Touring Scratchwork

*In the summer of 2009, my friend Mia and I rode across the country on the TransAmerica Trail.

While on a bike tour, a note pad is a handy thing to keep in your handlebar bag. You'll want to write down the addresses of people you meet to send them postcards, grocery lists, mileage math, to-do lists and more.

This (above) is from the day I went to bed feeling a little queasy-- then Mia looked at me and said, "do you know what you ATE today?" So we scratched it out. That funnel cake really did me in-- especially when preceded by 2 donuts, a cinnamon roll and all that soda! OOF! You really CAN overdo it while on tour!

We took 1 day off each week-- in part to rest, in part to just catch up on chores and To-Do's. Chores can take a surprising amount of time-- there's no way I ticked off everything on this list!

Mileage math. I am often asked how to figure out mileage for a bike tour. Well.. you gotta figure out how much you can reasonably ride in a day. REASONABLY. Don't overestimate!! Both Mia and I have backgrounds as racers, with some national success at that, but we both felt a bit body-checked after our first few days on the road. WHOA. We can't ride 22mph anymore. More like.. 12.

We soon figured out that we could count on 10mph (including stops for food, bathroom) to figure out how far we'd be going that day. In a typical week, we'd average 63 miles/day, including our 1 day off. So we'd ride 45, 65, 85miles/day and 300-400 miles/week. We never learned to get up super early, so we never rode more than 85 miles in a day. With 2 more morning hours, we could have broken 100. With touring, it's not about being fast on the road-- it's just the time you spend on the road.

You've also got to accept that weather and terrain will have a huge influence over your plans. We tried making plans to meet up with a friend of ours in Idaho.. and ended up arriving 24hours later than anticipated. Thunderstorms, mountains, headwinds, flat tires, chaffing thighs, brutal sun.. there are a lot of things that can slow you down!

Remember-- you're not just out for a bike ride and will be back home in a few hours.. you are LIVING on the road!

So-- don't get too cocky when planning out your mileage. You might feel comfortable hopping out of bed and whipping out 60-80 miles on your carbon fiber road bike.. but try 55 miles on your steel rig, with Marathon Plus tires and 40-50 pounds of extra gear/food/water, making an 80-90 pound boat to steer up the mountain pass instead of a 17 pound whip.

If I were to do the math for my next multi-month tour, I'd plan an average of 55 miles/day (knowing that this includes the 1 day off/week) instead of 65. I'd ride earlier in the morning and have more time to relax in the afternoon. Even if I rode farther/faster, it's good to have some 'buffer' days for unexpected delays or opportunities-- like that shredded tire or blue grass festival.

For tours a month or less, I'd be tempted to plan a higher average-- but I'd use the extra time to smell the flowers.

TRACK RACING!

Last Thursday was the first night of the pre-season at the Marymoor Velodrome. The official season (when you earn points) begins in June, but all throughout May, beginners and veterans alike attend pre-season races to get the feel of the track again.

Thursday night is for all those who have just completed a track class (requirement for racing) and need to practice group skills, tactics and to keep pedaling after the finish line (or your bike will buck you off!).

My first Thursday night? Well? It went well. :)

Thursday Night Preseason at Marymoor Velodrome from Rebecca Jensen on Vimeo.

The first 4 minutes are my 2 races edited down. The last 6 minutes is footage of Tom's last race, complete with commentary from his friends and co-workers. 

Touring-- cush steel bicycles, upright and stable geometry, LOTS of gears, LOTS of gear, ride slow, ride long, see the world.

TRACK-- stiff aluminum bicycles, aggressive and snappy geometry, ONE gear, no brakes, ride as fast as you can for about 5 minutes in an oval.

And yet-- I love them both. :)

CHEERS!! To BICYCLES!!

SEE the morning light

Bicycle touring is not just about bicycling. Most of the touring cyclists we met on our TransAm trip this summer, did not previously identify as "cyclists." 

Bicycle touring is heightened awareness. You actually SEE the morning light. 

In your day to day life, you might "see" the morning light as you hop in your car and drive to work, you look across the freeway and see a nice sunrise and think, "gosh, that looks pretty." But seeing something with your eyes and seeing something with your whole being is totally different. 

I think that many of us live our lives as if we're looking at pictures and not reality. We see things and think, "oh, neat." and not "......WOW......" We can hardly be blamed-- we have so much to process, that our brains naturally want to create shortcuts for ease of processing. 

If you bicycle to work, you may relate to what I'm trying to describe. Instead of being in a box, zooming up Capitol Hill-- you can FEEL Capitol Hill (quite literally, in your legs) if you pump a bicycle up it. 

It's the difference between microwaving and cooking a meal from scratch. 

It's the difference between standing awe-struck in front of a painting and clicking past it on the internet.

Now imagine this feeling every day, all day. Something as simple as THE GROUND becomes very important-- is it level? soft? wet? You really begin to SEE the ground. You see people. And landscapes. And food. You might even see yourself.

And that's just one reason, why I encourage people to bicycle tour.

If you're thinking about it-- DO IT. Even if you can't leave this summer or next year-- put just a little bit of money aside each month. Invest in a touring bike. Start riding to work and carrying a load. Get out of debt and don't create new ones. See how well you get along with that one friend for extended amounts of time. And bike some more.

Planning a Bicycle Tour: Calculating Days

Recently, a reader asked me how long our bicycle tour across the country took and how we did the math to figure that out. Here is my response:

Our trip (4,250 miles) was about 3 months. We took 1 day off per week and 1 week off half-way. Started the evening of May 31 (7pm!) and ended somewhere around August 27th or so.

