2 weeks and counting... the guys are gettin' ready!

Yes, time is fast approaching for when we hit the road in Alaska...!

We're all training and gear sorting hard... Well, I know I am, and you can believe it too: http://t.co/ehn9tF7qzR

Will is as well, as shown by his bike ride upload on Endomondo...

But as for Tom... well, we're all just gonna have to take his word for it, as he's still mobile-phone-less. (So no GPS-enabled whiz-bang smartphone to track his training...) 

Of course, those of us who know Tom, know his dedication and tenacity, so there's no doubt he'll be prepared too!

He's been busy with some handiwork, customising his bike to have a new carrier on top of his front rack.

Tom's inner MacGyver got busy makin' stuff!

Toms new tent, riding up front this time.

The faithful basement table-tennis table has been put to good use again, with a bunch of gear paid out on it, ready for weighing, evaluating... and re-evaluating.

Roadwarrior-Candidate Will is riding sweet on his new Surly Long-Haul Trucker, which he took delivery of a few weeks ago, having previously been training on his old bike.

How long he's gonna stick with that leather pebble of a saddle remains to be seen though... Or perhaps, how tough his ass really is, is what remains to be seen..! 

Clean, new n shiny...

Loaded up, for the familiar 'leaning on a tree, bike and gear' shot... 

The Bearded Bandit, rides again!

My last ride was in the buckets-of-sweat-dying-of-cramp-at-the-end category... I hit the road for most of yesterday, trying to remember to take it easy, and knock out a solid 25 to 30 miler. It ended up almost a 50-miler.

OK, 50 miles is a pretty standard, even short day, compared to the rides we've done before... I think our average is around 60 miles a day. We've done short 30 miles to town near-o days, and sometimes big, 'gotta get to town!' days, such as a 120 miler on the CDT, and a 110 mile day on the Northern Tier.

So yes, a 50 mile ride yesterday (OK ALMOST 50 miles) might seem less than enough... but did I mention that the humidity was pushing 80%... and the mercury was nudging up to the 100F mark? Yeah, it was roasty-toasty out there, so although my ride time was just over 4 hours, I was out for around 6, as a few shade-breaks were called for!

The far-flung bus stop at Krangi was a good shade break.

Must. Get. Cold. Drink!

Today is going to be spent sorting gear, preparing my big cardboard bike box so it makes the airline specified dimensions (it's too big right now, so I need to get handy with some box-cutters and hot glue), sorting my gear for the 50th time... weighing it again too... and doing an hour or so in the pool to prevent the otherwise inevitable stiff and sore muscles that would make my Monday less enjoyable...

More news coming soon...

Cheers y'all,

RWK.

OUT!