The Learning


My setup in October 2020. Note racks on both the front and the rear with panniers on either side of both racks, heavy tent on rear, heavy sleeping bag on front, A-frame bag.


This is a picture of my bicycle configuration as of May 2021. Note that I have only one rack and that's on the rear and it has two smaller paniers. Also note that there is no A-frame bag; instead I have a handlebar bag. Also the heavy tent and sleeping bag have been replaced with ultra light tent and sleeping bag.

 One of the main purposes of the ride across Washington in October of 2020 was to practice for this Summer's right across the USA. I learned a lot, including:

1) Warm Showers ( www.warmshowers.org ) is an awesome organization. I met some wonderful people through warm showers and even made a couple of lifelong friends who I believe are going to join me for a portion of my ride this summer.

2) Saddle sores can seriously impinge on one's cycling pleasure :-)

3) Painful cycling "hot foot" syndrome can seriously impinge on one's cycling pleasure :-)

I have stopped using clip in pedals and shoes. Now I have platform pedals and light trail running shoes with a very wide toe box.

4) I needed to seriously lighten the load and simplify. See pictures above of my setup in October 2020 versus May 2021.

5) I needed wider nobbier tires for riding off-road.


Comments

  1. UnknownMay 23, 2021 at 2:52 PM

    Nice!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ag7May 24, 2021 at 6:43 PM

    Platform pedals sounds a lot more accommodating.

    ReplyDelete
  3. by Stephen DoreyMay 25, 2021 at 10:23 AM

    Great to see you and Laura yesterday! We hope the ride to Harpers Ferry is going well! Good luck for the whole thing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. velomomMay 25, 2021 at 4:19 PM

      Thanks again for being such awesome Hosts! What a great way for us to start our ride to Pittsburg! (This is Laura)

      Delete
  4. Jack & LanaMay 25, 2021 at 11:56 AM

    Quite a difference in your load! Good job!

    ReplyDelete
  5. The Lone RiderJune 9, 2021 at 9:11 PM

    Do I get a photo credit for the May configuration? :-) Glad you have pared things down. Enjoy the adventure.

    ReplyDelete

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