The first day, the first blog!

And so it begins. This is entry one of my first blog ever -- chonicling my cycling trip through the Baltics to raise money for Parkinson's research (specifically, the Parkinson's Disease Support Network of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, or PDSNOKI). Soon I'll be sending out the solicitation to friends and family to raise money for PDSNOKI, a great organization in which my parents are active, and which supports Parkinson's research (my father was diagnosed with Parkinson's 16 years ago). But until that date, here's the plan:

Tonight, Friday, September 5, I arrive in Tallinn around midnight off the ferry from Helsinki. From there, once I get my bike rebuilt from its box tomorrow and spend a little time seeing Tallinn, I plan to start riding what will probably come to about 1000 km to Warsaw. Being that I have never taken a ride even approaching this distance, I don't really know how far I can make it on a consistent, day-to-day basis, but if I can get longer rather than shorter days in, I plan to go as far as Krakow and take the train back to Warsaw to catch my plane on September 25. We shall see.

Why the Baltics? I had five criteria when choosing a location for a ride:

1. Someplace I'd never been and wanted to go
2. Someplace FLAT
3. Someplace that was not inordinately expensive
4. Someplace that would be not too cold, but not too hot
5. Someplace where I could be certain to be able to communicate with people

The Baltics were the only place I found which met these 5 criteria. Kudos to Josh Kussman for the initial location suggestion!

I have a BARE MINIMUM of stuff, since everything I have has to either be on me or on the bike. With a road bike like my Pegoretti Love #3 (see above), there is very little I can carry. Here is what I am using to carry EVERYTHING!:

http://www.topeak.com/products/Bags/MTXTrunkBagDX

So, in a cheap homage to Thoreau, here is exactly what I have with me on this trip:

1. Bike and pack
2. Cycling shoes
3. Street shoes
4. Helmet
5. 4 pairs of cycling bibs
6. 4 jerseys (two long sleeved)
7. 5 pairs of socks
8. One pair of chinos
9. One black thermal GAP shirt
10. 5 pairs of underwear
11. A small bottle of chain lubricant
12. The Rough Guide to the Baltic States
13. The Rough Guide to Poland
14. A 1:400,000 map of the Baltic States
15. A 1:700,000 map of Poland
16. Saul Bellow, The Adventures of Augie March
17. Toiletries (toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant, comb, two travel bottles of shampoo, razor and shaving cream)
18. Advil
19. Camera and charger
20. IPod and charger
21. Small radio
22. Eyeglass cleaner
23. Perscription sunglasses
24. Extra cleats and cleat covers for my cycling shoes
25. Two extra tire tubes
26. Two compressed air cartidges to inflate the tubes if I get a flat
27. Computer microphone for skype
28. Tire irons
29. Very thin windbreaker
30. Rain poncho
31. Passport
32. Sunscreen
33. Stain remover stick
34. Asthma inhaler
35. Bike wrench tool
36. Eye mask (for sleeping on the plane!)
37. A "wallet" consisting of a rubber band with my drivers license, a bank card, a credit card, an insurance card and a little cash.

Since I have no room for a computer, I won't be able to post any photos until the end of the trip, sadly, unless I find a cable and a free computer somewhere along the way.

Soon to come: the first instalment -- Helsinki.