Ed is Evolving

Donating to Water Life Hope will give extra stars on your crown in heaven.  Here's my first post, explaining why I'm riding and how it's connected to Water Life Hope.

Phil, the neighborhood cat at large

So Steve, Matt and I spent the better part of the afternoon yesterday in the after portion of Ed the bus, aided by Phil the neighborhood's cat at large.  How would the bikes would get in and out, where would people sit and how many could do that, where we would all sleep in case we all wanted to sleep in the bus at once?   And the toilet, and where would it live?  Would it be stationary or migratory?  And where would we put all our stuff? 

All of us involved in the ride are used to planning for and living in confined spaces.  Carol was in the Coast Guard, and worked on merchant ships for years.  All the Yurmans had been part of my late father's rotating crew on his sailboat, especially Matt and me.  And Steve and I (and sometimes Matt) have spent a good many vacations bicycle touring with a folding recumbent tandem.  That means a single pannier (saddle bag) each, with a single rack pack for food, tools, emergency supplies and rain gear.  One of our trips took all three Yurmans across country in a rented minivan with three bikes inside the van, and all our gear.  Favorite line from the trip?  Matt at the Bonneville Salt Flats: "Nothing offroads like a rental."

Our friend Gary compares bicycle touring with going to the moon.  You have to know how much everything weighs.  In this case, weight isn't so much of an issue as volume.  Weight and volume can be closely related, so all the outfitting for a loaded trip has had some benefits.  For example, Steve and I bought an double-wide ultralight sleeping pad that's a scant 40" wide.  Yes, you have to be friendly but it's really pretty comfy.

Steve and Matt in the interior of Ed,
along with the nomadic potty

After much muddling about we came up with an L-shaped layout for the sleeping platforms, with storage underneath, surrendering much of the space to the bicycles.  The toilet remains a nomad.  We'll figure it out after we settle the seat question.  Matt will sleep amongst said seats when he's on the ride.  We'll spring for plenty of l-track down each side and bring along storage hammocks.  And we'll weed our "must have" possessions yet again.

Matt will come up with a materials list, and we'll start building next weekend.  Ed is getting so cool we might start calling him Edward.