When I am planning future trips, I use an average of 60 miles/day + 1 extra day/week + a week off if applicable (trips greater than 2 months, or if you just want to visit a place like a National Park) + travel to/from the start/finish to figure out about how long the trip would take. Even if you THINK "oh, my average will be more than 60 miles/day!" I would still recommend using 60 (or even 55), especially if this is your first big trip. Using a number that is slightly lower than you expect to ride will give a buffer for mishaps, preventative weather, mechanicals, etc. Remember that 60 is an AVERAGE. One day riding 80 miles and another riding 40 averages out to 60.

So, for example-- The Sierra Cascades route is 2,362 miles. 2,362 divided by 60 is about 39 days, or a month and a week. Add 5 days for a day off per week, plus one day to get to the start, 4 days at the end (one to rest, one to sight-see/rest, one to pack, one to actually travel). That's 39 days + 10 days = 49 days. If I were taking time off work, I'd add more days to the start/finish for rest and packing.

Something else that is useful in planning is checking to see how long the self-supported (not van supported!) Adventure Cycling group plans to take.

Because your trip is 6,000 miles and will take longer than a season to complete, I'd also be very aware of any passes you'll go over and whether or not they'll be open during the time of year you expect to be there. If you search around, you can find charts that list when passes opened and closed over the last 50 years and their average opening/closing date.

Hope that helps!

RJ

Ride the Islands!

I have discovered several wonderful things.

First-- round trip fare for a cyclist on the Whidbey ferry is only $5.10. 

Second-- bus transit on the island is FREE!

Third-- Langley has really, really good coffee that is the perfect jet fuel.

So what this means is: riding around Whidbey Island is one of my favorite things to do with a weekend. I can ride or bus down to the ferry, then ride or bus up to Langley, drink a cappuccino, then ride or bus all over the island before ferrying, then riding or busing back home. What is 50 miles of riding for the legs, could be 100 miles of travel and sights to see. 

Buses aside, the island has quiet roads for riding, rugged beaches for relaxing and quaint towns with really great coffee for sipping. What a combo! If I pull my touring gear together, an overnight at Fort Ebey or Deception Pass becomes a scenic, minimal-planning mini-tour. After getting the hang of that, a third or fourth day would get me up to Anacortes or even the San Juan Islands. People fly across the country to ride these! I've got them in my backyard.

So if you're looking for a quick mini-tour-- try rolling out your front door and see what you find.

Touring Bikes Under $1500

If you're looking for an affordable touring bike, you can stop your internet wanderings. Joshua, over at Adventure Cycling, has compiled a list of touring bikes under $1500: click here to visit the blog post. 

I've posted a link to my review of the Trek 520 there, and hopefully other Adventure Cycling readers will do the same!

Trek 520 Touring Bike Review

We made it! Parked on the shore of Atlantic waters.

*There is a sleeping bag and cowboy hat under that yellow jacket,

in case you're wondering why it's piled so high. :)

Last summer, I rode a Trek 520 across the country. These days, the 520 rolls both as a super commuter and a plain ol' fun bike. This is my review.

As a touring bike..

The 520 is fantastic. When purchasing any bike, what you're really buying is the frame. The material and geometry of the frame dictates both how it fits you and how the bike behaves.

• Is it a long or short reach? 
• Is it snappy or stable? 
• Is it harsh or forgiving? 
  

The Trek 520 frame has remained unchanged for many years. Probably because they got it right. 

• The 520 supports a comfortable upright position. 
  
• The bike is super stable, with or without a load (downhills are a delight!), yet still remains lively (not sluggish) when pumping and rocking (loaded!) uphill. This bike performs not just under the weight of a cross-country tour, but when unweighted-- it's still a joy to ride.
• As to be expected, the steel is stiff (power transfer!)-- but absolutely melts over bumps and lumps. The only downside to steel is the heavier weight-- but heck, this bike has gears your great grandma could turn over! So who cares?!

So the frame, complete with a metallic powder coat finish which absolutely glows in the sun, gets 5 of 5 stars. 

If you plan to use the 520 for day to day commuting and leisure use, I wouldn't change a spec on the bike-- except that saddle appears to be there just for looks. Slap on your favorite saddle and you're good to go!

However, if you plan to ride this steel beauty on a long and loaded tour-- there a few key parts and accessories that I would recommend replacing:

1. TIRES. Those Bontrager Race Lite Hard-Case tires are great for rolling around town and over your favorite hill and dale.. but their durability and flat protection is lacking for true long hauls. I had 2 flats and my tire shredded in Booneville, KY. Mia, my touring partner, rode Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires-- not one single flat. So I recommend a tire out of the Schwabe Marathon line. Remember, though-- the addition durability and flat protection aren't the only features of a tire, that extra rubber detracts from the butter and snap of your ride; though I have no complaints of the Schwabes which now roll on my wheels.
2. RACK. The suggested max load of the Bontrager rear rack is 50 pounds. My total gear nearly weighed 50 pounds, depending on the food and water we carried-- so only 30 pounds at most was ever mounted on the rear rack. And it broke. Fortunately-- we were in Blacksburg, KY-- where there was a bike shop. My rack recommendation is a set of Old Man Mountains, Tubus or Surly. OMM for pure performance and reliability, Tubus for the same plus they're pretty, Surly for all of the above plus added durability (and weight). I ride OMMs.
3. FENDERS. While the abbreviated fenders improve your toe overlap (the fender simply 'boings' out of our way should you hit it with your foot while making an awkward u-turn in a grocery parking lot), you'll be much happier on the road with FULL FENDERS and dry feet. 
4. SADDLE. It's not uncommon for a bike to be spec'd with a saddle that the maker expects the consumer to replace with his or her favorite or preferred saddle. This is one of those saddles-- it's pretty and brown, but it has no cut-out and instead, is rather crowned and squashes all the things you don't want squashed. I ended up riding my Specialized Jett, my racing saddle. If you want something softer, I'd recommend a Specialized Lithia Gel-- but remember, softer does not necessarily equate better! That's a whole 'nother post.

