Mexico.  This happened to Frances last year on the Bike Ride Across Tennessee.  She had a new bike, with new wheels, and newly designed spokes.  Despite being near Memphis, the ride mechanic had no way to quickly find a replacement.  I ended up driving up on a Sunday night to take her a spare wheel.

Frances is focused on updating some of her apparel.  Out local bike shop is having a sale on winter gear today, so she'll be out looking  for bargains.  We've both been riding a good bit more than in weeks past.  While not sufficient, I've now logged five rides in the last two weeks, which is a start.  I'm pleased that the Achilles tendon issue I had last Fall has not resurfaced.  Frances and I have been doing Yoga at the Wellness Center.  This helps us keep stretched, which helps avoid pain and injury.

We'll be shipping the bikes to San Diego in about 5 weeks, so we only have a few weeks left to get trained up.  Frances has ordered a training tire for her bike and plans to do time on the trainer.  I think she's anticipating poor weather conditions in February, and is thinking ahead.  Stationary trainers put a lot of heat and force on the tire, and can ruin a road tire in one session.  Since bicycle tires can cost as much as automobile tires, actually some cost more, it is a good idea to have a trainer tire that is made to endure the heat and force.

I've had several job interviews now, and am anticipating some number of offers.  Part of my objective of the ride is to use the time, separation and perspective offered by the bike trip to sort through them and make a decision.  I'm looking forward to that.  I've found I like making decisions.

That's all for now.