Listed below is some of the correspondence to the riders, support, and other people who helped with the ride. It helps give some insight on how the ride took shape.

9/19/2000

 

Hello, I need to get your opinion on the route for the first couple days while riding in France.

 

On Day 5, we will be in Luxembourg (and most likely taking a day off) (will Luxembourg be a good day to take a day off?). Then, from there we go into France and head toward Lyon. Before heading to Lyon, we will be going through the city of Dijon (Mustard capital of the world (according to one guidebook that I have)). Below are three scenarios from Luxembourg and Dijon. These scenarios are for Day 6 through Day 8.

 

For the distances, I used MapQuest on the web ( http://www.MapQuest.com ). It allows me to find distances between any two cities in North America and Europe. Through advanced features, I can customize it so it finds the best route and stay away from limited access roads (like Moterways). While MapQuest is good for finding distances, it is aimed for people traveling in cars, not unicycles (or even bicycles). That means, I won’t know for sure if the route chosen is the best for unicycling until we get the bike maps. But, we need to get the rough idea of the route figured out before we get the bike maps.

 

Here are the distances Day 1 through 5

Day 1 – Cologne to Bonn (28.8 km)

Day 2 – Bonn to Koblenz (62 km)

Day 3 – Koblenz to Bernkastel-Kues (94.8 km)

Day 4 - Bernkastel-Kues to Luxembourg (108.9 km)

Day 5 – Take a break in Luxembourg (we could take this break somewhere else . . . )

 

------------------

Scenario 1

Luxembourg to Dijon (299.2 km) (via Thionville, Metz, Toul, Neufchateau, Langres, Longeau)

 

For this scenario, I let MapQuest choose the shortest route (with no moterways) between Luxembourg to Dijon.

Note: Longeau is a small village and while did appear on MapQuest, it wasn’t on my paper map of France.

 

------------------

Scenerio 2                                                                                            

Luxembourg to Metz (58.5 km)

Metz to Nancy (59.4 km)

Nancy to Neufchateau (59.9 km)

Neufchateau to Longeau (80.8 km) (via Clefmont, Langres, Longeau)

Longeau to Dijon (57.9 km) (via Selongey, Epagny)

Total: 316.5 km (for three days this average would be 105 km)

 

This route goes south from Luxembourg and has us unicycling through two major cities, Metz and Nancy. We would not be going through Verdun on this route. A possible route day by day would be:

Day 6: Luxembourg to Nancy (117.9 km) (Whoa, that is a long distance to ride)

Day 7: Nancy to ?? (some city past Longeau) (about 100 km)

Day 8: ?? to Dijon (about 100 km)

 

------------------

Scenerio 3

Luxembourg to Verdun (82.1 km)

Verdun to Neufchateau (105.5 km) (via Saint-Mihiel, Void)

Neufchateau to Longeau (80.8 km) (via Clefmont, Langres, Longeau)

Longeau to Dijon (57.9 km) (via Selongey, Epagny)

Total 326.3 (for three days this average would be 109 km)

                                                           

This route goes to Verdun then we would follow the Meuse River to Neufchateau. This would be the more scenic route and would have the benefit of being more leisurely. A possible route day by day would be:

Day 6: Luxembourg to Verdun (82.1 km)

Day 7: Verdun to Neufchateau (105.5 km)

Note: If we would travel from Neufchateau to Dijon in one day it would be 138.7 km, a bit too much for one day of riding. That means that we would most likely add a day on to this leg of the journey.

Day 8: Neufchateau to Longeau (80.8) (actually, Longeau is a tiny village so it wouldn’t be at this town but somewhere around the area)

Day 9: Longeau to Dijon (57.9 km)

------------------

 

What is your opinion on these routes?

 

 

Here are some other estimates for distances after Dijon.

Dijon to Lyon (191.9 km) 2 days

Lyon to Sete (318.9 km) 4 days

Sete to Barcelona (322.9 km) 5 days

 

-Andy

9/22/2000

 

This email is being sent out to people who are going for on the European Unicycle Tour or have said that they will be writing me a check soon.

 

As was mentioned in the FAQ, there is some talk about getting some custom Coker’s built especially for the ride. From the observation from Unicycle Across Minnesota, Coker’s out performed the 28” unicycles in a number of ways (speed, smoothness of ride, etc.).

