Tag: brompton

October 24, 2024

The Pedalshift Project 381: NoDak Northern Tier Adventure Preview

I’m going to North Dakota and I am unreasonably excited about it! For years I have been stuck at 48 states visited (and for real, not just airport states) BUT the final two were ND and Alaska, and no disrespect to North Dakota but Alaska needs to be my 50th. But the opportunity to get there was shattered ten years ago when my original ride on the Northern Tier route was scuttled by a heat wave I wasn’t interested in riding through. But now… I’m doing it. With a bike. And buffaloes.

The Pedalshift Project 381: NoDak Northern Tier Adventure Preview

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NoDak Northern Tier Adventure Preview

The Adventure

Heavily car aided. Very heavily. Like, mostly.

Starting and ending in MSP (there for a work thing)

All camping

Brompton riding daily

Crossing the state TWICE

Urban camping in Fargo!

Theodore Roosevelt NP! Buffalo! Camping! Riding!

Finally getting wheels down on the Northern Tier bicycle route!

Rest stop car camping in the very friendly sleep-in rest stops of ND!

Did I mention the 49th state visit?

Itinerary

Day 1

Car rental

Camping in Fargo and Lindenwood Campground

Biking into town for dinner and all the Fargo nightlife I can handle

Day 2

Pre dawn departure

Gain an hour driving across the state into MT

Camping at TR NP at Cottonwood Campground

Buffalo herds nearby and sometimes they saunter into camp?

Day 3

Half day at TR NP to cycle a bit

Drive back across the state

Lose an hour coming back into CT

Rest area about halfway to MSP

Day 4

Pre dawn departure

Get back to MSP and fly home

Gear

Rental car

Brompton

Camping gear that fits in a checked suitcase – going with basics and adding “luxuries” if I can since this is car camping

Stove a must – likely buying fuel in MN or ND

Weather

Not as cold as you’d think for fall

Hoping for dry, preparing for not

How much biking?

It really depends. The idea here is to get a sample, not make miles.

Seeing TR NP at the speed of bike

Experiencing Fargo and its… bike infrastructure?

As always we like to close out the show with a special shoutout to the Pedalshift Society! Because of support from listeners like you, Pedalshift is a weekly bicycle touring podcast with a global community, expanding into live shows and covering new tours like this summer’s upcoming bike tour! If you like what you hear, you can support the show for 5 bucks, 2 bucks or even a buck a month. And there’s one-shot and annual options if you’re not into the small monthly thing. Check it all out at pedalshift.net/society.

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Music

You’ve been hearing about Jason Kent and his music for many fine episodes. Jason has a new solo album available NOW. Go listen to COMMON TONGUES wherever cool music is available!

June 13, 2024

The Pedalshift Project 366: Ten Years of Pedalshift [Live!]

June 8th, 2014 was the very first episode of The Pedalshift Project, and since then we’ve gone on quite the journey, mostly by bike. On this live episode, we got a bunch of listeners together to chat about highlights from the last ten years, the evolution of the show, and the reveal of the Tenth Anniversary Tour this summer. Recorded live June 8, 2024.

The Pedalshift Project 366: Ten Years of Pedalshift [Live!]

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Watch the show

Top Ten Moments

Honorable Mention Ten

Top ten

10. Social Distancing on the C&O (200-203) – April 2020)

9. Katy Trail (118-126 May-June 2018)

8. eBikes with Biking Brian (345 Nov 30, 2023)

7. First Brompton tour in CA (048 – April 28, 2016)

6. Shifty the Elf makes his first appearance on the very first Holiday Spectacular (Pedalshift 038 – December 24, 2015)

5. First Biking to Disney World (277 – March 24, 2022)

4. DC to Cincinnati (165-169 – May-June 2019)

3. The 2020 Bike Touring Draft feat. Sprocket (207 – June 11, 2020)

2. The Mysterious James three pack (190-192 – January 2020)

1. The Pacific Coast (005, 006, 010 – 2014)

Summer 10th Anniversary Tour Reveal

Oregon Coast Remix

Lincoln City to Crescent City
Classic touring bike (same one I used 10 years ago for the full coast)
All new campsites (mostly)
About a week of riding and no barfing on busses to Medford this time
Tour preview will be hitting the pod in a few weeks!