And finally, full disclosure-- I was obligated to ride a Trek 520, as I was sponsored by Trek at the time. I already had a Surly Long Haul Trucker that I planned to detach from my Xtracycle. So would I buy a Trek 520 now? Sure would. The Trek 520 is great for:

• A $1300 price point. 
• Touring trips from one night to several months (or years?!).
• A sturdy commuter.
• A stable, comfortable, wide-gear-range everyday bike.

The only reason that I would buy a different bike: if I had twice or thrice the cash to spend. In that condition, I might ride more expensive parts and wheels-- but I'd still enjoy a frame just like the 520.

Was this review helpful to you? Leave a comment if you have any questions!

Sharing Chapters

Photo left: (my photo) We rode with Melanie for a day in Wyoming. A good place for added company. There were very few services.

When touring on a popular route, such as the TransAmerican Trail (established 1976!), you are part of a constant flow of cyclists. Cyclists are traveling east, west, fast and slow. You may see them only for a moment, as you blister down a mountain pass, having time only for a nod and smile of acknowledgement. Or, you may meet them at a gas station, and share a chocolate milk, conversation and a campsite that night. They might be gone in the morning (speedy tourists!), or wave good-bye, because they're going to stay to catch the town's festival. You could meet them once, or many times over.

We met Melanie on the second day of our trip. After dozens and dozens of variables played out, we also saw her again later in Oregon, Montana and Wyoming, but never after that (we took a week off in Colorado). In those places, the chapters of our TransAmerica stories collided.

Melanie sent me these photos that she took of us in Oregon and Wyoming last summer:

A reflection of us taking photos of the halfway-abandoned town that we spent the night in.

A collection of bicycle travelers, sharing space in a mid-renovation building, still filled with nails, planks and sawdust. We didn't mind, though-- we were ecstatic just to be free of the mosquitoes!

We look so clean! This is before we even got to Eugene, OR.

Mia didn't even have her panniers yet!

(She bought a full set of Arkel bags in Eugene.) (Long story.)

These photos are interesting to see, because while they're of us, they're from someone else's memory of their tour. We're characters in someone else's story, and this is how we appear.

Bicycle Touring Packing List: IN REVIEW

Back in May, before my bicycle tour across the country-- this is the list I came up with. Here are my {thoughts in retrospect.}

TOPS

• 2 sports bras {could bring just one, plus a swim suit to wear while doing laundry}
  
• a synthetic shirt {SENT HOME. Replaced with a long sleeve SPF shirt which worked great to circulate air and keep me cool. Eventually cut the sleeves off when it got humid.}
  
• a thin wool shirt (cool even in hot weather) {fantastic. Would do this again, but with Smartwool or IceBreaker instead of Patagonia. The Patagonia shirt-- surprisingly-- fell apart.}
  
• a WWR jersey {brought it to publicize my sponsor. Would ride w/o a jersey next time.}
  
• ..kinda tempted to bring a tank top, too. You know-- for the tan. {If I brought it, I definitely sent it home.}
• arm skins (SPF protection and COOLS you off rather than keep you warm) {These things actually do kinda work.. but didn't need 'em once I had my SPF shirt, which was more appealing to wear anyway, as it was billowy.}
  
• arm warmers {I wear arm armers a lot in everyday riding, I don't think I used them very often during the tour, though. Debatable. Depends on other clothing items.}
  
• long sleeve wool jersey, medium weight {Worked great, though could substitute with medium weight short sleeve + arm warmers.}
  
• wind jacket {Brought a bright yellow, convertable kind. Used it a lot and draped it over my load on the rear rack for increased visibility.}
  
• rain jacket {YUP.}
  

BOTTOMS

• 3 pairs of underwear {Yup.}
  
• two pairs of cycling shorts {Yup.}
  
• gym shorts {Yup.}
  
• synthetic knickers {Did I really bring these? I think I ended up bringing long pants. Better choice. Or some convertables.}
  
• knee warmers {Yup. Sent 'em home once it got hot though, of course.}
  
• 50/50 wool/poly long john/tights {Nights can be surprisingly cold! Would bring again.}
  
• Probably not rain pants.. but MAYBE some quick-drying MUSA pants. {I don't think I brought rain pants.. }

HANDS

• shortie bike gloves {YES.}
  
• and.. a windproof? a liner AND windproof? {I brought some really basic long fingered gloves. Worked most of the time, except when wet AND descending. Will go with wool next time and a Gore Tex shell.}
  

HEAD

• helmet. duh. {Yes.}
  
• cycling cap-- keeps rain out of eyes {Or a helmet with a visor.}
  
• beanie-- keeps whole body warm and a back up for a wet cycling cap {YES.}
  
• visor > I love this visor in hot sunny weather, so it's coming! {Haha, gave it to my touring buddy when I bought a cowboy hat! Really great for cooling off when you're in a desolate stretch with no shade.}
  
• sunglasses, with a light and dark lens set {Oh definitely yes. Love my Rudy Projects.}

FEET

• 2 thin short cycling socks, hot weather
  
• 1 thin tall wool socks, cool weather
  
• 1 thicker tall wool socks, cold weather and post-rain ride {Yes on all the socks. Sent the warm ones home once it got hot.}
  
• cycling shoes {YES. I like it better to have a performance cycling shoe that's more efficient, then to take those shoes OFF at the end of the day and cool them off in something else. I don't like the one-shoe-for-both thing. Not for me.}
  
