Back from biking the C&O over the weekend, I share thoughts on the western end of the trail, my new favorite wet weather gear purchases and revisiting touring bike gearing so you never have to suffer through hills because of your bike!

Hey it’s the direct download link: The Pedalshift Project 049: Biking the C&O, wet weather wear and revisiting touring bike gearing (mp3)

Reach out to the show via email, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to join the newsletter too.

Have some bike touring or overnight stories to share? Send your pics, audio or a quick tweet – all welcome. Email the show at pedalshift@pedalshift.net or call the lightly-used Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109.

The Journal: Revisiting the C&O

• This weekend’s trip to the western end of the C&O (Hancock to Cumberland)
• Wet start. A very wet start. Rain gear reviews in Gear Talk.Good experience on the WV backroads from my place to Hancock.
• Hancock is getting sketchier, which is sad.
• Chose WMd Rail Trail over C&O… again.
• Two inch wide tires are so great on a wet C&O.
• Please have fenders people.
• A signal-less night meant watching a great doc I rented on iTunes, Inspired to Ride about the Trans Am Race co-starring friend of Sprocket Podcast Nathan Jones. Check it out. Three words: Triple Overnight Centuries.
• Spent all Saturday rolling and recording field notes for a new project: Pedalshift Guide to Bicycling the C&O. I’m building a free resource page at pedalshift.net/cando that I’ll be supplementing over time. At some point I might put out a beefier trail guide and I’ll be asking for your help on what to include. More to come.
• The trail was muuuuuuuuudy – super muddy!
• Quite a few people touring the trail even this early in the year
• Saw a guy on a Dahon!
• Got into Cumberland starving and ready for some Crabby Pig… had some great beer and enjoyed it a lot.
• Tried the YMCA camping option and found it quite excellent… 12 bucks gets you full access to the facility if you feel the need to work out after a ride (heh) but more importantly, wifi, showers, very good water fountain to refill up and a decent camping spot. Downside is they didn’t have a portapotty so overnight meant you were out of luck when the facility is closed (I was told it’s normally there though). Also, there’s an auxiliary train track about 20 feet away and the one train that went through that night was a tooth rattler. You cannot escape the trains in Cumberland if you’re camping… Evits Creek is the same story, bur worse because it’s on the main CSX line. Also no wifi, no shower, and it’s 4.5 miles away rather than 1. But… it’s free. I’d do the Y again if only for the proximity and shower.
• Used Amtrak roll-aboard service again and it was great… train was delayed 1 hour from Chicago but got me to Martinsburg in 90 minutes. A nasty 20 mph head and cross wind impeded my 21 mile ride to the cabin, but it all worked out fine.
• I just love the C&O… with the Amtrak fast-forwards (DC-Harpers Ferry-Martinsburg-Cumberland) you can mix up the ride and take advantage of the trail for the time you have!

Images

Pedalshift Plus

If you dig the show and want more, I’ve got it for ya! Pedalshift Plus is a way to get cool extras and help support the show to bring more Pedalshift offerings in the future. Right now I’ve got all five Pedalshift Tour Journals and I’m working on new offerings that go beyond the usual Pedalshift Project goodness. Pedalshift Plus helps to defray the ever increasing costs of producing The Pedalshift Project and keeping it open and free for everyone. So if you like what we’re doing here and these extras sound good and worth a few bucks… they’re there for you… check out pedalshift.net/plus for all the offerings. No matter what, I’m thrilled to have all of you listening to The Pedalshift Project as we head into the third year of great bike touring goodness for your earballs.

Preview of Pedalshift Tour Journals Vol. 5: California Coast, now available at Pedalshift Plus!

Gear Talk

Wet Weather Gear

As I mentioned earlier, I bought some great wet weather gear that literally saved the first day of my tour from a washout. I thought I’d share my newfound love for these three critical new parts of my touring gear, with Amazon affiliate links (if you’re into getting gear there).

Showers Pass Men’s Double Century RTX Jacket
Best rain jacket I’ve ever worn. My old one is a 20-year old Nike one that has thoroughly lost its waterproofness and I needed a new one. This is light, packs SUPER small and sheds water like nothing I’ve ever worn. As a guy who runs hot, I appreciate the high ventilation options and easily accessed pit zips. It’s built for cycling with a long tail to keep the belt line covered. It’s just awesome and what you’d expect from a Portland-based company that knows rain. A ding: I got white because they have no orange. #needsmoreorange
Showers Pass Waterproof Wool Socks
Ok, these feel weird. Kind of like scuba socks? They’re on the heavy side too. BUT THEY ROCK. These are three layers that allow moisture out but not in. My feet would have been cold and raw in the rain I rode in, but they remained warm and dry. It was weird because I could feel the squish of the shoes but the feet were aces. Best wet weather socks ever.
Columbia Trail Summit Running Gloves
These seem to be on the way out or at least are becoming less seasonably available… but the good news is they are on discounts at lots of places, so now may be a time to grab them. These fit snugly but are totally soft and comfortable with the added bonus of having those index and thumb thingies that let you work touch screens. Like any “waterproof breathable” item they fail after enough exposure to the rain. What made these different was the layer of reflective material inside the gloves… while the gloves got soaked by hour 3 of the ride, my hands remained totally warm and comfortable the whole time. And really, that’s the big bucket of win. Water rolls down your arms and gets into most gloves. It happens. For long days in wet weather, these are my new go-tos.

Touring bike gearing

Basics are in Pedalshift Project 015 – learn about gear inches and gear calculators.