Music

You’ve been hearing about Jason Kent and his music for many fine episodes. Jason has a new solo album available NOW. Go listen to COMMON TONGUES wherever cool music is available!

April 20, 2023

The Pedalshift Project 320: California 2023 Takeaways

The Southern California Adventures are in the rear view mirror… what did I learn from this tour that I’ll take with me on future trips?

The Pedalshift Project 320: California 2023 Takeaways

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California 2023 Takeaways

Chapter 1’s Takeaway – Be prepared for the unexpected

Weather prep

Transit expectations

Chapter 2’s Takeaway – SoCal trails and transit fast forwards

Chapter 3’s Takeaway – Pushing through challenges versus taking dumb risks

Chapter 4’s Takeaway – Gate checking the Brompton… is it better than the overhead?

Music

You’ve been hearing about Jason Kent and his music for many fine episodes. Jason has a new track available NOW, and a new album dropping very soon AND Jason’s first solo album is now streaming on Spotify, including America, the Pedalshift theme. Go listen!

April 13, 2023

The Pedalshift Project 319: California 2023 Chapter 4 – The Mileage Run

Chapter 4 of the 2023 California Adventure wraps up the trip in a unique way… an overnight in San Jose as a way of getting from San Diego back to Los Angeles and test how well gate checking works for the Brompton. Did the bike get banged around by baggage handlers?

The Pedalshift Project 319: California 2023 Chapter 4 - The Mileage Run

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California 2023: Chapter 4 – The Mileage Run

Statistics

Modalities used 2 (bike, plane)

CO2 offset 1.2 metric tons

Airports biked to and from 2 (SAN, SJC)

Miles biked in this chapter 5 or 6?

Brompton survival rate 100%

Flats 0

Music

March 30, 2023

The Pedalshift Project 318: California 2023 Chapter 3 – Border Run Loop

Chapter 3 of the 2023 California Adventure was a new approach to an old triumph… revisiting the end of the 2014 Pacific Coast tour at the Mexican border. But would the remnants of the storm that gave me windy conditions and overflowing rivers throughout southern CA stand in the way of this chapter’s goal?

The Pedalshift Project 318: California 2023 Chapter 3 - Border Run Loop

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California 2023: Chapter 3 – Border Run Loop

Statistics

Transportation modes 2 (bike, ferry)

Miles ferried 5ish?

Miles biked 33.7

Number of brutally shanked golf shots observed followed by an internal sarcastic yell of “good ball!” 1

Fish tacos 2

Flooded roads crossed 2

Flooded roads not crossed 1

Borders seen 1

Flats 0

For pics, including the mug… click through to Ride With GPS below…

Music

March 23, 2023

The Pedalshift Project 317: California 2023 Chapter 2 – The Missing Link

Chapter 2 of the 2023 California Adventure may best be characterized by the fast forwards… one by bus and one by train. But in between we get some fantastic riding and adventure. Would the missing link finally be closed?

The Pedalshift Project 317: California 2023 Chapter 2 - The Missing Link

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California 2023 Chapter 2 – The Missing Link

Statistics

Modes of travel 3 (bus, bike, commuter rail)
Vietnamese egg coffees 1
Properly monikered PCHs 1
Camp Pendleton gates crossed 2
Miles biked 16.8 and 21.7
Bus fast forward miles 27.1
Rail fast forward miles 38.1
Flats 0

For pics, including the mug… click through to Ride With GPS below…

Music

March 16, 2023

The Pedalshift Project 316: California 2023 Chapter 1 – LAX-Anaheim

Chapter 1 of the 2023 California Adventure takes us across the country to a very windy Los Angeles, where the remnants of a nasty multiday storm echoed throughout the trip. Southern California is supposed to be warmer than DC, right? Well… kind of.

