Why are you doing this tour? Are you nuts?

The first time I did Pac Tour, in 1998, my main motivation was the desire to ride across country. It seemed like an obvious goal for someone who was interested in long-distance cycling. I was unsure about my ability to actually complete the ride, but I figured it was worth a try.

Two things made me sign up for this second tour. First, I remember thinking after the completion of the 1998 tour that I couldn't wait to do another one. Second, I read the ride description on the Pac Tour Web site and came to a part about a small town in Kansas hosting a barbecue for the riders after the longest day of the trip. I love barbecue, so I sent in a check. Yes, I'm doing it for the meat.

How far do you go every day?

The average number of miles per day is about 124. The shortest day is supposed to be 80 miles. The longest day is 160 miles. The shortest day has 5,500 ft of climbing, though, while the longest only has 830 ft. The difficulty of any given day is a combination of the miles, the climbing, and the weather (wind and/or heat). A long day with lots of climbing in hot weather (or moderate climbing with a head wind) is what we want to avoid!

Just spare tubes and basic tools. Everything else is carried for us. In my case, I'm also carrying the digital camera.

Do you camp? Where do you stay at night?

Each night we stay in the best motel that our destination town has to offer, supposedly. Sometimes, it's the only motel. Some are eccentric, some are semi-luxurious, and most are perfectly ordinary. In 1998, I remember only one motel that was really bad, and that was in Arkansas.

And if you get tired or injured?

The French supposedly have a saying that "you can go a long way after you're tired." I can vouch for the truth of that. I will undoubtedly be very very tired for much of this trip, but as long as I'm not injured, I should be able to keep riding OK. If I hurt myself somehow, though (inflamed knees, for instance), I have the option of riding in a van. I managed to avoid this in 1998, and one of my big goals is to avoid it this year, too. However, since I've already ridden across country once, I'm probably about 5% less adamant about riding every mile this time.

What kind of bike are you riding?

After much internal debate, I decided to bring my Rivendell road bike this year. It's my newest bike, and it's very comfortable to ride for long periods. It's a traditional, lugged, steel bicycle frame, and it's as pretty as it is comfortable. I decided to bring it because both of my other road bikes have already been on some kind of epic undertaking and I figured that the Rivendell deserved a chance. On the 1998 Pac Tour, I rode a Trek 5200 carbon fiber bike that worked very well. Last year, I rode my Hollands Softride bicycle in Paris-Brest-Paris. The Hollands is even more comfortable than the Rivendell (it has a full-suspension beam), but it's kind of heavy, and there is lots of climbing on this trip.

Whatever I can stomach. The tour provides a good breakfast and lunch each day. Energy bars, cookies and fruit are available at the water stops. For dinner, it's whatever you can find in that town that's within walking distance. Fortunately, hungry riders aren't particularly choosy. In 1998, my personal low point was having to buy dinner at a Taco Bell -- in a gas station.

Do you get to "stop and smell the roses"?

The idea is to smell them from the bike. With this many miles to do every day, my main priority is to keep moving. You can see (and smell) a lot from a bike, though.

How are you doing this Web site?

With an Apple iBook laptop computer (at right), DreamWeaver software, an Agfa digital camera, and assorted other stuff. I had to get special permission to bring the computer because PAC Tour has a strict weight limit (40 lbs). iBooks look cool, but they aren't exactly light nor compact. I carry the camera in a small bag hung under the aero bars of my bicycle.

Who takes care of your bike if there's a mechanical problem?

The tour has good mechanics on the crew. My own local bike shop, Open Road, helped me get everything ship shape before I left. Thanks Chris and Liam!

Not really. OK, it gets a little sore, but I have stuff for that . 'Nuff said.