Well here’s my new touring bike! Have only about 100 miles on her so far and its been all smiles so far. Specced out with beautifully comfortable Panaracer Pasela TourGuard 700×35 folding tires, Shimano SLX 44/32/22 with a 9spd 11-34 cassette, Tubus Logo rear rack, Vetta front rack (vintage! this will likely be taken off), LX rear derailleur, XT front derailleur, super stubby 70mm stem,  Brooks B17 and Planet Bike fenders.

I chose a 52cm frame, slightly smaller than what I should probably have gotten, so that I could get a slightly shorter top tube to suit my fairly upright riding style. I could actually do with a tad more height on the bars :-\

Next month I’m headed to Southeast Asia where she’ll get her first touring experience. Fingers crossed

June Curry, 87, locally known as the “Cookie Lady”, has been a staple attraction and stop along Virginia’s Bike 76 route and has offered cyclists freshly baked cookies and a place to stay (hostel) for over 30 years! The Richmond Area Bicycling Association awarded her with a well deserved check consisting of donations from cyclists showing their appreciation.

We definitely need more cookie ladies on this earth

Source: Afton Cookie Lady Receives Gift From RABA
More: Richmond bike club pays back Virginia’s “Cookie Lady”

This guy really does loaded touring, wow

All I can say is “wow”. Completely awe inspiring pictures from a tour through the Himalayas, gotta check these out, great photography too. What a tour!

(Note: this isn’t my tour, just an admirer, although I do wish it was!)

Pictures:http://www.gurdon.cam.ac.uk/~ad327/india2008/

Discussion thread: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=472479