About
My name is Steve Szirom, a semi-retired, hi-tech industry veteran, seeking to broaden my horizons with new adventures and challenges.
One of the objectives for the Border-2-Border Challenge adventure is to produce a video documentary of the bike journey. The tour will be completely self-supported -- a challenging task in itself for making a documentary. Making adventure documentaries is a new activity that I am embracing and learning. My first official video documentary, "Gales, Whales and the Baja Ha-Ha" was filmed in 2009 and released in April 2010. The 56-minute documentary which depicts life on a small sailboat and the challenges faced sailing South along Mexico's Pacific Coast can be viewed at my sailing website Oyster Yachting. The West Coast tour by bicycle will focus on places traveled, enjoying the process of the journey, knowing what one gets into, understanding body limits, picking the right gear, and putting safety first. To test out equipment and body, I did a test ride for a week -- a circular inland route exposed me to the trials, tribulations and joys of touring on a bike. Click on the Media, Gallery button in the top banner to see pictures from my 250-mile 'test tour' in Washington state last September which took me from Bellingham, Washington, following the Pacific coast, eventually turning inland down the Hood Canal and finishing in Olympia. What I learned: while training is important, it can be overrated ... nothing prepares one's butt for sitting in a saddle for many hours like sitting in a saddle all day. No cooking will be done on this tour since I will be replacing the space needed for cooking gear with miniature camera/video gear. No major restaurants and fast-food chains are on the menu. Instead, I will be seeking out small diners and dives that promise tasty fare and cheap eats. I will stop at every microbrewery and winery that is directly on my route. Overnight accommodations will be mostly at campgrounds (public and private), hostels, and where available I will use the Warm Showers and Couch Surfing networks for in-home stays,especially in Southern California. There will also be some days of camping in the wild. Other Web sites I maintain: Consulting: HTE Research Marketing & Startups: InsideChips Technology: Embedded Technology Sailing: Oyster Yachting Steak Sauce: L'Entrecote Steak Sauce |
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