 

Here are the details in how we plan to get our Coker’s.

 

Coker’s are currently built in Taiwan and are shipped as complete units to the Coker headquarters in Tennessee. There are no spare parts sent along. That means that you either buy a whole Coker or make the parts yourself (note: we can get extra tires as they are made in the USA). Neil, Paul (from O’sells), and I were originally planning on building the Coker from the ground up, starting with the Coker tire. But, getting a rim made for the Coker would be expensive and could take a long time. Also, spokes for the Coker are not easy to come by. So, the plan is that we will buy a whole Coker and start replacing parts. O’sells will get us a Coker for $295 (that is about the same as UnicycleSource). From there, the Coker will be modified to the needs of the rider (and their budget).

 

For those in Europe, I would suggest buying a Coker from a local source and either the parts to modify the unicycle can be shipped over or gotten locally. This should make it much cheaper for people living in Europe to get a Coker the way they want (if they decide to use a Coker)

 

For the Coker off the shelf, here are the almost essential items that need to be upgraded:

Bearings (I’ve heard the original ones aren’t that great) (new bearings are relatively cheap)

Cranks (need to put on shorter cranks)

Pedals (need to get something that will grip nicely)

Seat (the seat that it comes with Coker really sucks)

Break and brake assembly kit

Cycle computer

 

Here is a list of things (from the top of my head) that Neil and I are planning on upgrading on our Coker’s:

New hub (the hub that comes on the Coker isn’t that great)

New bearings (probably in the $15 to $20 dollar range)

IDOL 125 mm cranks

Odyssey pedals

New bearing holders (use Miyata ones or something custom that Neil will make)

New frame (the new frame will have as many ‘extras’ as we can think of)

Brake assembly with brake

Cycle computer

Carbon fiber seat

 

If you are interested in getting a Coker please let me know as we are going to make an order with O’sells within a week.

 

-Andy

10/23/2000

 

Hello all,

This is the update you have been waiting for . . . . . .

 

First of all, here is the list of who is going. It is divided up into: Going for sure (paid the registration fee), riders planning on sending in the registration fee, special circumstances, and support crew.

 

*Going for sure (7 riders)(these people have paid the registration fee):

Andy Cotter - USA (Minnesota)

Christain Hoverath - Germany

Neil Younggren - USA (Minnesota)

Tammy Marsh - USA (South Dakota)

Tanya Marsh - USA (South Dakota)

Aaron Svec - USA (Wyoming)

Chris Cline - USA (Michigan)

 

*Riders planning on sending in the registration fee (3 riders):

Kris Donohoo - USA (California)

Colin Schworer - USA (Minnesota)

Scot Cooper - USA (California)

 

*Special circumstances (4 riders):

Roger Davies - United Kingdom

Note: Due to Roger’s schedule, he will not be able to join us for the full ride. Since Roger rides long distance regularly and at a fast pace (averaging 18 MPH for as much as 20 miles), he shouldn’t have a problem fitting in with the group.

 

Frank Bonsch - Germany

Erik Kolb - Germany

Sven Wittorf - Germany

Note: Frank, Erik and Sven will not be able to join us for the full ride, they will ride with us for the first couple of days.

 

*Other:

Oliver Dupre - France

Note: We would like Oliver to join us but haven’t heard from him lately. Oliver, are you still thinking about joining us?

 

*Support Crew:

Connie Cotter

Dana Schnieder

Note: Here is our ‘seasoned’ support crew. Both know unicycling and will help us have fun.

 

***Training:

I’ve got some good ideas with training suggestions, I’ll hopefully get them published by Dec 1 so people can help make suggestions on what I can improve on for the training schedule. As I have told many people, training is not mandatory, just a really good idea. Some people need more training than others do. I plan on training my butt off, as I would like to enjoy the trip as much as possible.

 

***Cokers

As was mentioned in the FAQ, while not mandatory, a Coker is a good idea for the tour. We were trying to build a Coker from the wheel up, but we the person who said they could get us a rim found that it wouldn’t work out. So, we are stuck with buying a whole Coker and replacing the parts that we don’t need.

 

If you are getting a Coker there are some things that need to be added/replaced before riding it.