• booties {YES.}
  
• Keen sandals {Replaced them with flip flops. Will replace with Crocs for next tour. Keen's were too heavy and unnecessary. We didn't do any more walking than we needed to.}
  

COOKING

STOVE

• MSR Whisperlite
• Fuel bottle
• Matches
• {Yes to all. Also bring lighter as back up to matches. Even if they're "waterproof."}

COOKWARE

• 1 pot, 1 pan {Ended up with 2 pots, happy with that.}
• Spatula {Yes.}
• Wooden spoon {Ended up with a folding spoon.}
• Cutting knife ..and a mini-knife sharpener (I'm a snob. And I like safety.) {Didn't bring the sharpener. :) }
• Spices {At one point, we had a LOT of spices. Then we narrowed it down to what we could use most often. Only carried a few: salt, pepper, garlic, cinnamon, and one or two others.}
• Hand-sanitizer {Oh, yes.}

EATINGWARE

• Mug/bowl {My mug/bowl was one mug nestled inside another, which was handy. Plus it has measuring marks.}
• Frisbee/plate/cutting board {Used a real thin-type cutting board after questioning the food-gradeness of the frisbee.}
• Fork/spoon {Read: fork and spoon.}

CLEANING

• 1/2 sponge
• Camping Suds {Yup.}

WATER

• Iodine {Yes, good for back up! Used it once, though we ended up finding water anyway.}
• 2 small bladders (for when our water bottles aren't enough) {YES. Takes no space and no weight, it's just a no-brainier.}

ETC.

• Plastic bags {Ha-- we saved any useful looking plastic bags that we came across.}
• Cord to hang food {YES. Not just for bears-- but for raccoons, too!}

CAMPING

TENT

• 2 person tent w/ fly & tarp ground cloth {My 2-person was more like a 1-person. We were gifted a 3-person tent with MAJOR ventilation when we were halfway across.}

SLEEPING

• REI sleeping bag {20degree}, eVent compression sack {Yes.}
• Thermarest or Ridgerest pad (undecided) {Went with Ridgerest foam pad for speed and it was comfy enough for me.}
• Thermarest compressible pillow (YES, I'm BRINGING the pillow.) {And I'll bring it again!}
• Cotton liner (an old bed sheet) (This is to keep my bag from getting stinky and also for those hot nights that a sleeping bag is just too much.) {Will buy a nice silk one next time. My sheet was haphazard and heavy.}

OTHER

• Bandana {Used one as a pee rag. :) }
• Tent patch kit {Never used it, but glad I had it! Useful for patching other things besides tents.}

TOOLS

BIKE TOOLS

• 3 tire levers, patch kit 
• Mini pump
• Huge Alien multi tool that has EVERYTHING
• [except] very miniature pliers
• Lube, 1/2 blue rag, small bottle of degreaser
• {Yes to all. Definitely USED those pliers. That's a kind of leverage that's hard to come by otherwise.}

OTHER TOOLS

• Mini Leatherman {I think we used this, but we didn't really need it. We had other tools to replace it.}

SPARE PARTS etc.

• Brake and derailleur cable
• Spare tube, tire boot
• Extra bolts for rack, shoes
• Brake pads
• Zip ties
• Hoseclamp
• AAA batteries for bike lights
• {ADD: Spokes! and a Tire!}

OTHER

• Curly combo lock {Yes, we brought one each, used them both to lock our bikes to each other and to something else. Often, though-- the bikes were unlocked. Really, I'd like to see someone just TRY and ride away on a fully loaded touring bike.}
• Bungees {Yes, infinitely useful!}
• Duct tape & electrical tape wound around a pencil {Yes. We nearly used it up!}

SAFETY

VISIBILITY

• Reflective triangle {Definite YES.}
• [Wind jacket is neon yellow]
• Rear flashing light
• Front light
• {Yes & yes. Even if you don't plan to ride in the "dark," fog, rain, dusk and dawn are all low light conditions requiring lights for safety!}

SELF-DEFENSE

• Pepper spray
• {Yes. ADD: Dog spray! We never sprayed it (very nearly did a few times), but pulled it out often in Kentucky. Some dogs recognized the can and gesture and went high-tailing the other way!}

FIRST AID *all in mini-packets

• MEDS: Pepto-bismol, midol, sting relief wipe, benadryl, ibuprofen, poison ivy wipe, eye drops, Neosporin
• ROAD RASH: alocohol, iodine and saline wipes. Gauze pads and mini roll. Band aids.
• HOT/COLD: Hand warmers, chemical ice pack, icy/hot patch {Ditched the last two.}
• TOOLS: nail clippers and very pointy tweezers
• BLISTERS: mole skin
• {Used a fair number of this, would still bring all of it.}

PERSONAL

TOILETRIES

• Travel towel (super thin, light, dries fast) {Yes, but I could bring a smaller one. Mine was full size! A luxury.}
• Terry wash cloth 
• Toothbrush, toothpaste
• Deodorant
• Razor
• 'Feminine products' and a coffee bag to keep stinky ones in
• Dr.Bronners for soap/shampoo
• Butt'r chamois cream {YES! Although I would bring Belgium Budder, as it's Paraben Free.}
• Bug spray
• Sunblock, SPF chapstick
• MAYBE a lotion bar {Don't think I brought this-- or I sure didn't use it!}
• {Yes to the rest!}

DOCUMENTS

MAPS

• Adventure Cycling TransAmerica Route maps

ID

• Driver's license
• Medical and car insurance card
• A card with my medical info written on it

MONEY

• Debit card, credit card, checkbook, cash

POSTAGE

• Stamps and addresses

{Yes to all. Plus a blank notepad for writing notes, addresses, scratching out math etc.}

TECH

CAMERA

• Camera, 3 batteries, extra memory card, charger and a tiny thingy that plugs your memory card into a computer {the cord that plugs the camera to the computer would have been fine as opposed to the other plugger thingy. Although the plugger thingy worked without needing a charged battery!}
• Add: Joby! My lil' bendable tri-pod. This enabled SO many self-timed photos!

