I am pretty sure that the illness that took a hold of me was a sinus infection. I am only now getting better.

I took the Tour Easy in for an overhaul. The brake was repaired with a $2 part (a v-brake noodle). I replaced the rear tire (with a Kenda Kwest), the chain, the rear cassette, my rear brake cable, and, several days afterward, my two smaller chainrings.

[Post-ride update: My Kenda Kwest blew out after about 100 miles. So I tore the tire liners out of both tires and replaced the Kwest with a Cheng Shin tire, like the one that came on my bike. I've done two 30 mile rides and there is no sign of sidewall problems. Knock wood.]

I commuted to work today on the Tour Easy in my big chain ring. There's nothing like riding over 80 miles a day for seven days in a row to get your legs in shape. Without the load, my Tour Easy accelerates like never before.

If I had to do it over again I'd probably do just about everything the same with a couple of exceptions. I'd bring duct tape (which I meant to bring on this ride) and a bunch of small parts (hardware for my rear rack and fender, a V-brake noodle). I might bring a spare tire for front and rear, but I am not entirely convinced that what happened to the rear tire wasn't a fluke. I certainly would never start a tour again on an untested tire.

The camping gear and Halt were never used but I would certainly bring them again. I'd carry either my rain fly or my footprint (ground tarp) separate from my tent and accessible to be used as an emergency shelter during heavy rains.

I really am impressed with the Smartwool socks bought at REI. I now need to get rid of some of my cotton t-shirts and start wearing shirts made out of Coolmax or some other wicking fabric. The Coolmax Headsweat was nice to have too.

Clothespins turned out to be really handy as did the bandanas. Waterproof SPF 45 sunblock was much better than the SPF 30 stuff I started out with. I put it on once and forgot about it. Chapstick with a high SPF was also good to have, but it tasted pretty awful. Wrap-around sunglasses are a must for those scary high speed descents.

The Bushwacker panniers worked pretty well, much better than I expected. Nevertheless, I'd seriously consider getting an underseat rack and some 'easy reacher' panniers.

Journal writing was fun but time consuming. It would have been nice to type the diary into some sort of device that could store the information electronically, so I wouldn't have to type everything up when I got home. Another alternative would be a simple dictation tape recorder. This would save time on the road and I could do the journal as I rode. A digital camera would let me skip scanning my photos for integrating in the journal. The major companies are selling disposable digital cameras now. Also, with its panoramic view, I could maybe get the Honda plant in one frame.

I learned about many of the things I brought from web journals like this one. I hope my account, however long winded, helps someone prep for their tour.

I think I am a recumbent tourist from now on. Even with all the tough hills, my back and neck never bothered me. Other than the crash and my illness, I was absolutely pain free for the entire week. I did walk like a duck after days five and six but that's because my thighs were on fire.

I would definitely do this ride again. Even with the rain and mud on the C&O. I would just need more time. I probably won't though because there are so many other places to go: Upstate New York. New England, the Maritime Provinces, the Outer Banks, Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Natchez Trace, and, dare I say it, the ACA Transamerica Route. Wherever I go, I think I will do a better job of integrating visits with friends into the ride. See ya.