Michele and Jerry and Roy, all late fifties to early sixties, intend to bicycle from Astoria, Oregon, to the East Coast starting in June, 2007. Roy has been talking about making the ride for several years. Roy and Jerry are veterans of shorter tours, the longest being a seven-day ride from Astoria, Oregon, to the California border. Michele and Jerry walked coast to coast across England (a trivial 190 miles or so) (see http://home.alamedanet.net/~harrisonjm/) in 2004. That seemed to trigger the desire in Michele to try the coast to coast ride here. The expectation is that the ride will take three months or a little longer. We have reserved the time off work. Nine months to go. How to prepare?

As it happens, Jerry's bike frame developed a crack recently, so a new frame was in order. He had a touring frame custom-made (his uncommon height makes a standard bike frame too small). Roy tootles around on a bike manufactured about the time JFK was shot. He admits that he will have to buy a new touring bike - just not yet. Michele will stand pat with her Cannondale.

Jerry and Michele bicycle to work with some regularity. The ride is not challenging. They attend the "spin" class at the gym weekly. Roy maintains his training program of coffee and
reading the newspaper.