When you’re buying or building a bike for touring, the most important touring bike gearing is one you don’t use very often but you need it more than any other one. That’s your granny gear, AKA the one that helps you climb and haul stuff up hills.

When I started touring I had the misconception that bike gears were universal… “3rd gear” was “3rd gear” regardless of bike. Um, yeah… newbie!

I found I was struggling to keep up on hills and thought I was somehow in worse shape… the reality was I was pressing into high gears and the people ahead of me were using mechanical advantages I didn’t have.

SO… you’re new to this… or you want to improve things on hills… what to do? You want to be really small in the crank set and huge in the cassette. Here’s what I roll on:

44/32/22 crank set
11-34 cassette

So, I have 22 teeth in the small chain ring up front and 34 in the rear cassette… that translates to a very climby 18.5 gear inches with the tires I have (700×2″).

Compare that to the stock Safari (at the time) that had a climbing gear of 23.5 gear inches. TOTALLY noticeable.

And my FIRST bike… the one that I struggled with on the CA coast? Good lord… 35.6 gear inches. That’s basically a mid-gear for my current Safari.

SO… do you have trouble with hills? You shouldn’t and you don’t need to. They should be challenging but not things you dread and want to avoid. The next time you are looking to improve your touring bike gearing situation, start with replacing the cassette. Replace the crank. Do both if you can… work with your LBS to get as low of a gear as you can – your top gears will suffer but this is a touring bike and you rarely end up in them anyways.

Connections

Mark Van Raam:

Thanks for your recent podcast 048.  One question on the Pacific Coast ride.  Is it possible to not take any cooking equipment and still eat OK?  I’m not a coffee drinker and could live off 7-11 food (pop tarts, hot dogs) or better grocery stores, diners, etc.  I want to pedal the whole thing (Canada to Mexico border), don’t want to do the whole cooking thing.

Pedalshift Society

A big thank you to all of the monthly supporters of the show! If you like what you hear, you can help me keep the show listener-supported while expanding the offerings (like the new C&O online guide!). A buck, two bucks or even 5 helps with the costs of hosting the podcast and the website, plus an angel gets her wings every time a new member of the Pedalshift Society joins. Check it out and join at pedalshift.net/society. And on to the Society!

• Ethan Georgi
• Matt Buker
• Kimberly Wilson

Thank you for supporting the show!

Music

The Pedalshift Project theme is America courtesy of Jason Kent off his self-titled solo album. Check out his band Sunfields‘ album, Habitat, wherever cool music resides.  I heard Jason’s new album in January and it is AWESOME. More info when that drops this spring!

Back from my Brompton California bike tour, I share my thoughts on the adventure!

The Pedalshift Project 048: A Brompton California Bike Tour (mp3)

Reach out to the show via email, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to join the newsletter too.

Have some bike touring or overnight stories to share? Send your pics, audio or a quick tweet – all welcome. Email the show at pedalshift@pedalshift.net or call the lightly-used Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109.

The Journal

A Brompton California bike tour…

The Ride

• MJ is a great riding companion
• Pearl rode like a champ although it took a couple of days to get the hang of touring on it.
• Weather was largely outstanding with one exception
• If you like coastline, do yourself a giant favor and ride this section (and add on the section from Leggett Hill south to SF too while you’re at it)
• If you don’t like minimal shoulders and proximity to cars, skip this one.

Highlights

• Succeeding on a tour with a Brompton – I’m far from ththe first, but I realized I picked a challenging ride for a first one!
• Hanging with MJ again
• Meeting Tim of north 2 north
• Plaskett Creek to Morro Bay — best day of riding ever? Plus TAILWINDS!
• Zero mile day in Big Sur
• The views

Lowlights

• Losing a day of riding due to rain (but also a highlight)
• The Bonk
• Breaking in the Brooks on a tour
• Blowing a gig of data on GoT ep 1. C’mon! 😉
• Having to gatecheck Pearl on the return flight

Lessons

• Glad I brought the minimal stove… Will always bring something for coffee because I like having the option every morning.
• Rain gear… Forget forecasts beyond a few days as they’re for entertainment purposes only. Be prepared – we had light wiNdbreakers only and were fortunate not to have been caught in the heavy cold rain like others were. Bring it every time there’s a chance for rain on your tour, and that’s most of the time for most tours!
• Offline maps – particularly like MapOut on iOS – added in the route and had the sliver of maps in my phone for those sections I had no signal. Worked great.

Images

Next tour

Doing the far end of the C&O next weekend… No Tour Journals for this one since it’s on the shorter side but I’ll be taking pics and working on some cool upcoming things for Pedalshift Plus. Speaking of…

Pedalshift Plus + Pedalshift Society

Pedalshift Plus

• All back episodes of Pedalshift Tour Journals from 5-$10 each
• THIS tour (Volume 5) will be available Sunday, May 1st
• Future plans include Pedalshift audio tour guides of routes near and dear to me…
• Learn more at pedalshift.net/plus

Pedalshift Society

• Help the show with monthly recurring support… just a buck or two is amazing… and you and every other merry member of the Pedalshift Society gets a shout out right before Jason Kent brings the closing credits. So you can always say, “hey… I opened for Jason Kent on a podcast once… sort of.”
• Learn more and join at pedalshift.net/society
• THANK YOU to the inaugural Pedalshift Society members for helping to support the show!
  • Ethan Georgi
  • Matt Buker
  • Kimberly Wilson

Music

The Pedalshift Project theme is America courtesy of Jason Kent off his self-titled solo album. Check out his band Sunfields‘ album, Habitat, wherever cool music resides.  I heard Jason’s new album in January and it is AWESOME. More info when that drops this spring!

