Day 2: Nehalem -> Cape Lookout (47.9 miles)

Gorgeous scenery, random biker encounters, and the steep climbs seem a little less evil today.. :-)

Posted: June 2 at 6:35am

Day 1: Fort Stevens -> Astoria -> Nehalem (59.72 miles)

(EVIL and horrible) rolling mountains(!!!) and hospitality like I've never seen.. Entirely unasked, 2 sets of strangers made/bought me a meal today!

Posted: June 1 at 9:49am

TransAm -- Finished!

I successfully completed my cross-country cycle trip in 92 days!

Due to lack to time, I wound up posting my daily updates and photos to Facebook, instead of this blog. (Which is why nothing has been posted here since after I left.) Hopefully at some point, I'll take the time to transfer the materials to this blog, so everyone can view them... (Stay tuned.)

Cheers!
Melanie

T-Minus 1.5 Weeks: Flights, Moving, Bike Prep

Overview

It's now approximately ~1.5 weeks before I will be leaving on my journey. I have been making practical arrangements, many of which have required a healthy amount of life upheaval.

Flight Stuff

As I mentioned in my last update.. my airplane tickets for this trip are now booked.

The trip itself requires a bit of explanation.. I have been invited for my work to speak at the AusCERT conference in Gold Coast Australia, so I have purchased an around-the-world-ticket -- mostly paid for by the conference! (Thank you AusCERT!) This means that I will be flying from Amsterdam to Gold Coast (for the conference) to Portland (for the cycle trip) and ~3 months later from Washington Dulles (near Yorktown VA) back to Amsterdam!

On the off-chance that anyone cares (hi mom!) here are the flight details:

• AMS (09 May 2009, 19:10) ->LHR (09 May 2009, 19:25) - BA0441
• LHR (09 May 2009, 22:05) -> Changi Singapore (10 May 2009, 17:55) - Quantas 10

A few days in Singapore. Why? Because I can. It'll break up the obscenely long flight to Australia... and I've never been to Singapore before. Yes.. life is tough.. :-)

• Changi Singapore (15 May 2009, 19:45) -> Melbourne AUS (16 May 2009, 04:45) - Quantas ?
• Melbourne AUS (16 May 2009, 14:45) -> Gold Coast AUS (16 May 2009, 16:50) - Quantas 5444

AusCERT Conference + some time to visit friends and enjoy Australia! (Life is tough, Part II.)

• Gold Coast AUS (27 May 2009, 10:26) -> Sydney AUS (27 May 2009, 11:50) - Quantas 5407
• Sydney AUS (27 May 2009, 13:55) -> San Francisco (27 May 2009, 10:15) - Quantas 73
• San Francisco (27 May 2009, 12:30) -> Portland OR (27 May 2009, 14:15) - Quantas 3707

Land Segment: TransAm Cycle Trip (a.k.a. what this whole fuss is about!)

• Washington Dulles (15 Sept 2009, 19:05) -> LHR (16 Sept 2009, 07:00) - BA 216
• LHR -> AMS (to be booked)

NOTE: the around-the-world ticket I booked allows me to modify my departure dates without any extra cost. That means -- even though I have a return ticket to Europe on 15 Sept -- please take that date with a grain of salt! I can (and will) change the departure date earlier or later depending upon the actual amount of time that it takes for me to complete the cycle trip. (I'm currently not able to estimate that in any decent way.) That is also why I have not yet booked the flight for the final segment (LHR->AMS). I don't want to book it until I have a genuine idea of when I'll actually be returning.

Moving

I didn't feel like paying ~3.5 months of rent during my absence to maintain my VU grad student housing.. so I packed up my life into moving boxes, and I am now the proud resident of a 11.5 m^2 container at the Huur Een Box in Duivendrecht. Mad props to my friends Jan-Mark Wams and Philip Homburg who both took last Wednesday off of work to help me move boxes and assorted furniture across town. Despite my frantic last-minute preparations, they also helped me pack the last 25% of my stuff.. which explains why several of my boxes are now labeled 'Alt.Misc.Bork.Bork.Bork', and other such things.

