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Author: Tim Mooney

The Pedalshift Project 013: The New Woman bikes the world

A baker’s dozen in, we feature our first bit of bike touring history. Set your wayback machine over 100 years to the 1890s as we learn about the amazing Annie “Londonderry” Kopchovsky, a pioneering “New Woman” of bike touring. Next time you’re struggling in granny gear up a big climb think about what it would feel like on a 42 pound fixie… just one of the challenges Annie faced on her amazing adventures.

Hey it’s the direct download link for episode 013 (mp3)

Reach out to the show via email, Facebook, Twitter or even Instagram. Yeah, I’m calling you out again Instagram. Don’t forget to join the newsletter too. February’s edition drops next week.

The Journal

annie londonderry new woman

Special thanks to our guest, Gillian Klempner Willman the Producer/Director of the amazing documentary The New Woman: Annie ‘Londonderry’ Kopchovsky.

The New Woman is the directorial debut for Washington, DC filmmaker Gillian K. Willman and has been a seven-year long labor of love. In addition to producing this independent documentary, Gillian is Senior Producer at the Newseum. She also spent a decade working at Cortina Productions, a multimedia production company, where she has wrote, directed, and produced video and interactive content for more than a dozen cultural institutions, including presentations in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library and Museum, the National Civil Rights Museum, the Museum of Tolerance, the Capitol Visitor Center, the Sports Museum of America, and the Lincoln Cottage Visitor Education Center.

Gillian has played a key role in the research and production of several long and short form documentary projects, including Peter Jennings Reporting: Guantanamo, Trade Secrets: A Moyers Report, and Discovery Education’s The Science of Plants. She is a graduate of Cornell University and lives in Washington, DC with her husband, Ben, daughter, Leila, and cats, Lucy and Oscar.

Learn more about Gillian at spokeswomanproductions.com.

More Annie

Music

The Pedalshift Project theme is America courtesy of Jason Kent off his self-titled solo album. Check out his band Sunfields‘ new release, Habitat, wherever cool music resides. And hey, new video for Ghost!

The Pedalshift Project 012: A bike surfing tour and pedaling pugs

We complete our first dozen episodes featuring bike surfing tour from a past encounter, a story about biking dogs (sort of) and generating power as you roll.

hey it’s the direct download link for episode 012 (mp3)

Reach out to the show via email, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Yes, particularly you of Instagram.

The Journal

Featured journal – a bike surfing tour

Matt Weiner, surfing the Oregon coast by bike

bike surfing tour Matt Weiner

  • Met Matt on my first unsupported Pacific coast tour, rolling with Mysterious James.
  • Modified a BOB single wheel trailer with bamboo to haul his shortboard down the Oregon coast.
  • Timed his arrivals in different beaches to coincide with the tide coming in for better waves
  • His trip always stuck with me… using a bike as a method to your adventure madness. Why just bike the Oregon coast when you can add a board and rock a bike surfing tour?

surfing tours by bike

Big thanks to Matt for getting back in touch… mazel tov on the wedding and hope to see you on the road again sometime!

NEWWOMAN1Special treat for episode 013… featuring the first woman to bike across the US and the first to do an assisted round the world tour. IN 1894. The amazing Annie Londonderry, brought to us with a special interview of Gillian Klempner Willman
Producer, Director of the documentary The New Woman: Annie ‘Londonderry’ Kopchovsky. Cannot wait to share this with Pedalshifters!

The Lab

Revisiting my dynohub setup

The Sanyo Dynohub... good value.

  • My original post – An Uncommonly Silly Blog
  • Refined setup – Pedalshift
  • The Sanyo dynohub
  • LightCharge converter
  • Purchased the hub and wheel built as one unit – took a bit of a gamble on that, but the price was right.
  • Support your LBS when you can – it probably has a talented wheel builder who can really match your needs for bike touring.
  • Many dynohubs are directly wired to lighting systems… mine goes to a 5V USB converter so I can directly power USB devices or cache the electrons into a battery.
  • (note, drool-worthy Tout Terrain makes a more sophisticated integrated version of this that’s 3x the price. )
  • Modern batteries are so huge and so small it’s quite possible to do long tours and not have to worry about charging your devices.
  • Helps avoid the issue I ran into at a campground this past trip – my battery was stolen while charging in a campground bathroom. I was being a little electron greedy and paid the price. No more of that!
  • Alternative (untested but looks GREAT) – essentially a detachable dynohub by SivaCycle.

