Kick-Off and Fundraising Party

So, after talking about nothing else for the last two months, I am finally leaving for Vancouver on Saturday to start biking!

Midnight on April 27 will be the last chance to "vote" in the save it or shave it campaign. Right now the standings are as follows:
Long hair - $500.03
Short hair - $128 ish
Shaved - $35 ish

We'll be having a birthday/send-off party in Toronto on Friday, which incidentally will coincide with the deadline...

Thanks to all who have donated so far!! Thanks to my grandma, I might be carrying my long hair with me around the world. However, if the verdict is "shaved" we'll be doing the honours right then and there (when I can't chicken out)

If you can't make the party but want to donate, you can do it online at http://gilliancycles.thon.givemeaning.com/

Please also come on a bike ride before the party - see the Critical Mass event!!! Even if you're not in Toronto, check out Critical Mass anyway. I promise it will be the best way you could possibly spend your Friday afternoon.

Love Y'all, and I hope to see you there!!

Lessons for a Newbie Cyclist

As much as last weekend’s initiation into bike-geekdom made me feel like I knew everything I needed to about bicycles, it turns out that the proof is in the pedaling. This week’s rides have made a few more things clear, and more than anything I know that there's always more to know.

1. Use the Gears

My legs have been slowly getting stronger in the last several months, and instead of sticking to the granny gears that once salvaged my muscles if not my pride I’ve begun to base my cycling self-worth on riding in ever lower, more difficult gears. Though invisible to outsiders, it feels like a major accomplishment to complete a gradual ascent in a gear that had grown rusty from disuse, and climbing a modest hill without moving my chain makes me feel almost as cool as the single-speed kids.

As it turns out, though, this is only good to a point. Yes, there’s a lot of efficiency to gain if you can pedal harder and lift your legs a little less often, but to protect the knees and gain longer-term endurance, strenuous pushing isn’t as cool as I thought. The ideal pace, I learned from my friend and cycling-guru Dan, is 60-80 RPM, meaning that you’re pumping up and down just over once per second. The slow, hard hill-climbing bursts use up anaerobic energy and wear out your muscles, and should be reserved for cyclefit classes that you’re planning to walk home from.

2. No Glove, No Love

It wasn’t long ago that I thought that fingerless leather cycling gloves were a trademark reserved for the harder-core-than-thou set, but my first good wipeout of the season left little doubt as to their usefulness. My radial head fracture last year should have been enough to remind me of a key point in human defense: when you fall, you fall on your hands. Of course, I never go out assuming I’m going to fall, so it was only through a combination of luck and unseasonably cold weather that I happened to be wearing gloves when I toppled over a curb with a steep hill’s worth of momentum.

With a tear in my thin winter gloves I was happy not to have on my hands, and a crack in my helmet I’m happy not to have in my head, I am now willing to concede, unconditionally, that protection=good.

3. Shoes Matter

I’d never considered the idea that foot fatigue would be a problem on a bicycle. I mean, you’re sitting down, right? Still, I’m realizing that I should have heeded the sound advice of Bicycle Jack: “it’s worth it to make an extra investment at the points where your skin meets the machine.” After 90 minutes of riding with my flimsy Chuck Taylors, the tender tendons in my arches are letting me know that I might need to look into something sturdier before heading out on a multi-day trek.

4. If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It

As excited as I was about learning to fix my bike last Friday, my main lessons were that my bike was already in pretty good shape, and that knowing how to do something isn’t the same as being able to do it well. I’ve spent the last week asserting that my DIY tune-up had done wonders for my bike, and the stiffer riding was only because the tires needed air. However, after a little air and a long ride, I can safely say that I’ve thrown a few things out of whack that were perfectly fine before. For one, I seem to have traded a dysfunctional front derailleur for a finicky back one. Good thing I now know how to fix it!

Shave my head and send me to Siberia

No, it's not a punishment... it's a fundraising campaign for, okay, a somewhat masochistic adventure. Phase one of my 10,000km trip starts in less than a month, so it's time to get my butt in gear, both literally and figuratively.

In order to fund this venture, I'm asking for any assistance that anyone is willing to give. To make it more interesting, all donations toward the trip are going in three categories: long, short, and shaved. These refer to the length my hair will be as of my birthday, April 29... I'm leaving it up to you.

This is the official kick-off, and here are the standings:
Long hair: $0
Short hair: $153
No hair: $20.47

so here's the deal: i'm not shaving my head for 25 bucks. That will barely get me to Hamilton. So I need your help to take me 10,000 km on a bike, and all the way around the world.

I hope to raise $10,000 for this six-month venture, which will fund the trip as well as supporting a few environmental and social charities in the areas we visit.
$1 donation = 1 km biked, and one vote for your choice of hairstyle for the journey.

Traveling is unpredictable, but I travel cheaply and will spend as little as possible. The funds will cover flights and offsetting them, food and water, bike parts and maintenance, internet costs, camping gear, accommodations in cities, medical and travel insurance, visa fees (whether real or fabricated by police), and a bit of cash on hand in case of emergencies. Any funds that are left over will be donated to the most compelling grassroots charity or project we find along the way. I'll tell you all about it in my blog.

Your support will send me on an epic journey, educate hundreds of kids about sustainable living, raise environmental consciousness through media and blogs, support great grassroots organizations, and help a team of people form connections across the world. There are lots of ways to help out!

1. Give me cash in person or at a fundraising event. I have three lovely baskets marked for this purpose. Next Event: Toronto Skillshare and potluck, 139 Winchester, April 15. check out the WIC for details.

2. mail cheques or money orders, made to Gillian Ream, to:
P.O. Box 711
Pinckney, MI 48169
USA

3. make a tax-deductible donation to the Otesha Project on my behalf. Otesha organized the Canadian portion of the tour, and is my source of training and inspiration for the entire thing. Donate online or by mail, with "Gillian Ream - Bike Tour" as the purpose of the donation.

4. Become a Sponsor! In-kind donations will be happily accepted. There's a wishlist at gilliancycles.blogspot.com. Contact me to find out how your business can become a partner of the Russia Crossing team.

Thank you so much to everyone for the support that has come in so many forms, and for the love and excitement you're sending my way! I appreciate it so much.