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Done packing! August 9, 2008Leave a comment  I finally have all of my bags packed and ready to hop on a flight tomorrow for Seattle. I'm carrying four Ortlieb panniers, two front and two back in addition to a handlebar bag. Each pannier weighed out between 7 and 10 pounds. A little less weight in front, so I will see how the bike handles. I also will be carrying a Big Agnes Emerald Mountain SL2 tent, with a Thermorest pad on the back rack (6 pounds). On the front rack I have mounted a Cat Eye Halogen light and will carry a Mountain Hardware bivy bag. Each rack is rated at 50 pounds max, so I'm just under the limit in front and a pound over on the back. My front panniers carry my extra hardware for the bike (tools, tire, tubes, spokes, etc...) and my cold weather and rain gear. The back panniers are a bit more interesting. Given that I am going to keep a daily log and update my route to the website, I'm carrying more electronic gear than most sane people would care to lug around. I have an IBM X40 laptop, Sprint Broadband USB, Garmin Edge 705, Sony digital voice recorder, VHoldR helmet mounted video camera, spare charger (2 AA batteries), Solio solar powered charger (keeps the Garmin powered throughout the day) and a Canon Power Shot... whew.... The IBM fits nicely in the back pannier. Most of the remainder of the electronics will reside in my handlebar bag. I configured the Solio charger with a bungee cord to rest on the top of my handlebar bag and I run a power cord to connect to the Garmin. My bike was expertly packed in a standard Trek shipping box by my good friends at Pro Bike. I'll just have to reassemble when I reach Neah Bay on Monday evening. That will be fun! I'll just have to see how many spare bolts I have remaining when I'm through! ;o) I've included a shot of the folks at Pro Bike, Inc. John, Andy and Ruby have been fantastic and incredibly helpful throughout my preparations. Everyone has a LBS (Local Bike Shop) that they value and I was blessed to walk into John's shop late last year. I've owned Trek bikes for the past 25 years and I knew that I wanted their production touring bike, the 520. I stopped by Pro Bike and talked to John about my planned ride, the reason behind it and what I wanted to accomplish along the way. I left confident I would be buying a bike within the week, but John beat me to the punch when he called me a few days later and said that Trek was interested in sponsoring me! Now wasn't that nice? Yepper! Anyway, hanging at Pro Bike has been a great experience. It's fun to watch John, Andy and Ruby do their thing and take care of their customers in a friendly, knowledgeable manner. The adventure is about to begin... 1 Comment Add a comment: |
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I believe that John is probably the BEST local bike store owner in the USA. Thanks, John, for everything throughout the years!