Featured image: Bixby Bridge (cc) via Flickr.

Just days away from some quality  California coast bike touring, I’m getting all the details in order just in time for an episode of the Pedalshift Project! California here I come!

Hey it’s the direct download link for episode 047: California coast bike touring (mp3)

Reach out to the show via email, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to join the newsletter too.

Have some bike touring or overnight stories to share? Send your pics, audio or a quick tweet – all welcome. Email the show at pedalshiftproject@gmail.com or call the lightly-used Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109.

The Journal

California coast bike touring: final prep

• Brompton setup continued
• My gearing, fixed!My route and logistics
• ACA Pacific Coast route
• Land in SFO Monday, Uber with my Brompton and bags to the coast then start rolling south. Fly out of LAX the following Tuesday afternoon.
• Camping largely in CA state parks, maybe a wild camping option tossed in
• One fast forward train needed – a few options beginning in SLO
• Reminder you can listen in on my ride with Pedalshift Tour Journals Vol. 5, Pacific Coast! In fact, if you’re a newsletter subscriber you already got the details. If you’re brand new to the show and missed out, join the newsletter now and shoot me an email by noon ET Sunday April 17th and I’ll get you the details before I roll Monday.

Introducing Pedalshift Plus + Pedalshift Society

Pedalshift Plus

• All back episodes of Pedalshift Tour Journals from 5-$10 each
• Future plans include Pedalshift audio tour guides of routes near and dear to me…
• Learn more at pedalshift.net/plus

Pedalshift Society

• Help the show with monthly recurring support… just a buck or two is amazing… and you and every other merry member of the Pedalshift Society gets a shout out right before Jason Kent brings the closing credits. So you can always say, “hey… I opened for Jason Kent on a podcast once… sort of.”
• Learn more and join at pedalshift.net/society

Connections

• Jared Hardy educates me on the origins of Type 2 fun! Apparently it’s from Dirtbag Diaries, which is a podcast I keep meaning to pick up on. I hear it rocks and if they’re the source of Type 2 fun, then I’m in.
• SPEAKING of great podcasts… I just started listening to The Joyride Podcast, which is hosted by Cat Caparello from PDX. It’s a total celebration of women who ride bikes and she’s had some killer interviews so far including some great ones on bike touring, and one of my favorite voices in bicycle advocacy, Elly Blue.  She also closes her shows with a great Anais Nin quote: “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” which his dope. Great show… Check it out: girleatsbike.com
• Mark Van Raam wrote in asking what I thought of TSA Prechck and Global Entry… I’ve never used them so I throw it out there to the community… have you used it and do you think it would be helpful when flying to or from a tour?
• Speaking of: I decided to buy the United early boarding option… $29 is stupid but I’ve spent way dumber money for way less mind-settling things than getting a Brompton in an overhead early.
• Jonathan Martin writes in asking about my Brompton… and I have to say I’m a huge huge fan. I got the speed hub working over the past week and Clever Cycles has built a really killer ride. I’m confident it’s going to do me well for some California coast bike touring next week!

Music

The Pedalshift Project theme is America courtesy of Jason Kent off his self-titled solo album. Check out his band Sunfields‘ album, Habitat, wherever cool music resides.  I heard Jason’s new album in January and it is AWESOME. More info when that drops this spring!

Featured image: Bixby Bridge (cc) via Flickr.

My upcoming Brompton tour of the California coast forces me into ultralight bike touring preparations… maybe “force” is the wrong word, but I’m certainly doing some ultralight bike touring! On this episode of the Pedalshift Project, we dive into the methods I’m using to go light, learn ways to make an emergency fix to a busted rear derailleur, learn Swedish (well one verb at least) and check in with old touring friends. It’s touring season everyone!

Hey it’s the direct download link for episode 046: Ultralight bike touring prep and emergency fixes (mp3)

Reach out to the show via email, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to join the newsletter too.

Have some bike touring or overnight stories to share? Send your pics, audio or a quick tweet – all welcome. Email the show at pedalshiftproject@gmail.com or call the lightly-used Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109.

The Journal

Ultralight bike touring:  preparing the Brompton

• Spring clean (wipe down and chain cleaning and lubing)
• Front Ortlieb setup (see Pedalshift Project 043)
• Backpack setup – wooden dowel plus tiedowns (see Path Less Pedaled’s video )
• Gear:
  • Going no stove or maybe just my titanium Esbit stove.
  • Tent only (no  hammock this time)
  • Lightweight summer bag and fleece blanket – may drop blanket for the mylar emergency blanket depending on temps
  • Inflatable pad
  • “Plane clothes” and one set of biking clothes with two pairs of athletic wicking underwear and two pairs of socks.
  • One pair of sneakers I’ll wear full time… might bring flip flops though. I like airing the feet out at camp!
  • Rain jacket as the “cold weather” gear. The Sweater stays home!
  • Very minimal repair toolkit and one tube. Oddly concerned about flats despite rolling on new Schwalbes!
  • One 100oz water bladder with extended tube that will clip to the backpack. Lighter and easier than water bottles.
  • May amend this if I find I have space, but I like the lightweight gear setup! Nothing I don’t “need.”

Price increase for C&O Bunkhouse in Hancock

Hello Everyone!

