r900, you have been sooooo helpful and I can't thank you enough. This means a lot to talk with someone who has actually ridden this ride. I better get my new bike soon so that I can break it in. I find myself really wanting to ride this tour and will call Messerly (actually, I'm not sure he's even there anymore because I keep getting another name on the message recorder) to find out if I can possibly ride the SAG if I absolutely need to. Again, thank you a bunch!