Bike Touring Story

Louis bike touring experiment #1 of 1
louis the pug

  • Special thanks to my talented and beautiful girlfriend Kimberly Wilson for helping to tell this tale. You can read all about her amazing pursuits at kimberlywilson.com.
  • Music courtesy of the fine artists at Purple Planet.
  • The original video…

Connections

  • Richard and Tony – thanks for your questions on dynohub setups
  • The ubiquitous FOTS JohnnyK on the Novara Safari

Music

The Pedalshift Project theme is America courtesy of Jason Kent off his self-titled solo album. Check out his band Sunfields‘ new release, Habitat, wherever cool music resides. And hey, new video for Ghost!

grand canyon

My favorite touring bicycles, part 1: the Novara Safari (now ADV 2.1)

It’s hard to argue that the most important piece of gear you bring with you on tour is your bicycle. Sure we talk a lot about tents, cooking gear, toolkits, panniers and other things that make life easier on the road, but it’s the bike that gets us there. When I was looking to upgrade from my heavily modified (non-touring) bike[footnote]for the record, a Marin mountain bike… with front suspension. Not recommended once you decide to make the leap, by the way.[/footnote] to something more built for the road, I spent weeks analyzing, hand-wringing and studying feature lists. The next few posts will feature my three favorite touring bikes.[footnote]Be sure also to check out reviews of the Surly Long Haul Trucker, hacking your own ride, and the Dahon Vitesse[/footnote] This time, it’s my pride and joy Sequoia sempervirens… the Novara Safari.

Quick sidebar/updates

2015 safari

The news from 2016 Interbike was a gut punch for fans of the Safari… with the end of the Novara line of bicycles, the Safari did not survive the purge as-is. REI’s new line of bikes, called Co-Op (see what they did there?) did include touring bikes, and the great news is the new ADV 2.1 is pretty much an evolution of my beloved Safari. I’ll be doing a complete revamp of the reviews here since the ADV 2.1 is by all accounts the natural successor. Here’s a video from REI with the details:

Prior to the rebrand, the Safari was last redesigned in 2016. The stock model now comes standard with disc brakes and thumb shifters as opposed to the rim brakes and grip shifters of the one I ride. The tires are also now Vittoria rather than Continental. It seems like the new Safari is being targeted to touring that includes trails and gravel in addition to road work, which I think is a great space for it to reside amongst the REI bikes since the Novara Randonee occupies the classic drop-bar road touring slot. I’ll update the review when I get an opportunity to ride the new version. Onto the review of the 2014 model, which you may be finding more of on the secondary markets…

Great specs + bang for the buck

 

The Safari has a great set of specs, comes in a little cheaper than some of the other top bikes out there, and has the added bonus of being from REI if you are a member (that dividend covers some pretty sweet gear when it rolls in). Novara Safari

Favorite features

The first thing you notice with the Safari is the stock moustache handlebars. They’re distinctive, and maybe a little controversial. I strongly prefer them over traditional drop bars because of the variety of hand positions you can achieve with subtle shifts while riding. When I’m riding other bikes for more than a few miles, I tend to miss my moustache bars. They’re great for touring.

Another nice feature for the Safari is the very nice rear rack that comes standard. Is it a little heavier than other options out there? Sure. But it’s very sturdy and can handle a rough tour with few complaints.

Like many good touring bikes, the Safari has a steel frame, which makes it ideal for the rigors of travel. The components are solid, and with a few exceptions I’ll get to in a moment, I’ve ridden most of my tours on the stock parts.

While tour-ready once you roll it out of the store, he Safari is also highly customizable. There are brazons all over the frame for fenders, water bottles, pumps, and more. I even attached a rear rack modified as a front rack using some old water bottle cages and two hose clamps. It’s probably my favorite part of the bike.

A few downsides

While the components are excellent[footnote]three seasons of reasonably decent touring, approximately 3000 miles, and I am just now replacing the original shift cables[/footnote] I strongly recommend you break out the loktite before any tour and secure the threads on everything. It seems to be a problem for the Safari, and I definitely lost a few bolts in my first season.

