It’s locked in. Flights have been booked, although admittedly I haven’t done much planning beyond that. This summer, I’m going to South America, for 3 months riding around Chile and Argentina, down along the Carretera Austral, into Patagonia, maybe as far as Tierra del Fuego, then back up to Buenos Aires. From there I’ll head up to the UK for a few weeks, to catch up with some friends, and reach the start/finish line at Greenwich, insh’allah.
I haven’t done much planning yet, but I have just spent a huge amount on my bike – over $1,800. New wheel, new saddle, new bottom bracket, new headset, new cables, new handlebar, new stem, new grips, new brakepads, etc…added up to quite a bit more than I was expecting. But at least now it should be in fairly solid condition, and unlikely to have any major mechanical issues in Patagonia.
I’ve bought a couple of maps, but I need to do a bit of studying them, along with a bunch of reading. I’ve pulled all the gear off the shelf, and put it in a big pile. I’ve bought a few new bits and pieces, but I still need to finish going through it, repairing and replacing, re-waterproofing the tent and panniers, etc. More detail to come over the next couple of months as I sort things out.
And yes, this picture shows what I mean by saying that I am definitely not yet loaded:
