A wet test ride

 Ahoy from the western portion of the preparations!!

My decked out new bike!

I arrived home on Thursday with bikes, boxes, and my life from Colorado that somehow all managed to fit in my car. Friday it was off to Madison for my brother's graduation and celebration. Fun times and a great city to visit! After unpacking the U-haul for Alex and my own boxes, I had a fair bit of sorting/organization to do before the next trip. That all done, I now have what I think is everything I will be bringing to Norway.

So, I test rode the bike. In the rain. Because I had ridden for 80-something miles with weight on Monday, but with as many books as I could find--not exactly as I was going to carry it on the trip. I also wanted to see how the fenders worked because Boulder offers very few opportunities to ride on wet pavement, there being 300+ days of sun!

The mountainous landscape in Minnesota provides plenty of opportunities to do extended climbing---not! But I have taken it up the biggest hills I could find! This weekend I'll apart and pray to the mechanics at Ubikes to send me some great wrenching skills so that I can put it back together as well!

I have to say that coming back to 'flatlands' after living at altitude has felt amazing! My legs and lungs love it, the riding is smooth and fast :-). 

Publicity materials for the book!!

I am still waiting on copies of my book from the publisher, but I am making inquiries at book stores, starting with the one in my hometown. Publicity starts seriously once I get back in August!