There are a few logistics to figure out before embarking on a 3-month bicycle tour. Some logistics are enjoyable to figure out. For instance-- the gear that you'll carry-- to me, that's a fun logistic. How can I make another item multi-purpose and further reduce my load? What is the ideal footwear for diverse weather conditions? The puzzles go on and on.
Since I found a list too cumbersome to navigate since I could not immediately make comparisons with just a glance-- I ended up sketching out a chart to organize my gear. Everything on the top half was "on the bike," everything on the bottom half was "off the bike" and items were allowed to overlap by hovering on the line. Similarly, everything on the left had to do with the torso or top half of the body and everything on the right had to do with legs or the bottom half of the body. Then items were arranged from hot to cold and hand wear, head wear and foot wear each found a special place of their own.
I was so a happy with my chart, I decided to make a fancier one to share with anyone who might find it helpful!
Click to enlarge.
And while I was at it, I threw in some other tools as well. These are still very much like lists, as I haven't found the most harmonious visual arrangement for them yet. Nevertheless-- here they are:
Click to enlarge.
This chart lists some of the most common accessories or customizable features of bicycles, such as racks, handlebars, mirrors and tires. Making this list helped me remember that I need to get a mirror!