Parts that need to be replaced:

*Bearings -> put in better bearings (doesn’t cost much to get much better bearings)

*Cranks -> they come with 175 mm (6 inch) cranks, right away I’m putting on 125 mm (5 inch) cranks. Roger has 110 (4.25 inch) cranks on his Coker.

*Brake Kit -> Needed on Cokers with short cranks. We have some good ideas on how to mount a brake and cycle computer.

*Cycle Computer -> Needed for distance and speed.

*Seat -> The seat it comes with needs to be modified or replaced. It currently comes with a Viscount, I’m guessing most will switch it to a Miyata. Although, seats are a personal preference. Whatever works for you. On mine, I will have carbon fiber seat, something that Roger says is really helpful with short cranks as he really pulls on his seat going up hills.

 

Extras that you can have on your Coker:

*Hub -> Replace the hub that comes on the Coker

*Frame -> I’m getting a new frame built that will replace the Coker frame

 

Here is the list of people who want a Coker. After the name will be the extras that they requested.

Andy – The full deal

Neil – The full deal

Tanya – Bearings, Cranks, Brake, Cycle Computer, Miyata Seat

Christian – The full deal

Chris Cline - ?

Aaron Svec - ?

 

***Web Site

I am going to be putting up a website soon. On it will be maps (in PDF format) and some other useful information. I would like to get web links of places we are staying and put them on the web so everybody can find out about where we are going. I am hoping to get the web site up in the next couple of weeks.

 

That is all for now. Let me know if you have any questions.

 

-Andy

11/16/2000

Hello all,

 

*Website

The website for the European Unicycle Tour is well on its way.

 

It has been started and will change a lot in the upcoming months. The purpose of the website is to have a lot of useful information about the ride. Since we all have web access, it is the best way to display information.

 

Current information on the web site:

FAQ (it is dated from 11/1)

Maps, overview and detailed info for each day (actually, I’m up to day 20 in the detailed maps)

 

What I need from everyone is to start giving me links to websites that have information on where we are staying. I will then put that link right in the website next to that day. For example, I will do a search on Verdun, France and after I find a useful website, I will put that on the web page so everyone can view it. While English is the one language that we as a group can speak, having a website in German, Spanish, or French is also welcome. If a website has great pictures, the language doesn’t make a difference.

 

So, start sending me links.

 

Also, I will be asking all of you questions on the route. The current maps are my first attempt to get us a route. For the most part, I just made sure we were off the major roads and tried to have us go by interesting places. I’m sure the route could be improved if we all do some research. I’ve already noticed some areas that need improvement but my first goal is to just get some sort of route done and available on the web.

 

Here are two questions I would like to ask the group:

1. We currently have three days off during the ride. They currently are: Day 5 - Luxembourg, Day 12 – Lyon, France, and Day 17 – Sete, France. Lyon makes sense since we are meeting Olivier Dupre and he will show us around the day. Sete is the first day we will be at the Mediterranean and that will be a good time to hit the beaches. But, Luxembourg may not be the best place to take a day off. Does anybody have a suggestion on where we should take our third day off? Some suggestions: Verdun France, Nimes France, Roses Spain.

 

2. We are currently starting the trip on Wednesday, July 25. I would like to move the first day to Tuesday, July 24 (or even Monday, July 23). The USA Nationals ends on Friday, July 20, that means people could go home then fly to Europe or fly directly from Toronto to Europe. What are your thoughts on the subject?

 

So, what I need you to do is to give me Web links and send some feedback about question 1 and 2.

 

*Coker unicycles

A prototype is currently being built for me. It is supposed to be done by Dec 1. I’ll keep you informed of the progress.

 

That is all for now. I’ll be sending frequent updates on changes to the web. Remember to hit the reply button and send me your brain waves.

 

-Andy

1/3/2001

 

Hello, hope you all had a good Christmas and New Year.

 

I’ve got good news, O’sells is ready to start sending out the Cokers (finally). But first, you need to decide what options you want on your Coker (just like buying a car but with no pressure to get the extended warranty).

 

From what I have heard, there is currently a Coker shortage. O’sells bought the last eight Cokers from Coker himself. Everybody else is out of Cokers and O’sells is the only one with available Cokers. We all get first crack at the Cokers O’sells has available. After that, there is already a waiting list for people wanting a modified Coker.

