Xiao Sa - A heartwarming story of a little dog and a cycle tour.

We just came back from a 40 mile ride around Vancouver, turned on the TV to chill out, and came across this amazing story - a stray dog who followed a team of cross-country cyclists after they fed her.

Nick-named Xiao Sa (a combination of "little" and the second syllable of Lhasa), she ran with them for 24 days, traveling from Kangding Sichuan province in China, to Lhasa in Tibet.

 

What incredible loyalty, willpower and endurance the little doggy showed after she ran an extraordinary 1833 kilometers (1,056 miles) between China and Tibet! One of the riders has also decided to adopt her at the end.

She really made my day and is a really great inspiration, what a great story - and a very cute pup!

You know that I'm now going to start feeding all the dogs I come across on our ride to see if we can get any to follow us too - ha ha.

We will be cycling the Pacific Coast Highway from Vancouver to Tijuana over six weeks starting in August 2012 to raise money for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research. Please show your support by sponsoring us here, leaving a comment and sharing our blog.

Let's get kitted out Castelli Style!

One thing we have come to discover is that cycling gear is not cheap! 

However it's not cheap for a reason, because it has to fit well, be comfortable, allow your skin to breath and protect your derrière - all of which aids performance.

I really needed to get some cycling clothes - especially the shorts, but wanted to wait until I could get into a smaller size as I didn't want to have to buy another load before we go. 

After much deliberating I chose the Castelli Palmares Shorts and the Castelli Subito Jersey.

I look so happy because I'm wearing a SMALL!! Yes a small - yippee! 

OK, so there is definitely room for me to get smaller in these, but I'm pretty chuffed and not to mention I'm really feeling great!

Castelli are dedicated to create the most innovative clothing for the cyclist seeking maximum performance. 

They released the first Lycra shorts used in racing and sold to the public, the first coloured shorts, the first sublimation printed jerseys, the first synthetic winter clothing, the first use of windproof membranes, the first hydrophilic fabric treatments, the first anatomic seatpad, the lightest jersey ever produced, and the most aerodynamic jersey ever produced. Plus they look good too!

I'm especially chuffed with the shorts - they're incredibly comfortable and are designed for women with high mileage goals - that'll be me then.

The back panels are shaped to flatter your form, and the leg openings gently yet firmly grip – no sausage effect - which you can see from my picture no bulging thighs, even with my knee support. Awesome. 

They also come with a removable Softlex RS fabric, a kiSS3 seat pad:

As you can see the padding supports your bottom, plus also keeps you dry.

From what I have seen from various forums (and also from what I have encountered) a lot of women tend to go commando to prevent chaffing from seams. Don't judge until you have cycled 30 miles with a dreaded seam pressing somewhere you wish it wouldn't!!

So this being removable it's great and easy to clean.

Plus to top it all off, I went out last night for a 12 mile ride - it was like I've now joined the secret Vancouver Women's Cycling Club. Every (serious) female cyclist smiled and waved to me - that has never happened before. 

We better get Dave some clothes now, or he might start affecting my street-cred. 

We will be cycling the Pacific Coast Highway from Vancouver to Tijuana over six weeks starting in August 2012 to raise money for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research. Please show your support by sponsoring us here, leaving a comment and sharing our blog.