The Pedalshift Project 316: California 2023 Chapter 1 - LAX-Anaheim

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California 2023 Chapter 1 – LAX-Anaheim

Remember how the The Missing Link created another missing link? Well, in March 2023 we’re finally going to fill that in! It’s a new California adventure, but with a lower case A so I don’t hear from Disney lawyers…

Note… I’m not kidding about the wind! While the audio is pretty great for hearing me thanks to lessons learned in Florida earlier in 2023, the gusts definitely get captured in the audio from time to time, so mea culpa on that.

Statistics

Modes of travel 3 (plane, rail, bike)

Hail storms 1

Green line vomit sightings 1

Miles biked 19.4

Flats 0

Souvenir piraña mugs purchased? 1

For pics, including the mug… click through to Ride With GPS below…

Music

March 9, 2023

The Pedalshift Project 315: California 2023 – Preview

The old song goes, “California here I come, right back where I started from…” and that pretty much sums up the next tour of 2023! On this episode I preview the four chapters of the California 2023 tour, and why this one has tons of adventure contained inside!

The Pedalshift Project 315: California 2023 - Preview

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California 2023 – Preview

The ride(s)

This isn’t so much a linear tour as it is kind of a greatest hits of adventures in multiple chapters.

Chapter 1 – LAX to Anaheim

A transit assisted ride from LAX to Anaheim, featuring the LA Metro Green line and a fun ride from Norwalk to Anaheim on Ball Rd.

Chapter 2 – Anaheim to the Missing Link

A ride, a coastal bus fast forward and getting to flash my Marine Base ID to complete the Missing Link! Then a quick coastal train to beatiful San Diego…

Chapter 3 – Border Run Loop

A ride, a short ferry, and revisting the end-point of my 2014 tour at the Mexican border… and back!

Chapter 4 – The Mileage Run

The adventure to unlock elite status on Alaska Airlines, plus to test my Brompton gate checking systems! Plus, Northern California? Sure!

[NOTE… I will be purchasing carbon offsets for this. I recognize there’s a stupidity to doing this in light of climate change, so I’m going to try to ameliorate that.]

The gear

Well, the Brompton obviously.

Ortlieb front luggage block setup

Larger drysack on the back (learned my lesson from FL – just need more capacity)

Need to be prepared for chillier temps than FL, especially in the mornings.

Rain is unlikely, but I plan to have my rain jacket as my warm outer layer

Trying very hard to reduce the amount of clothes to the bare minimum (had to pack more civilian clothes for FL and didn’t use them)

Revisiting my tool bag… brought too many of the wrong things to FL (more for the Safari).

The weather

Simply glorious… Mid 60s as highs, lows in the 40s.

Hints of rain in the long range forecast?

May cycle in long pants but bring a pair of shorts

The adventures

So much fun on this trip… staying near Disneyland and grabbing a drink with a work friend after the first day.

Fun transit fast forwards (hello 2023 goals!)

Checking the box on the Missing Link (and reusing my base pass!)

Planes… trains… automobiles (bus!) AND a ferry!

The border loop

Tour Journals begin next week!

Music

February 23, 2023

The Pedalshift Project 314: Florida 2023 – Takeaways

My annual winter ride in Florida is in the books, and I have a lot of thoughts… ten, in fact! But the last one is by far my biggest takeaway from a tour in a long time, so stick around for that one!

The Pedalshift Project 314: Florida 2023 - Takeaways

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Florida 2023 – Takeaways

1 – I really love this ride, but I want to ride the Cross Florida Trail next year

2 – I also really like integrating cycling with my Disney World visits, so I hope to do that in addition to that ride.

3 – Touring on Brompton means you have to clean parts regularly and avoid touching some parts altogether.