My name is Tracy Barnhart and my husband Jimmy and I purchased C&O Bicycle
in November of 2015. We also own Barnhart’s Lawn & Garden (an authorized
Husqvarna outdoor power tools dealership), and have moved Barnhart’s from
its location on Main St. in Hancock to the rear of the C&O Bicycle building
at 9 S. Pennsylvania Ave. The bike shop officially opens on April 1st but
we have been open for limited hours just about every day the past month
(depending on the weather). We are very excited to be the new owners of
C&O Bicycle, and we are keeping the previous employees (who are AWESOME!).
Dennis Hudson, the previous owner (also AWESOME!), will be back with us for
just the month of April to help us during the transition phase. Please
stop in and see him – I’m sure he’d love to say goodbye to all of you in
person!

The bunkhouse nightly rate is now $15 per person, which is still a great
bargain. This rate is published on our website. The bunkhouse holds up to
16 people and is completely screened in to keep the bugs out. The $15 fee
includes a bunk with camp pad, access to a clean portable bathroom, a HOT
shower, and a towel. Electrical outlets are also available to recharge
your gadgets. Contrary to the “word on the street”, we have no plans to
convert the bunkhouse into any other use at this time.

We look forward to serving all of our customers, old and new, at C&O
Bicycle! IN fact, we are currently running a great pre-season special on
all in-stock bicycles. Please visit our website at www.candobicycle.com for
more details.

See you soon!
Tracy & Jimmy Barnhart
C&O Bicycle

The Lab

Busted rear derailleur in the middle of nowhere? Emergency single speed fix!

Recently saw a person on one of the touring FB groups who was in middle of nowhere Arizona and thought he broke his derailleur. Whether it was the hanger or the derailleur I know I’d be screwed because that’s the one thing I have zero competency in fixing. But I know a hack to get me rolling…

I always travel with either a chaintool and with a chain that has a master link that allows for easy removal. One big reason why is I know I can use these to do an emergency roadside fix to get rolling even if my derailleur is toast.

• Break the chain
• Shorten it
• Put it on the middle chain ring up front (or the smaller one if on a double)
• Run the chain in as straight  line as you can to the cassette. If it’s close, go with the smaller cog.
• Shorten the chain so it’s tight with a little resistance when you tug. Too tight and it won’t pedal well. Too lose and you’ll throw the chain.
• Bike to a place you can get help or a fix!

I hope you never need this 🙂

Ideas for avoiding theft on tour

Thanks for the podcasts and website; I’ve enjoyed all the information you are putting out and your skill in presenting it, on your own and with the folks at the Sprocket Podcast (the other biking podcast I listen to.)

One subject I haven’t heard a lot of discussion about is how one avoids theft while on tour, primarily of one’s bike, but to a lesser extent of camping gear. I assume there are times when you can’t have all your stuff with you, for bio breaks, shopping, eating in restaurants, etc. How do you deal with those times? Am I just being paranoid or is this something I need to plan for?

Thanks,
Ray Jackson

Hayward, CA

—

Great question… a lot of this is situational and location-based. I’m always amazed at how *not* a problem this seems to be generally. In cities, especially ones with bike theft reputations (cough cough Portland) I wouldn’t leave my bike unattended for a second without a good lock. As far as stuff in bags goes, I usually carry a detachable front bag or backpack for the expensive/targeted items. The rest stays in the panniers. For April, I might be wheeling my Brompton inside wherever I go… we’ll see!

Connections

It’s an all-international connections segment!

Sweden!

How are you? I’m Max, from Sweden. I found your podcast when I got new (smart) phone and a new job – I just started a PhD in marine fish ecology in the smallest city in Sweden, on the east coast (Öregrund). Since I’m from the west coast, that means I’m commuting a lot for the weekends, which is a perfect opportunity to listen to your show!

Today I caught up with it! I started listening maybe two months ago. I really enjoy it, you seem very sympathique!. Now that I have to wait for the releases on Thursdays I might check out the Sprocket podcast, so thanks for that tip!

I always used my bike for commuting to school, but after me and my girlfriend hosted the nicest Australian couchsurfer from Berlin on his way to Norway, I was immediately hooked (I liked hiking, and biking, but never ever thought about combining them!). Luckily, this project didn’t end at the day-dreaming stage (I can nerd out on things but never fulfill them). We lived in Aberdeen (UK, not WA) last year, and we did an 8-day tour from east to west of Scotland, a loop in Applecross and the outer Hebrides. If I was hooked before I’m even more so no. In fact, neither of us was even the slightest deterred by the (almost) constant raining and hoards of midges (I thought we had a lot of midges in Sweden, but that’s nothing compared to west of Scotland. On the train back to the east coast, people who entered the train apologized for the midges they brought with them onboard!).

Now that I’m stuck in the smallest city in Sweden out in nowhere, I’m planning to do weekend tours, like yourself! Spring is finally here, the sea ice is starting to melt and I got all my cycling gear in one place now.

Anyhow, this is getting long! I’m excited about your future show on flying with a classic touring set-up. One of my supervisors is based at the University of Washington in Seattle, so I am trying to plan a longer vacation and a ride on the pacific coast next summer after I’ve visited him, maybe in June! That’s been a dream destination since I started reading up on bike-touring.

Well, I should finish up here. Thanks for a great show! Glad to hear it is going well for the project!

All the best,

Max

P.S. Haha, actually, I just told Maja (girlfriend) about me e-mailing the show, and she reminded me that “dimpa” actually means something. It’s a verb, and it means something like “plump down”, or you know when a letter “dimps” (swenglish) down from the mail-hole in the door 😉

 Belgium! Hugo mentioned last show, Hugo sends an update!

