I picked up my new pride & joy yesterday. Her given name is the Surly Long Haul Trucker. As I get to know her better, she'll be earning a new one though. Only time and experience(s) can determine what that name will be.
The friendly and knowledgeable folks at Cycle Analyst (great name, right?) in Denver were great to work with. They happen to be one of the only shops in the Denver-Boulder area that actually stock the Long Haul Trucker (LHT). Last Wednesday morning they spent a good hour talking with me about various touring bikes and the many options to consider when gearing up for a long distance journey. Friday afternoon I went back in to make the final decision on a bike. And yesterday afternoon, I picked up the fully built and ready-to-go rig that is to become both my home and mode of transportation for the next 2 - 2.5 months.
I'm not gonna lie, I'm pretty dang stoked about this latest development in my plans for this trip!! It has helped to make everything else more tangible. Now I just need to do my best to break the LHT in before starting out my journey in Oregon. If you're keeping track, this whole thing begins in 28 days. That's not quite enough time to break in my new Brooks saddle, but it'll have to do.
I begin the breaking in process in just a few minutes. Last night my cousin, Chad, got married to his beautiful bride, Anali (congrats to you both!!) in Colorado Springs. Afterwards I crashed at Cousin Bonnie's (Chad's sister) apartment. I woke with a craving for Panera Bread and a little blogging action. So I punched Panera into my typically trusty iPhone in search of the nearest one. But, apparently, the iPhone celebrates Mother's Day by taking this day off. As a result, it took me all over this town in search of the Panera I'm now sitting in. But I'm in no real hurry and it's a beautiful day out. I've used the free WiFi here to map out what looks like a fun little route that will take me in and around the Garden of the Gods, Pike National Forest, and the quaint and historic town of Manitou Springs, all in the shadows of majestic Pikes Peak! Should make for a gorgeous and fun inaugural spin on the LHT.
One last note: for anyone interested in getting into cycling, long distance or otherwise, I highly recommend (as will many cyclists) always carrying a set of Allen keys (not Alan Keyes) with you. This morning, on the way to Panera, I realized that I had forgotten to bring mine with me down to the Springs. So I had to sidetrack in search of a Home Depot in this oddly constructed metropolis. Since today will be my first time on this bike, there are likely going to be several adjustments to the bike that will be needed to perfect its fit to my body. Primarily, I'll likely end up toying with the saddle height and tilt. Honing in this fit is imperative if I plan on spending 500+ hours in the saddle this summer.
On that note, it's time to go see how the LHT feels on the road. This won't be a huge ride, probably 30 miles at most. My legs are twitching in anticipation. Even they can't seem to contain their excitement for this moment!
Ride on...
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