Following are suggestions for a fully supported (with motels) cross-country bicycle tour that I found worked for me. I started out with way too much stuff and shipped a large box home during our first rest day in Flagstaff. We were limited to two bags each with a combined total weight of 30 lbs.
1. Put your bike in top mechanical condition before starting so that you aren’t plagued with problems. I installed a new bottom bracket bearing, new cassette, cassette carrier bearing/freewheel, chain, brake and derailleur cables, and repacked all other bearings. I then had my local bike shop fine-tune my STI shifters and true my wheels. Consequently, I never had to make even one adjustment to the bike during the tour. Other riders had incidents of a broken shifting cable, failed bottom-bracket bearing, failed cassette bearing/freewheel, and broken spokes. A broken STI shifting cable in the shifter can mean a new STI shifting lever.
2. I used Schwalbe Marathon Plus 700 X 25C tires. They were heavy tires and hard to mount and dismount. However, I had only two flats from the shredded truck tire wire and still had some tread left on the original set at the end of the tour. One woman rider had only one flat but I don’t know what tires she was using. All other riders had more flats with one having seventeen flats during the entire XC. Next time, I may try to find a lighter tire that is very puncture resistant - if available. Tire liners might be an option to look into. One thing to keep in mind – the flats of the person you ride with are also your flats, as you will stop and help him fix them.
3. I recommend a full-frame tire pump. Air cartridges are nice, but you may run out as it is entirely possible to have several flats in a day. Air cartridges can also get expensive. You don’t want to be waiting in the desert for a sag wagon. My 30 year-old Silca frame pump with a Campy head was very popular.
4. I used two bike computers – one for total daily trip mileage and one for trip mileage between checkpoints/turns on the route sheet. I would reset the trip mileage on the trip computer at each checkpoint, which made it much nicer for identifying the next checkpoint. If using only one computer, the accumulated trip mileage will not agree with the route sheet later in the day – due to accumulated errors and extra miles from side trips, wrong turns, etc. It is also nice to have a spare computer in case one malfunctions.
5. I wore Shimano sandals without socks the entire trip. I had Gore-Tex socks along for cold rains but never used them. As in #15, I found that if my upper body, especially my head, was toasty warm, that I had no problems with my feet. By wearing sandals without socks, I didn’t have to ride in water-soaked shoes and socks during rain. My shoes and feet would dry quickly once the rain stopped.
6. I recommend an eyeglass or helmet mounted rear view mirror. I was able to check the traffic behind me by just a quick flick of my eyes without moving my head. When speeding down grades at 40+ mph, in a pace line or in heavy traffic, one doesn’t dare look over their shoulder or down at a handlebar mirror to check behind. I have used an eyeglass mounted “Take a Look” mirror for many years. It has a wire frame (no plastic) and will, also, mount on a helmet. Plastic-framed mirrors eventually break.
7. I used a 70oz Camelbak Rogue the entire trip – for Gatorade and cold weather gear storage. If there was the slightest possibility of cold rain and/or wind, I carried my warmers, balaclava, windbreaker, etc. During the first part of the tour, in the New Mexico high desert, one group of us was caught in a rain/hail/snow squall and nearly froze to death. We ended up sagging to a lower/warmer elevation while warming up. I was never caught without my cold weather gear again, which saved me from sagging at other times.
8. I used my water bottles for clear water – for soaking my Headsweat and neck scarf in the desert and for washing my hands when needed. After the desert, I carried only one water bottle – using the other water bottle cage to Zip-Tie a spare tire in.
9. My water resistant windbreaker was just large enough to fit over the top of my Camelbak rather than under it. Consequently, my back ventilated rather than sweated as it would have with the windbreaker plastered to my back by the Camelbak.
10. One or two pair of high quality cycling shorts. I had the Assos FI Mille shorts (~ $150) with a terrific pad. Some riders had low quality shorts and were wearing two pair to get enough padding. I had two pair along but only used one pair as I washed them every evening in my motel room.
11. One or two cycling shirts. Just the CrossRoads shirt would be enough, as it can be washed nightly. However, one might want one of his favorite cycling shirts along.
12. Arm and leg warmers – Gore-Tex warmers felt good in colder conditions.
13. Headsweat, possibly a cap type so that the bill can be turned down to use as a sun visor. A Headsweat and neck scarf are nice in the desert as one can keep them soaked with water and get a very nice evaporative cooling effect.