2016 …. 25 years they pedaling, 1991 began.

Last week I cycled past a newsagent, newspapers were full of pictures of brussels, fuck, why, Belgium, Belgians have been so good, obedient to take within their Muslim brothers and we will get it as much, no this is it, people do think about it does for thou thing, there are simply no words, why ????? anyway, the last day I bought this newspaper and only bad and worse news about Belgium, sorry really sorry, we lose here millions of euros … Bv.japaners have canceled their trip to Belgium …. With me everything is very good, better than I already had good weather, eat, sleep and especially cycling here is better than Excellent, it’s hard to say with words but by the 100 countries that I have cycled thailand is my number one, the biggest reason is that here zoveeeeeel place to ride, my other bike friends agree, have a danish, englishman, taiwanese cycled and loved that too. the future brings me 12april to Taiwan, 10mei to Japan (Fukuoka) and June 7 in Australia (Cairns), then I’m not sure yet … maybe fiji or Hawaii. the main forgotten, Thank you Mr Sonneville, Delhaize, AL employees DELHAIZE owl, THANK yOU, my cook, or my mummy and everyone I’ve forgotten, I also support continue in the following years …. …. never give up, as long as I can keep pedaling I keep kicking. Regards, Hugo, Xuxa and Garfield.

Music

The Pedalshift Project theme is America courtesy of Jason Kent off his self-titled solo album. Check out his band Sunfields‘ album, Habitat, wherever cool music resides.  I heard Jason’s new album in January and it is AWESOME. More info when that drops this spring!

We all want to save a buck (or a euro… or a… whatever you’re spending these days) but what’s the best way to set up your bicycle tour budgeting? I’ve got a few ideas to share on this episode along with some gear talk on dynohubs and batteries, plus a mega-connections section where I learn I made a mom feel better about her daughter’s epic bike tour. I know, can you believe it?

Hey it’s the direct download link for episode 045: bicycle tour budgeting (mp3)

Reach out to the show via email, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to join the newsletter too.

Have some bike touring or overnight stories to share? Send your pics, audio or a quick tweet – all welcome. Email the show at pedalshiftproject@gmail.com or call the lightly-used Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109.

The Journal

Bicycle tour budgeting

Camping over hotels… wild camping or free camping when you can. I would recommend getting an account on Warm Showers because they can be helpful on the TransAm for a free place to stay in places that don’t have good camping options.

Making your own food is another thing that can save money… sometimes I prefer the convenience of eating at towns along the route, but you can make your own meals for a lot less if you have the energy to cook or make them.

Often you’ll end up riding with others you meet along the way… sometimes you can share expenses on things that are nice little luxuries like a campground at an RV park that would normally run $30US, but with a group of 5 cost $6US when shared. I’ve seen groups split groceries for a couple of days too.

My number one rule when it comes to riding is to travel as cheaply as possible, but don’t be afraid to make a problem go away by spending money. This is a ride of a lifetime (I wish I had done the TransAm at 22!) and if spending a little money solves a problem that would impact your enjoyment, spend the money and budget for it down the road!

Revisiting flying with a Brompton

Backup plans for gate checking: The Dimpa bag from IKEA… going to carry it on every flight with the Brompton for sure after my experience without the bike last trip! Full flights are way too common now.

(Future episode will be all about flying with a full size bike.)

California dreamin – plans for April and PSTJ Vol 5

About a month away! Shedding weight on me and my gear to get things as light as possible for the big Brompton California ride. MJ and I are getting excited for the rains to diminish and for a fun, chill ride.

A new C+O adventure in May

Mother’s Day weekend I’m aiming to do a partial tour of the C+O! I’ll take Amtrak out to Harpers Ferry and ride out as far as light will last me. I’ll probably ride further out Saturday before turning back towards Harpers Ferry and eventually returning to DC Sunday before sundown. Bike touring season!

Touring with my dog Mookie… maybe?

I have a half baked idea to try an overnight with Mookie on the C+O to see how he does. If he can hack it, I plan to bring him on more! Anyone else tour with their neurotic, separation anxiety addled pets?

The Lab

Powering your gadgets – batteries over dynohubs?

H/T to Paul aka glacierbandits for his work on dynohubs.

Tips and tricks for keeping your devices powered up on bike tours

Connections

Pedalshift around the globe!

Hey Tim,
My name is Ayana, I am 22 years old and I’m from Kibbutz Be’eri, Israel.
I’ve been binge listening to your podcast since I’ve discovered it a couple of weeks ago, and in one of the episodes you asked people from around the world to contact you so it was a great reason for me to email you and ask you some questions.
I’m going to ride the trans american this summer, and I read a bunch of blogs and advice on the net. Still, there are some questions I wonder about and wanted to ask you. I really hope I would’nt be bothering you too much with this..
1. Navigation- One option is the ACA map set and the other one is getting a bike computer/GPS. I wanted to hear your take on that issue..
2. Do you have any advice that you would give to a non-american tourist, maybe something that an american biker would take for granted that you think is important to know..
3. Any advice on touring on a budget?

I also wanted to thank you for doing what you do. The podcast is very informative and helped me a lot. I am planing to tour alone, and my folks are not too crazy about it, since as a young woman I’m an “easy target”. I sent my mom the link to your podcast, and after she listened to some of it I think it totally made my plan more approchable for her.