As a further testiment to my well-honed planning skills, I had cancelled my VU housing for 30 April (back when I thought my departure date was 1 May). The housing corporation refused to push it back to 15 May when I asked them later.. thus rendering me "homeless" in Amsterdam for 9 days. I've alleviated the situation by subletting a nice 3-room apartment in de Rivierenbuurt from a VU coworker. (We are discussing if I can legally sublet the place after I return from my trip.) But it already feels a bit like I'm camping.. I'm basically living out of my bike bags right now. (And I am grabbing things from my container as I need them.). It's not really comfortable.. but it is definately good preparation for this bike trip!

Bicycle Stuff

Over the past few days, I've arranged some more last-minute things with my bicycle. On the "spending money" front: I purchased 2 Ortlieb Front Roller Classic panniers, a PacSafe 55 metal anti-theft bag cover, an elastic clothes drying line, small travel containers, and an extension piece that turns one of my panniers into a backpack.

I've also brought my touring bicycle to a bike repair shop for a major overhaul (i.e. fittings, spokes, cables, tires...), and they will also disassemble and pack the bike into a box -- which was free from 'De Vakantiefietser' (in exchange for some Oranje Tompoucen.) That will enable me to check the bike at Schiphol airport with minimal fuss on 9 May.

Reflections on Leaving

For the rest.. it's been weird saying goodbye to my friends. It also feels bittersweet to take leave of my work, and my beloved city (Amsterdam) for such a long period of time. But life is enriched by doing things that are challenging, disruptive, and different -- so while I know that I will miss my life here, I'm sure that I will be immersed with new experiences and people in the USA. The ~3.5 months will undoubtedly fly by!

I am ready for this adventure of a lifetime. I am ready to go back to the country of my birth. With its natural beauty.. its culture.. and its people. I am ready to reconnect with my roots.

And I have no doubt that America will Amaze Me.

Photos: Bike Camping with Sarah

On Easter weekend, Sarah Kraynick and I went on our inaugural bicycle camping trip! We survived... the bikes did great, and the tent + sleeping mat + sleeping bag were fantastic! We wound up riding from Amsterdam to Lelystad (via Almere) on Day 1, and back (via the dijk to Enkhuizen) on Day 2. Highlights of the ride included Muiderslot, lots of sheep, and the Naviduct Krabbegat near Enkhuizen.

Despite my previously expressed nervous jitters.. the camping went splendidly! Despite setting up the tent at night (I now understand the utility of a headlight as never before!).. the tent did a super job of keeping us dry during the torrential electrical storm at 3 AM! :-)

For those who want a visual impression -- here are a few photos from the bicycle camping trip:

My trusty steed!

Me at Muiderslot

Sarah peeking out of the tent...

Sarah packing up after breakfast

Since the bicycle camping trip -- I've reverted back to my old familiar method of preparation.. spending money. ;-)

I finally booked my airplane ticket to get me to Portland OR (near Astoria, OR) and from Washington DC (near Yorktown, VA)!!!! I also ordered an Asus Eee PC 1000H + 2 U20 13200mAh external batteries (so I can work on the road).. plus a complete set of cycle maps for the TransAmerica trail from the Adventure Cycling Association!

Somehow, I feel like ordering my airplane ticket was crossing the point of no return. OMG, this trip is really going to happen!!! :-) :-)

Packing List: Easter Weekend '09

On me:
- Bike jersey
- Spandex shorts
- Socks + bra + underwear
- Sneakers
- Rain jacket
- Fingerless cycle gloves
- Garmin Forerunner 305
- Camelbak (Classic)
- Cellphone, money, ID, bank pass, keys

On bicycle (2 rear panniers + luggage carrier):
- Chain lock + "beugel" lock + keys
- Tire repair kit
- Tent
- Sleeping bag
- Sleeping mat
- Extra cycle jersey
- 1 pair socks
- 1 pair underwear
- 1 bath towel
- 1 cycle map (Netherlands - North)
- Toiletries: contact lenses + cleaner/conditioner + case, glasses + case, shampoo (travel sized), deodorant, hairbrush, hairgel, toothbrush + toothpaste, lipbalm
- Assos chamois creme (VERY important!)
- 4 Powerbars
- Digital camera (w/ charged battery)

UPDATE - Stuff to bring for next time:
- Headlamp
- Extra batteries
- Plastic bags
- Extra tent pegs
- Long sleeved sleeping shirt
- Tracksuit pants
- Multitool and hex wrench
- Toilet paper
- Earplugs + eyeshade
- Eee PC Laptop + 2 external batteries + power cord

Pre-Bike Camping Jitters

It's 7 AM, and I can't sleep anymore. Even though I went to bed at 2 AM.. the sun has risen, the birds are chirping outside, and sleep can't regain it's foothold over me as I'm fighting down nervous jitters before my first bicycle camping trip... ever.

