One more sleep (or not)

It's almost here! Tonight, Stace and I prepped our bikes with the necessary signs, attached a VERY necessary extra water bottle holder, and dropped the bikes off at our starting point. Looking around the CNE grounds, we saw at least a thousand bikes of all different shapes and sizes. Some were really intense-looking road bikes, some beat-up mountain bikes, and I even saw one Dutch-style bicycle - basket and all. While I am still terrified (and thus may not get any sleep tonight), it was nice to physically see evidence that I won't be alone.

Right now, Stace and I are trying to devise a way to carry everything we need on the ride. Cell phone, money, credit card, ID, lip balm, all-important snacks, sunglasses, gloves, rain shell, extra tubes, patch kit, CO2 cartridge, Allen key. How can they ALL possibly fit into a saddle bag and little pouch? Currently, the answer is, "THEY CAN'T." We hope to be singing a different tune by tomorrow morning.

So for all you faithful readers, thanks again for making this possible. If you want to receive little text messages from me and/or Stace at the checkpoints, let us know! Hopefully, we'll make you all proud! And to the man that inspired this long and difficult journey: Daddy, a 200k bike ride is nothing compared to a three-year battle with brain cancer. When I'm struggling to make my way up that escarpment, I'll be thinking of how you fought until the end, and I'll try to do the same. And if you want to carry me some of the way, I won't complain :) Love you, dad.