CELL PHONE

• Phone, charger -- I am NOT bringing a phone on this trip. I am letting my cell plan expire and will rely on my touring buddy's phone for emergencies. {I BROUGHT MY PHONE! Kept it off most of the time to conserve battery.}

LUXURY

BOOKS

• 1 paperback {I would bring one only if I were traveling alone. My traveling buddy was way to entertaining to need a book.}

JOURNAL &c.

..to read my "full explanation" as to why I'm bringing FOUR journals, click here. 

• A Moleskine graph journal to make charts/graphs out of our trip
• A panoramic drawing journal for landscapes
• A square drawing journal for interviews
• A mini drawing journal for everything else
• Various pencils, erasers, colored pencils, sharpener, pens

{If I were traveling alone.. MAYBE. But definitely sent these all home! I know, I know..}

OTHER

• Kite! :)  {and it never flew. We threw the frisbee once, though. Sent that home too.}

OTHER THINGS WE ADDED AND I WOULD CONTINUE TO TRAVEL WITH:

• Rubber bands. We used these to keep food closed, etc.
• Clothes line, the kind that doesn't require any pins to use.

And there you have it! As I prepare to go on some shorter trips, I'll review what I've packed in a (somehow) more streamlined way.

Cheers!

TravelingTwo

Thanks to my dedicated following of the Adventure Cycling blog, I discovered yet another fantastic cycle touring resource: "Traveling Two."

Traveling Two is both neatly organized, yet a fascinating tangle that's fun to explore. There are basic how-to articles targeted at first-time touring cyclists, yet experienced touring cyclists may pick up a neat tip or two or just smile smugly at confirmation of their smart tour techniques. Mixed in, you'll find fuel for inspiration by means of interviews with touring cyclists of unique or epic character and circumstance. For instance, I was happy to find an article that highlighted a family of 5 riding to Alaska on one bike! On our summer bike tour on the TransAm, we actually crossed paths with these folks (we heard stories and saw their sign-ins in various journals), but never actually got to meet them. We also heard about a man on a handcycle, towing his wheelchair behind him. Has anyone come across his journal?

While I will continue to provide my angle on tips and how-tos-- as there are so many ways to bike tour-- visit Traveling Two for a rich deposit of advice and inspiration!

If you don't already, I also recommend spending time with the Adventure Cycling map of all routes (it's a pdf download). It always gets me dreamin' and schemin'.

Bike Mirror Review

This is the best bike mirror in the world.

Didn't know that one could be so passionate about a mirror, did you? Well-- I've been through a number of mirrors and THIS is the one I took on my summer tour (across the U.S.) and this is the one I will put on every bike that needs a mirror.

Initially I ended up with this mirror because it was pretty much the only one that would work with drop handlebars with bar-end shifters. I also liked how the mirror extended away from the bike. I've found that mirrors that are too close to the bike make me squirm on my bike in order to see what I want to see-- and what I get to see isn't that much in the first place, because the mirror is tryin' to be all small-like so that I don't ram into it with my knees.. which I manage to do anyway. That said, I've met people who swear by the road bar-end mirror (see photo, right).

I've also tried one of those super sexy mirrors that you stick to your helmet. In all fairness, I did not gi

ve it much of a chance before tearing it off my head. It's like-- if you were watching tv, and it's your favorite program-- but there is this GIANT BEETLE crawling all over it! AHH!! GET OFF! GO AWAY! I'M TRYING TO WATCH 30 ROCK! Except the tv program is your bike ride, of course. That said, I know people 

who swear by this little guy too (see photo, left). I just don't like tilting my head all funny like that gold robot guy from Star Wars, changing my focus and well, looking geeky. 

I can't say that I've ever tried the mirror-inside-the-sunglass thing-- but I've pretty much ruled it out, as I don't always wear my sunglasses (or the same lenses, anyway) on my bike. And again-- bug on the tv screen. No, thank you.

And recently, I've even tried this guy on my road bike with STI shifters (common modern shifter; the shifting is integrated into the

 brake lever unit, instead of being on the bar-end like on my touring bike). Initially, I was pretty stoked-- because I thought I'd be able to take the mirror on and off fairly easily for s

witching between commuter and race mode. While that bit may have been true-- what I hadn't anticipated is that the mirror rattles like mad! AHHH! Maybe it's because it's on a bike with 23mm tires (skinny!) running at least 100psi (hard!). But that's my set up on that bike-- so this mirror became a dud. Drats!

So back to the best mirror in the world. Great things about the mirror:

• It's big enough to actually see something.
• It mounts away from the bike, so all you have to do is glance (not squirm or tilt your head) to see what you want to see.
• It is mountable on top of bar tape, so it does not rattle and make your view blurry.
• It is always there-- doesn't rely on wearing a certain helmet or pair of sunglasses.
• Compatible with just about any bike set up.

Only downsides:

• This summer, while on tour, we did find that we had to continually retighten the clamp as it would slowly loosen and move around. However, I've had it for several months on fresh bar tape (not two layers of bar tape like this summer) and have never had to reset it.

Other tips:

• I have my mirror mounted at the very end of my bar. It doesn't really get in my way and I like the view it gives me. My touring buddy ended up moving hers further up the bar and liked the view better and didn't find that it got in her way too badly. So play around with your mounting spot.

