Dismantling Domingo ready for packing. This part of cycle touring is pretty stress free, working at home, all the workshop tools available. Putting the bikes back together usually takes place at an airport or railway station. The same goes for dis-assembling for the trip home, hard to put hands on cleaning materials, working environment crowded and noisy. Customs are very particular about tyres being clean - the first time I took my bike to Australia, I ended up in a back room at Brisbane airport, cleaning the bikes tyres with a toothbrush!.

Let me introduce the often unsung heroes of cycle touring - our bikes. "Hurdy Girlie" Val's new Surly touring bike, bought since our last big trip in Europe, so this is the first international outing for "Hurdy". She shares a stable with "Domingo", my faithful steed who is named after Tomas Domingo's bike shop in Barcelona where he was purchased second hand at the start of our tour in 2008. Domingo is a Cannondale "proudly hand made in the USA" so he is going back to his roots.

Domingo and Hurdy Girlie are preparing for the East Coast USA ride. Domingo is on the stand getting his gears in tune while Girly awaits patiently in the background.

Two weeks and one day to departure - I thought it was three!! That's me, always a bit behind the eight ball".

Gear is being assembled, new tyre for Domingo, a new tarp for travel wrapping.

Val has a small pile of items building up in the spare room and for once I am feeling no pressure relating to language barriers.