Now you're probably thinking, "what gives?" After all.. with so much bravado, I announced my plans to bike across the USA.. and to camp for 3 months straight. Thus one may assume that I'm some kindof Iron Woman.. with eternal confidence and a bum of steel. And then, much to everybody's surprise, I'm nervous because of a lilliputian Easter weekend ride. A cycle trip to the nearby tulip fields is too much for me, huh?

In all honesty.. the last time that I properly camped was ~10 years ago.. at the beginning of my senior year of college, when I was an exchange student for 3 months at the University of Essex in Colchester, England. Here's approximately how things went: I went climbing in the Peak District with a British friend of mine named Miles (now a massage therapist in the Gold Coast, Australia.) Miles arranged pretty much everything.. he drove the car that carried our gear.. setup the climbing routes.. arranged the food. And yes.. at night, he pitched his military grade tent (he was previously in the Territorial Army Reserves). It was close to freezing that night.. and female that I am.. I got cold and crept next to him for warmth. Despite my best intentions otherwise.. we were sortof dating the next morning. Thus I begin to convey the true nature of my bravado.

I think that the last time I went camping before that was together with my father and a gaggle of girls with the "Indian Princesses" back when I lived in Naperville, Illinois. I was probably ~7 at the time. I have vague memories of a skunk wandering into somebody's tent, and having total panic break loose. But as far as I can remember.. this exhausts my experience with camping.

So it's Easter 2009.. and it's the dawn (literally) of the first bicycle camping excursion in my life. Mercifully I won't be alone this time -- I am going with one of my best friends, Sarah Kraynick. I don't know if Sarah has much more camping experience than I do, but hey.. we'll figure it out!

So here I am wondering what clothes I should wear today. My bicycle bags contain my tent, sleeping bag, and sleeping mat.. but nothing more. No route has been planned. I'm not 100% sure where my bike maps are. And seeing that it's Easter, no supermarkets will be open today to buy food. (And satisfying my dietary requirements with Powerbars might get tiresome after half a day.) But it's okay. I know that it's gonna be okay. I can feel that it's gonna be okay. So I'll go with it.

With this TransAm cycle trip, I feel a bit like Bill Bryson setting out to thru-hike the Appalacian Trail.. despite my lack of specific training, I am optimistic and naieve enough to assume that everything will work out just fine. (And I'll do my best to document things amusingly, if they don't.) And my other merit is: I am mulishly stubborn.

And so it is... Sarah will be at my doorstep in ~2 hours from now... and I need to figure out what I will be bringing today. Vive la "flying by the seat of my pants" -- at least it keeps life from getting boring!

Camping Equipment + Date Change

As a continuation of my preparations for the TransAm Cycle Trip... I spent more money! ;-)

This time it was on camping gear... here's an overview:

1 - 2 person tent: Terra Nova Superlight Solar 2.2



This is a 2 person, 3-season geodesic tent, with an inner tent + outer vestibule combination, that is reasonably spacious for 2 people (216 cm x 275 cm x 98 cm) and weighs approx. 2 kilograms. The tent should do quite well against wet, freezing, and windy conditions. On my own, the tent will be a palace.. (my bicycle will almost fit under the vestibule!) But I also wanted to have a tent that will be comfortable if/when I have a visitor along on NL-based training rides! (Now accepting applications for cycle camping partners!) ;-)

You can read a review of the tent (and view photos) at these two links:

• http://www.andyhowell.info/trek-blog/2007/05/30/review-terra-nova-superlight-solar-22/
• http://www.pbase.com/john28july/solar22

2 - Thermarest Toughskin Self-Inflating Sleeping Pad



To make things a bit more comfortable on uneven surfaces, I also purchased a self-inflating sleeping pad that advertises itself as being comfortable, rugged, and puncture resistant. The dimensions are 51 x 183 cm, 3.8 cm thick, and it weighs 1140 grams.

