Tag: gear talk

August 25, 2022

The Pedalshift Project 294: Minimalist Packing for a Credit Card Tour

We talk a lot about pack lists for a traditional camping tour, with our panniers stuffed to the brim with tents, sleeping bags and stoves. But what about the non-campers and the minimalists who don’t need to haul their shelter with them? On this episode we talk about must-carries for the inn-to-inn and credit card tourists!

The Pedalshift Project 294: Minimalist Packing for a Credit Card Tour

Hey it’s the direct download link for The Pedalshift Project 294: Minimalist Packing for a Credit Card Tour (mp3).

Subscribe/Follow The Pedalshift Project:
RSS – iTunes – Overcast – Android – Google Podcasts – Stitcher – TuneIn – IHeartRadio – Spotify

Reach out to the show via email, 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

Housekeeping

Haven’t been on the bike because I’m playing caregiver at home, but a fun tour on the horizon

Will announce that tour in a few weeks on the next Pedalshift LIVE

Sunday Sept 11 at 8pm ET
Celebrating 1 million downloads of the show – what has the show meant to you?
AMA
Summer to Fall tour preview
pedalshift.net/live

Minimalist Packing for a Credit Card Tour

Tool kit/multitool

Spare tube and/or patch kit

First aid kit

Snacks

Water – bottles? bladder system?

Phone/GPS/Camera

Small battery bank

Clothes – amount depends on tour and what you have

2 days of riding clothes (or maybe only one?) – sink wash every night

1 set of “camp clothes”

What to contain it in?

MJ and I ran into that viola player years ago and he had a tiny handlebar roll

One pannier?

Bikepacking frame and saddle bags?

Waterproof > Not

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.

Kimberly Wilson
Caleb Jenkinson
Cameron Lien
Andrew MacGregor
Michael Hart
Keith Nagel
Brock Dittus
Thomas Skadow
Marco Lo
Terrance Manson
Harry Telgadas
Chris Barron
Mark Van Raam
Brad Hipwell
Mr. T
Nathan Poulton
Stephen Dickerson
Vince LoGreco
Cody Floerchinger
Tom Benenati
Greg Braithwaite
Sandy Pizzio
Jeff Muster
Seth Pollack
Joseph Quinn
Drue Porter
Byron Paterson
Joachim Raber
Ray Jackson
Jeff Frey
Kenny Mikey
Lisa Hart
John Denkler
Steve Hankel
Miguel Quinones
Alejandro Avilés-Reyes
Keith Spangler
Greg Towner
Dan Gebhart, RIP
Jody Dzuranin
Lucas Barwick
Michael Baker
Brian Bechtol
Reinhart Bigl
Greg Middlemis
Connie Moore
William Gothmann
Brian Benton
Joan Churchill
Mike Bender
Rick Weinberg
Billy Crafton
Gary Matushak
Greg L’Etoile-Lopes
James Sloan
Jonathan Dillard
John Funk
Tom Bilcze
Ronald Piroli
Dave Roll
Brian Hafner
Misha LeBlanc
Ari Messinger
David Gratke
Todd Groesbeck
Wally Estrella
Sue Reinert
John Leko
Stephen Granata
Phillip Mueller
Robert Lackey
Dominic Carol
Jacqi McCulloch
John Hickman
Carl Presseault
David Neves
Patty Louise
Terry Fitzgerald
Peter Steinmetz
Timothy Fitzpatrick
Michael Liszewski
Hank O’Donnell
David Zanoni
David Weil
Matthew Sponseller
Chad Reno
Spartan Dale
Carolyn Ferguson
Peggy Littlefield
Lauren Allansmith
Eric Burns
Thomas Pearl
Darrin McKibben
Richard Stewart
Dave Fletcher
Jack Smith
Luke Parkinson
Ryan Patterson
Cyrus Farivar

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!

August 18, 2022

The Pedalshift Project 293: A Summer Off the Bike

This summer has been unusual compared to past summers… I haven’t been on an actual honest to goodness bike tour yet! So what have I been doing? Would it surprise you to know all of it ends up having a fair amount to do with bike touring?

