Back In The Saddle Again

The next ride, from Canada to Mexico will start in just under 2 weeks. I have been doing regular training rides of 20 to 30 miles. These rides are more to toughen my butt than to strengthen my legs. Today I rode close to 25 miles with 20 pounds of weight in the panniers. I believe the panniers typically weighed between 22-24 pounds during the last ride. Unloaded, Hidalgo weighs about 20 pounds +/- 3 pounds for accessories like water bottles, lights, saddle pack, etc. When I’ve got the panniers, it is like carrying another Hidalgo on the rear wheel.

Based on recommendations from Tom/Deb Gardner, the tires for this trip will be Schwalbe Marathons. Previously, I have used Gatorskins and Armadillos. Don’t ask me what the official hierarchy is for tire toughness and longevity! I plan on rotating the front and rear tires around the time I get to San Francisco. When I do, I will remember to check the orientation of the tire to make sure that they are rotating in the direction recommended by the manufacturer. When I put on the new set of Marathon tires, I put on the rear tire going in the wrong direction. Of course that was the hardest one to fix and it took me a good half hour to fix my mistake.

I’ve got some new equipment for this ride. There will be a real headlight that is not just a “be seen”, but a “be able to see” light. The other major change is a Garmin GPS replacing the Sigma bike computer which had lots of reliability issues.

I’m looking forward to starting the new ride and getting back in the saddle again. I just hope I don’t get saddle sore. It’s all part of the adventure! With that I’ll turn you over to Gene Autry.