 

For those of you who already have a Coker, you may want to buy the accessories from O’sells (like the brake assembly). Or, buy what you need and build the rest yourself.

 

For those of you who have a Coker, I would highly recommend you getting a drag brake. It makes going down hills much easier on the knees. Roger Davies has given enough testimony in favor of a drag brake that I am completely sold on the idea. Plus, being one (of many) on Unicycle Across Minnesota with knee problems, I am willing to do anything to prevent knee pain.

 

My Coker should be done this Friday. I am getting the deluxe version (new frame, new hub, etc). I will be writing my thoughts on my custom Coker as soon as I have had a chance to ride it around the gym (it is too crappy to ride it outside).

 

Disclaimer: While Paul and Terry did their best with estimating the cost of everything, prices may change.

 

Prices:

$275 Coker (this is the basic uni coming from the factory, including the Viscount seat, crapy Union pedals, and long 6” cranks.)

 

Frame:

$225 Custom Frame. Includes the cost of a one-color paint job (excluding red as that color costs more). This frame replaces the Coker frame and allows the use of Miyata bearing holders.

 

Bearings:

$12 Pair of Bearings (the bearing that come on the Coker are not even sealed, these bearing are sealed)

 

Hub and Bearing Holders

$26 Pair of Miyata bearing holders

$60 Suzue Hub and rebuild wheel labor (this would replace the Coker hub)

$70? Take the original Coker frame and replace the bearing dropouts with Miyata dropouts

 

Brake Assembly:

$15 Deore XT Thumb PowerShifter

$26 to $45 Linear Pull V-Brake (the price range is they don’t know how much stock they have and the current price)

$30 Labor cost to modify the original frame for the Linear Pull V-Brake (if you are getting a custom frame you don’t need to pay this cost)

$30 Extension (Indicate short or long. The short version is much like Roger Davies had on his Coker, you would reach slightly under the seat to change the brake. The long version goes up in front of the seat and has a hand holds. Both versions include an extension for the cycle computer. Of course, the long version makes it easier to read the cycle computer)

 

Accessories:

$30 Cateye cycle computer (Osell’s will install the computer if they have the Coker available)

$30 Pedals (Twisted Pro)

$45 Miyata Seat (rumor has it that blue and red seats have just entered the country)

$55 Carbon Fiber Seat (This is what I will have on my Coker, but this price is just the seat, you still will need bumpers, foam, and seat cover. You will also need to order this from UnicycleSource)

$20 Cranks. Choose either 5” or 5.5”. I’ve also got 4 or 5 pairs of 125 mm IDOL cranks at home.

 

Extras:

$75 Extra Tire (While this may sound expensive, the tires are really durable (four  ply))

$19 Extra Tube

$3 Extra Spoke

 

Let me know the configuration you are thinking about.

 

-Andy

1/8/2001

Hello,

 

I got my Coker on Sat for a test drive. It felt really good. Although, due to the weather I was only able to ride it around the gym. One of the better pieces was the long extension. Besides having a place for the cycle computer and brake, there is a place for my hands. It really worked well and I can see it making a big difference in those long rides. The only thing I worry about is the long extension taking a beating when I crash going forward. More than one person thinks that this won’t be a problem, as it is strong tubing that should take the abuse of a fall. When I went back to Osells after my test run, they told me that rubber ends

 

Here is a minimum/maximum price range for a new Coker:

Maximum price is about $810 (that means you are getting a custom with everything on it (this price used a Miyata seat instead of a Carbon Fiber))

Minimum price is about $515 (orig Coker with brake assembly, new cranks, pedals, Miyata Seat, and cycle computer)

 

Your price will vary as you may already have some of the parts laying around at home. Also, in those prices are not extra items like a tire and tube.

 

While a custom frame is nice, it is not by any means necessary. So, if you are looking for a place to save money, a custom frame is the first choice.

 

-Andy

1/10

Hi again.

 

For Cokers I have gotten reply’s/requests for Coker information from Christian, Chris, Javier, and Scott. If the rest of you are interested in getting any type of custom Coker, let me know. Once you tell me, you can change your mind, but it would be nice to have some idea what people are thinking about.