The Pedalshift Project 293: A Summer Off the Bike

Hey it’s the direct download link for The Pedalshift Project 293: A Summer Off the Bike (mp3).

Subscribe/Follow The Pedalshift Project:
RSS – iTunes – Overcast – Android – Google Podcasts – Stitcher – TuneIn – IHeartRadio – Spotify

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

Housekeeping

Haven’t been on the bike because I’m playing caregiver at home, but a fun tour on the horizon

Will announce that tour in a few weeks on the next Pedalshift LIVE

Sunday Sept 11 at 8pm ET
Celebrating 1 million downloads of the show – what has the show meant to you?
AMA
Summer to Fall tour preview
pedalshift.net/live

A Summer Off the Bike

Helping with my partner post-surgery

Interesting insight into how our bodies wear out
Hips and knees man, hips and knees. And shoulders!
Recovery time and PT
The resilience of the human body

Prep for the next tour

Mostly new, some I’ve done before
A lot of question marks toward the end of the trip – may be stealth camping a lot, may be in hotels?

Dealing with my foot issue

Trying to get to a doctor before I go
Treatment on plantar fascitius is all over the place
RICE
Ibuprofin
Night splint
It is improving, but how will that be after 60 mpd?

Getting to fighting weight

Didn’t follow my usual plan so I’m heavier than I’d like
Have a decent shot at getting down to a reasonable weight before the tour
That’s also helping with the mental game and the foot for some reason? More confident.

Music

August 11, 2022

The Pedalshift Project 292: Touring Bike Essentials

I ride three different bikes for touring, and each one has plusses and minuses depending on what kind of ride I’m looking for. But if you’re new to bike touring or looking for another bike, what should you be thinking about? On this episode, the things I look for in a touring bike!

The Pedalshift Project 292: Touring Bike Essentials

Hey it’s the direct download link for The Pedalshift Project 292: Touring Bike Essentials (mp3).

Subscribe/Follow The Pedalshift Project:
RSS – iTunes – Overcast – Android – Google Podcasts – Stitcher – TuneIn – IHeartRadio – Spotify

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

Housekeeping

Haven’t been on the bike because I’m playing caregiver at home, but a fun tour on the horizon

Will announce that tour in a few weeks on the next Pedalshift LIVE

Sunday Sept 11 at 8pm ET
Celebrating 1 million downloads of the show – what has the show meant to you?
AMA
Summer to Fall tour preview
pedalshift.net/live

Touring Bike Essentials

Prime directive

There is no such thing as a touring bike (in a way). Sure there are things that make some bikes better at it, but you do not need all or even some of these things. This is less true for bikepacking where you do need to have some things to be able to handle non-pavement riding.

Longer wheel base

The longer the distance between the hubs of your two tires, the better your bike will be at handling loads.

More important for “fully loaded” touring

Less important for bikepacking

Frame

I’m a steel is real kind of guy.

It’s strong

It has some flex to handle road vibration and the occasional jarring bumps

Does that mean aluminum and carbon are out? Not necessarily, but most of the time we roll with steel.

Wheels

The more spokes, the better particularly in the back

I have had unusually great luck with stock tires

Most don’t

If you have a great wheel builder at your LBS, it might be worth the bucks to get a 36 spoke wheel set if you ride heavy

32 spokes is often enough

Wheel Size

I’m agnostic on this. I have 700c, 26″ and Brompton clown bike sized tires

Some say 26″ is better for global expedition touring because the tires are easier to find

There are more exotic sizes particularly for gravel bikes… check out Path Less Pedaled for more on those

Tires

I’m all in on Schwalbe Marathon Plus guy for puncture resistance

Be sure to examine said tires before every tour, because when they wear they are not bulletproof anymore!

I’m a tube guy, but I’m not opposed to tubeless… study up on those if you’re interested.

Gearing

Check out episodes 015 and 049

gear inch calculators are your friend

More climby, less speed… truuuust me.

I like:

44/32/22 crank set

11-34 cassette

BUT tech changes all the time and I would probably not get a triple next time

Brakes

Agnostic… most bikes do disc over rims.

