Preparation

To get ready for the trip, I did a lot of research on bike touring. I watched many YouTube videos and read a lot of online forums. My dad's journal from his trip was really helpful in figuring out the route he took. While researching, I found the Adventure Cycling website, which had routes similar to my dad's. I decided to use their maps for guidance.

For the bike, I chose my dad's 1993 Bianchi mountain bike because I thought its solid frame could support my panniers. For training, I spent hours riding around where I was living to get my legs and butt used to biking. Since I knew I was leaving my job, I used all of my PTO to take four-day weekends, during which I went on mini bike trips around Western New York. These trips helped me figure out what gear I needed and what I didn't.

I got a lot of support from friends and family. My close friend Collin even 3D printed a mount for my GPS device and welded an old ruler to act as a mount for the front rack of my bike. With all this preparation and encouragement, I felt ready to start this journey that I’ve deemed “Tour De La Dead V2”.