51 days till sunshine!

WARNING:  approach with caution!!  The following post contains rants and ramblings from Brian the "gearhead"!! --signed, the anti-gearhead of this relationship(maybe Brian will think before he lets me edit agan!)

So today we are 51 days from the warm sunshine of Mexico!  It can't come soon enough since the last week here in Jackson has been nothing but cold, rain, and snow.  I don't really mind this weather but Hannah is struggling with the idea of winter arriving this early.  She walks around with a hoodie and coat on almost all day long...even in our apartment!  My only concern is the fact that the bikes may have to be put away already besides short errands and any time spent on the stationary trainer.

Throughout the last few weeks we have continued our preparations for the trip which means spending more money, ugh.  We decided to get a new computer - another small asus netbook, and we finally got our Schwalbe Marathon Mondials tires.  I can't imagine riding without them, they last forever and never flat.  We also ordered Ortlieb mirrors and a folding Ortlieb bowl to do laundry in and maybe even use for impromptu showers on those long stretches without comforts. I'm sure we will find plenty of uses for it.  Our bikes will also appreciate the Clickstands on the way, basically a tent pole that is used for a kickstand.  I haven't used them but haven't heard anything bad about them and I'm pretty excited for these to arrive.  They are actually custom made to your bike, but still reasonably priced:  http://www.click-stand.com/.

After the shopping spree, I think we are ready to go besides a few odds and ends such as spare spokes and brake pads.  Other prep work has included piecing together a route on our Garmin edge 800 to follow for the first week or so so we can get in the routine of riding again without worrying about finding our way around.

Here are some pictures to get us through the week, and the next 51 days!!  This weekend's muddy ride was up Curtis Canyon.  It was a perfect ride to get prepared for some of the rough roads we may encounter on our trip, but Hannah didn't come because it was too cold for her(shocker)!! Luckily we won't have to hear her complain about being too cold all the time in Mexico.

I am still trying to figure out our GPS, so I am going to put the route up and make sure everything works how I want it to.  Hopefully while we are on our trip we will post our route regularly.

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Curtis Canyon overlook

Elk Refuge Road

A bit muddy

Thinking of far away tours to survive the next 51 days

Oregon Coast Sept. 2008

Because I can...

You know, this has become a very common feeling recently.  Oh the joys of being a grown up...or at least trying to become one. 

The funny thing is, that when you are planning a bicycle tour it's as if every single bone in your body and thought in your head is fighting this idea of becoming a "grown up".  I mean, Brian and I "moved" for the second time in three weeks on Monday.  Mind you, it was just to an upstairs apartment, but most people would say that grown ups don't do that!  Guess what - we just did!

Sometimes I have a short lapse in memory and forget that I'm so lucky to be going on an awesome tour so soon.  Sometimes(especially today), I live up to the name, Debbie Downer, that my sisters bestowed upon me quite some time ago.  And sometimes I have to pull myself together and remember that my grown up life is going to be what I make it!  Between jobs, and bills, and weird living situations I guess it's pretty easy to get hung up on what a "grown up" life is supposed to be, but I'm 54 days out from the biggest adventure of my life and I have to ask - what could be better than that?  Enjoy the pictures that made us laugh this week!

Moving...again!  Last time until we leave!

Two very expensive drying racks!  Adjusting to less space is fun!!

Brian finishing up the season on a snowy golf course

4 More Days till the Weekend

Unfortunately we weren't able to get out for a ride this weekend due to lots of work and school work but we did find time for a short hike up snow king and our usual weekend errands.

The big boys at work

Bright yellow Aspens from Snow King

 evening errand running on one of the many pathways in Jackson

And one to get us thinking about touring in far away places

Cerro De Pasco, Peru Nov. 2010

5 more days till the weekend

Hopefully this will be a weekly post to help us all get through the week to get to another weekend of riding.  

This week's photos came from our ride on Fall Creek Road in Jackson, Wy.  We are trying to take advantage of the last remaining nice days here until it turns to full on winter.  It involved great scenery, fall foliage and lots of daydreaming about our up and coming adventure.  It involved some bike paths, pavement, and gravel... because who can resist the sound of gravel crunching under your tires!

Grinding gravel, mmmm, Henry's Road, Oct. 7th

Pritchard Pass, Oct. 7th

Fall Creek Road, Oct. 7th

Fall Creek Road near Wilson, Wy. Oct. 7th

Check out this punk's letter to the editor in the JH Weekly on the WY 22 shoulder issue.  Really?  Props to WYDOT?  That was a disappointment, but lovin' the last reader comment by the way.

Luckily, with Friends of Pathways on cyclists' side, it appears the letter spoke too soon as it was released later in the week that the shoulders will return to their 8 foot width in the Spring.

From Friends of Pathways' Facebook page: "Here's a great shot sent to us by Carl Pelletier that succinctly captures the spirit of WYDOT's new lanes and striping on WY-22. FoP continues to work w/ WYDOT and the County to find a safe solution for this unfortunate oversight (yes, we're carefully choosing our words.)"

We like bikes.  

The title says it all:  This is our life by bike.  It really isn’t a unique concept in a town like Jackson, but in response to recent questions, and small lifestyle changes as we gear up for our trip, we couldn't resist the temptation to give you a glimpse into our sometimes comical, sometimes tragic way of life. 

First, let’s clear this issue up - My number one FAQ:

“How do you go grocery shopping?”

Like this:

OK, I don't always strap cereal to the bags, but sometimes you just have to get creative!  Between two of us, we can load up a hefty week's worth of groceries on our bikes.  

You may even be surprised to know that we(by we, I mean Brian) partially moved into our new apartment by bike, which probably drew a little more unwanted attention than really necessary.

Trip 1

Trip 2 

Third and final moving trip

For me, life by bike means becoming more aware of myself and my surroundings.  It means planning ahead and thinking things through. But it also means that I get to enjoy every bit of this beautiful place that I live, and being able to depend on transporting myself and my “stuff” in a clean way. 

 "Our Backyard":  River Road, Grand Teton National Park

Moose on the bikepath to work

Sometimes I think that people feel sorry for us when we say we don’t have cars, but life by bike is our choice!  Stay tuned as the saga continues into the autumn season…In the words of Brian Sell “This is when it gets interesting”…and by interesting I think he meant cold.

Commute to work, 21.9F, October 3rd, 2012