Well, this turned out to be a very long e-mail, so thank you very much for your time. I really would appreciat any respons, and thanks again.

I hope you have a great day,
Ayana

What do American listeners think about advice for Ayana? What do we take for granted that might be a surprise to international travelers? My advice comes in part from everyone’s favorite Belgian bike tourist, Hugo.
– Food is abundant, varied and easy to get in the States compared to elsewhere.
– Some expenses are high (lodging) and some are low (food) relative to many other places
– People in motorized vehicles are sometimes difficult to deal with, but a well traveled bike route helps.
– Americans are, by and large, very friendly.
– Follow your instincts.
– Bicycle tour budgeting is a good idea, but don’t let it get in the way of solving an issue or preventing you from having a good ride!

EVEN MOAR FYVE STARZ!

Bike touring music playlist

While you’re basking in the bicycle tour budgeting knowledge, a reminder to check out our Spotify playlist from our bike touring music podcast… if you’re looking for it manually in Spotify search for Pedalshift Sprocket Project.

Jason Kent is a musical genius

The Pedalshift Project theme is America courtesy of Jason Kent off his self-titled solo album. Check out his band Sunfields‘ album, Habitat, wherever cool music resides.  I heard Jason’s new album in January and it is AWESOME. More info when that drops this spring!

Hey it’s the direct download link for episode 044: bike touring music (mp3)

Reach out to the show via email, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to join the newsletter too.

Have some bike touring or overnight stories to share? Send your pics, audio or a quick tweet – all welcome. Email the show at pedalshiftproject@gmail.com or call the lightly-used Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109.

Yes, we still have a new logo. Nobody’s mentioned anything, which worries me. But then again, I’m 90% sure nobody reads this part of the shownotes so there’s that.

The Interview

Be sure to listen to The Sprocket Podcast 286 for part one of our hijinks. Then, come back fed and hydrated because this is a long one. Since this show is of unusual length, here’s the chapter breakdown:

Bike touring music playlist

Check out the list embedded in the show notes, or if you’re a Spotify user look for Pedalshift Sprocket Project.

The usual music

The Pedalshift Project theme is America courtesy of Jason Kent off his self-titled solo album. Check out his band Sunfields‘ album, Habitat, wherever cool music resides.  I heard Jason’s new album in January and it is AWESOME. More info when that drops this spring!

Are you planning on flying with your touring bike this year? We tackle some tips and tricks on the best way to do that, plus a funky (and very, very simple) hack to get an Ortlieb pannier onto a Brompton. It’s gear-a-palooza and much more on this episode of The Pedalshift Project.

Hey it’s the direct download link for episode 043: Flying with your touring bike and Ortlieb hacks (mp3)

Reach out to the show via email, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to join the newsletter too.

Have some bike touring or overnight stories to share? Send your pics, audio or a quick tweet – all welcome. Email the show at pedalshiftproject@gmail.com or call the lightly-used Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109.

Yes, we have a new logo. Like it?

Pedalshift Tour Journals

They’re coming back as a part of the Pedalshift Bike Touring Society, a new project for helping to support the show! if you’re a newsletter subscriber you just got Pedalshift Tour Journals volume 4, the transit-aided folding bike tour from DC to Boston this week. Missed out? Stay tuned… details are coming soon. Sign up for the newsletter to be the first to know… or wait til episode 044 coming March 3rd!

The Journal

Ian the Aussie Bike Touring Grifter is back!

As originally reported in Bike Portland:

A con-man named “Ian” who [Bike Portland] exposed for the first time back in 2012 is still at it. And while I don’t support the way he supports himself, I have to admit I’m envious of his lifestyle.

To get you up to speed, we too were initially duped by Ian when we published a story about someone who came to his aid after meeting him in central Oregon in May of 2012. After our story went up, a stream of comments came pouring in from other people who’d met him. They all shared different stories about his supposed hardships and bad-luck and how he just needed a little extra money and a ride to get back on his feet. Readers shared stories about being duped by him as far back as the 1990s and he’s probably been doing this for much longer that that (prior to the ubiquity of the Internet, how would anyone connect the dots!?).

I want Ian reports… Pedalshifters, if you run into this guy I’m dying to do a tour story on him. He’s practically a legend now.

Important bridge opening for cyclists in MD

Beginning July 1, cyclists will be allowed to use the bridge on U.S. Route 40 to cross the Susquehanna River in northeast Maryland, state officials said Feb 10th.

FINALLY. No longer need to do a 20 mile detour. Downside is you have to take the lane on a 45 mph road, but it’s better than having to call a taxi like the signs tell you to do. Curious if this will be something Climate Ride and other organized tours will take advantage of?

Are you young and in the UK? Bike tour scholly!

The Janapar grant eligibility requirements:

• A permanent resident of the UK,
• Aged between 18 and 25 at the planned outset of the journey,
• Planning to begin traveling this year (2016),
• Planning to travel in parts of the world with which you are not familiar,
• Planning to travel for at least 6 months,
• Expecting to travel alone for the majority of the journey,
• Intending to make full use of the equipment and mentorship provided by the Janapar Grant,
• Free of contractual or other obligations to other companies or organisations in terms of the journey you are planning.

Gear Talk

Ortlieb pannier hack

April tour on my Brompton requires a new touring setup. I hacked a Brompton bag frame to hold an Ortlieb pannier on the front of my bike. Check out the post with tons of pictures and info on how I did it (spoiler alert… thriftyness, cowardice and zip ties… in that order):

Using a trainer during the offseason

I’m a fan, buuut… It’s not. The. Same. At all. But on a 12 degree day, it was nice to get a ride in. Even the dog doesn’t bark at it and he barks at *everything*. He barks at salad spinners. True story.

