I've had a great summer commuting-- almost no rain, no big breakdowns, no crashes. It's been boring...... and very nice!

Today I met another cyclist on the road at a stoplight. A Japanese collage student. He's riding a steel "U" frame one speed, full chain guard, head light, tail light, frount tire mounted generator (looked top of the line), 700 wheels, with high flanged, quality looking hubs, with Panaracer touring tires I had never seen before (again, looks like top end stuff)

The kid's got a good stainless steel pump and a nice black backpack. He's not really dressed like a hardcore cyclist, he's wearing polyester slacks and tennies, but he can handle a bike. He askes me how to get to Tacoma. I tell him he's already in Tacoma and ask what part of town he's heading to. He tells me he's going to L.A ?!? So I tell him to fallow me and I take him across the east corner of town and get him on the back road to Portland, Oregon.

So I say goodbye and wish him luck. I ask him how long the trip to SoCal is going to take. He thinks about 25 days, maybe more. I ask about climbing hills with the one speed. He just laughs and says he'll push the bike uphill on the tough ones.

Totally crazy kid! I hope he makes it.