Maggie's Gear

Hello All,
I had the urge to take pics of all my gear tonight while waiting for Lani to come over before our "long ride" which turned out to be a leisurely jaunt around Lake of the Isles near my house.  Lani came over trailer-less and lookin' real cute (i.e. not in the dorky cycling ensemble we usually sport on our lengthier hauls), so after an exhausting trip down the block to Chipotle and jamming our faces full of burrito we opted to just burn some cals and jam on some TUNAGE thanks to my iHome2Go, what's that you ask?  Well...let's kick this gear list off then, shall we?

        First...the bike.  Trek 7600 Multi Track

Next comes the extras:

Six Six One bike shoes

With SPD clipless cleats...baller.  They are commuter shoes so you can walk in them and not slip around.  It's bad enough I'm wearing the shorts...I refuse to be THAT guy.  The one in the shorts with a crazy neon reflective vest clickin' around the grocery store or what have you.

Lezyne Camelbak style hydration system.  The original bladder for this was like a Ziplock so we replaced it with a 100oz Camelbak screw top bladder, not leaks...so nice with the bite valve.

On Guard brand U-lock

Colman one person bivy tent in it's carrying bag

The tent assembled..don't let looks deceive you, 2 people are not meant to inhabit this tent at the same time.  There is a rainfly for this, but I didn't put it on.  Trust that it is waterproof

Therm-a-rest self inflating sleeping pad, not exactly plush, but enough to keep the ground from sucking out the body heat and minimize jagged things digging into me

Moisture Wicking Camp towel that will probably double as a pillow, blanket, sleeping bag liner, just sayin'

Pack-a-seat camp stool, collapses down to a very small package

Brown and Green waterproof tarp, used for covering the bikes at night or during a storm or to have a nice picnic on...multi use. 

8 Liter Collapsing Water Jug, gotta stay hydrated

Classic Coleman 1 burner camp stove

20 feet of nylon rope with caribeaners at each end, used for caching the food in a tree so bears/creatures don't get at it or to tie up would-be criminals

Lezyne Alien II multi tool, cuz  I know I'm gonna be breakin' some shit

Inadequate Schwinn tire pump that will get replaced right quick

Energizer Headlamp, real dorky, but so functional

35 liter Sea to Summit dry bag for storing clothes and caching food. Keepin' stuff dry

Bell Faction Helmet with stickers to add flare, not pictured is the tiny helmet mounted mirror, so geeky, but also helpful

Water bottle mount holder for iHome2Go

iHome2Go handle mounted remote control
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iHome2Go Waterbottle Mount Speaker System

Cat Eye Velo 5 Bike Computer, pretty essential, plus it tells you your MPH and I got up to 30 once.  FREAKY!

Planet Bike Front LED light

Blackburn Rear LED light

Bontrager Ergo Grips

Flimsy ass side mirror I got for like 2 dollars online...does the job tho.

Cannondale Brand waterproof panniers.

Cannondale brand cycling gloves

Continental brand 700x28c touring tires

Matrix 700c rims

And this is roughly what she'll look like all loaded up.  PRETTY intense.

As far as the bike components are concern they are all what come standard on a Trek 7600, shimano brakes, cranks, SPD pedals and housings, grip shift gear shifters and all that.  Brent at Recovery Bike Shop did just the right amount of pimpin' and hooked me up with a new stem and riser handle bars to bring me to a bit more upright biking position. Now I'm smooth as buttah...in Brent's words.  I believe the seat was also changed from the factory Trek seat to an Avocet touring saddle.  The bike also came with the bar end grips with foam covers for any combination of grip options to keep things spicy.

As soon as she can Lani will be takin' pics of her gear and posting it up here.  A lot of the gear is communal and will therefore be distributed amongst the 2 of us without regard for who the actual "owner/user" may be.  What's mine is hers and what's her's is mine, ya dig?  I can take smaller things, that may be heavier, like the stove and tools and computer, while Lani is able to trailer the larger items like the 2 gallon jug of water, sleeping bags and pads, tents, etc.  We are still working out all the details of how we will be carrying things, but suffice it to say that we will make it work.

As far as clothing is concerned this is something we are still trying to wrap our heads around.  We want to be as prepared as possible without going overboard.  As of now I know I'm bring 2 pairs of padded cycling shorts, poly pro long john bottoms and 2 tops, under armor tank top, 2 t-shirts, 1 pair of nylon cargo shorts, 1 pair of hardy jeans, 1 American Apparel zip up hoodie, 1 beanie cap, northface mittens, 3 pairs of cycling socks, 1 pair of vans slip-ons, 1 pair of flip flops and 2 sports bras.  I've taken it upon myself to stop wearing underwear because I just don't see the point on a voyage such as this, just one more layer? one more thing to wash? Ehhh...to hell with that RIGHT!?

There will also be a few art materials, such as a sketch book, journal, drawing pencils, etc. type pouch I'm bringing for those times on the road when a creative outlet is a must.