 

Airfare. It is a big topic for those in North America and while the ride is slightly over seven months away, we should start looking into it so we can find good deals. If you do any looking for airfare, let me know the details and I’ll start keeping track of what people find. To make planning easier, I would like all those from North America to respond to the next few questions. If you do not know on some of the questions let me know. Vague answers like ‘I’m not sure’ and ‘A couple of weeks’ are just fine. This will help all of us figure out who can travel with whom.

 

When do you want to arrive in Europe? (The ride starts on Tue, July 24. My goal is to arrive on July 24)

 

Where do want to depart North America from? (For those coming from Nationals, then Toronto would be your pick)

 

Where do you want to arrive (Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Cologne, or Essen are your best choices)?

 

When do you want to depart? (The ride ends on Wed, Aug 15. Some people are planning on staying later. I’ll be flying home either Sat, Aug 18 or Sun, Aug 19.)

 

Where do you want to depart from? (Barcelona, Madrid, Frankfurt, etc.)

 

Where do you want to return home to?

 

Are you going to use frequent flyer miles?

 

Is there any particular airline you would like to use?

 

Is there someone who you want to travel with?

 

Do you want to travel 1^st class? Window or Isle seat? Steak Mignon, Macaroni and Cheese, or airplane food surprise?

 

Let me know . . .

 

I’ll post people’s response when I get enough replys.

 

-Andy

02/19/2001

 

Here is an update to the European Unicycle Tour:

 

*Andy's Trip to Germany

Last week, I visited Christian in Germany. I delivered his custom Coker and helped him celebrate his 18th birthday. Also, we discussed many details about the trip. More of the maps for the trip are taken care of.  Also, the bicycle maps for our days in Germany are scanned in. I will make them available on the web when I get them formatted. Also, almost all the tour registration money that I had in US currency is now exchanged into Deutsche Marks. The exchange rate was just over 2 DM to 1 USD. That is a good exchange rate for exchanging US to DM.

 

*Camera/Video of the tour

I am interested to know what people (both riders and support crew) are thinking of bringing in the way of cameras and/or video cameras. Let me know what, at this time, you are thinking about bringing. Personally, I am planning on bringing my digital video camera as well as a normal 35mm camera (and possibly a small digital camera as well).

 

*Video of the trip

The person who edited the unicycle video ‘One Wheel - No Limit’, Alan Plotkin, is interested in doing a documentary of the tour. Besides using digital video (I have a digital video camera), some of the still camera pictures can also be used in the video. The video would be available in both PAL (European) and NTSC (North America). I think it would be really great to get our trip made into a video. Any comments?

 

*Lodging

Christian is starting to book our lodging. Bonn, Koblenz, and Berkastel-Kues are now taken care of. For some of the places we are staying at, a partial down payment is needed.  We are currently using the registration fee money to pay for any down payments for lodging.

 

*Christian coming to USA.

Christain is planning on travelling to the United States in early April. He will be in California (LA and San Luis Obispo) and Minnesota.

 

*Updates to the web page during the ride

By popular demand, it looks like we will plan to update the web page every day during the ride. I have been getting comments from people who would like to see a day by day update. Connie is planning on bringing her laptop so we will have a computer. I expect that we will have one or two digital cameras with us for pictures. Would anybody be willing to be in charge of this during the ride?

 

*Hoverath's Support Van

When I was over in Germany, I had a close look at the van the Hoverath's are so graciously letting use for the tour. The van can hold up to nine people (although with nine people, that means there isn’t much room for luggage). The seats fold down giving quite a bit of space for our stuff. It looks like the van will fit our needs well.

 

*T-shirts

We are planning on having limited edition T-shirts made for the tour. Limited edition means that there will only be a few extras made. Charly Bughdoll from Bottrop, Germany said she was willing to help with T-shirt. If you have any ideas, send them her way.

 

*Web Translator

Chris Cline found a following web site to be very useful.  It'll translate all the text on the site into English so us people who can't read German/French/Spanish can understand it.

http://world.altavista.com/

 

*Web update

The FAQ has been updated.

