On Bicycle Upgrades....

My bike is a Trek 7500FX hybrid.
Currently, I'm outfitted with:

• flat, MTB-style handlebars
• shimanno trigger-shifters and brake levers
• 3spd crankset
• 8spd rear cassette
• 20 spoke front wheel
• 32 spoke rear wheel
• dual-purpose pedals (clips/no-clips)
• rear bike rack

Most of the bike is in great shape and ready to hit the road. However, there are some components that I'm looking at closely. I'd like to get a racing-style drop-bar instead of the flat bar. Drop-bars provide many more options for hand positions which prevents wrist fatigue. (a problem I've had just riding around town.) Unfortunately, adding drop bars for $40 would require me to replace my shifters and brake levers for $350. Granted, there are less expensive shifting options but I love my trigger shifters and the comparable system for drop-bars doesn't come cheap. I may just compromise with a bull-horn-style bar which provides less hand positions than the drops but would allow me to keep my control mechanisms intact (I think.)

Another system that I'm looking at is my wheel set. On my previous tour I had matching 20 spoke wheels on the front and back. I naively packed too much weight on the back wheel and caused one of the spokes to rip out of the side wall, throwing the entire wheel horribly off true. I replaced the busted 20 spk. with the current 32 spk. I need to find out if this wheel will be more capable of sustaining a load for an extended period of time. If not than I'll need to look into a stronger wheel set. I'll almost certainly switch my front wheel out for a higher spoke count. It was foolish to take 20 spks. on a tour and I've learned my lesson. I'll also replace one, if not both, of my current tires.

The drive train is in good shape. I replaced the rear-cassette and chain over the winter and the pedals and crank-set are still in good shape. I'll probably have a bike-shop grease all the bearings in the front part of the drive-train. Some maintanince tasks are too easy too screw up for me to feel comfortable doing myself.

A daunting view from the start...

When I first started planning my cross-Missouri trip last summer I was initially discouraged at my inability to focus on the nitty-gritty details. I'm finding the same to be true this time around. There are so many different aspects involved that it's hard to narrow down one bit of planning without having to take another bit into account. The larger scope of this trip doesn't make it any easier.

An example of the range of issues that I'm looking at:

• What route should I take from D/F.W. to Austin?
• What if there are no trees for my hammock?
• How many and what spare bike parts should I bring?
• How will I get home?
• How long can I tolerate dehydrated food?
• How far can I expect to ride each day?

There are many, many other potential problems running through my head and I look at each one with alternating senses of daunting dread and excited ingenuity. For the most part I enjoy problem solving and look forward to building my confidence with each question mark that I erase.

Introductions and what-not.

My name is Tom and I live in Kansas City, Missouri. I've used a bicycle as my exclusive means of self-transport for nearly four years. I've come to believe if you can drive it, than you can bike it and if you can bike it, than you should do so. I completed my first bicycle tour last fall. I traveled most of the way across Missouri (Sedallia-St. Louis) in a four day trip. I traveled along Missouri's wonderful "Katy Trail State Park" and would recommend this trip to anyone.

I'm in the beginning stages of planning a trip from Kansas City down to Austin, Texas. Why Austin? Because it's a cool town and I might be able to get my brother to drive me back.

I take a rather haphazard approach to planning. I've got a mental list of goals that need to be achieved and I make incremental progress on each goal as my fancy suits me. I'll work on the route until I get bored, then switch my mind to the equipment for a few days. In the end I usually have a highly detailed plan including day by day itinerary, detailed lists of equipment, packing layouts and precautionary safe-guards. The Boy Scout's motto of "Be Prepared" is often in the forefront of my thoughts.

I plan to use this Blog to present the progress of my plans and training to those who might be interested.