The boys lay at the hotel room and already reminisces, they turn the time back two months and think about that Sunday things really started to happen back in Norway. Sunday 28th of September Anders and Lasse had their first meeting about the trip with Årnes Sport. Årnes Sport is the local sports store the boys have been attached to since they bought their first pair of football shoes as 6 year olds and still is today, when the boys are in their late twenties.

“We could ask Svein” Lasse had said to Anders a few weeks earlier. The hunt for sponsors was in full swing and all the bigger stores in Oslo had shown little or none interest in the boys spectacular expedition. “Yes, do you think we can do that?” Anders asked. “Yes, we are from Årnes he knows us” Lasse replied. “Well, I think we feel that we know Svein better than he thinks he knows us”.

Luckily the contact was initiated by Lasse and the local sports store showed interest immediately for Anders and Lasses plans. The store was opened on a Sunday night only for the boys. They got the time to try and consider all that they needed, everything from cycleshorts, helmets, sleeping bags and wool John’s. “Both Anders and I have quite big heads, Svein”. Lasse obviously was a bit awkward and concerned about how the helmet would look placed on his head. “Nobody looks good with cycle helmets Lasse, but we must have it” Anders says with a lowered voice so that Svein shouldn’t here it. “Helmets is something everybody uses now, it has become normal” Svein says, whom for a second must have been concerned if the boys actually considered cycling without helmets in Australia.

Lasse got the task of being a trying doll in the store, “if it fits you Lasse, it fits me”, and thereby Anders got away from undressing and squeezing into a sausage skin of an outfit (cycle tricot). Lasse hit himself on the belly after the suspenders were dragged over his shoulders and his whole body had gotten a little less horizontal. “We are going to loose a bunch of weight Anders” Lasse said hopefully. Anders didn’t comment, but if Lasses motivation for this expedition was to loose weight, then it was probably one of the worlds most expensive fatcamps ever he was signing up for.

A load of equipment later that had most of what they needed. Bicycle pump, glasses, johns, shirts, tricot, gloves, helmets, shoes, locks etc etc etc. a good offer was made for the guys and they smiled from ear to ear. Now it really started.

The bicycles that the boys are cycling on are bought from England because the bike they wanted was sold out in Norway. Årnes Sport also helped the boys with mounting and adapting the bikes when they arrived from England. This was a necessity because neither of the boys are born with grease on their fingers (although they do not have ten thumbs either). Mounting a bike is not as easy as it seems (ref. Previous post about mounting in Adelaide).

That Anders and Lasse got their first sponsor, and that in their hometown, gave them a huge boost. “It works out in the end” is Anders’ motto, and also this time it did thanks to Årnes Sport – Sport1.

With gratitude they have Årnes Sport as a part of their team on the journey through Australia.

http://www.sport1.no/butikk/arnes-sport/

Awesomestralia – a normal life is boring