14. Rain cover for helmet.
15. I had a Wind-Bloc balaclava that came in handy to keep my entire head warm in some 40-degree temps – occasionally with rain. I also had a pair of behind-the-head earmuffs. I found that if my head and upper body were toasty warm, that my lower body and sandaled feet were fine.
16. Long-fingered cycling gloves can feel mighty nice during a cold rain/sleet/snow squall and nippy mornings.
17. I had two changes of quick-dry casual clothes along but I would only take one change again. The trousers would have the zip-off legs. Two pair of quick-dry underwear completed my casual clothes. I used my windbreaker for a casual jacket. If something warmer is needed, the leg/arm warmers can be worn under the trousers and windbreaker for casual use.
18. I started with a pair of casual shoes for evenings but sent them home, which saved space and weight in my bags. The Shimano sandals were comfortable for casual use. I would do it again.
19. I prewashed my cycling clothes while showering each evening. I then washed them in a wastebasket with detergent provided by CrossRoads. I rung them out rolled them in towels to get rid of the excess water and then clothes-pinned them to the curtains above the A/C vent. They would be dry by morning. Many times I would hang them outside on a chair or railing if outside drying conditions were good. A hot sun and breeze would dry them within an hour.
20. A surgeon on our tour recommended using Desitin Diaper Rash Ointment instead of Chamois Butter. Chamois Butter is water-based and needs to be reapplied several times a day. Desitin will last all day. While using Chamois Butter, I had saddle sores on the verge of erupting into nasty sores. After switching to Desitin, the sores cleared up within a couple of days and I had no more problems with my bottom end.
21. I used Nutrogena SPF 85 Sunblock. My arms and legs were still relatively white at the end of the tour.
22. Use lip balm several times a day and stay hydrated as the dry Western heat dehydrates the body more than one realizes. Most of us had very cracked/sore lips by the time we had finished the desert.
23. The CrossRoads staff taught me how to use energy gels. I learned to use one every 25 minutes or so during the last 25 miles of the day and would finish strong. They are also useful when one knows of a steep climb coming up within a few minutes.
24. I carried a two-pound netbook computer (9 inch screen) in my luggage. The cables and chargers for your computer, camera, and cellphone will probably weigh more than the computer. Wireless signals were available at most motels. A few were marginal enough to be useless. Wi-Fi service is improving each year.
1. Put your bike in top mechanical condition before starting so that you aren’t plagued with problems. I installed a new bottom bracket bearing, new cassette, cassette carrier bearing/freewheel, chain, brake and derailleur cables, and repacked all other bearings. I then had my local bike shop fine-tune my STI shifters and true my wheels. Consequently, I never had to make even one adjustment to the bike during the tour. Other riders had incidents of a broken shifting cable, failed bottom-bracket bearing, failed cassette bearing/freewheel, and broken spokes. A broken STI shifting cable in the shifter can mean a new STI shifting lever.
2. I used Schwalbe Marathon Plus 700 X 25C tires. They were heavy tires and hard to mount and dismount. However, I had only two flats from the shredded truck tire wire and still had some tread left on the original set at the end of the tour. One woman rider had only one flat but I don’t know what tires she was using. All other riders had more flats with one having seventeen flats during the entire XC. Next time, I may try to find a lighter tire that is very puncture resistant - if available. Tire liners might be an option to look into. One thing to keep in mind – the flats of the person you ride with are also your flats, as you will stop and help him fix them.
3. I recommend a full-frame tire pump. Air cartridges are nice, but you may run out as it is entirely possible to have several flats in a day. Air cartridges can also get expensive. You don’t want to be waiting in the desert for a sag wagon. My 30 year-old Silca frame pump with a Campy head was very popular.
4. I used two bike computers – one for total daily trip mileage and one for trip mileage between checkpoints/turns on the route sheet. I would reset the trip mileage on the trip computer at each checkpoint, which made it much nicer for identifying the next checkpoint. If using only one computer, the accumulated trip mileage will not agree with the route sheet later in the day – due to accumulated errors and extra miles from side trips, wrong turns, etc. It is also nice to have a spare computer in case one malfunctions.
5. I wore Shimano sandals without socks the entire trip. I had Gore-Tex socks along for cold rains but never used them. As in #15, I found that if my upper body, especially my head, was toasty warm, that I had no problems with my feet. By wearing sandals without socks, I didn’t have to ride in water-soaked shoes and socks during rain. My shoes and feet would dry quickly once the rain stopped.
