On this episode we chat with Instagrammer extraordinaire and cross-country bike touring vet, Patience — aka @biker_girl_pay — on overcoming obstacles and turning loss into something better. Bike touring tributes, plus connections and more!

Hey it’s the direct download link: The Pedalshift Project 059: Bike touring tributes (mp3)

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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.

Dedication

This episode is dedicated to Shelli Snyder. Many of you have heard she was on a tour from Cleveland to Seattle and was struck from behind by a person driving a vehicle in Montana. She’s in very bad shape, but we’re hearing good news about her recovery. Pedalshift Society members… your monthly contributions are all going to her recovery fund at GoFundMe. If you’re listening to this and would like to help more, check out the GoFundMe page and consider supporting the fund for her recovery.
 
The story hits close to home in particular because Patience, as you’ll hear, met Shelly on her ride. I’m really happy to be able to share her experience with you so we know a little more about Shelli outside of what happened in Montana.

Latest update since recording and as the show goes live: Shelli has been transferred home to Cleveland’s MetroHealth. She’s in good hands, but obviously has a long road to recovery.

The Interview: Bike touring tributes with Patience

Patience, or “Pay” AKA @biker_girl_pay on Instagram and her adventures crossing America — from Seattle to Boston — by bicycle.

• Your adventure had two main driving forces… a bike touring tribute to a friend you lost last year and doing something big between graduation and “the real world.” What about biking from Seattle to Boston checked those boxes?
• How did the people in your life react to your trip?
• Your photos in Instagram were  stunning and helped tell your story so well… what were you using to take the pictures and was there anything you’d recommend to bike tourers on how to up their Instagram game?
• One of the things that pulled me into your ride was it had some classic bike touring drama… some pretty low parts revealing humanity’s awfulness and high points showing off real generosity. What’s stuck with you more?
• You had someone you were riding with take your wallet… how does that color trust of fellow riders in the future?
• Let’s talk about your gear. First of all I saw lots of orange so Pedalshift stamp of approval. What were you riding and what guided your bike and gear choices?
  What one thing did you think you’d use a lot, but ended up sending back or otherwise regretting to bring?
• What was the thing you think most people don’t take on tour, but you wouldn’t leave home without?
• People often have trouble adjusting to the end of tours… you also are transitioning from school to work…. and you have a connection to the tragedy of Shelli Snyder from Cleveland who was struck from behind by a person in a vehicle in Montana which has really impacted a lot of us. Any one of these things is tough… how has this triple whammy return to “the real world” gone?
• Any future tours on the horizon?

Connections

Merit Badge?

PS member and FOTS Ethan Georgi
Just listened to ep 58 with Riscica talking about being homeless while bike touring & it reminded me. Recently on tour someone asked me if I was homeless. Is there a merit badge for that?

Congrats, you win the first Pedalshift Merit Badge! This is the highly coveted, “Dude, really?” badge for those SMH questions you get on tour.

Collect all 44 badges[footnote]this is arbitrary[/footnote] by making one up and emailing pedalshift@pedalshift.net.

Rabbit hole.

FOTS Todd Tillinger 

More on the rolling resistance of tires. This is for touring and e-bikes, but they test other categories as well.

http://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/tour-reviews

It’s a nerd’s delight… graphs and data on rolling resistance plotted   against inflation PSI, puncture resistance and more. My head hurts… in a good way!

The Marathon Supremes I roll on get 5/5… I also got some good data-based advice on what pressure is best to roll on. It also confirmed that the puncture resistance is great on the tread but below average on the sides… which we know 😉

Strava + Google Streetview followup

Chatted about Strava heat maps in Ep 056… here’s what PS Society member Cameron Lein on what he does:

What I used to do is look at google maps and try to piece my route together by looking at the overall map and zooming into streetview to see if it is a safe/do-able route. This took some time if I was say headed from western Oregon to eastern Oregon. Now I start by looking at the Strava map and see what route most people are taking. If I look at a section of road and there isn’t any bike traffic then there is usually a good reason for that. 

Glacier Bandits on the GAP

Shares a pic from outside The Crabby Pig in Cumberland…

We can haz evin moar 5 star reviews!!!

Dublavee
Greg Braith
Runner from Evanston

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. A buck, two bucks or even 5 helps with the costs of hosting the podcast and the website, plus the  Pedalshift Society allows me to do cool new things I’ll be rolling out in future shows. AND brand new by popular request… one-shot annual support and “choose your own adventure” one shot support if you’re not into the small monthly thing. Check it out and join at pedalshift.net/society. On to the Society!

• Ethan Georgi
• Matt Buker
• Kimberly Wilson
• Caleb Jenkinson
• Cameron Lien
• Andrew MacGregor
• Michael Hart
• Johnny K
• Josiah Matthews
• Keith Nagel
• Brock Dittus
• David Kolb
• Michael Riscica
• Seth Krieger
• Marco Lo
• Terrance Manson

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!