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Final task: get that Crusoe converted to the fabulous Shimano 9-34 Capreo cassette for tackling everything from the hills of Vermont (towing an overstuffed Samsonite suitcase) to the pacelines of the Team Velocity Bike Club ...
COMPLETE HANDSOMEST MAN IN CUBA USA TOUR CHRONICLES
FOURTEEN MONTHS after first showing his face Downunder, the Handsomest Man in Cuba is ready to front up to the fickle and time-poor American public (read: your book better be damn good), flying first to the East Coast and heading south, before switching to SF and LA.
He's had a bit of a nip and tuck since the original Random House Australia 2003 edition - a few dumb typos removed, a page of praise from downunder, a new foreword by the Metalcowboy (who's infinitely more famous than the Galfromdownunder but just you wait), cosmetic augmentation in the form of 8 pages of technicolor photos, and nice white paper that may not have the same 'big publisher' feel as the Da Vinci Code but at least it won't mop up dripping salsa as effectively. I even threw in a few politically incorrect phrases over and above the handful present - just to see if you're awake.
Organizing the tour has been a massive undertaking. I could not have done it without the guerilla networking by Bike Friday owners and afficionados who'd put the Zig Ziglers of Amway to shame, with their evangelistic promotion of my talks to local clubs, bookstores, press and radio.
After endless trips 24/7 between my laptop and the gunslingin' color laser copier at Bike Friday I felt desperate enough to call a couple of publicists to see if they could help me get the word out. The Reader's Digest condensed version of the talks. Viz:
"Ooooohhhhh, how fuuuunnnnnnn..." (On hearing me describe the book).
"Darling, you HAVE to know that [insert famous radio persona] is into Hot Chili Yoga and her mum just had a hip op..." (On hearing me describe the book).
"Our fee is $4000 per month, and we don't work for less." (On meekly asking the price).
Click.
I continued contacting whoever might like to read the book or interview the Galfromdownunder but my scouts over east and down south were doing a fine job, especially in tiny Rhode Island where I understand I am going to be on TV and radio if I play my cards right and put on a nice frock...
THE SEND-OFF PARTY
I managed to squeeze in a little send-off party in Eugene - telling everyone on my local email list to meet by the river for some congris, that is, Cuban rice and beans. A couple of dozen people turned up, some of whom had been incommunicado for a year or more. Busy or beau-friended I guess. For the event I put on my fringy 'flapper' style mini dress and the pair of giant 2" platform foam sandles I'd lugged all the way from Cuba four years earlier. To ride the bike I naturally had to put the seat up 2".
Douglas Card, Prof of Sociology at the University of Oregon, has invited me to address his senior 'social diversity' class on Oct 18. To spare me the humiliation of total academic eclipse by his Bright Young Things he sent me an email full of thought-provoking study topics for classroom debate. I've been having nightmares ever since - the kind involving sitting in front of an exam paper not having attended a single lecture or studied a single page of my textbook. Ever had that dream? For me it's even worse than the one where your teeth are hanging by a thread...
THE STUFF OF (TRAVELING) LIFE
The day before departure I went to to that wonderland of all things waterproof and wicking; REI (EMS to you east-coasters) and convinced myself to buy the most expensive roller backpack in the store - a Victorinox. At 22" it's a carry-on, and a real back-saver when hiking from one wing of an airport terminal to another. I thought the bag might come with a Swiss army knife to slash it open in case you had to make an emergency lifepod, but no, it came with a $259 price tag and an unwritten promise to make me look like the coolest cat at the baggage carousel. "Too heavy" snorted Becka, when I arrived later in Burlington. More about that soon ..
THE CRUSOE READY FOR TAKE-OFF
For this trip my Midnight Blue Crusoe was expertly upgraded by BF Customer Service guy and Pocket Pilot Elite owner Tim Link in preparation for the curious and critical masses, as follows:
* 11-34 tooth cassette replaced with a 9-34 (i.e. modified) Shimano Capreo cassette - offering a mother-of-all-megaranges. This necessitated a new wheel being built with a Capreo rear hub and optional but might-as-well Capreo rear derailleur.
* Front chainrings switched from 34,44,56 to the standard MTB 30-40-52, made possible by 1). This gear range (around 16.87"-105" for gear inch geeks, based on an 18.5" Stelvio Kevlar tire. ) ensures I keep pedaling like both a roadie downhill and a U-Haul uphill.
* All cables replaced
* A chain retainer added to keep the chain on when folding. This is a feature offered standard in other folding bikes and as an option in Bike Friday's for the weight zealots. With a triple this requires some awareness when folding so as not to strain the chain - I switch to the smallest rings front and back before folding.
The result? The bike shifts and rides great. There is no doubt the standard chainring setup offers smoother shifting. Plus of course, Tim Link has been praised numerous times before for his meticulous handiwork at the bike stand. You can upgrade your BF to a Capreo cassette at Bike Friday or at your local bike shop, which entails building a new wheel to take the specific Capreo hub.
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THE DEPARTURE
So now, I fly out to Burlington, Vermont for my first talk. From there I will ride south for 4 days to the next talk, at Brattleboro, Vermont. But hey, let's not jump the gun! The adventure has just begun...
Lynette Chiang, lynchiang at yahoo dot com
COMPLETE HANDSOMEST MAN IN CUBA USA TOUR CHRONICLES
All words and images copyright 2004 Lynette Chiang
For more information, follow this link http://www.galfromdownunder.com/cuba.