The stock tires are Continentals. Decent tires. However… well, we all know what happened to mine. I moved up to a burlier tire.[footnote]The Schwalbe Marathon Supreme 28.0 x 2.0 tires fits the 700c wheels of the Safari. Highly recommended.[/footnote]

I promise I will not bore you to death by nerding out on gear ratios. There are way better sites for that. That said, the crankset that comes standard on the Safari is adequate, but not ideal for climbing hills. I found my ride down the Pacific Coast in 2014 to be substantially better when I swapped out the standard 48/36/26 triple for a 44/32/22 crankset. I love having that extra climbing ring, and the magic of physics kicks in with the smaller set. Bottom line: better climbing.

A minor quibble, and it’s more about personal preference: I don’t like to clip or strap in while touring. The Safari stock pedals have straps and I swapped those out after the first year. Like any strapped pedal, they flip over if you eschew their use and that can cause the foot holster to drag on the ground occasionally. I changed to an inexpensive platform pedal.

Bottom line

Ok, ok I’m biased. I love this bike. I ride this bike. Every once in a while I’ll see someone else riding one “in the wild” and I feel like a Mac user from the early 1990s who wants to connect with the other fan of a great, but lesser-used product.

Next time… the Surly Long Haul Trucker.

Want more?

There’s a whole series on my favorite touring bikes that I already mentioned, but you might also be interested in listening to The Pedalshift Project bike touring podcast. If you’re really into bike touring (new or not!) consider signing up for the free Pedalshift monthly newsletter for even more bike touring goodness.

bike touring redwoods in mirror

The Pedalshift Project 011: Great lakes and pedaling yetis

We kick off 2015 with updates on upcoming tours, stories of past tours (complete with yetis from Cape Cod) and experimenting with dehydration… no not the bad kind, the good kind!

 

hey it’s the direct download link for episode 011 (mp3)

The January email newsletter went out – thanks to everyone who’s signed up! Reach out to the show via email, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Yes, even Instagram.

Sorry for the jingles and jangles you might hear in the background… it was a full on zoo within the Pedalshift recording studio since we were rocking temps in the low teens in DC at the time of the recording. For the record, it was Jackson the Cat who disrupted things the most. Louis the Pug will make an appearance in episode 012 in two weeks for the bike touring story, Louis the Pug Bike Touring Experiment #1 of 1.

The Journal

Lake Ontario circumnavigation update

Crazy Guy on a Bike featured journal

Jesse the pedaling yeti

  • Met Jesse on the Border to Border ride… cool guy, lots of interesting perspectives on touring. He put together one hell of a ride last year.
  • Trans America to Pacific Coast… Yorktown, VA to San Diego, CA
  • Never saw the Pacific til this tour
  • Carpenter by trade
  • Saved up for the ride for about a year before leaving a year to the day he came up with it
  • Rocked orange Ortlieb panniers (an excellent choice… mine too)
  • Pack list is really excellent… check it out. (my favorites: flask and cigar cutter)

The Lab

Revisiting dehydration
kale chipsMajor successes
  • Apples – super easy. 1/4″ thick (5-6 mm for metric types). Wouldn’t bother treating the apples as some recipes suggest… They barely brown.
  • Clementines – amazing. Almost like candy, with the added bn fit of some fiber. 1/4″ thick (5-6 mm for metric types)
  • Kale chips – olive oil, Montreal steak seasoning, nutritional yeast. Insanely good.
  • Jerky! Much better than my toaster oven variety because it uses ground meat. Because it also includes jerky cure the end product keeps better.
  • Future tests
    • Fruit leather
    • Grapes to raisins
    • Avocado?
More info, including the dehydrator I’ve been using – Dehydrating your food for bike touring at Pedalshift.net.Pulling a camper for bike touring
Ultralight campers for bike touring? – Pedalshift on Facebook

Connections

  • Instagram follower Jim Giddens loves the podcast!
  • Instagram follower Ethan Georgi liked the Border to Border story and my enthusiasm – thank you!
  • TonyS on pedalshit.net: Tim — love your website and podcasts! Episode 008 — The Sweater — was awesome, and is a fantastic testament to the willingness of bicyclists to come to each other’s aide whenever they can.
  • Friend of the show Johhny K – future tour and nice words for Border to Border from episode 010

Music

The Pedalshift Project theme is America courtesy of Jason Kent off his self-titled solo album. Check out his band Sunfields‘ new release, Habitat, wherever cool music resides:

Bike touring and offseason weight gain + loss

Happy new year! About this time last year, I shared my struggle with offseason weight gain. For those of us with a distinct touring offseason[footnote]if you can tour year-round, the rest of us jealously gaze in your direction![/footnote] being off the bike means you have to keep an eye on what you eat and the other activity you maintain, or you’ll have more to haul up those hills in the spring.