 

Information/Tourist/picture web links for

            Koblenz, Germany

            Bernkastel-Kues, Germany

            Dijon, France

            Sete, France

            Nimes, France

            Collioure, France (near the Spanish border)

            Tossa de Mar, Spain

Lodging web links for

           

Map updates for:

            Day 22 and Day 23 (Staying at Tossa de Mar instead of Blanes, Spain)

 

-Andy

3/30/2001

Hello all,

 

April 1 is this Saturday, the start of training. I know that some of you don’t have your Coker’s yet. I apologize, as some of that delay is my fault. You should get it soon.

 

***Web Site***

The web site has been updated here and there. We now have an overview of the tour in three languages (the fourth language is being worked on).

 

***Lodging/Barcelona***

We are still working on booking more of the lodging. But, one of the pieces of information that I need from everybody going is the number of days we will you want to stay in Barcelona. The place we are thinking of booking is http://www.barcelona-on-line.es/fernando The cost is from $10 to $32 per night. But, before we do, we need to have some idea if

A) You want to stay here (or you opt for a nicer posh hotel)

B) How many days you want to be there. I expect everybody to be there one night for sure and that is what we will book for you if you don’t contact us back.

 

Here is what I am thinking about for Barcelona:

Wed, August 15 – The tour ends in Barcelona.

Thur and Fri – Sight see around the area

Sat morn head back to Germany with the van.

That is three nights at the Hostel.

 

That is all for now,

Andy

6/25/2001

 

Hello all,

 

I hope training has been going well for all of you.

 

In order to people who will be participating in long distance rides in the future, there are four surveys that I would like you to fill out. The surveys will be issued at the following times:

1 month before the ride

Day before the ride

Day after the ride has finished

1 moth after the ride has finished

 

The results of this survey will be posted (later this fall).

 

Please try and get the survey back to me by June 29, 2001.

 

Survey #1 is aimed at the riders and it wouldn’t make much sense for the support crew to fill it out. For riders who are joining us for only part of the way of the tour, you can decide yourself if you want to fill out the survey.

 

If you are interested, the results from the survey of Unicycle Across Minnesota (August 1999) is published at: http://www.outtech.com/unicycle/uam/group/UAMSurvey.htm

 

I look forward to seeing your responses.

 

-Andy

6/29/2001

 

Web site: http://www.outtech.com/Unicycle/EUT/

 

T-Shirt. The T-shirt design is now on the EUT website. Take a look at it. The cost is projected (depending on how many shirts are ordered) to be from 12 DM to 20 DM (more likely 12 DM to 15 DM). In USD that is $6 to $11. We are assuming that every rider will want to buy at least one. If you want to buy more than one shirt, please let me know by July 4. In order to avoid sitting on extra T-shirts, very few extra shirts will be made. Oh yea, don’t forget to tell me the shirt sizes.

 

Lodging. We now have almost an exact cost of the lodging for the tour. All but one day is booked (L’Escala, Spain). The total cost (without L’Escala) is $324. This includes two extra days in Barcelona (so for those of you who are not staying any extra days in Barcelona this number will be lower). The original budget for lodging was $460, so the actual cost is considerably lower.

 

Here is a day by day breakdown of the cost (in USD). All this information is also available on the website (in the local currencies).

Day 1 - Bonn - $16.96

Day 2 - Koblenz - $11.26

Day 3 - Bernkastal - $9.96

Day 4 - Luxembourg - $10.32

Day 5 - Luxembourg - $10.32

Day 6 - Verdun - $12.99

Day 7 - Neufchateau - $18.31

Day 8 - Langres - $7.14

Day 9 - Dijon - $14.55

Day 10 - Tournus - $14.81

Day 11 - Lyon - $0.00

Day 12 - Lyon - $0.00

Day 13 - Valence - $13.25

Day 14 - Pierrelatte - $21.56

Day 15 - Nimes - $11.56

Day 16 - Sete - $18.96

Day 17 - Sete - $18.96

Day 18 - Port La Nouvelle - $22.73

Day 19 - Collioure - $16.88

Day 20 - L'Escala – ? (still working on this place)

Day 21 - L'Escala - ? (still working on this place)

Day 22 - Tossa de mar - $35.53

Day 23 - Barcelona - $12.69

Day 24 - Barcelona - $12.69 (tour is finished)

Day 25 - Barcelona - $12.69 (tour is finished)

 

-Andy

7/5

 

Holy crap, time flies. The ride is only 19 days (less than three weeks) away. That is not that far away. For me, as many people from North America, that day seems closer as I will be leaving for Toronto on July 14 (9 days way) and won’t be returning home until after the completion of the ride. So that means I have 9 days to get everything done before I am gone for five weeks.