You can read reviews of the sleeping pad here:

• http://www.trailspace.com/gear/therm-a-rest/toughskin/
• http://www.amazon.com/Therm-a-Rest-Toughskin-Sleeping-Pad-Regular/dp/B000JNRSNA
  

I already have a sleeping bag.. which means one thing:
I'm now ready to do a trial run of bicycle camping here in the Netherlands!!! :-)

I'm now making plans to go on a "maiden voyage" 2-day cycling trip with my friend and colleague Philip Homburg (who also purchased a sleeping bag today, for the purpose.) I'll post updates once these plans materialize! :-)

For the rest, there's one more update regarding the date of the TransAm cycle trip. I have decided to push back the departure date by one month. (I'm busy setting up a company in the Netherlands, and I'll need some extra time "in town" to finish the paperwork.)

So the cycle trip is now planned for June through August (exact dates for airplane ticket T.B.D.) This necessitates taking a 1-week conference break during the last week of July. (For the RFID Guardian launch.) But for the rest... the date change shouldn't affect my plans much!

(And yes.. my boss at the VU has approved the new dates!)

Cheers!
Melanie

First Steps to Prepare

For better or for worse, my first concrete steps to prepare for my TransAmerican bicycle trip have involved spending money.. ;-)


Purchase #1 - Touring Bicycle

I am about to purchase a touring bicycle from the wife of a friend of mine. It's a Gazelle Medeo -- a sturdy but light bike, with front and rear racks, a multigrip handlebar, and excellent parts (it handles like a mountain bike). This photo below gives an impression of what the bicycle looks like.. (a photo of the actual bicycle will come soon, after I have had the chance to take it for a weekend-long test ride.)

Purchase #2 - Rear panniers

I have bought a set of waterproof rear pannier bags from Ortlieb. They are quite spacious, and easily clip on and off. (There's an optional extension, that I haven't purchased yet, that can turn a pannier into a backpack. That should be handy for the pannier I will keep valuable things in -- laptop, wallet, etc..) The photo below gives an impression of what the pannier bag looks like.

Purchase #3 - Reading Material


To help me plan for the trip mentally, I have bought a couple of excellent looking books..


Bicycling Coast to Coast: A Complete Route Guide Virginia to Oregon - Donna Lynn Ikenberry

"Author and veteran cycler Donna Lynn Ikenberry pedaled across the USA, and now she's giving you the inside scoop on how to get the most out of your trip! ... Based on the Adventure Cycling Association's popular Transamerica Bicycle Route, the tour is broken into 77 day trips ... including detailed route descriptions, with information on mileage, camping, and lodging options, equipment needs and more. " (From the book jacket)

Adventure Cycle-Touring Handbook: Worldwide Cycling Route & Planning Guide - Stephen Lord

"Every cyclist dreams of making the Big Trip, the Grand Cycle Tour abroad. The Adventure Cycling Handbook is the comprehensive manual that will make that dream a reality ... whether cyclists are planning their own Big Trip or just enjoy reading about other people's adventures, the handbook is guaranteed to illuminate, entertain and above all, inspire." (From Amazon)

Handboek Fietsreparaties - Rob van der Plas

"De moderne fiets is een knap, maar eenvoudig stukje techniek – vooropgesteld dat hij goed wordt onderhouden. En daarbij wil dit nieuwste boek van Rob van der Plas u behulpzaam zijn. Aan de hand van duidelijke instructies kunt u zelf het noodzakelijke onderhoud van en de meeste reparaties aan uw rijwiel uitvoeren, hetzij thuis hetzij onderweg. En door aan uw fiets te sleutelen, wordt u ook een betere berijder, omdat u al doende meer inzicht krijgt in de werking van uw fiets." (From the publisher's website)

Other preparations

In the upcoming week or two, there's a few more things that I want to do to prepare for weekend cycle touring here in the Netherlands.

• To help further orient myself in the wide world of cycle touring, next Saturday I will be attending the 'Fiets en Wandelbeurs' (Bicycle and Hiking Expo) in the Amsterdam RAI. I will be going together with my friend Philip Homburg, whom I expect that I'll be making many training rides (here in the Netherlands) with.