Down 6.3 pounds since February 1st and it feels really great. I should hit my goal weight before the April tour and can undo all the caloric damage the holidays did. Ok, I did.

Flying with your touring bike

Mark from Hampton, VA writes in!

Here are some newbie questions for self-supported bike touring.  I have driven to all of the past week long tours I have done.

Can you explain in detail about flying with your Safari?

a.       Do you ship your bike ahead to a bike shop or for the boxed bike as oversized baggage?

b.      If you do bring it on the plane, do you unbox and ride away from the airport or take a taxi, bus, BART type train?

c.       Do you pay extra luggage fees for multiple panniers?

I’m looking for more nuts and bolts stuff on how to do this.  Specifically I’m looking to flying into SeaTac and getting to Vancouver (either bus or train) to start riding south on the ACA Pacific coast ride.  Thanks!

• I’ve moved my bike in a variety of ways: UPS, private shipping company, flying and Amtrak Express shipping. If cost is no object, I prefer having the bike travel with me. If not, I found Amtrak Express to be good but with some downsides that may be dealbreakers for some.
• When flying, I’ve used a bike box and a special bike bag. In those instances I’ve usually gotten a ride from the airport, but I did ride from PDX once after landing and in SF I’ve taken BART. Now when touring with a Brompton, I’ll definitely be riding.
• For other luggage, I try to combine everything into one bag if possible. Get the biggest duffel bag you can get that conforms to airline size limits and stuff your panniers, helmet and everything else in there. Watch the weight limit – 50 lbs adds up quickly!. I also use a rack bag that often becomes a carry-on. I fill that up as much as possible, remembering to keep liquids and other things in the duffel. I usually can get it so I’m checking one bag (the duffel) the bike if I’m flying with it and that’s it. Depending on the airline, the duffel is free (if underweight) and the bike is the only surcharge.
• Lots of moving parts, but people do it every day!

Connections

We can haz more five stars!

Another angel gets her wings thanks to Seattle’s Greatest CPA… ever.[footnote]Possibly true, but my criteria for evaluation being limited to a favorable iTunes review means all of you should question my methodology.[/footnote]

Music

The Pedalshift Project theme is America courtesy of Jason Kent off his self-titled solo album. Check out his band Sunfields‘ album, Habitat, wherever cool music resides.  I heard Jason’s new album in January and it is AWESOME. More info when that drops this spring!

With so many parts of the world shivering through winter’s icy grip, isn’t it nice to warm up to some offseason bicycle tour planning? On this episode of The Pedalshift Project we chat about some touring news, updates on my spring California coast tour and trying to keep weight off in the winter months to prepare for bike tours to come!

Hey it’s the direct download link for episode 042: Offseason bicycle tour planning (mp3)

Reach out to the show via email, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to join the newsletter too.

Have some bike touring or overnight stories to share? Send your pics, audio or a quick tweet – all welcome. Email the show at pedalshiftproject@gmail.com or call the lightly-used Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109.

Show news

• Pedalshift Tour Journals are going to be re-released very soon! I’ve been looking for a way to get support to offset the costs of running Pedalshift and decided that I wanted to give something extra for anyone willing to toss in a few bucks. Volumes 1-4 will be available for purchase later in February and I recorded new intros for all 4  that you can listen to over on the PSTJ pages. I definitely swear in one of them.
  • Volume 1 – Pacific Coast
  • Volume 2 – DC to Pittsburgh
  • Volume 3 – Across New York on the Erie Canal towpath
  • Volume 4 – DC to Boston by folding bike + transit
• Special bonus… because newsletter subscribers are the OGs of Pedalshift supporters I’m going to be including Volume 4 in the February newsletter. If you want in on that, make sure you sign up before Valentine’s Day because the Presidential edition of the Pedalshift Newsletter drops on President’s Day, the 15th with that plus your usual bonus pod for the month.

The Journal

Car free in DC this May

17 miles of DC streets are going to be car free on 5/22! First ever DC Bike Ride… should be amazing (and sadly I have a weekend trip to NC already planned so no go for me!)

C+O Bikes in Hancock, no more?

Just found out that Dennis Hudson has sold C&O Bicycle to a Hancock businessman. It is not clear weather the new owner will continue to offer sales and services; and the operation of the bunk house is in doubt also. The shop is scheduled to reopen in April of 2016 so we’ll see then what changes have been made.

Update: Rumors are circulating that there will be no bicycle mechanic on duty, no parts & accessory sales and the bunk house will be used for lawn tractor storage. My take is that the new owners really don’t know anything about the bicycle industry and just bought the store for the “space”; will make a token effort to keep the “bike shop” going but will call it quits in 2017 because “it’s not making money”…

This is terrible news. Dennis was the king of the trail. It’s been the best shop between DC and Cumberland.

Bicycle tour planning for spring

California coast this April! Pacifica to I don’t know in late April. I have a flight booked out of LAX and zero chance of getting there by all bike so this one is going to be a play it by ear ride. Definitely hitting HMB, Santa Cruz, Big Sur, SLO and then maybe some of the central coast near Santa Barbara before figuring out the best fast forward to LA to finish up. Should be fun and it looks like special touring guest MJ will be along for the ride. Looking forward to it!

4 days enough to through-ride the C+O/GAP?