Here’s the dirty secret about bike touring – it can be a lousy way to maintain weight loss. Sure, you’ll probably get in better shape during your ride, but a lot of people find they gain weight back shortly after their tours because they don’t adjust their eating habits off the bike. I know that was a problem for me two seasons ago.

My experience

larger guy on bike
How I felt in January 2014.

When I weighed myself in January 2014, I couldn’t believe the number that was staring up at me from the scale. Only 5 months before, I had biked a substantial part of the Pacific coast and was in pretty good shape. A two month book tour and a half winter later, I was the heaviest I’d ever weighed.[footnote]True story – I got the call that my grandmother had passed away, and I went through two thoughts. First, “tomorrow is the first day of my life when I won’t have my grandmother in my life.” Second, “holy sh*t, there is not a chance in hell I’m fitting in my suit for her funeral.”[/footnote] My post-tour eating habits got the best of me. I needed to drop a substantial amount of weight and I was motivated to do it in a smart, healthy way.

Step 0 – Admit it’s time

Before you do anything, it’s time to stare in the mirror (figuratively… let’s not be creepy here) and admit you let things go a bit. Until you’re ready to do that, the next steps are a lot harder.

Step 1 – Set your goal

I used an app called LoseIt to come up with a weight goal and a weight loss goal. Losing a couple pounds per week is probably the healthiest way to go, even if you want to go a little faster. It’s sustainable and leads to better habits.

Step 2 – Watch your intake

The app made this a lot easier, but be ready to be shocked at the caloric deficit you need to maintain compared to what you cram down during a tour. It’s pretty much the opposite vibe. For me, I need to watch calories and focus on eating whole foods rather than processed ones, especially those that are carbohydrate heavy. You may have a different experience, but generally speaking watching what you eat and avoiding the things that pack in the calories or otherwise are your kryptonite is the way to go.

Step 3 – Stay active, but watch for the calorie trap

Everyone’s body is different. For me, weight loss is almost all about what I eat. In fact, there’ a bit of a trap… when I exercise, I have a tendency to eat more calories than my exercise creates in deficit. In other words, exercising a lot makes it harder for me to lose weight. I know – total trap, right? That’s not the case for other people, but it was a surprising finding for me. Your mileage may vary!

Step 4 – maintain

So much lamer than real hills.
So much lamer than real hills.

From heaviest to lightest this year, I was down 50 pounds.[footnote]about 23 kg for you metric types[/footnote] That’s a lot of weight off, and it took a ton of work and discipline to achieve. It made a huge difference in how I felt on my rides. I know I’ll gain some back over the holidays,[footnote]spoiler alert – already have[/footnote] but there’s no way I’ll be in the same position over the late winter and spring as I was last year. That gives me more opportunity to hop on trainers and exercise bikes to stay in bike touring shape, which gives me a leg up on early season tours.

Do you struggle with offseason weight? If not, what do you do to maintain being in bike shape through your offseason? Share your thoughts with the community!

kale chips

Dehydrating food for bike touring

If you’re touring on a bicycle, you eat. A lot. As a consequence, many of us carry the bulk of our weight in food. One of the ways to lighten your load is to choose food that’s lighter and less bulky. That’s where dehydrated meals and snacks come in handy – take out the water and you’re rolling with a fraction of the bulk. Unfortunately those pre-packaged “freeze dried” meals and snacks are not only expensive, but often have sneaky amounts of preservatives and other things you might not want to be taking in. A simple solution: dehydrating food for bike touring with a dehydrator.

Reminder – you don’t need a dehydrator

This might be an odd thing to say before talking about dehydrating, but you really don’t need to invest in a dehydrator to dry out a lot of foods. You can make dried jerky and other dried fruits in a toaster oven and do just fine. In fact, you may want to try that out before investing in a dehydrator – if you don’t like the prep work or prefer spending your time anywhere but the kitchen, you’ve just saved yourself a few bucks.

