Selecting and Preparing the Bikes

My Bike

Our preparation began in March.  Early in the month, I found a rather beaten up looking 1982-ish Miyata 610 for $85 on the local CL for myself.  It was in rough looking shape, with large areas of paint missing and covered in dirt and grime.  I figured at worst, the components would transfer well to another frame (I really like the Sakae Randonneur handlebar style, and heard good things about the Suntour shifters), so I bought it for $15 less than the $100 asking price.

As Purchased

Taking it home and cleaning it up, the paint got even uglier when the dirt was removed.  I had originally thought about powder coating it, at a quoted price of around $175 by a shop familiar with bikes in Ann Arbor, but upon completely disassembling it I realized there was a bit of rust inside the frame.  To take care of that, I gave it a bath in oxalic acid overnight, immediately neutralized it, and then let it dry for a few hours before coating the inside of the frame with Boeshield T9.  All the rusty areas turned into (and remained) a normal steel grey, so I was happy with the results.  Unfortunately, the time it took me to get around to do this put powder coating out of the question, so I took 0000 steel wool over the frame and coated it with Rustoleum clear enamel spray.  Three coats, and it actually came out fairly decent looking, albeit taking a month to get hard enough that I couldn't nick it with a fingernail.

In an oxalic acid bath, in my tub

Getting ready for a clear coat

By the time all that was done, I had gone from early March to late April, with the ride fast approaching.  All the components cleaned up well, minus the wheels covered in decent amount of ugly (but serviceable) oxidation.  I acquired a set of wheels from what I was told was an old Trek 720, Mavic rims on Maillard hubs for $5.  I had planned on using both of them, as the new rear was a 6-speed v the original 5-speed, but the nipples were frozen and I destroyed a few trying to adjust it.  So, starting to run short on time, I tossed the old wheel, oxidation and all, back on, tossed the new front on, gave them a fresh set of Pasela 27x1-1/4" and set upon the new controls.

I had decide from previous experience that even though the fit I prefer on a road bike keeps me up higher than a more competitive stance, I still wanted an upright position once I arrived in Amsterdam.  I added cross-top interrupter brake levers from Performance Bike, and the required new aero levers to work with them (Tektros).  Suntour barend shifters were cleaned up and reinstalled (as they sell on eBay used for half the total cost of the bike), and all new Jagwire cables and housings installed. Brakes got some generic pads I bought an entire card of on the back, and Kool Stop Continentials up front to help in the rain.  Handlebar tape was actually Carissa's old throwaway tape, as it was practically new.

Controls, with the bars before tape

Bike completed and on shakedown.  I liked the complete pink bars, but I compromised with only some pink accents

Carissa's Bike

Simply put, much easier.  She did not want to take her Specialized Ariel out of fear of theft, so we went looking for something cheaper.  Found at a local bike shop specializing in vintage stuff was a purple Maruishi LadyAce mixte that she loved, so we paid the man $150 and went on our way.  The bike looked clean, as if it had been ridden about 2 miles and put away, never to be looked at again.

As such, I did not rip it completely apart, it just got fresh lube and bearings in the axles and bottom bracket, new cables and housing (was going to leave the housing, but Carissa insisted on pink), same brake pad setup as on mine (which will come into play later), new Pasela tires, and some new pink handlebar tape.  As an interesting note, I just found out it originally came from a shop one of the Program Managers I now work with used to own!

Carissa's bike, complete minus new bar tape in front, on shakedown

Touring Prep

As far as touring modifications, we kitted out each bike with the same components.  Lights were a cheap Axiom Flare set that we found for $15 at Performance Bike, effective enough for our needs.  Rack was an Axiom Journey I picked up from a bike shop on eBay for $22.  Panniers were the Nashbar waterproof set we got on a super coupon day for $51.  A wired CatEye Velo 9 computer went on my bike, for distance tracking purposes, she is less caring of having a computer.  We also both got bells, mine an Incredibell mounted up under the left brake where I could ring it on the hoods, and hers just a generic department store one.  I'll have a full review of how all the gear worked at the end.

Netherlands Trip Prep

Choosing Airlines

Perhaps the most intensive planning of all: negotiating the wild world of airfares, and their associated add-on fees.  I am lucky enough to live with driving distance of three large airports: Detroit, Toronto and Chicago.  A cursory look at airfares took Detroit and Chicago out of the running immediately, Toronto was so much cheaper that no matter what bike fees we would have been subjected to it wouldn't have made financial sense to use the other two.  Flying out of Amsterdam was a requirement, solely for the ease of obtaining bike boxes at the airport.  A combination of roundtrip to Amsterdam and flying into Brussels and out of Amsterdam was also looked at, and the latter was considerably cheaper yet again, so the decision was made to choose a one way trip instead of it all being Amsterdam centric.  Finally, looking at individual airlines, we started to weed out options.  All the American airlines cost in the neighborhood of $150 each way with a bike with no exception, so they were tossed, even though Delta was really cheap.  Air Canada had a fairly reasonable $50 each way fee on the return leg, and a flight with Brussels Airlines (who flies bikes free in place of a checked bag) popped up, so we happily chose that pairing for a bit over $700.


Route Planning

Other than the fact that both Flanders and the Netherlands are known as cycling havens, there is scant little English information I could find.  The reason, as at least I have deduced, is simple: their cycle networks are not a tourist thing, not a recreational thing, but a functional part of their infrastructure.  I wouldn't expect to find in-depth information on Michigan highways on a Dutch website (other than maybe a scenic drive in a tourist area), and in that same way, I didn't find much in English on anything other than day trips from tourist centres.

