Topics

1

General Discussion / Leaving tomorrow!

« on: July 18, 2011, 05:00:40 pm »

"Hi everyone, I would like you to meet my new girlfriend. Her name is Shiela and she is the love of my life! Not only is she really nice and fun to be around but (and don’t tell her I said this) she comes with an impressive rack too (so big it can support a load of camping gear!) But don’t get jealous boys because we are officially an item and over the next few months we will be spending many long hours getting to know each other very intimately. I am quite confident that with my charms and adventurous spirit I will be lubricating her chain in no time, ready to mount her and ride her hard all through the day with the stamina of a champion. We will soon be doing it in all sorts of exciting places but no matter whether it’s along romantic deserted beaches or in busy towns where we will be plain view of anyone who wants to watch, we will constantly be enjoying getting all hot and sweaty together as we grind our way on and on for hours on end. And every day as the sun disappears over the horizon, we will reach an unforgettable climax as we collapse in a tangle of body and bike parts, smiling quietly to each other because we know we have once again shared an incredible experience together. Greatly exhausted but also deeply satisfied, we will fall asleep under the stars, side-by-side, hand-in-handlebar, ready to wake up for another day of cycling across America."

I am an Australian who is finally prepared to set off tomorrow (Transamerica) on a bike ride across your great country, armed with Adventure Cycling maps and advice, as well as my trusty tent and camping stove. I have absolutely no experience in doing such a thing so there are sure to be a few stories to come out of the journey. I will be writing about the trip at "http://markgresser.com/category/travel-blog". I hope it might be an entertaining resource to inspire others wanting to do the same thing. Please don't hesitate to check it out. I have just spent the day finishing setting up my bike and so the latest entry discusses the bike I chose and accessories I fitted.

Thanks,

Mark

2

General Discussion / Does a bum toughen up?

« on: March 23, 2011, 09:55:48 am »

Hi,

If your bum gets sore when you start using a new saddle, does it just toughen up over time, or will it cause long-term problems?

I haven't ridden long distances before but plan to do the TransAm in the summer. The bike I am training on (just a crappy mountain bike I bought second-hand when I arrived in Wales) seems to have a suitable saddle as my bum hasn't gotten sore at all. As I am living in Wales at the moment I plan to buy a complete bike when I arrive in America. I am wondering whether I should take the saddle with me and fit it to my new bike (which might mean carrying the spare saddle that comes with my new bike) or just put up with the saddle that comes with the new bike.

Any advice appreciated.
Thanks!