Packing and purging – Leigh Pate

Nothing like the realization that leg power has to propel you, the heavy bike and your stuff to help you purge clothes and gear liberally. Because the stuff is the only thing that can be lightened.

Cute skirt and shoes are out. Rinse and wear the same jersey and bike clothes. Tear out all surplus pages from the guidebooks. No swimsuit, or mini tri-pod or extra pants. Just the basics.

Thanks to Julie for hauling purged stuff back to Seattle for me and to Tim and Lisa for taking the bike box back to Rome.

The pile on the right is purged. The bike fully-loaded doesn’t LOOK so bad … That sucker is still too heavy for me to lift though which makes getting it on and off the train a challenge and a two-step process of taking off the panniers before getting the bike on the train.

Luckily my bike – a Co-motion Pangea – seems to handle well with a load. It’s certainly much easier to pedal it than push and lift it.

I’m off to Parma today by train. It’s possible might ride all the way back to Rome from there. Unless something else interesting comes along.