“We Couldn’t Go if it Weren’t for this Service”

Welcome everyone! The San Diego or Bust drive across America has officially begun.

Here’s what has happened thus far:

• 53 Washington D.C. area triathletes have checked-in, entrusting us with their race machines
• 53 bicycles have been loaded, packed, and secured in our 53’ foot Prime Inc. trailer pulled by a beautiful Peterbilt Prime Inc. truck
• The San Diego or Bust truck departed D.C. shortly after 8pm. Next stop Denver, CO!
• Mike took the night shift while Siphiwe and I slept
• Awoke on the Ohio / Indiana border
• Now we’re driving along! 50 miles from St. Louis

Packing 53 bikes
It’s like a puzzle. While Siphiwe (Fitness Trucking / Prime Inc.) and Mike (driver for Prime Inc.) were meeting everyone as they checked in, I was swimming in cardboard and bubble wrap in the trailer. For those I was not able to meet, I am Zane Schweer, the Brand Marketing Manager for Jack Kane Custom Racing Bicycles. My hands are packing and unpacking your bike.

It’s more than wrapping your bike in bubble wrap and cardboard and placing it in the truck. You have to thrive with puzzles. The bikes are puzzle pieces that must fit together within strict spacing requirements. Different bike sizes, aero bars, saddle heights, saddle cages (the bane of my packing existence!), do not easily offer themselves to be packed – 11-12 across. I had to find bikes that complimented each other to fit into a snug, safe, and secure position. Once each row of bikes was packed and secured with a load lock, I looked for bike that could potentially move and fastened them down with bungee cords.

A Couple Things I heard:

Like the title of this post states, riders said they would not be participating in this event if it wasn’t for this service. The athletes are very thankful. The logistics of traveling with a bike alone can be a hassle. Tack on airline fees, bicycle assembly upon arrival, the overall cost of a trip, and it can be overwhelming. That is why this first ever project from USA Triathlon and its COO, Tim Yount, is fantastic.

“That’s a ton of bubble wrap” – Yes it is. Apex Packaging knocked it out of the park for supplying us with the necessary materials for this trip. We might have rolled around on one of them at the end of the day.

A couple things I’ve learned:

A truck tire can cost around $1,000!

The safety technology in this truck is really cool (more details about them later)

Ohio roads are rough

Be on the lookout for:

Flat Stanley – If your child is familiar with Flat Stanley and they have any questions for him, please ask! He’ll pop up in interesting places.

Fun Facts / Educational Questions – We’ll be giving insight into big rig trucking and travelling across the country

You can Tweet me questions or comments at www.twitter.com/kanebicycles or Siphiwe at www.twitter.com/fitnesstrucking

-Want to see previous tweets? See hashtags: #ITUSD

Zane, Kane Bikes

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Getting Ready

It has been very exciting to be part of the San Diego or Bust bike transportation project. It has never been done before. It’s an honor.  Being responsible for 100 athletes’ bikes and holding their ability to race in our hands is an adrenaline rush.

The details for the logistics have been enormous. My goal is to keep the bikes assembled, reduce the risks of breaks that occur during airline travel and stresses associated with bike assembly.  These bikes will be painstakingly loaded into and then transported by a 53’ foot semi-trailer. I cannot stress enough how much keeping the bikes safe and secure is our number one priority.  Thus, we turned to Apex Packaging Corporation (http://www.apexpackagingcorp.com/) to help us with the project. They have been an amazing company to work with, supplying us with cardboard, bubble wrap, and the necessary materials to keep these bikes protected.  Four pallets of materials that weigh a total of 800 pounds will be used to keep the bike safe.

We're trying to make this as interactive as possible.  I'm working with Castle Hayne Elementary school in Wilmington, NC.  A class has provided me with a Flat Stanley geography paper doll to take his picture during the trip. This will give the students an introduction to triathlons and truck travel, while showing the American landscape.

-Zane