Bike #1:
Rodriguez S&S coupled UTB (ultimate touring bike)
TA chain rings-24-38-48
SRAM 970 cassette-11-32
SRAM PC-99 chain
Velocity Aerohead wheels w/Phil Wood hubs
Continental Grand Prix 26x1.0 tires
STI shifters
Crank Brothers Quattro pedals
Bike #2:
Litespeed Blue Ridge
Ultegra chain rings-24-42-52
SRAM 970 cassette
SRAM PC-99 chain
Shimano WH-7701 wheels/hubs
Continental Ultra Gatorskins 700x25
STI shifters
Crank Brothers Candy pedals
Bike gear:
ThinkSport water bottles
Opticube headlight (this is a "see me" light)
Planet Bike Superflash rear blinkie light
Topeak Road Morph pump
CO2 dispenser and cartridges
Tire irons and patch kit
Rudy Ayron+ helmet
Rec specs prescription sunglasses
Garmin Edge 705 w/charger and USB cord
NiteRider BlowTorch (will likely send this home after Hawaii)
Bike tools:
Chain whip
Cassette removal tool
12" crescent wrench
Chain breaker
Set of T Allen wrenches
Pedal wrench
Set of metric open end wrenches
Floor pump
Lube/ grease
Kevlar spoke
Small container w/extra nuts, bolts, cleats
Folding spare 700 tire (the only bike with 26" wheels is the Rodriguez)
WD-40
Rags
Clothing/toiletries:
4 pair cycling shorts (I use a variety of brands so that I never get chafed in the same spot). I think it was Washington Irving, in Tales of a Traveller, who said, "There is a certain relief in change, even though it be from bad to worse; as I have found in traveling in a stagecoach, that it is often a comfort to shift one's position and be bruised in a new place."
1 pair knickers
1 pair thermal tights
2 pair cycling socks (one wool)
3 sleeveless jerseys
2 short-sleeve jerseys
1 long-sleeved jersey
2 pair fingerless cycling gloves
4 sports bras
1 pair off-bike Pearl Izumi stretch pants
1 cotton t-shirt
1 pair undies
Down pullover jacket
Baseball hat
Showers Pass rain jacket
Shimano cycling sandals
Lake cycling sandals
Swimsuit
Towel
Bar soap
Shampoo/conditioner
Deodorant
Razor
Sunscreen
Lotion
Vaseline (I have had good luck using this to avoid saddle sores)
Toothbrush/toothpaste/floss
Hairbrush
Earplugs
Camping/cooking gear:
Mountain Hardware Helion 2 tent w/footprint
North Face Chrysalis sleeping bag
Big Agnes air core 3/4 sleeping pad
Cocoon silk sleeping liner
2 burner propane stove w/extra canisters
Large flashlight
Table service for 4
Tablecloth
2qt. Saucepan
10" frying pan
2 big spoons
2 knives for cutting
Can opener
Vegetable peeler
Cutting board
Large bowl
Blender (yeah, I know...it seems over the top...but we are all liking the protein drinks after a ride, and this will allow us to make our own)
2 Tupperware square containers
Dishpan
Towels/dishrag/scotch-brite pad
Food:
Apples, oranges, bananas and grapes+
Salad mix
Carrots, broccoli, celery, peppers+
Avocados
Whole grain bread
Bagels
Hummus
Crackers
Nuts
Dried fruit
Jerky
Cereal...hot and cold
Eggs
Cheese
Yogurt
Milk
Almond milk
Peanut butter
Almond butter
Coffee/tea
Brown rice boil-in-a-bag
Deli turkey breast
Olive oil
Small pkgs. of condiments
Gatorade powder
Hammer gels
Hammer Recoverite
Power/Clif bars
Hard candy
2 gallons water
Miscellaneous:
Hard copy maps in plastic sleeves
First Aid Kit
Nokia N 96 cell phone w/charger
IPad w/charger
Power inverter
APC Power reservoir
Heavy duty extension cord
Toolbox w/general tools for truck
Phew...that seems like a lot, and I am sure that I will add a few more things before we take off. The key is to take what we need, and need what we take.
maybe you can't...because you won't...
Monday, March 26, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
The Pricetag
Someone asked me the other day what this ride is going to cost. Well...I'm not sure. The price of gasoline jumped 50 cents a gallon in California last week...not good news if you are planning on 12,000 miles at 19 miles per gallon. But...if we can average $4 per gallon, that would be about $2500 for a little more than 625 gallons.
The airline tickets to Hawaii and Alaska were about $1300 and I will have some transportation expenses in both of those places getting back to the airport.