Buy it:

• You can buy this mirror online at Adventure Cycling's online store, or
• Buy it at Gregg's Cycle in Seattle, Bellevue or Lynnwood, WA. (I work at the Bellevue location.)

I Want to S240

An S240 ("Es-Two-Four-Oh") is a sub-24-hour bike trip, or bike camping. The term was coined by the folks at Rivendell-- so I will let them explain it:

Bike camping and bike touring are alike enough to require the same kind of gear, but bike touring emphasizes the journey, and you stop only so you can refresh yourself and do it again the next day. Bike camping emphasizes the destination and what you do once you get there, and you just happen to get there on a bike.                                  From www.rivbike.com

and

The shortness is key, and the concept is simple: You leave in the afternoon or evening in time to get to your camp while there's still enough light to set up the tent. Then you cook, eat, talk, go to bed, and ride home the next morning.                                                                     Article in Adventure Cycling, January 2007

S240's are brilliant! They require little planning and no vacation time. You can do it in any style. Go ultralight or bring the dutch oven-- it doesn't matter because it's only for a night!

I would like to set a goal to spend X amount of nights outside within the next year. I don't know how many to shoot for yet, but S240's are going to help me get there. Now it's time to research all the cool places I could go!

Have you been dreaming of a tour, but haven't gotten it off the ground yet? Have you thought about going on an S240?

Pre-Bicycle Tour Thoughts

WHATEVER I WANT

With only 12 days until I dip my rear tire in the Pacific Ocean to begin my tour across the country, I realized that I may as well just eat whatever I want at this point. Also, there is some Tillamook Mudslide ice-cream in the freezer.

GRADUATING

It's the graduation season and I can't help but feel that I am swept up in the emotion of graduating too. Closing up loose ends at work is nearly as draining as taking finals. I'm trying to get rid of the growing mountain of stuff that is following me around. And I'm about to leave work to go do whatever I want with an air of a new beginning. 

3 MONTHS IS KINDA A LONG TIME

The longest outdoor trips I've been on were 8 days. The only experiences that come close to 3 months 'away' are my semester at The Mountain School in Vermont and a summer working on Mt.Rainier for Washington Trails Association. In both those cases, three months was long enough for a new way of life to become familiar and 'normal'. Hopping into my dirt-caked Carharts and lacing up my boots became normal on Rainier. Bottle feeding sheep and cutting the day's salad greens became normal in Vermont. Re-applying sunscreen, riding my bike for hours, and looking for a good place to sleep is going to become normal. The sensation of "vacation," of something temporary and unusual, that will fade away. Riding my bike all day and seeing something new-- it's going to be normal. Or so I think.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS!

And no, I don't mean gear decisions! I mean every day on the tour will be filled with a string of endless decisions! What should we eat? Where? And when? Should we keep riding? Should we stop? Where's a good place to sleep? Should we ask them? How long should we spend here? Can we wait out this rainstorm? Should we carry extra water? It will be interesting to see myself and my touring buddy work these decisions out. To sum us up to an extreme, I'm impulsive and she's indecisive. Not always, but you could simplify us that way.

Bicycle Tour Clothing Packing List

In less than two weeks, I will be bicycle touring across the U.S. My best friend and I will hit some seriously varied terrain: 

• Oregon Coast
• Eastern Oregon, Idaho
• Missoula, MT
• Yellowstone, WY
• Rockies of CO
• Eastern CO, Kansas
• Missouri, Kentucky, Virginia

Even though I'm touring in the summer (May31-end of August), the greatly varied terrain requires that I be prepared for both hot and cold. High elevation and rain storms are two good reasons to pull on a long sleeve mid-weight wool jersey or a rain jacket. The barren sections of Oregon, Idaho and Wyoming are good reasons to take almost everything off! At the same time, I've tried to be as "reasonably" lightweight as possible and choose items that work both on and off the bike or are flexible for another reason (such as arm warmers, which are small and can quickly change your warmth).

Alright. Too much, too little, just right? There are only a few 'unresolved issues' left: hands and rain paints. 

To me, this looks like a fairly scant list, with a few luxury items: 

• arm skins (weigh nothing and take zero space)
• a jersey (I gotta represent Trek WWR! Holla!)
• cycling cap or beanie (this is arguably a bit redundant)
• the visor (this cools me way off in hot weather)
• too many socks (but I like to be nice to my feet). 
• One luxury item I recently kicked off the list was my Patagonia synthetic down vest that's thin and packs way down (for a down vest). I had thought of it as my "emergency layer for guaranteed warmth," but I can layer up under my rain jacket or just get into my sleeping bag if it's that cold up in the mountains. The vest could make a comeback, though. I'm rather fond of it.
  

Okay, here it is!:

TOPS

• 2 sports bras
  
• a synthetic shirt
  
• a thin wool shirt (cool even in hot weather)
  
• a WWR jersey
  
• ..kinda tempted to bring a tank top, too. You know-- for the tan.
• arm skins (SPF protection and COOLS you off rather than keep you warm)
  
• arm warmers
  
• long sleeve wool jersey, medium weight
  
• wind jacket
  
• rain jacket
  

BOTTOMS

• 3 pairs of underwear
  
• two pairs of cycling shorts
  
• gym shorts
  
• synthetic knickers
  
• knee warmers
  
• 50/50 wool/poly long john/tights
  
• Probably not rain pants.. but MAYBE some quick-drying MUSA pants.

HANDS

• shortie bike gloves
  
• and.. a windproof? a liner AND windproof?
  

HEAD

• helmet. duh.
  
• cycling cap-- keeps rain out of eyes
  
• beanie-- keeps whole body warm and a back up for a wet cycling cap
  
• visor > I love this visor in hot sunny weather, so it's coming!
  
