I was a bit concerned the first week of the trip about the state of my fitness and the state of Princess, my classic 12-speed bike. I ate myself silly for the first few days building back those leg muscles I'd forgotten I didn't have anymore. Princess' low gear is not so low which has meant some knee-grinding climbs for me. Fortunately, the Washington state country road run that we were on had mostly gentle hills and little traffic - a good warm up for both the body and the nerves. Derek fell down on Day 4. He pretty seriously scrapped up his knees (and butt and shoulder) and has put him on driver duty for the last several days which has meant non-stop riding for the rest of us. Check out http://balle-on.travellerspoint.com/ for updates
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