I have budgeted around $40 per day for food and my biking buddies are all good cooks, so we plan on making use of the grocery stores and farmer's markets we pass. That is...so long as cooking fits into our time schedule. We don't want to eat fast food, but we don't have time to slow roast a pork tenderloin either. We are limiting ourselves in regards to the cooking equipment, so gourmet dinners will not be on the menu, but healthy, tasty food that replenishes working bodies will be standard fare. Lots of fruits and vegetables, lean meat, nuts, whole grains, and when I can sneak one in, a gooey cinnamon roll. :) We need easy, so things like yogurts and gorp will always be handy.
Our lodging costs have been drastically offset by the generous warm showers hosts, but there will still be a lot of camping and I have budgeted $25 per night. Some nights it will be more than that, some nights less, so it should all even out for those 20 some odd nights.
There are miscellaneous costs I have budgeted for, like tolls, ferries, and parking. I also factored in some maintenance for the truck ( a couple of oil changes, mostly) and bikes.
I am thinking...and hoping...that when everything is said and done, the trip will cost around 8 grand. Does that sound like a lot? For the ultimate road trip? I think it's a bargain.
You might be interested to know that most of the funds have come from what I call "dejunking". I have intended to get rid of things Bill and I no longer wanted or needed for years. Every winter I would say, "I'm going to clean out the attic, and the closets, and the basement...downsize". But it never happened...until last year. I also substitute teach in the school district in which I live. I taught over 30 years ago, and then stayed home to be with our four children. When my daughter suggested I start teaching again, I wasn't sure that it was a good idea. I think I winced when I accepted my first sub job in November. But it's a good fit for me, and I actually find the kids quite endearing. All that to say I have a financial stake in this trip...I have worked hard to make it happen.
maybe you can't...because you won't...
The airline tickets to Hawaii and Alaska were about $1300 and I will have some transportation expenses in both of those places getting back to the airport.
I have budgeted around $40 per day for food and my biking buddies are all good cooks, so we plan on making use of the grocery stores and farmer's markets we pass. That is...so long as cooking fits into our time schedule. We don't want to eat fast food, but we don't have time to slow roast a pork tenderloin either. We are limiting ourselves in regards to the cooking equipment, so gourmet dinners will not be on the menu, but healthy, tasty food that replenishes working bodies will be standard fare. Lots of fruits and vegetables, lean meat, nuts, whole grains, and when I can sneak one in, a gooey cinnamon roll. :) We need easy, so things like yogurts and gorp will always be handy.
Our lodging costs have been drastically offset by the generous warm showers hosts, but there will still be a lot of camping and I have budgeted $25 per night. Some nights it will be more than that, some nights less, so it should all even out for those 20 some odd nights.
There are miscellaneous costs I have budgeted for, like tolls, ferries, and parking. I also factored in some maintenance for the truck ( a couple of oil changes, mostly) and bikes.
I am thinking...and hoping...that when everything is said and done, the trip will cost around 8 grand. Does that sound like a lot? For the ultimate road trip? I think it's a bargain.
You might be interested to know that most of the funds have come from what I call "dejunking". I have intended to get rid of things Bill and I no longer wanted or needed for years. Every winter I would say, "I'm going to clean out the attic, and the closets, and the basement...downsize". But it never happened...until last year. I also substitute teach in the school district in which I live. I taught over 30 years ago, and then stayed home to be with our four children. When my daughter suggested I start teaching again, I wasn't sure that it was a good idea. I think I winced when I accepted my first sub job in November. But it's a good fit for me, and I actually find the kids quite endearing. All that to say I have a financial stake in this trip...I have worked hard to make it happen.
maybe you can't...because you won't...
Monday, March 12, 2012
Equipped
I like to be prepared. I like to know ahead of time if I'm going to need extra clothing or extra water or a light. Today I rode 51 miles, half of it in a steady, 40 degree rain. No worries...I was smiling...but the final 10 miles were in the dark because I needed to see just how long the battery on my NiteRider Torch would last. So...I rode the 10, parked the bike in the garage with the light on, and kept checking on it every quarter hour or so. At 3.5 hours, the light was dimming. At 4 hours, it was nearly spent. Not bad. I think it will do for my night ride in Hawaii.
I have done the same thing with most of my other equipment...which shoes should I take...which jacket? How about the gearing on the bike? The tires? One of my best equipment finds in the past couple of years has been a ThinkSport water bottle. It is stainless steel, and while it won't fit in a conventional water bottle holder, it will fit in an Arundel holder. The Arundel holder is made in Texas and seems pretty indestructible. Why the hoopla about a water bottle? Well...I can put ice and water in a ThinkSport bottle at 9 am tomorrow morning, and even if the temps were to reach 90...(hey, I can dream, can't I)...there would still be ice in the bottle at 9 pm tomorrow night. That...is important to me.
