Conor's Excellent Adventure

One way to reward yourself for a job well done is to allow yourself to go ride your bike. There are a lot of weeks that I manage to get myself through only with the promise of a ride somewhere in between all the work.

My buddy Conor has been through a lot in the last decade or so, and somehow amid constant chaos managed to get his bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona. And on top of all that, he got a fully paid ride to graduate school. Sounds like a reason to reward yourself to me.

Here's Conor's reward to himself:

Photo: Kim/Team in Training

That's Conor in Mt. Zion Park, piloting his sweet Surly Cross-Check with a B.O.B. trailer.

Photo: Kim/Team in Training

Conor got these pictures from a woman who is doing one of the Team in Training fundraising rides. I've talked to him once since these were taken and he reports that touring is a lot harder than he thought it would be. He's impromptu camping without a real tent (but he does have a tarp) and his is mostly riding alone. It seems like the solitude is the biggest challenge, along with major hills that turn that B.O.B. trailer into a boat anchor.

I don't know where Conor is right now, but I know that he was thinking about going to Montana and eventually ending up in Portland, Oregon. Even if you don't stick Montana in there, Zion to Portland is a lot of miles. Enjoy that reward Conor!