• sunglasses, with a light and dark lens set

FEET

• 2 thin short cycling socks, hot weather
  
• 1 thin tall wool socks, cool weather
  
• 1 thicker tall wool socks, cold weather and post-rain ride
  
• cycling shoes
  
• booties
  
• Keen sandals
  

Bicycle Tour Gear Packing List

I'm riding across the country for 3 months.

So, do you think I can cut anything out? To me, this all looks essential. To you, I may have overpacked!

COOKING

STOVE

• MSR Whisperlite
• Fuel bottle
• Matches

COOKWARE

• 1 pot, 1 pan
• Spatula
• Wooden spoon 
• Cutting knife ..and a mini-knife sharpener (I'm a snob. And I like safety.)
• Spices
• Hand-sanitizer

EATINGWARE

• Mug/bowl
• Frisbee/plate/cutting board
• Fork/spoon

CLEANING

• 1/2 sponge
• Camping Suds

WATER

• Iodine
• 2 small bladders (for when our water bottles aren't enough)

ETC.

• Plastic bags
• Cord to hang food

CAMPING

TENT

• 2 person tent w/ fly & tarp ground cloth

SLEEPING

• REI sleeping bag, eVent compression sack
• Thermarest or Ridgerest pad (undecided)
• Thermarest compressible pillow (YES, I'm BRINGING the pillow.)
• Cotton liner (an old bed sheet) (This is to keep my bag from getting stinky and also for those hot nights that a sleeping bag is just too much.)

OTHER

• Bandana
• Tent patch kit

TOOLS

BIKE TOOLS

• 3 tire levers, patch kit
• Mini pump
• Huge Alien multi tool that has EVERYTHING
• [except] very miniature pliers
• Lube, 1/2 blue rag, small bottle of degreaser

OTHER TOOLS

• Mini Leatherman

SPARE PARTS etc.

• Brake and derailleur cable
• Spare tube, tire boot
• Extra bolts for rack, shoes
• Brake pads
• Zip ties
• Hoseclamp
• AAA batteries for bike lights

OTHER

• Curly combo lock
• Bungees
• Duct tape & electrical tape wound around a pencil

SAFETY

VISIBILITY

• Reflective triangle
• [Wind jacket is neon yellow]
• Rear flashing light
• Front light

SELF-DEFENSE

• Pepper spray

FIRST AID *all in mini-packets

• MEDS: Pepto-bismol, midol, sting relief wipe, benadryl, ibuprofen, poison ivy wipe, eye drops, Neosporin
• ROAD RASH: alocohol, iodine and saline wipes. Gauze pads and mini roll. Band aids.
• HOT/COLD: Hand warmers, chemical ice pack, icy/hot patch
• TOOLS: nail clippers and very pointy tweezers
• BLISTERS: mole skin

This might seem like a large first aid kit, but I used to be a student athletic trainer-- so to me, this is the minimum!

PERSONAL

TOILETRIES

• Travel towel (super thin, light, dries fast)
• Terry wash cloth 
• Toothbrush, toothpaste
• Deodorant
• Razor
• 'Feminine products' and a coffee bag to keep stinky ones in
• Dr.Bronners for soap/shampoo
• Butt'r chamois cream
• Bug spray
• Sunblock, SPF chapstick
• MAYBE a lotion bar

DOCUMENTS

MAPS

• Adventure Cycling TransAmerica Route maps

ID

• Driver's license
• Medical and car insurance card
• A card with my medical info written on it

MONEY

• Debit card, credit card, checkbook, cash

POSTAGE

• Stamps and addresses

TECH

CAMERA

• Camera, 3 batteries, extra memory card, charger and a tiny thingy that plugs your memory card into a computer

CELL PHONE

• Phone, charger -- I am NOT bringing a phone on this trip. I am letting my cell plan expire and will rely on my touring buddy's phone for emergencies.

LUXURY

BOOKS

• 1 paperback

JOURNAL &c.

..to read my "full explanation" as to why I'm bringing FOUR journals, click here.

• A Moleskine graph journal to make charts/graphs out of our trip
• A panoramic drawing journal for landscapes
• A square drawing journal for interviews
• A mini drawing journal for everything else
• Various pencils, erasers, colored pencils, sharpener, pens

OTHER

• Kite! :)

Bicycle Touring Charts

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!

Take a seat! : a tandem tour

Check this out!

While completing any long distance bicycle tour is worthy of raising a glass to, it is becoming harder and harder to be unique. Yes, everyone's tour, no matter how small or grand, will be unique to that person! But I mean unique in the sense of being different and more interesting than previous endeavors in order to grab headlines. People have ridden up, down, across, around the U.S., both Americas, the snows of Alaska and even politically unstable regions of Africa. To be clear, no, mom, I have no interest in riding through the Congo! 

Anyhow, that leaves us to the question: if you want to be unique, what's left to do? Well, check out THIS GUY, Dominic Gill, who rode from Alaska to the southern tip of South America, on a tandem. Oh, and the passengers on his tandem are random people he met along the way. HOW AWESOME IS THAT??! His effort is raising money for Hope and Homes for Children and now at the conclusion of his journey, he is editing footage together for a terrific documentary, Dommy No Mates. You can see a trailer of the documentary on the Take a Seat homepage; just wait for it to load.

The Trek to Re-Energize America

This summer, concerned citizens from all over the country will mount their bikes and pedal towards our nation's capitol. Along the way stories will be collected and shared about how climate change is currently, or will soon affect us. In D.C., these stories will converge in a collective voice to call for immediate action. The debate about whether global warming "is real" is over, or it needs to be; because if we want to sit around waiting for even more evidence, then it will be too late. The Trek to Re-Energize America demands that we take action NOW.