Dehydrating food for bike touring

Step 1: Get a decent dehydrator

I enjoyed learning a few things with toaster oven dehydrating, so I was ready to take the leap. I just got my first dehydrator and it’s been a real treat so far. The one I got was well-reviewed and not terribly expensive[footnote]The Nesco Snackmaster Express is about $80. Mine included 5 trays and a “jerky gun” which made better jerky than my oven dried version.[/footnote] I’d avoid any dehydrator that is sold via late-night infomercials… find out if friends have one and ask if they’d recommend, or do some searching amongst the reviews on Amazon and other places.

Step 2: Preparation is everything

MandolineDo yourself a favor and read up on dehydrating the various foods you’re interested in preparing. You’ll find the temperature settings will vary tremendously between curing meats for jerky (high) and handling things like drying spices (low).

Once you know what you’re doing in that department, get ready to slice. If you plan on using a knife, be sure it’s a sharp one. It might be a decent idea to invest in a mandoline[footnote]There are a ton out there, but here’s a good look at one mandoline[/footnote] – that’s one of those gadgets that allows you to slide food over a sharp attachment to create uniform slices. I’ve been able to get away with a nice knife, but for large batches a mandoline would be a lot faster.

Step 3: Have something else to do

Dehydrating stuff takes a while. Making kale chips? It might only be a few hours. Making banana chips? See you in the morning. You’ll want to set it and forget it.

Dehydrating food for bike touring -- clementinesGet creative

  • Make that jerky, but it doesn’t have to be beef… it can be turkey or bison or something more exotic.
  • Remember fruit sugars intensify when dehydrated, so you might be able to replace some of those sugary gels and other pick-me-ups you might use on bike tour with dehydrated oranges or other citrus fruits. Better for you too!
  • Try using nutritional yeast on things like kale chips – it gives a nice cheesey flavor that compliments the crispiness of the kale. Bam! You got your veggies on the road!

In the January Pedalshift newsletter, I’ll have some of my favorite recipes… make sure you’re subscribed to get those so you can experiment a bit on your own. If you have any dehydrating experience, or a great recipe suggestion, I’d love to hear it and share it with the rest of the Pedalshift community!

tent and handlebars

The Pedalshift Project 010: Bike the Pacific coast in an hour

On this episode we’re watching 2014 shrink away in the rearview mirror as we enjoy an hour-long show chronicling the top moments from this year’s big tour from Canada to Mexico along the US Pacific coast.

hey it’s the direct download link for episode 010 (mp3)

A new look for the podcast

Y’know what this show needs? A new logo! If you ever need someone to use modern flat graphic design principles to create a pannier buckle on a podcast logo, I’m totally your guy. Totally a niche talent.

The Pedalshift Project || Bike Touring Lifestyle

The first email newsletter went out – thanks to everyone who’s signed up!

Hey, I want to hear from you – like for real. Hit me up at pedalshiftproject@gmail.com, comment here on the site, or reach out on Facebook, Twitter, or heck even Instagram. Send me a visual depiction of your thoughts 😉

And if you dig the show, give it a review on iTunes or Overcast… recommend to your friends… it helps the show get out there and helps angels get their wings. Or something.

Looking ahead to 2015

  • The Lab and Pedalpreneur will return…
  • More Bike Touring Stories…
  • The Pedalshift Project goes bi-weekly…

Connections

Bike Touring Stories

Border to Border

bigfoot

In the summer of 2014, I took 6 weeks to ride the Pacific coast from Victoria, BC to the US-Mexico border. I recorded a 2-5 minute audio entry every day for the Tour Journals podcast to share the more detailed aspects of the ride, but always intended to edit and condense it into a more manageable length to share here. I recorded almost every entry while rolling, usually in the morning. Listeners of The Pedalshift Project will definitely recognize some of the anecdotes, especially mention of the “United Nations delegation” in central and southern CA.

As I edited the story, I found myself transported back to each spot on the tour. I remember fine grain details of pulloffs, tide levels, and how I felt every time I called back home. The sounds of the waves, the seagulls, the ravens, and the traffic of US 101 and CA 1 help transport you to those spots as a listener. Ever want to bike the Pacific coast in under an hour?