I’ve never had issues with rims but likely will get discs on the next bike

Pedals

I’m a flats guy but clip-ins and strap folks, you do you

Handlebars

I strongly prefer multiple hand positions or very ergonomic grips

Upright vs. drops

Saddle

I’m a stock saddle guy, but many people need something special

Talk to your LBS and if they are enlightened like Gladys Bikes in PDX, check out the saddle library!

Fittings here are a decent idea

Accoutrements

Lots of brazons to attach things

Fenders I think are really really helpful if not musts

Racks or bags? If I were starting now I might be doing a bikepacking setup… but don’t dismiss traditional pannier and rack touring.

Music

July 28, 2022

The Pedalshift Project 291: Remote Work on Bike Tour

It used to be that a bike tour meant taking paid time off or quitting your job. Now that remote work is a reality for many of us, there’s a new option. But is a bike tour while working remotely right for you?

Pedalshift Project 291: Remote Work on Bike Tour

Hey it’s the direct download link for The Pedalshift Project 291: Remote Work on Bike Tour (mp3).

Subscribe/Follow The Pedalshift Project:
RSS – iTunes – Overcast – Android – Google Podcasts – Stitcher – TuneIn – IHeartRadio – Spotify

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

Remote Work on Bike Tour

First, the cons

Is it, um, allowed?
You can’t really unplug
Don’t underestimate connectivity issues
Will you be a mediocre remote worker on a mediocre tour ?

The pros

Leveraging the new paradigm
Remote work means work from anywhere
Fewer worries about money
Go full nomad and maybe the tour pays for itself and more?
May be the difference between touring and not, or allow for a much bolder, longer tour.

My experience

I did this for my 2014 Pacific Coast tour. I was working a very modified part time schedule and largely doing it by participating in a handful of meetings on the side of the road (by phone) and doing some audio and video production in camp on my laptop. I took one zero day to do mostly work at a campground that had wifi.

Interesting element to the last part… it was a planned zero, but the consequence was I ended up parting ways with a big crew I had been camping with for about a week. That felt like a bad trade (although I found a new touring crew in a few days, as we often do).

Would I do it again? Probably, if I could arrange it so it’s a few days of no work or very limited work, and then maybe a zero with more. As others mention it is definitely different than unplugging and getting away from things, but I think it would be worth it if it’s the difference between touring and not touring, or if it means you can tackle a much bigger route. Definitely not for everyone!

Bottom Line

This seems to be unpopular amongst most touring folks. But it might be right for you?

Read more thoughts from others on remote work on bike tour on Reddit.

Music

July 21, 2022

The Pedalshift Project 290: Beginner Mistakes

I used to do a beginners series on the show (and hope to do another again) but never did a whole show on “don’t make the same mistake I did.” So, on this episode… mistakes to avoid as a beginner!

The Pedalshift Project 290: Beginner Mistakes

Hey it’s the direct download link for The Pedalshift Project 290: Beginner Mistakes (mp3).

Subscribe/Follow The Pedalshift Project:
RSS – iTunes – Overcast – Android – Google Podcasts – Stitcher – TuneIn – IHeartRadio – Spotify

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

Beginner Mistakes

Another Reddit-influenced episode!

Having the wrong gear range for your ride

My story about my first tour

Underestimating elevation

I live where it is flat. First overnight was on the Blue Ridge Parkway for 53 miles and 6,200 feet of elevation gain. Map showed restrooms at two locations along the route so I took a little over a half gallon of fluids. I didn’t realize how much climbing sucks water out of you. Turns out the two restrooms were dry composting and didn’t have water. When ever I saw someone with water on an overlook, I begged some water from them.

Making miles over making memories

i probably could’ve pulled over and seen more of the country, done more exploration. i crossed the country in 58 days, clocking 70-90 miles every day, and that was pretty aggressive. my next one will be slower.

No waterproof gear

It will probably rain on you and your gear unless you’re in the desert, but then probably too because of course

Ignoring pain

Numb hands? Sharp pain in the knees? Consistent saddle sores? These are all solvable, usually with bike adjustments and not extra padding!

Packing too much

This is so hard to assess on your first tour, but to be honest it’s more typical than not. Bikepackers think about minimalism first and might not run into this as much as the panniered.

