An interesting few days. I should be training for my trip from Aberdeen to Brighton and back, but just can't motivate myself to tackle the hideous weather we have had up in Shetland, including snow in May. The Tern, mounted on a turbo trainer is soul destroying. Cycling without any sort of view is beyond hideous. Firstly, a few days ago I bumped into an American riding a Surly LHT outside my local shop (in Voe). I talked to him about his bike and my Thorn. He mentioned that he had come across two guys riding Thorns with Surly forks within the past couple of days. As luck would have it the other half and I met them both in Lerwick's main street today. Both on Nomad's, one yellow and one black, both with Surly forks, which made them look really short wheelbase, but they reckoned they steered better than the originals. Their frames looked really small compared to my eXp. Lovely guys, but you would expect no less of Thorn riders (and Yorkshiremen)! The other half is now convinced more that ever that her Dawes Karakum must go to be replaced for a Nomad or a Raven. She is slooow at decision making though so I might still be saying this next year.
A couple more merino long sleeve baselayer t-shirts have been delivered. These are Peter Storm and £15 each. They don't look as good as the Alpkit one (£39), but testing will tell the whole story. There has also been a delivery of a couple of Craghoppers micro-fleeces and a new Rab jacket. I have spent so much on this tour so far that I could have probably had a couple of weeks in Australia for the same money (sans bike of course!).
I have decided that when I get back I will start saving for a new adventure. I want to do the Panamerican highway from Alaska down to the US/Mexico border. I will need a full suss bike to handle the corrugations of the road through Alaska. I don't want to be shaken to bits on the eXp. I am eyeing a Tout Terrain Panamericana, after reading about a guy and his wife riding one through South America (on crazyguyonabike.com). The price is horrendous, about 6,000 Euros, and I don't expect many come up used. It's only a dream at the moment, and one which I will need a to do list for so at least I can start checking things off to get there. I just need to persuade the other half to come with me. A good test for her potential new Thorn perhaps?
This time next week I will be on the ferry from Shetland to Aberdeen, probably worrying about why I didn't practice cooking on my new MSR multi-fuel stove, and what the first batch of porage will turn out like. Probably black and needing burying.