 

Training. Reading the surveys (thanks everybody for returning them), most people are on track with training. From the looks of it, on average, everybody is better trained than UAM. The last three weeks are the most important to keep up the training. Slacking off now will make it harder for the ride.

 

Hostel Card. Reminder that we all need our Hostel Cards for the tour. If you don’t have yours yet, you can order it over the web at the link listed below. That link also has information about where to go buy a hostel card. If you order it on the web, I would suggest paying the extra shipping to make sure you get it in time.

http://www.hiayh.org/home.shtml

 

T-shirt. The design has changed somewhat, the updated picts are on the website. Only a few people let us know their sizes so we had to guess for the rest of you. Hopefully nobody minds the size of extra small :)

 

Packing. This is a big subject but with time ticking away, it is time to start addressing this. I’m writing most of this from the top of my head so please (pretty please) write back and tell me what I’m missing. After I get some feedback, I’ll throw the list on the web. The next items all pertain to packing. One final note about bringing your stuff, put your name on everything you bring. This includes clothes as well as tools.

 

Space in the support vehicle. Our support vehicle is a mini-van. It isn’t all that big. That means we all have to pack light, leave the prom dress/tux at home. As we figure it now, 12 peoples stuff needs to fit into the van every day. Plus, there will be other stuff that will accumulate in there. On UAM, we had no problem filling full of stuff a big truck (35 feet long and 7 feet high), 32 foot RV, and assorted support vehicles. I’m sure we can overfill this mini van in a hurry. SO PACK LIGHT. Also, for those flying out of Barcelona, the Mini Van won’t have enough room to store any cardboard boxes for the entire trip. Since will most likely be accumulating stuff as we go through the tour, the van cannot start full. If we do run into a situation at the start where we have more stuff than the van can hold, than we will be asking people to leave stuff behind (hopefully it doesn’t come to that).

 

Flying with your Coker. One of the best ways to fly with your Coker is to put it in a cardboard box. Pack it really good. I am using a Canvas bag that I had made to travel with my Coker (I used it once when I flew to Atlanta). If you use a box, most likely the box will be only good for one way as it will be damaged too much to use it for the return trip. You can buy bike boxes at the airport for a fee for the return home. All the airlines that I have traveled don’t charge for transporting bikes (unicycles) overseas. But, they will charge you for domestic flights ($80). So, on the way to Europe, you should be able to tell the ticket counter agent that you have a bike without much worry about being charged. To be sure, check with the airline before you get to the airport. Flying to Canada from the US is usually considered a ‘domestic’ flight and you could get charged.

 

Flying with CO2 cartridges. CO2 cartridges are what some of the riders are carrying along in case they get a flat. Airline regulations don’t permit flying with the anything that has compressed air. So, anybody who needs CO2 cartridges should talk to Christian ahead of time and get them in Germany.

 

Laundry. The plan is to do laundry during the tour. Connie and Dana have offered to laundry occasionally.

 

[Packing list deleted]

 

-Andy

7/9/2001

 

On the website, I have just posted a message in the guestbook. It if from Robert Mager (translated by Christrain Hoverath). It is some comments from his unicycle trip from Germany to Spain. Go and read it as it gives different perspectives.

 

More questions:

 

Q. Do I need a sleeping bag for the Hostels? What about bed linen?

Hostels don’t allow sleeping bags. It is because they think the sleeping bags are dirty as you must be sleeping on the ground with it. As for linen, either it costs a few dollars more to rent linen or you can bring your own. In a few hostels, the linen is part of the cost. I’m going to rent the linen, when I have to, as it is one less thing I have to cart around.

 

Q. What about tape?

Yes, bring tape. Carry it on you at the airport. Just in case your box gets a rip before you hand it over to the ticket agent, you can fix it right there. Also, tape is good to have at the end of the trip to help put a uni box back together. Finally, if the person next to you the flight over won’t stop talking about their Uncle’s prize Dingo farm, you can use it to tape their mouth shut.