As the trip progresses I'm sure some stuff will be added and subtracted, with the subtracted gear going to a good cause (i.e. a charity, goodwill, fellow biker) and hopefully we can procure new materials without  a lot of extra cost.

Hope this was more info than you needed on my gear, but it's my home and who isn't proud of their house?

Peace, love, and waterbeds,

Maggie

And we're off...well...not just yet.

What's happening INTERNET?!
Wow guys!! We've already been innudated with a serious flow of love and comments straight off the jump. So thanks for that. Lani was told today while shopping at Capital Deals in St. Paul that someone in the bike universe twittered or tweeted (or whatever the hell that means) about our trip and I gotta say that's pretty sweet considering we haven't even launched this vessel yet, who ever you are you made our day.

We continue to make progress on the trip planning.  As our departure date nears *nail biting* Lani and I are scrambling about town picking up last minute items and finalizing living and job situations.  Turns out uprooting your life is incredibly bittersweet...I'm sad about leaving my job and that's almost heart stoppingly shocking considering I hate the very idea of having a job, but it feels right to leave on a positive note (first time for everything I guess). Big thanks and farewell to the Xerox team at General Mills HQ. I'll miss you, yes, even you Barb.

Tonight we plan on putting some serious rubber to the road, fully loaded this time *ahem* Lani.  The last time we did this we ended up biking 30 miles to the far side of Mendota (not close to my house) with me concerned about getting home in time for work in the morning and Lani assuring me that every road we happened upon would eventually turn into Snelling Avenue (never happened). Oh and I was carrying a load and Lani opted to bike sans trailer, leaving me in the dust to suck wind.  It was so very fun though and I highly recommend getting lost in your own 'hood with a good pal at your side. On that trip Lani tackled her fear of the no-handed ride and mobbed all over town, arms spread wide...I said arms...not legs.

Next task is to throw down a seriously detailed list of our gear for your viewing pleasure, with photos to boot, so you all can see the very intruments that will keep us alive (hopefully) over the coming months. We will try to add and subtract to the list as we go along so y'all can stay abreast.

Stay tuned for more...

Coming soon: Episode 1 of "Welcome to my Bivy" a cribs style show of our future "home"

Until then,
Marge and Lawn Gnome

Let's start at the beginning.

Hello Faithful Blog Readers,
This blog is being created in an effort to better supply the many friends and family members and perhaps a few new people with the details regarding the lengthy adventure we, Maggie and Lani, are endeavoring on over the next few months.  We will make a very concerted effort to update you with stories and photos from the journey along the way, as much as time, internet availability and circumstances will allow.

If you are not aware me and Lani will be departing from Minneapolis, MN on September 13th, 2010 at 11:15pm CST via Amtrak for Portland, Oregon.  From that point we will mount our respective touring bicycles and travel the lands south of Portland on said bikes carrying with us all we may need for the coming months journey.  If it can't be stored on the bikes between the 2 of us, chances are we won't have it and in my opinion probably don't need it.

Lani will be riding her Fuji del Rey, tricked out by Brent at Recovery Bike Shop and toting a Burley Nomad trailer along with her.  I will be riding my Trek 7600 Multi-track I bought from a lovely gentleman on craigslist.  My bike came with bags, otherwise known as panniers, and the bulk of my gear will be spread out amongst the front and back panniers along with things being strapped by bungees to my rear rack.

The plan of attack as far as the route is concerned is that there really is no plan.  We will grab a map when we arrive in Portland and more than likely pick a destination that sounds good and go from there.  With no set duration of time for this trip we figured the best plan is one of spontaneity and serendipity.  I'm really looking forward to meeting people along the way and gaining insight about the various spots we visit based on the overall vibe we get from other people and just moving forward from there.  There are no constraints of expectations and therefore we will have minimal bouts of disappointment, at least that's the "plan".

I suppose the reasons behind the trip are as relevant as the trip itself, though I fear this explanation will be vague on not entirely appeasing to some of you, I will attempt to sum up some of the key points.  First and foremost Lani and I are young and until now neither of us has really done anything super out of the ordinary.  We met when we were about 12 or 13 in middle school and have remained close through high school, college  and beyond.  We pretty much followed suit with the other people our age, graduated from high school, went to college, took out student loans, earned a degree, got jobs, sought partners....and that was fine, for a least some period of time...until one day, it just wasn't enough.  Independently we both had decided that the paths we were on were not ones with wished to continue on.  The societal pressure to couple up, make a family, buy a house, accrue debt and work until you die or retire was starting to become too much for us and it was time to either succumb to those pressures or act.  So this is us taking action and choosing something different. We are disillusioned with the state of this world and instead of just standing by idly while we watch the world fall to pieces around us, we are instead hoping to blaze a new trail for ourselves. We hope to walk the walk, instead of just talking the talk. And in the spirit of change we have quit our jobs, stream lined our possessions down to the bare essentials and are setting out to brave the elements and discover ourselves.

We hope you enjoy all that this site has to offer and wish you the very best on your own journey, may it be showered in blessings.

Thanks for looking and check back soon,

Maggie and Lani