Slotting easily back into normal life after a long tour

If your tour is longer than a couple of weeks, it takes time to get back into the real world. Give yourself transition time and space.

Music

July 14, 2022

The Pedalshift Project 289: Guide to the C&O – Parking in DC

An addition to the (now) ongoing audio series that is the audio guide to touring the C&O towpath! If you’re traveling to DC by car and intend to start in Georgetown and ride to Cumberland (and maybe beyond to Pittsburgh), what’s the scoop on parking in DC? On this edition, we cover the good and bad ideas, along with the expensive and free options!

The Pedalshift Project 289: Guide to the C&O - Parking in DC

Hey it’s the direct download link for The Pedalshift Project 289: Guide to the C&O – Parking in DC (mp3).

Subscribe/Follow The Pedalshift Project:
RSS – iTunes – Overcast – Android – Google Podcasts – Stitcher – TuneIn – IHeartRadio – Spotify

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

Guide to the C&O – Parking in DC

Options for parking in DC

DCA airport – expensive, but easy

Union Station – ditto

Street parking – possible, but beware street cleaning and Zoned parking

Consider outside DC?

Street parking – maybe, but often the same issues in the burbs

C&O lots – a real option, but check the website

Friends/Family

Do they have parking? (Before you ask… I don’t!)

Third way – leave the car at home

Rentals

Fly and bring the bike

Train

Get dropped off

Music

June 30, 2022

The Pedalshift Project 288: A Late Start on the C&O

How can it be June and I haven’t ridden at all on the C&O? On this episode, we fix that! I could fit in a quick sub-24 hour trip and was rewarded by the trail and the weather for a fantastic ride. But it wouldn’t be one of my tours without something breaking… would that trash my beautiful weekend of riding?

The Pedalshift Project 288: A Late Start on the C&O

Hey it’s the direct download link for The Pedalshift Project 288: A Late Start on the C&O (mp3).

Subscribe/Follow The Pedalshift Project:
RSS – iTunes – Overcast – Android – Google Podcasts – Stitcher – TuneIn – IHeartRadio – Spotify

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

A Late Start on the C&O

Not a huge shownotes kind of episode. Here’s the campsite I stayed at and a turtle I encountered on the trail…

An eastern box turtle on the C&O towpath, June 2022

Music

December 23, 2021

The Pedalshift Project 267: 2021 Clean-Up Tour – Part 2

Happy holidays! I’ve ridden an ok amount this year, but to be honest, as the year was winding down I realized there were two spots I always hit that I haven’t been to yet this year. So I need to play a little clean up and get wheels down on these two gems! In part 2, I revisit one of my favorite campsites… maybe one of my single favorite places I can get to from home, by bike!

December 16, 2021

The Pedalshift Project 266: LIVE 2022 Tour Reveal + AMA

As we wind down 2021, we went LIVE BABY LIVE once again with your questions all about bike touring (and a few that weren’t) plus I revealed most of my first tour of 2022. At least I know kind of where I’m going, like, regionally… and stuff? This was originally streamed December 10, 2021 before an audience of sophisticated and tasteful people.

December 9, 2021

The Pedalshift Project 265: 2021 Clean-Up Tour – Part 1

I’ve ridden an ok amount this year, but to be honest, as the year was winding down I realized there were two spots I always hit that I haven’t been to yet this year. So I need to play a little clean up and get wheels down on these two gems! In part 1, I tackle the big hill on the Cumberland side of the Great Allegheny Passage!

Housekeeping

Minimalist Packing for a Credit Card Tour

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

Housekeeping

A Summer Off the Bike

Helping with my partner post-surgery

Prep for the next tour

Dealing with my foot issue

Getting to fighting weight

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

Housekeeping

Touring Bike Essentials

Prime directive

Longer wheel base

Frame

Wheels

Wheel Size

Tires

Gearing

Brakes

Pedals

Handlebars

Saddle

Accoutrements

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

Remote Work on Bike Tour

First, the cons

The pros

My experience

Bottom Line

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

Beginner Mistakes

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

Guide to the C&O – Parking in DC

Music