New Tires

I’ve put the new tires on both our bikes now and I think all that is left is to pack the bikes and away we go.  I put new front brakes on mine and Lyles bike at the same time and new rear brakes on mine. 

The tire changes went fairly smoothly.  I had problems seating the bead on one tire and, though I hate to admit it, I had to take it down to the local tire changer to get a lesson in seating beads.  He had it seated in about ten seconds and I took away two pearls of wisdom from that.  One is to use LOTS of soapy water and two, take the valve stem “innards” out when trying to seat the bead.  It helps the air go in faster which is what you need to start the whole process.  And, he didn’t charge me any thing for the lesson. 

While doing the tire changes here in my shed wasn’t super tough, I would really hate to try that on the side of the road somewhere North of the Arctic Circle.  It would not be easy at all!!

For my blog this year I’m using a new tool from Microsoft called “Windows Live Writer” to post to the blog.  I had a problem last year when trying to post to the blog when I didn’t have Internet Access.  The Google blogging  tool doesn’t have the capability to post to their blog in “offline” mode.  Using Live Writer, I should have that capability.  In fact, I’m testing Live Writer with this entry.  We’ll see how well it works. 

This trip I’m also taking along a “SPOT ME” device so friends and family can track my progress (or lack thereof, depending on the weather) while I’m traveling.  It works off the satellite system rather than cell towers so it will work anywhere in the world.  It only has four buttons on it.  An on/off button and a button that when you push it, it automatically sends an email to anyone you have set up in the system that basically says “I’m ok and here is where I am”. 

The next button when pushed, causes a service call to be sent to the nearest tow/service center to where you are, telling them that you are broke down and exactly where you are. 

The final button when pushed sends a “distress call” to the nearest 911 center to your current position that says, “I need an ambulance (or helicopter, depending on exactly where you are) right now and it gives them your exact location.  Hopefully, that button will show no usage at all when I return home. 

It can also be set to “track me” mode (which I will be doing once we get started) and the device sends out a marker beacon to the home system every ten minutes.  That beacon gives your exact position and gives a link that when clicked, brings up a Google map showing where you are.  The system holds these beacons for ten days and then deletes them.  So, you can see where I’ve been for the last two weeks at ten minute intervals. 

I’m telling everyone that if they are tracking me and I seem to be going down a highway in Alaska somewhere and then all of a sudden the signal starts moving off at right angles to the road, there is a possibility that my “SPOT ME” device has been eaten by a bear!  Then, they can track the bear until the batteries go dead!