In lieu of information, and knowing how extensive the routes were, I instead relied on printing out a wall sized map from OpenCycleMaps, sticking post-it notes to things we wanted to do, and soon enough an obvious path emerged.  A list of cities started to emerge as overnight spots.  As some were smaller villages with few accommodations, I invested in membership to Vrinden op de Fiets, a Dutch organization connecting human-powered travelers with families along cycle and hiking routes with spare rooms for 19 euros a nite.  More on this later.

We quickly established our first two days and last three days plans: arrive in Brussels on Saturday morning, spend the day in the city, move to Leuven on Sunday and start our bike trip from there Monday morning.  Looking at cycle maps, Brussels is a black hole of routes, and after consulting with a bike friendly coworker that lived in the town for a few years, we decided the best bet would be to train from the airport to downtown, and then from downtown to Leuven. Likewise, we planned out our end weekend in Amsterdam: roll in on Friday night, spend both Friday and Saturday nights at the same hotel, and move to an airport hotel Sunday night for our Monday morning flight.

After those plans were laid, it left determining the best way to plot accommodations for the rest of the route.  A hostel with secure bike parking was quickly obtained in Rotterdam.  It was not a city I had a great desire to visit, simply because it is new and industrial, but there was a need for accommodations in the area, and I found a great bargain.  The rest was left for the trip, mostly by chance.  I had been attempting to use the Vrinden op de Fiets organization for Monday and Tuesday, with little success.  It was only as we were boarding the plane in Toronto that the Monday location finally got in touch with me, and I confirmed our eagerness to stay when I landed in Brussels.  I failed three times to secure a location on Tuesday night, which as you read on will have turned out to be a good thing.  Thursday was deliberately left open to accommodate some wiggle room if necessary.

PICS from Spain!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2064911&id=6603926&l=09e82 for pics, my comp broke and I'm on a public computer, so thats all I have right now.

One week!

So, I figured I oughta get this going again, make sure it still worked. One week till I leave for Spain! Nothing really interesting happening with the trip yet.

Since I've already gone to the trouble of typing a sentence, may as well type a few more. Got our butts kicked in our first floor hockey game this season, 7-1. Took a 5-0 first half to get the team working together, then I was quite impressed and hopeful. Should have been 7-2, but unfortunately IM sports aren't the place to argue whether the goalie's catching glove was inside the net or not. Blazer needs front brakes, which will get done as soon as I get home, assuming the rotor doesnt blow up on me first. Still jobless, although I have potentially found summer work if nothing ends coming through.

Anyways, I'll be trying to update this as I go through Spain, so look back for updates and pretty pictures. Itenirary is leave wednesday morning, arrive thursday afternon, go directly to a luncheon with a flamenco show, wander around Madrid for the evening, leave on a 5 hour bus ride for the venue friday morning, talk to Spanish people for a week, come back and enjoy Madrid. Depending on the bus situtation, I'd love to go to Bilbao and see the Guggenheim museum on the saturday after the program, but I don't know if that is really a day trip or not. Sunday is the most exciting, I am going to a real Spanish Bullfight in Madrid! Finally, I fly back the next morning.

I almost died today

Actually, it wasn't even close. Nowhere near death. Nowhere near the excitement and near-death experiences that the Ford has provided me. But then again, the Blazer isnt the Truck that the Ford is. The Ford could have taken that parking job I did into the ditch like a champ, been pulled out, and said, 'Let's do it again'. The Blazer jsut said 'Oh, my front end is plastic, I cant take it, and by the way, I got this stupid front oil filter mount that is gonna get ripped off '. So the Blazer is currently minus a front end, has an almost dangling oil filter and remote access oil lines, and is missing a lot of front end plastic.

Then again, the Ford is out of commission with a busted up tensioner arm on the belt. Maybe I shouldn't have gotten rid of the Scorpion....

Spring Break in Spain!

Ok, for all of those curious, spring break for next year is set! This year, Jeff will be journeying to Spain to teach conversational English! While in the country, my only expenses will be the night before and the two nights after the program, everythign while I'm at the actualy program is covered. I'll be enjoying three course lunch and dinners at a beautiful mountainside resort, all for talking to business people and students in nothing but English. The program is designed to be intensive English for those that already speak English, its focus is to get the people comfortable with English.

Anyways, if anyone is interested, here is the general program: http://www.vaughanvillage.com/index.asp, and here is the actual site I will be at: http://www.vaughanvillage.com/venue-cazorla.asp

Well, four major things happened today. Two good, two bad, but I am really in a bittersweet mood.

First for the good:
1) Spring break is booked. I will be going to Spain to teach English, program is booked as is the flight.
2) Dad got engaged to Denise. She is a wonderful lady who will bring us all happiness, and I wish them the best of luck and welcome her into the family.

Then the bad:
3) I've realized me and Sarah will never be. I treated her miserable this summer, and I cannot forgive myself for that. She moved on, and I just have to deal with that. I regret the things that I did that made me lose the love of my life. Dad getting engaged just dramatically compounds my sadness, of course I am very glad for him, but it reminds me of how sad I am.
4) Grandpa is in the hospital with a stroke. I wish him the best of luck, and a speedy recovery.

I'm kind of just in a dull sense right now. I should be estactic over the engagement and spring break, but I am not. I am worrying about grandpa, and regretting my decisions with Sarah. I feel extremely badly about everything, but the past is the past and I need to move on. She was truly the greatest thing that happened to my life, and it is hard to see 3 years vanish just like that. Thankfully, last weekend she made me see that I needed to change the direction my life was heading, so I am very thankful for that. I am working on fixing a lot of stuff about myself, it will take time, but it will make me a better person in the end. I hurt badly right now, but I know with time I am going to come out a better person.

Thats all for now, I guess