Hi Everyone,
Just joined a couple weeks ago. I'm originally from the Boston area but relocated to Guatemala 3 years ago. Female, 26. I love biking! I've always been a biker more for fun and for transportation rather than a spandex-clad cyclist. Right now I am busy planning my first long distance tour for January of 2014, starting in Guatemala and heading somewhere else. Maybe up to Mexico and the US and maybe down to Panama or on to South America.

I've started my planning early so that I can slowly accumulate all the necessary gear in the cheapest way possible. This means am perusing the REI website for sales on an almost daily basis. So far I've got some great deals! (tip- if you put items on sale into your shopping cart, they'll stay at that price even if the sale ends, so you can wait to see if the price will drop any further.)

I ride a Women's Trek 7.2 FX from about 2004. It's nothing fancy but it's a great, sturdy, all-purpose bike that rides smooth. I'll be adding a steel rack, a nicer saddle, and new handlebars/bar ends to make it tour ready.

Nice to meet you all! I'm happy to get involved in this community!