It’s totally possible to do 85 miles per day, but could suck if it’s not your idea of fun. Hell, it’s possible to do the whole trail in one day (not for me, but it’s been done!). Join me on nerding out with this bicycle tour planning:

• If I had 4 days when I was a first timer, I’d have done all C&O or all GAP.
  • 4 days on the C&O averages 46 miles per day which means you can enjoy the time, take a dip in the river if you want, and even have time in some of the towns to explore.
  • 4 days on the GAP is perhaps a little too much for riding every day, but you could stay two nights in Ohiopyle or somewhere else scenic and enjoy being outside.
• Amtrak fast forward options westbound (assumes a pickup or car rental in PGH at end of day 4.)
  • Alt 1
    • Day 1: DC to Harpers Ferry. Leave early enough and you can ride 60 miles, cross the Potomac bridge and grab the 5:16pm train westbound. Go two stops to Cumberland and stay at the Y’s campground in town ($10) or ride back 4 miles on the C&O to the free Evitts Creek campground.
    • Day 2-4 Ride the GAP to Pittsburgh in 3 days.
    • Easier because the mileage is flexible after day 1. DC to Harpers Ferry is a very typical first day. Downside is getting a loaded bike up the staircase to cross the bridge, but people do it every day.
  • Alt 2
    • Day 1: DC to HF
    • Day 2: HF to the Hancock area
    • Day 3: Hancock to Cumberland — grab the 7:17pm train and go to Connellsville. Camp at the free adirondack shelters at the western edge of town right on the trail (behind the grocery store… very well placed!)
    • Day 4: Ride 65 miles to Pittsburgh
    • A little more aggressive but gets you more exposure to the C&O plus a night at one of my favorite free campsites on the GAP.
  • Alt 3
    • Days 1-3: Ride the C&O
    • Day 4: Do a day trip on the GAP up to the eastern continental divide (about 25 miles) and then bomb down the hill again back to Cumberland. Get picked up there or take the 7:17pm train to Pittsburgh (pick up at 11:48 pm).
    • Gives you all the C&O plus some amazing views on the GAP with a rewarding downhill return to Cumberland. There’s also a train option to take you up the hill, but I recommend riding it. The end time in PGH is late.
  • Alt 4
    • Days 1-3: C&O
    • Day 4: GAP to Rockwood
    • Day 5: GAP to Connelsville, take 9:47pm train to PGH, pickup at 11:48pm.
    • Squeezing out a 5th day if you have a really helpful and understanding partner who also can handle that late PGH pickup!

The Lab

Miles per gallon.. of olive oil!

David Merfeld on FB: Last week I saw a courier with a bag saying something like “55 miles per burrito”. That got me thinking about what our “miles per gallon” actually are. So, here goes. Olive oil is 8.8 calories per gram, and is also 911 grams per liter. Since there are 3.79 liters per gallon, what works out to 30,384 calories per gallon of olive oil. Using rough numbers from various web sites, I found that a cyclist riding 11 mph needs 379 calories per hour, or 34.45 calories per mile. Divide that into 30,384 and, and you get 882 miles per gallon. Sorry, I’m a CPA, this is just the kind of thing we do.

Revisiting weight loss

Using Lose It, an app to keep track of my calories in the off season. As I’m typically accustomed to, I gain weight when I bike less and particularly when I go more than a few months since a real tour. This is becoming a part of my winter bicycle tour planning and prep that I’d prefer not to have to do, but it’s helpful for those hills come spring! Check out my past posts on this:

• Bike touring and offseason weight gain + loss (2014)
• Offseason conditioning: Step 0 (2014)

Music

The Pedalshift Project theme is America courtesy of Jason Kent off his self-titled solo album. Check out his band Sunfields‘ album, Habitat, wherever cool music resides.  I just heard Jason’s new album and it is AWESOME. More info when that drops this spring!

A chat about our bike touring lessons learned with Mysterious James. MJ returns for the “bourbon soaked” after hours dance party (most of those things were not a part of the podcast) where we chat about our bike touring lessons and experiences. If you missed part 1, go check that out… Mysterious James and I started bike touring together, but he’s taken it to a whole new level with trips to the remote corners of western Canada, Alaska, the Great Divide, South America and more.

Hey it’s the direct download link for episode 041: Bike touring lessons with Mysterious James (mp3)

Reach out to the show via email, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to join the newsletter too.

Have some bike touring or overnight stories to share? Send your pics, audio or a quick tweet – all welcome. Email the show at pedalshiftproject@gmail.com or call the lightly-used Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109.

The Interview: MJ and bike touring lessons learned

• Part one of the interview on global bike touring
• MJ’s “bio” at uncommonlysilly.com
• Santiago’s bike district (!)
• Memories of small places on big tours
• How long is your limit for touring? Expectations.
• Mongolia vs. Norway for 2016?
• First time tourers in Patagonia
• The accessibility of bike touring
• The age demographics of bike touring?
• Working from the road
• Internet connectivity in South America
• Using a GPS with no maps in South America
• Power saving MJ mode
• Connected vs. disconnected touring
• Dynohub vs. extra batteries
• Sun and heat are our enemies
• Touring your lineage
• Should vs. want to tours in North America
• US Bicycle Routes + NYS/PA bicycle routes

Music

The Pedalshift Project theme is America courtesy of Jason Kent off his self-titled solo album. Check out his band Sunfields‘ album, Habitat, wherever cool music resides.  I just heard Jason’s new album and it is AWESOME. More info when that drops this spring!