I mention two people I virtually took along with me. They were:

  • my grandmother who I lost at the beginning of the year… I think I might be taking her with me around Lake Ontario this spring too.
  • a buddy of mine who took a big spill on his own adventure and hasn’t been able to tour since…

Music

The Pedalshift Project theme is America courtesy of Jason Kent off his self-titled solo album. Check out his band Sunfields‘ new release, Habitat, wherever cool music resides:

Amtrak train

Amtrak and touring bikes

Amtrak and touring bikes: this is a long story with a steadily happier ending. Once upon a time Amtrak only allowed touring bikes if they were packed in a box and checked with baggage at certain stops only. Since then roll aboard service has expanded on certain lines and we may (maybe… possibly… perhaps…) be seeing true roll-aboard service expanded to all lines. Read on…

ORIGINAL POST

In June 2014, Amtrak announced new baggage cars allowing checked unboxed bikes for all long distance routes “by the end of the year.” Well, it’s the end of the year… so are we a step closer to easier travel by train with our touring bikes?

Well, the silence from Amtrak doesn’t strike me as a good sign. When I got an update on Amtrak Express bike shipping service in St. Louis (thanks Kurt Werstein) it reminded me of the “end of the year” comment on bikes checked for passengers. Digging a bit today revealed little to suggest the rail transportation provider is likely to meet that goal. Although I haven’t had the opportunty to confirm this, a commenter on Amtrak’s original post announcing the new baggage cars noted we may be waiting a lot longer:

I just called Amtrak about this and was told the cars are still in production so won't be out for another 6-12 months. Very disappointing to find out they are still so far away from being in use.

If you’re a masochist and prefer additional demoralizing fodder, read some of the comments by the curiously-in-the-know AMTK207 (cough cough Amtrak employee?[footnote]rank speculative opinion[/footnote] cough cough). The optimism that Amtrak will implement better national bike checking policies (to at least approach its excellent bike service on the west coast) seems to be fading. I’ll keep an eye on this into 2015.

UPDATE: looks like the first baggage cars are indeed in use, if only as a test. That might mean we’re in decent shape for unboxed bikes in the new baggage cars by next summer? Hoping to hear more from Amtrak as we head into spring…

UPDATE UPDATE: The baggage cars began on the Capitol Limited between Chicago and DC in mid-September 2015 and roll-on service is in effect at every stop. Listen to my experience on The Pedalshift Project 035. The Amtrak press release gives some good info:

Good News for Capitol Limited Customers: Bike Service Begins Aboard Trains 29 and 30

 

Effective September 15, 2015 Amtrak is pleased to announce that starting September 15, passengers can bring bikes on the Capitol Limited for only $20. Before bringing your bike aboard, please note the following:

  • Arrive Early If you are checking a bike, get to the station at least 30 minutes prior to train departure to allow time to get your tickets and take your bike to the baggage car.
  • Bike Reservations Bicycle reservations are required. Reserve your bike on Amtrak.com by selecting “add bike to trip” when booking your train travel. You can also call 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245) or make reservations at any Amtrak ticket office. Bike reservations cannot be made through Amtrak’s mobile apps. Don’t forget to bring the ticket (travel document) for your bike to present to the conductor.
  • One bike is permitted per person, and only standard size bikes are allowed. If your bike has a large seat/saddle bags, you will need to remove it from the bike before loading it on the train. The seat can either be carried on the train or checked, where permitted.
    Loading and Storing Your Bike Once you arrive at the station, take your bike to the coach/baggage car where it will be stored during your trip. A crew member will open the baggage car door.
  • You must be able to lift your bike onto the train and stow it in the rack. You must also attach the stabilization bar with the strap provided to your bicycle frame. Amtrak employees are not responsible for storing or securing bicycles. Upon arriving at your destination, a crew member will guide you to the car to retrieve your bike once the train comes to a complete stop and it is safe to do so.

Enjoy your journey aboard the Capitol Limited, and thank you for choosing Amtrak.

The Capitol Limited pulling in at Harpers Ferry
The Capitol Limited pulling in at Harpers Ferry
push the button

The Pedalshift Project 009: Tour planning and connections

A Thanksgiving weekend edition of the Pedalshift Project on which we cover some of the new additions to the site, an update on the Lake Ontario circumnav tour, connections and much more.

hey, it’s the direct download link for episode 009! (mp3)

Pedalshift has a new look

Some minor tweaks one day became a whole new look – easier to find the podcasts and easier to find the content. Hope you like it.

newpedalshiftdotnet

Pedalshift is also now on Instagram (@pedalshift)  – hoping to use it to show off more of the sights on tours past and present. Would love to share your pictures on tour too!

One more thing… I’m starting an email newsletter – about once per month – filled with the same cool content as the podcast and the site. You can sign up for the Pedalshift newsletter here. Best of all… get a free bike touring pack guide and checklist just for signing up.