4 – I’m still not fully satisfied with my Brompton touring setup, but I’m also finding it’s pretty good as is.

5 – Florida is not a terrible bicycling state, except where it is.

6 – When faced with headwinds, lower your expectations and go with (well, against) the flow.

7 – Bring all the tools you need, yes even that $1 crescent wrench.

8 – I prefer clothing coverage over sunscreen when I can.

9 – You don’t need to carry thousands of calories of food with you when you’re within a few miles of civilization.

10 – I finally have a name for what happens to me during bike tours… it’s called edema and it’s the body holding onto water for days because of the stress the body undergoes during rides. Turns out, I’m probably not getting enough electrolytes, especially sodium.

Music

February 16, 2023

The Pedalshift Project 313: Florida 2023 – Day 2

It’s my annual winter ride in Florida! The first day’s headwinds abated overnight, but the threat of rain hung over my ride. Would I have to bail out on the short version, or would my energy and dry conditions allow for testing the newer, way more fun route?

Hey it’s the direct download link for The Pedalshift Project 313: Florida 2023 – Day 2 (mp3).

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Florida 2023 – Day 2

STATISTICS

Chicken encounters 2

Day old sandwiches eaten 1/2 (I finished the other half the next day -wasn’t bad!)

Gallons of water wasted by that dumb developer – seriously, hundreds of thousands. It was gross.

55+ resorts soon to gate off my route 1

New roads that will be better anyways 1

Disney World No Trespassing signs I leaned my bike against for a pic 1

Pineapple celebration drinks imbibed at the end 1

Miles biked 55

Flats 0

NoDak Northern Tier Adventure Preview

Music

Watch the show

Top Ten Moments

Summer 10th Anniversary Tour Reveal

Music

California 2023 Takeaways

Music

California 2023: Chapter 4 – The Mileage Run

Statistics

Music

California 2023: Chapter 3 – Border Run Loop

Statistics

Music

California 2023 Chapter 2 – The Missing Link

Statistics

Music

California 2023 Chapter 1 – LAX-Anaheim

Statistics

Music

California 2023 – Preview

The ride(s)

Chapter 1 – LAX to Anaheim

Chapter 2 – Anaheim to the Missing Link

Chapter 3 – Border Run Loop

Chapter 4 – The Mileage Run

The gear

The weather

The adventures

Music

Bike tour consulting – 1 hour

Bike tour consulting – 4 pack

Pedalshift Society – $29 one-shot

Pedalshift Society – $59 one-shot

Pedalshift Society – Choose Your Own Adventure

Pedalshift Tour Journals Bundle (2014-2016)

Pedalshift Tour Journals Vol. 1: Pacific Coast

Pedalshift Tour Journals Vol. 2: DC to Pittsburgh / C&O & GAP

Pedalshift Tour Journals Vol. 3: New York State/Erie Canal

Florida 2023 – Takeaways

Music

Bike tour consulting – 1 hour

Bike tour consulting – 4 pack

Pedalshift Society – $29 one-shot

Pedalshift Society – $59 one-shot

Pedalshift Society – Choose Your Own Adventure

Pedalshift Tour Journals Bundle (2014-2016)

Pedalshift Tour Journals Vol. 1: Pacific Coast

Pedalshift Tour Journals Vol. 2: DC to Pittsburgh / C&O & GAP

Pedalshift Tour Journals Vol. 3: New York State/Erie Canal

Florida 2023 – Day 2

STATISTICS

Music

Bike tour consulting – 1 hour

Bike tour consulting – 4 pack

Pedalshift Society – $29 one-shot

Pedalshift Society – $59 one-shot

Pedalshift Society – Choose Your Own Adventure

Pedalshift Tour Journals Bundle (2014-2016)

Pedalshift Tour Journals Vol. 1: Pacific Coast

Pedalshift Tour Journals Vol. 2: DC to Pittsburgh / C&O & GAP

Pedalshift Tour Journals Vol. 3: New York State/Erie Canal