I will be taking two bikes on this trip. One is a custom built Rodriguez touring bike that has S&S couplers, and the other is a Litespeed Titanium Blue Ridge. The Rodriguez fits me better, but I love the Litespeed too, as it is a little lighter and has a big 52 tooth chainring that is very fun with a tailwind. Both of my saddles are made by Brooks...a B-66, and a B-67. They are heavy, but I justify their weight by not packing dog repellant, cute little mascots, and a kickstand. ;)
I have seen people tour on department store bikes, and have heard high-end cyclists discuss touring tires that likely cost more per tire than the said department store bike. I guess what I'm saying is that there is no right way to do this ride...or any other ride...many things WILL work...what works for you? Because I am a bit of a list maker...I do have a comprehensive list of my equipment. If anyone wants to take a look at that, all they have to do is let me know...
maybe you can't...because you won't...
I will be taking two bikes on this trip. One is a custom built Rodriguez touring bike that has S&S couplers, and the other is a Litespeed Titanium Blue Ridge. The Rodriguez fits me better, but I love the Litespeed too, as it is a little lighter and has a big 52 tooth chainring that is very fun with a tailwind. Both of my saddles are made by Brooks...a B-66, and a B-67. They are heavy, but I justify their weight by not packing dog repellant, cute little mascots, and a kickstand. ;)
I have seen people tour on department store bikes, and have heard high-end cyclists discuss touring tires that likely cost more per tire than the said department store bike. I guess what I'm saying is that there is no right way to do this ride...or any other ride...many things WILL work...what works for you? Because I am a bit of a list maker...I do have a comprehensive list of my equipment. If anyone wants to take a look at that, all they have to do is let me know...
maybe you can't...because you won't...
Monday, March 5, 2012
Nutrition: If Only Spinach Tasted Like Chocolate
I have been trying to convince myself for years that because I ride so many miles, I can eat whatever I want. It's simply not true. If a body doesn't get the fuel it needs to perform the work that it is asked to do, it will 1) break down muscle tissue in order to get the fuel, or 2) refuse to perform the work. When Karen sent me a suggested list of foods that would properly fuel someone doing endurance activities, along with when those foods ought to be eaten, I realized just how far off the mark I had gotten. Then Patty told me of a mutual friend turned racer...he had lost 15 pounds, and while that seemed wonderful...he found out through some body testing that 12 of those pounds were muscle. Yikes.
I have become serious about my food intake. I like to fast for Lent...it's a personal thing, and though it changes a bit from year to year, I usually do something along the lines of a Daniel Fast. I basically become a vegan who eats no sugar. If it's true that you are what you eat, then I've become Mr. McGregor's garden. Which...poses a problem. I need protein...about 60 grams a day, and it's hard for me to get that kind of protein from fruits and vegetables, grains, legumes and nuts. I supplement my diet with some protein drinks called muscle milks. I had heard about a swimming coach whose swimmers were dragging by noon following a morning practice. He had them down chocolate milk after their morning practice and noticed a change in their energy level almost immediately. Afternoon practices were just as rigorous as the morning practices, but now the swimmers were performing at higher levels. Chocolate milk seems to have a good ratio of protein to carbs.
I won't bore you with a list of what I eat, but I will tell you that gone are the days when I would come home from a long ride and have a cup of coffee with plenty of cream and sugar along with a scone or a handful of cookies. And I can feel the difference. I have more energy and I am starting to feel stronger. Today I was clipping along at 15 mph on the flats. My Garmin said that I burned a little over 2000 calories in the 50+ miles that I rode...double that, and you have a good idea of what it is going to take to fuel me each day of this trip. Now, could you please pass me the quinoa tabouleh?
maybe you can't...because you won't...
I have become serious about my food intake. I like to fast for Lent...it's a personal thing, and though it changes a bit from year to year, I usually do something along the lines of a Daniel Fast. I basically become a vegan who eats no sugar. If it's true that you are what you eat, then I've become Mr. McGregor's garden. Which...poses a problem. I need protein...about 60 grams a day, and it's hard for me to get that kind of protein from fruits and vegetables, grains, legumes and nuts. I supplement my diet with some protein drinks called muscle milks. I had heard about a swimming coach whose swimmers were dragging by noon following a morning practice. He had them down chocolate milk after their morning practice and noticed a change in their energy level almost immediately. Afternoon practices were just as rigorous as the morning practices, but now the swimmers were performing at higher levels. Chocolate milk seems to have a good ratio of protein to carbs.
I won't bore you with a list of what I eat, but I will tell you that gone are the days when I would come home from a long ride and have a cup of coffee with plenty of cream and sugar along with a scone or a handful of cookies. And I can feel the difference. I have more energy and I am starting to feel stronger. Today I was clipping along at 15 mph on the flats. My Garmin said that I burned a little over 2000 calories in the 50+ miles that I rode...double that, and you have a good idea of what it is going to take to fuel me each day of this trip. Now, could you please pass me the quinoa tabouleh?
maybe you can't...because you won't...
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