6. I recommend an eyeglass or helmet mounted rear view mirror. I was able to check the traffic behind me by just a quick flick of my eyes without moving my head. When speeding down grades at 40+ mph, in a pace line or in heavy traffic, one doesn’t dare look over their shoulder or down at a handlebar mirror to check behind. I have used an eyeglass mounted “Take a Look” mirror for many years. It has a wire frame (no plastic) and will, also, mount on a helmet. Plastic-framed mirrors eventually break.
7. I used a 70oz Camelbak Rogue the entire trip – for Gatorade and cold weather gear storage. If there was the slightest possibility of cold rain and/or wind, I carried my warmers, balaclava, windbreaker, etc. During the first part of the tour, in the New Mexico high desert, one group of us was caught in a rain/hail/snow squall and nearly froze to death. We ended up sagging to a lower/warmer elevation while warming up. I was never caught without my cold weather gear again, which saved me from sagging at other times.
8. I used my water bottles for clear water – for soaking my Headsweat and neck scarf in the desert and for washing my hands when needed. After the desert, I carried only one water bottle – using the other water bottle cage to Zip-Tie a spare tire in.
9. My water resistant windbreaker was just large enough to fit over the top of my Camelbak rather than under it. Consequently, my back ventilated rather than sweated as it would have with the windbreaker plastered to my back by the Camelbak.
10. One or two pair of high quality cycling shorts. I had the Assos FI Mille shorts (~ $150) with a terrific pad. Some riders had low quality shorts and were wearing two pair to get enough padding. I had two pair along but only used one pair as I washed them every evening in my motel room.
11. One or two cycling shirts. Just the CrossRoads shirt would be enough, as it can be washed nightly. However, one might want one of his favorite cycling shirts along.
12. Arm and leg warmers – Gore-Tex warmers felt good in colder conditions.
13. Headsweat, possibly a cap type so that the bill can be turned down to use as a sun visor. A Headsweat and neck scarf are nice in the desert as one can keep them soaked with water and get a very nice evaporative cooling effect.
14. Rain cover for helmet.
15. I had a Wind-Bloc balaclava that came in handy to keep my entire head warm in some 40-degree temps – occasionally with rain. I also had a pair of behind-the-head earmuffs. I found that if my head and upper body were toasty warm, that my lower body and sandaled feet were fine.
16. Long-fingered cycling gloves can feel mighty nice during a cold rain/sleet/snow squall and nippy mornings.
17. I had two changes of quick-dry casual clothes along but I would only take one change again. The trousers would have the zip-off legs. Two pair of quick-dry underwear completed my casual clothes. I used my windbreaker for a casual jacket. If something warmer is needed, the leg/arm warmers can be worn under the trousers and windbreaker for casual use.
18. I started with a pair of casual shoes for evenings but sent them home, which saved space and weight in my bags. The Shimano sandals were comfortable for casual use. I would do it again.
19. I prewashed my cycling clothes while showering each evening. I then washed them in a wastebasket with detergent provided by CrossRoads. I rung them out rolled them in towels to get rid of the excess water and then clothes-pinned them to the curtains above the A/C vent. They would be dry by morning. Many times I would hang them outside on a chair or railing if outside drying conditions were good. A hot sun and breeze would dry them within an hour.
20. A surgeon on our tour recommended using Desitin Diaper Rash Ointment instead of Chamois Butter. Chamois Butter is water-based and needs to be reapplied several times a day. Desitin will last all day. While using Chamois Butter, I had saddle sores on the verge of erupting into nasty sores. After switching to Desitin, the sores cleared up within a couple of days and I had no more problems with my bottom end.
21. I used Nutrogena SPF 85 Sunblock. My arms and legs were still relatively white at the end of the tour.
22. Use lip balm several times a day and stay hydrated as the dry Western heat dehydrates the body more than one realizes. Most of us had very cracked/sore lips by the time we had finished the desert.
23. The CrossRoads staff taught me how to use energy gels. I learned to use one every 25 minutes or so during the last 25 miles of the day and would finish strong. They are also useful when one knows of a steep climb coming up within a few minutes.
24. I carried a two-pound netbook computer (9 inch screen) in my luggage. The cables and chargers for your computer, camera, and cellphone will probably weigh more than the computer. Wireless signals were available at most motels. A few were marginal enough to be useless. Wi-Fi service is improving each year.
.
25. I used a Terry "Ti-Fly" saddle on the bike and adjusted it so that the rear portion was level. That left the nose tilted slightly up. By having the rear of the seat level, I did not tend to slide forward to the narrower middle low point and, therefore, did not have trouble with numbness.
No comments:
Post a Comment