Gearing up for planning for a long tour

I noticed sometime ago that Richard MacDonald updated his site and its now Wiki based. Rich wouldn't remember me, but I recognized him as my in class OSC instructor years later. A mustache like that doesn't go unrecognized. He not only put together one of the best local Ottawa-Carleton area ride site on the net, but also documented his long, multi-day trips. This site is a great place to dig up long trip planning tips, not to mention his travel logs are definately interesting and inspiring. Hell, I warn you against reading his long trip entries if you're easily influenced with the romantic idea of hitting the road for a week on your hog. ;-)

I've been thinking about planning a tour out east to New Found Land for almost a year now and its about time I get down to business. I decided to make a short list of pre-planning task I need to get working on:

• Get a CSA membership. (road-side assistance) Getting it for your car is reasonable, getting it for you bike is essential on a long trip. They'll come out an replace your bike tires and full up your gas tank if you need it.
• Start hitting the gym regularly. My back has never been the strongest it could have been. There's no way I'll last riding 4~5 hours per-day, no matter how many breaks I take without strengthening my lower and upper back.
• Get a couple of travel & tourist books for Quebec, Nova Scotia and NFLD so I can start marking off points of interest that would help make planning the route out beyond a straight line.
• Plan for a B trip. I might cop out and setting for Quebec city in 2 days. I'll see how brave I feel the closer I get to booking my vacation and getting my act together.

That it for now. Just a lot of talk.