Learn more about the Trek and Climate Change:

Wake Up, Freak Out - then Get a Grip from Leo Murray on Vimeo.

About The Trek

We're running out of time. We need strong, immediate action on climate change from the new administration and the Trek to Re-Energize America is designed to build the momentum necessary to demand that change. The Trek To Re-Energize America was conceived of as a means to talk to people on their turf and in their communities about the challeneges climate change poses to their lives, whether from floods, mountain top removal or smog. By having conversations in communities across the nation, we will empower citizens to take action and push our leaders to make decisive steps to move our great country out of the old dirty energy economy and into a clean energy economy, spurring green job growth, changing our wasteful habits and reestablishing the United States as a leader and pioneer in the global economy.

The Trek to Re-Energize America is a bike trip to Washington D.C. Riders will depart for D.C. from all across the country, leaving from their home states and sweeping up media attention and grassroots support as they go. Upon arrival in D.C. the riders will rally and lobby for action on current legislation by asking their representatives to be leaders in the fight against climate change. A massive number of organized passionate people who have biked across the United States for something they believe strongly in will make for a statement that politicians and media will be unable to ignore.

The trip is slated for summer 2009. The convergence on D.C. will take place in late July or early August to coincide with the congressional calendar.

We can only do it with your help. We need riders from as many states as we can get and leaders willing to direct efforts across the U.S. Please contact us with any thoughts, comments or questions. We'd love to have you involved.

Trek to Re-Energize
http://www.trektoreenergize.org/

GEAR REVIEW: Detours Digi Mig Stem Bag

This is my new favorite bag. It's not perfect, but it's still amazing.

I bought this bag from the Adventure Cycling online store. 

On my tour this summer, I don't plan on wearing any cycling jerseys (which have handy pockets), but only wool or synthetic shirts. Pocketless, I am left wondering where to keep my camera. Sure, I could use a handlebar bag-- but I am leaning towards not getting one at all. It just takes over too much handlebar space. I like a LOT of handlebar space. I don't even have a bike computer, but I suppose that's for other reasons as well. Anyhow, my handlebar real estate does not go easily. THIS bag, however-- utilizes the STEM, all the while staying far, far away from my hands and wrists. How absolutely fabulous.

So, the bag is there at your finger tips and it even has a nifty map case on the front-- just enough space to write out some "right, left, right" directions and slip them inside. But I called it imperfect, what's the deal?

I'll break it down into a list. Everyone, excuse me-- anyone reading a gear review-- likes a list.

PROs

• Makes camera easily accessible while riding. Even MORE accessible than your jersey pocket! I just leave the bag unzipped and my camera cord hanging out. When I want to use my camera while riding, I simply slip my hand through the cord and pull the camera out, without fear of dropping it or crashing into a ditch.
• Magnetic closure!
• It mounts in an out-of-the way place. It doesn't take any precious hand/wrist space.
• The mount is "knog" style, which makes installation easy and straightforward.
• The case slides on and off the mount for quick portability.
• The inside is nice and soft, so it won't scratch up your digital camera screen.
• There are little pockets inside perfect for spare batteries or memory cards.
• An awesome map case on top! Not enough for an actual map, really-- but just enough space to scribble out "left turn, right turn" and have it not get wet.

CONs

• It doesn't 'click' into place (maybe mine is defected?), so it can easily be bumped out. I haven't had mine fall out while riding over bumpy road, but I could imagine knocking it loose by elbowing it while stopped.
• I find that the zipper really does require two hands to open because the mount doesn't offer enough resistance. This makes it harder for the bag to operate as an "on-the-go" bag to access while riding. However, I don't mind leaving the bag unzipped until it starts to rain.

My disclaimer is that I've only had this bag for a week or so, but I already love it. For me, the pros heavily outweigh the cons.

The PERFECT Bicycle Touring Set Up

When purchasing bicycle touring gear, it is easy to become obsessed with finding "THE PERFECT" gear. 

• The most indestructible, feather-light, shiny silver rack.
  
• The most indestructible, feather-light, waterproof, pocketed, fire engine red panniers.
  
• The most indestructible, feather-light, waterproof yet breathable, bright but not gaudy, zips-off-at-the-sleeves, passes as casual jacket.
  
• The most indestructible..
  

you get my point.

I am (sort of) no longer looking for these PERFECT items. I DO like super handy, multi-use items-- like the Princton Tec Aurora 3 light that converts from a handlebar light, helmet light to a headlamp. And while I will strive to strike a balance between durability, weight and expense-- to an extent, I think it matters more that *I* am competent, more so than my gear.

So when I come across evidence as I've posted below, I feel multiple ways at once:

1. I pass judgement for feeling like "I know better."
   
2. I feel inspired by cheap, homemade solutions.
   
3. I feel like if this person carried THAT much with THAT gear, then surely carrying the LITTLE gear I'll bring and the AWESOME gear I'll use.. I'll be JUST FINE! :)
   

My uncensored in-my-brain thoughts:

Why did you let another person on your bicycle?? Is that a rocket booster back there? Man, that thing has got to be like a bus!

Dude, this guy just draped two BACKPACKS off the back of his bike. And those are neon STRAWS on his spokes. His journal on Crazyguyonabike.com is hilarious.

From Tom's online journal: "I didn't go through extensive research in packing my things. I don't know how much anything weights, If i think it's too heavy I'll drop items.... or I'll pretend to be a battering ram and run into things."

Lying down to ride is weird. I think I would want to nap all the time. Those are frickin' huge flags. But I bet they did their job.

Pff! Fancy front rack? NAW. Just get a basket rack thinger!

No comment available.

Sweet. Homemade panniers! I hope they last for ya.