• Purchase a tent - I have zero experience right now with bicycle camping, so I'm very eager to try camping out on a weekend long ride! I already have a bike + panniers + sleeping bag.. so a tent + sleeping mat are the last pieces of kit that I need to try my hand at bicycle camping!


• Do a weekend (2-day) bicycle camping trip. I was thinking that a nice first trip would be to cycle (part of the way) around the Ijsselmeer.

BTW.. as one last aside.. for those in Amsterdam who are interested in tour cycling (or other trips that speak to the imagination), I HIGHLY recommend these stores:

• De Vakantiefietser - Westerstraat 216
• Pied à Terre - Overtoom 135-137

Trip Dates (2 May-27 July) + TODO List

The vacation dates for my TransAm cycle trip have now been agreed upon with my boss at the Vrije Universiteit: 1 May - 28 July. Since 1 May and 28 July will be occupied with airplane flights (and logistics of getting to the start/finish points), that means I will be cycling from 2 May to 27 July.

That would give me 87 days (almost 3 months) to cycle the 4,262 miles.. which is 49 miles (79 km) per day on average. That should be doable! (Although the 87 days naturally includes rest days.. so some days will be longer than others.)

There are lots of things that I'll need to think about in the upcoming week(s). This includes:

- A training schedule
- Selection of a bicycle + camping gear
- Planning my route
- Learning bicycle repair
- Booking an airplane ticket
- Creating a mobile computing setup
- Selecting other equipment to bring

Can anyone think of anything that I've forgotten?

Also.. here's a link to the cycle route that I plan to ride:
http://www.adventurecycling.org/routes/transamerica.cfm

Cheers!
Melanie

Old Dreams. New Blog.

I've daydreamed about long bicycle rides since I was in high school.

My first encounter with a multi-day cycle ride was the Florida AIDS Ride. In May 1997 I wrote in an email:

"You wouldn't believe the incredible day I've had. Today, I volunteered at the closing ceremonies for the Florida AIDS Ride 2. It was so amazing to see all of the riders, just finishing up 275 miles, and all of their friends, and family behind them. And that's neglecting the 2 million dollars for AIDS charities that they raised!
...
I'm not a spiritual person, but if there is a god, I believe that it manifests in unlikely forms like AIDS rides.. Sometimes I think that it is simply a part of anything that happens to be interesting and different. If that is the case, I have such an urgent need to be holy."

I promised to myself that I would ride in the Florida AIDS Ride 3. But the next year, the Florida AIDS Ride shut down.

I forgot about distance cycling until I moved to Boston in 2001. That was when I discovered that one of the last remaining AIDS Rides, the Northeast AIDS Ride, was accepting applications. All I had to do was commit to riding 350 miles (~565 kilometers) in 4 days, and fundraising US$2100 for AIDS Charities! I swallowed.. and signed up.

Over the next 4 months, I logged 1000 miles in training rides and raised US$2320. And it was tough.. but I finished the 350 mile ride on my hybrid Crestview Diamondback. In retrospect, I can say that the Northeast AIDS Ride was one of the most inspiring (and physically demanding) experiences that I've ever had in my life!

That is the story of how I got the cycling bug. During my AIDS Ride training, I fell in love with the solitude.. the panoramic scenery.. the honesty of physical exertion.. the taste of suntan oil mixed with sweat.. and the roadside comeraderie of other eccentrics that harbor the same obsession.

I yearned to bicycle across America. In 2001, I applied for a job as a "road hand" at a cross-country bicycle touring company, America By Bicycle. But my application was (logically) rejected, due to my lack of cycling experience. In 2002, I moved to Europe, and temporarily put my distance cycling dream to rest. But the flame never died.. I would someday.. become a cyclist again.

It's now February 2009, and I'm 30 years old. I'm in decent physical shape (although it takes more effort to maintain then it used to). I just finished my Ph.D. and I have ~3 months of saved vacation. Conclusion: Now is the Time!

This blog will document my Transamerican Bicycle journey... both before and during the actual trip. There will be nitpicky training details. Discussion of logistical preparations. And the unavoidable ruminations and philosophizing.

But this journey, like so many others in my life, defines who I am. And by sharing this journey with me, you are also becoming a part of something... that makes my life worth living.

Melanie