 

Q. What does "Sven" mean on our t-shirts?

Sven Wittorf is a unicyclists who wanted to go on UAM. He dislocated his shoulder during unicycle hockey and wasn’t able to attend that ride (he ended up doing support). For this ride, he was planning on attending but do to several surgeries on his lungs in recent months; he won’t be able to go on this one as well.

 

Q. Extra cycle computer (from your experience: do you think it would be better to get one?
I am bringing an extra one. It is not easy to get an extra cycle computer (unless you buy a whole new kit). My suggestion is if you have an extra one floating around (from UAM), then bring it, otherwise, don’t worry about it.

 

Q. Pedals should be easy to get on the way, I guess.
Of all things, pedals would be the easiest to buy along the way. Just in case, I’m bringing some nice replacement pedals.

 

Q. Where do you get an extra bladder and mouthpiece for the camelbak?

I have mine from UAM but they are also for sale at the sporting good store.

Q. What's Locktite? Similar to glue?

Locktite is a glue that is made to prevent bolts/nuts/cranks from getting loose. It isn’t so strong that it will prevent you from getting the bolt/nut/crank off. There is different types of locktite depending the exact use.

Q. What are those wraps?

Wraps are in case of injury. Depending on the injury, it can help if something is wrapped up and therefore compressed.

 

Space in the Van by Christian Hoverath

I just threw 2 bags (the one I'm gonna use and my red small Reebok sports bag, in case you remember it) in the van to see what it may be like. There were no tools or tires in there yet, but it will be really, really full. I expect only the front middle seat to be free, what would mean that we could only have one injured/tired rider at a time in the van. Do you think that there may be two riders at the same time that needed a ride?

 

Additional Packing List Info (by John Stone)

--a French dictionary/phrasebook (for those tight situations when I'm not around and you want to order a crepe with no cheese and extra ham)
--a general fold-out map of France-- the ones I have happen to include Cologne and Barcelona
--a good watch
--travel alarm (possibly on watch)

 

-Andy

7/12/2001

For your viewing enjoyment, the packing list is now on the web. Print it out and use it as a foundation for your packing.

 

More questions to answer:

 

I haven't heard anything mentioned about rain-gear. Is it even Necessary?

Plan on rain. As we move south, the chance of rain diminishes. Here is the weather report as of today (cities listed are in the order that we will be visiting them)

Dusseldorf, Germany – (this is near where Christian lives) – In the next week, the temperature is right around 70 (20C) with chance of isolated thunderstorm for two out of the next seven days.

Trier, Germany – In the next week, the temperature is in the high 60s (20C) with chance of scattered showers for two out of the next seven days.

Dijion, France – In the next week, the temperature is the in the middle 70s (22C) with chance of Thunderstorms for three out of seven days.

Lyon, France – In the next week, the temp will be in the high 70s to low 80s (26C) with chance of thunderstorms for two out of the next seven days.

Montpellier, France – (we aren’t going through this city but will be really close) In the next week the temp will be in the middle 80s (29C) with a chance of thunderstorms for two out of the next seven days.

Barcelona, Spain – In the next week, the temperature is in hovering around 80F (28C) with only one day having a chance of isolated thunderstorm in the next week.

 

How about the thirty-gallon drum of Aspri-Cream?

Since we are going to be in Europe, I would instead suggest bringing a 15-kilo drum of Aspri-Cream.

 

Are we are going to be able to buy maps over there?

Yes. I would suggest buying your maps in Europe as they are cheaper and easier to find. I will have riding maps for every day of the ride but I would also suggest getting some of your own maps as the ones I have are not the highest quality and only show the exact route.

 

More from Christian on the lack of space in the mini-van:

I've just been in the mini-van again, measuring everything. Figuring with 8 extra tires (I still hope we will have ten, but I'm not sure if everybody is going to have an extra one), we have room for utmost 4 to 5 bags or suitcases, even though I think there may only be three (we should keep the rear window half way free so Dana and Connie can see what is going on behind them). Then we will have about 7 more suitcases in the middle part, which will be interesting with the fold down seat. Further on, there will be a first aid kid, a toolbox and different parts in there, which will make it even more interesting. That would mean that we don't have much choice. There will only be the seat between Dana and Connie for a hurt rider, whether they like the smell of sweat or not.

 

-Andy