One week before - Panic time!
The Klein with the BOB trailer for the first time
Arrgghhhh!!! Packing and moving – it has been the story of my life lately. Currently packing everything I have into storage or into a friends place (thanks Rachel!) while I’m on the trip. Even though I have been filtering through everything the past several weeks, it seems I have accumulated more "stuff" than what I brought up with me when I came from Phoenix, AZ. (It will all be moved BACK to Arizona after I get back from my trip)
So am I packed and ready to go? Not even close yet!!! And you are right -- panic time has set in now!!! I still have bicycle maintenance to do and small things to still purchase for the trip. I haven't even done a "trial pack" yet. But it will all come together in the end -- it usually does for me. I hope it does!
I guess I better get back to packing and moving more dishes, computers, and clothes so I can pack for my trip!!
Mark
First BOB story:
Purchase it from REI (yes, I have been a member since 1974) and assembled it as soon as I got home. Grabbed four 12-packs of Diet Coke (yes – I am addicted) and stuffed it into the trailer carrying sack along with a motorcycle battery, tent, and sleeping bag (@65lbs load total + @12 for BOB). Headed out the door down the road ten minutes later. Immediately noticed while descending at 37mph that it has an interesting affect on the bicycles handling. I spooked myself badly until I got it slowed back down again under 26mph. Now I am wondering if I shouldn't reconsider the rack method. This was almost white knuckles holding onto the bars as the trailer decided to do its own thing.
Hit the Burke-Gillman/Sammamish River trail -- nice and flat. I'm cruising along fairly fast and am passing quite a few people. I didn't notice the weight too much -- I'm feeling better now after that initial descent. Managed to even do a couple of “trackstands” (balancing the bike at a stop without putting your foot down) with BOB -- not easy but it can be done. I'm starting to get impressed now – this isn’t all that bad. I do notice that a choppy pedaling style does some interesting harmonics with BOB and my front suspension fork. But the miles will smooth out my pedaling style hopefully. I guess I'm going to have to learn to “fast spin” a bit more like Lance Armstrong for this trip -- not a bad thing really!
Two hours into my first ride and I have to hit the hill coming back up to my place. No problem. Blast up Norway Hill also and I didn't have to drop to the small chainring or big cogs. Cool! I even caught two people while going up the hill -- they gave me a sheepish look because they were struggling up the hill and I only made them feel worse when they realized all the weight that I had in the BOB trailer.
Second BOB story:
While on the second ride of testing BOB, I'm cruising back the Burke-Gilman after a short 90-minute ride. I roll into Woodinville and whom do I see? A gorgeous gal who I had dated and hadn't seen for almost a year. She does an immediate double take as I blast past her before turning around and coming back to talk. Her first reaction is that she recognized me immediately -- but it surprised her that I had a baby in a trailer on back!!! (No baby for this kiddo -- I'm still single remember!!) Gave her a quick lowdown on BOB and the details and then headed home.
Wouldn't you know it -- in the year since we had last dated, she had gone back to school and just finished all her courses -- she is now a massage therapist!! Only if I had known!! The dream of every male cyclist – a beautiful woman who is also a massage therapist!
