I bought a pair of DMT RS3 cycling shoes when I was in a 3 month summer vacation in Malaysia back in 2004. Specialized cycling shoes help a lot to keep the feet properly aligned to the pedals and have stiff soles to reduce the flex on the feet. They hook onto the pedals so you get to use an additional muscle group by "pulling" the pedals.

But it wasn't until the spring of 2006 that I actually started wearing them. The bike I rode did not have a standard crank, which means I could not screw matching pedals onto the crank. At 1/2" in diameter, there were no compatible pedals in the market that could screw in. They were 9/16" to 1/2" adaptors available, but they cost too much.More...

Preparing for the cycling trip involved nothing more than a simple list made on Notepad and nights of excitement looking forward to the trip, keeping me awake. There was going to be a self-sufficient mobile home, a video production center, a photography lab all in a small world I bring with nothing more than the muscles below my torso.

The tight budget I had made it all the more interesting. $300 tents, gas stoves and other camping luxuries were ruled out in favour of $10 alternatives and the lovely merchandise from the local dollar store. There was no cargo space in front. I had to make do with two relatively small panniers in the backMore...