Day 1 – A 13 hour flight and navigating the Tokyo subway

I can think of a lot of words to describe day one, but stressful would probably be my top pick.

I arrived at Pearson and the first thing I had to do was open my carefully packed bike box and take everything out for x-raying, since it wouldn’t fit in the machine. Oops. After re-packing, and some unkind words from an Air Canada employee about putting more than just the bike in the box, we went off to the Amex lounge.

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Gear Packing

Almost all of the gear I’m bringing. From left to right: camping gear, tools, electronics, food, and clothes.

An unsupported bike tour requires a bit of gear. You have to be prepared for anything that might keep you from getting to your destination, even if that’s just the next bike shop for a repair. Getting a flat or breaking a spoke riding around downtown Toronto is a bit different than in the middle of rural Japan.

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