It's showtime

The obsessive packing and training are done, tomorrow I leave for LA on USAir.

My sister in law Julie organized a nice little send off for me Sunday evening. My niece Olivia gave me a picture of a bike silouetted against a map of the US, and I was given a lucky fish charm, a shamrock, a St Anthony and St Christopher medal, as well as an Italian horn and an angel pin! I attached them to the little monkey that Robin gave me, and zip tied it all to the front of the bike. I will get a picture of that in the next couple of days.

It's clear that I won't be alone on this trip.

I spent most of today with final details, mostly around the bike. I swapped my front brake after taking it apart to clean. I cleaned the frame, the gears, and padded and packed the bike in the travel case. It's going to be a toss up whether it will be over weight (50 pounds) in addition to over size. Ah well, it's a drop in the bucket. I even removed the tires and tubes to try to lighten the load. Tomorrow we will see.

I also made a last minute decision to follow the KISS rule (keep it simple stupid) with my tires. There has been a great deal of e-mail traffic among tour participants, past and present with regard to the number of flats sufferred in the west. It seems that cactus thorns and tire debris cause a lot of problems. I was planning on sticking with the type of tires I've been riding for the last two years around here, Tufo tubular clinchers.

I would have probably been the only person on tour with this type of tires, and I really don't know how puncture proof they are. So this morning I purchased a pair of Specialized 'Armadillo' tires that have a good reputation. Now I will be in the same situation as everyone else, tubes and tires and patch kit.

The other crazy issue is the luggage weight limit of 30 pounds. When I first tested this, it seemed like no issue. Now with over five pounds of energy bars, energy drink powder, recovery drink powder and chamois cream (for my butt), I'm right on the number. The yoga mat got left behind, as did the fenders. And I have only one book, and my journal is probably going to push the limit.

I'm hoping that resupplying the consumables will not be an issue and I can cut back on carrying that supply. In any case, it's time to do it. After a month of anticipation the trip starts tomorrow!

I've been like a kid the week before Christmas, so it's a relief that the wait is over and I will be in LA tomorrow afternoon. On Thursday I will spend the day with Robin's college friend, and Friday with my old choir director in Pasedena. Possibly Dodgers - Astros Friday night. Before I know it we will be having the organizational meeting on Saturday.