What's In a Tour Name?

A lot. For one very important reason... whimsy. We all need a little whimsy on your tour and in our lives. Right? Second, would you ever think of having a child without a name? No! Conjuring up, planning and completing a tour is like having a baby. Lastly it gives you... wait, let me back up, the baby thing is a little weird really. But most of us have done a solo tour know it becomes your 'lil' baby. A tour name is one of the most important parts of your tour. Have I convinced yah?

So, it took me some time this year to arrive at this year's tour name. The first tour of mine in 2012 was called the 2012 Cascade Traverse By-Pedal Expedition to Save Human Folly. The second tour in 2013 was called Vines to Bitterroots. See pretty cool huh? Both of these mean something - certainly to me. Something one can hang their helmet on! Something one can sink their sprocket teeth into! A name defines the tour. 

A name being a noun also allows you to add an adjective in front of it that further describes the tour. Slam an adjective in front your tour name and my god people will know you mean business.

The beautiful tour "A". The wonderful tour "B". The difficult tour "C". See what I mean? Nope? How about this? The most assuredly brutal, fucked up, demoralizing, make feel two inches tall, MFer tour! Now we are talking!

Ok, I'm no grammar expert. But you get my point. You gotta tour coming up? Yah better name that durn thing.


So what is this year's name?

Dread Naught! - Five Double Aught


What the hell does that mean you might ask? Um, which part is causing you issues? Let's start with the last part of the name. Think digits. Aughts mean zero. Remember the decade of the 2000s? Or perhaps you fancy yourself a sharp shooter that loves your .30-06 Springfield rifle? Five double aught is five zero zero. Or 500.  I'll just clue you in - the 500 is miles. The tour this year is 500 miles! 500 hundred freakin' miles!

Now- the first part of the name, Dread Naught!... pretty self explanatory? It's two words and they stand on their own. But combine them and you get dreadnaught. Dreadnought is very large powerful battleship of the early 20th century. Since I called my blog CycleSlogger and a slog is a very hard effort over time it reminds me of a powerful battleship, or powerful force or a powerful rider on a long tour. Huh? Pretty creative huh?

Put it together- it means do not dread a 500 mile tour since you are all powerful. Pretty simple.

Now name that tour and go gettum!