Hey, I want to hear from you – like for real: email or The Facebook, or even The Twitter. Stories, tours, ideas, whatever – as we grow, let’s share it all.

The Journal

It’s bike tour planning season now that the weather is less favorable in the Northeast US. I’ve been busily researching the circumnavigation of Lake Ontario for a May 2015 tour. Any interest in meetups in Rochester, Buffalo, Toronto, etc.? Shoot me an email!
LOtour

The Lab

Holy sh*t, this water bottle fils while you ride!
lead_large

Bike Touring Stories

Got a ton of great feedback about The Sweater, so we’ll do more of them. I’ll break those out into a new section of the podcast called Bike Touring Stories. If you have a funny, empowering, emotional or otherwise interesting story to share, I’d love to make that happen… email pedalshiftproject@gmail.com. You tell it, I’ll produce it! Episode 010 will include a new story: Louis Bike Touring Experiment #1 of 1. Look for it in a couple of weeks!

Connections

chiang

Lake Ontario apples by bike

Dreaming up your next bike tour

It’s a balmy 25°F in Washington, DC and my ride yesterday across the Potomac River was a little chillier than I tend to like. It’s about this point in the season when I bike a little less and dream a little more about bike tours in the new year.

Dream first

My first priority when I think about the next bike tour is dreaming up trips, accomplishments or goals that I’d like to do by bike. Some are big — down the Pacific coast[footnote]Check – did that last year.[/footnote], across North America[footnote]Still to do.[/footnote] — and some are smaller — Pittsburgh to DC[footnote]Check – sort of. Need to do it all in one shot sometime.[/footnote], DC to Richmond, etc.

Find the right trip at the right time

2015 has already shaped up as a year with a lot of international travel that won’t afford me the time for longer bike tours. That means some of my bigger trips (I’m looking at you Crossing North America!) need to wait. What I do have time for next year are a week here or there. These are perfect for routes I’d like to tackle again like the 5-6 day Pittsburgh to DC on the GAP/C+O and a new one I’m itching to do: a 9-10 day trip circumnavigating Lake Ontario. Yeah, that’s fancy talk for going around the lake.

Start planning

I don’t need to do much work on the Pittsburgh to DC route (other than making sure I do it without exploding tires) but the Lake Ontario circumnav is new to me and requires some planning. So… to the Google machine!

A few resources I highly recommend when you’re charting a route you’ve never done before:

  • Crazy Guy on a Bike – someone else has probably done something close to your route and written all about it
  • Adventure Cycling Association – some or maybe even all of your dream route has maps and guides written by these folks
  • Individual blogs – This is where Googling your route is helpful: more and more people are discussing their bike tours on their own websites
  • Google Maps – Yeah, sometimes the bike directions send you on crazy logging roads when there are easier ways (cough cough Olympic peninsula) but the data Google has developed is a huge boon to planning.

For the Lake Ontario circumnav, I’ve found a few excellent resources. Google Maps does a nice plot.[footnote]Although with one of the ferries down for the season, it adds 300 miles… watch out for seasonality detours that might not apply when you’re planning to go.[/footnote] There are two old, but super useful CGOAB journals (2000 + 2002). I even found a commercial tour with a description that was super helpful for showing mileage splits. Oh and someone wrote a book on the route.[footnote]The Amazon reviews are a little unkind to the book, so I may hold off on it.[/footnote] This is a great start.

Pencil it in now

The hardest thing for me is roping off dates for the tour. I’ve found it’s substantially easier to make a somewhat arbitrary commitment well in advance and plan the rest of your life around those dates. It just so happens next May there’s a week when my girlfriend is leading a retreat out of the country and I don’t have any other commitments scheduled.[footnote]Last year we spent a lot of time apart, so I’ve decided to try to tour while she’s got plans to avoid more apart time.[/footnote] On top of that, my parents live on the route and – although they don’t know this yet – they can look after my dog Louis while I’m rolling. That week in late May is probably the best weather along the Lake too. Sounds like a plan… pencilling in the dates feels like the trip is really happening.

Add-ons

Now I’m dreaming up the possibility of inviting others to come with me, thinking about a charity/advocacy/awareness raising component, and a few other things that could make the trip even better. In the end, I may not add any of these things, but now’s the right time to think about it.

What are you dreaming up for your next bike tour?