Touring - First time camping ramble

I started getting ready last night for a short tour this weekend. This will be our first time camping (The Historian and I) and I'm probably going to bring a bit too much stuff along.

The tent - I opened it up on my porch and waterproofed it. I cut a tent mat out of a plastic tarp, and confirmed that the Thermarest fits insude the tent. (It's a one-person coffin-line tent and a large mattress.)

I'm planning to ditch my trunk rack and use the top of the rack to tie down my camping stuff. I picked up a big stuff sack, and I can fit the tent, camping pillow and sleeping bag inside with room to spare.

Food - I'll be bringing tuna, dried fruit, hard boiled eggs, salami, nuts, and veggies. (See the camping on Passover (http://bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=410571) thread if interested in kosher-for-passover food questions.) And water, of course.

Still to pack:

Clothes
tools
Cleanup stuff (toothpaste, baby wipes, toilet paper, etc)
Bags to hold garbage in
First aid

My friend is bringing the stove and cooking whatnot.

Check out this link about bike camping. It may give you some ideas that may help.

http://www.bicycle-touring-guide.com/bicycle-camping.html

Is this your 1st time bike camping or your 1st time camping?

Is this your 1st time bike camping or your 1st time camping?

Both.

Wow. I have been camping since I was a toddler and basically just took what I learned in the early decades and applied it to bike touring.
Here are some things you can count on.
You will bring to much clothing and possibly food.
You won't bring enough water, unless its available in the campground.
It gets a lot colder than you think just at sunrise.
Your equipment seems to "grow" and its not near as easy to pack it up the next day. This gets better though but leave extra room in your panniers.
Morning dew can soak everything left uncovered and leave your food soggy.
Sometimes its nice to stop for a mid-day break and lay the tent out to dry on the last day going home.
Good luck!

Both.

And a first time for both of us.

If you plan on doing it again, bring a little notebook and write down your thoughts - what you should have brought, what you should have left at home, what you did that worked out well. I refine my checklist with each tour.

If you plan on doing it again, bring a little notebook and write down your thoughts - what you should have brought, what you should have left at home, what you did that worked out well. I refine my checklist with each tour.

+1

And a first time for both of us.

Have fun. Are you going to try the trailer on this trip?

Have fun. Are you going to try the trailer on this trip?

Yes. I've named the trailer the Wussy Wagon, in 'honor' of a slam a roadie made at me a month ago. Expect a full report on Monday, provided we make it back.

Yes. I've named the trailer the Wussy Wagon.
:)

Have a good trip.

If you live in a loud urban area, you may get freaked out by the "quiet" when camping. Background/white noise may be helpfull to get a restfull sleep (ie an ipod/radio).

Or depending on the area, it can get really **LOUD** while camping in a remote area. You be surprised how loud frogs, insects, birds, and other creatures can be.

Camping is like sitting down. I sit down at home, I sit down when I am away from home. Probably a whole technology could be developed (actually it has) for at home and away from home sitting.

There is nothing to camping, you put up the tent, dump your mattress and sleeping bag in there and go to sleep. Sleeping is just a zen thing where you empty your mind of any crap that may be keeping you awake. You will notice different noises, but eventually you will fall asleep (or this won't even be an issue).

Ditch the pillows, just ball up some of your extra clothes and gear. This is early season yet for many areas, double check your temp rating on your bag. You can sleep with various clothes etc... Be sure to bring a beanie it will ad a lot of warmth. On the other hand, some parts of the US are pretty warm right now.

Have fun.

If you live in a loud urban area, you may get freaked out by the "quiet" when camping. Background/white noise may be helpfull to get a restfull sleep (ie an ipod/radio).

I live in the country. "NeilFein", however, is terribly urban. This trip could blow his mind. :-)

If you plan on doing it again, bring a little notebook and write down your thoughts - what you should have brought, what you should have left at home, what you did that worked out well. I refine my checklist with each tour.

Neil F. brought a personal tape recorder - I guess they don't use tape nowadays, but you know what I mean.

:)

Route:

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/126863

Trail we are taking:

http://www.montcopa.org/parks/perkiomentrail/Perkiomen.htm

Destination:

http://parks.montcopa.org/parks/cwp/view,A,1516,Q,26377,parksNav,|.asp

Route:

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/126863

Trail we are taking:

http://www.montcopa.org/parks/perkiomentrail/Perkiomen.htm

Destination:

http://parks.montcopa.org/parks/cwp/view,A,1516,Q,26377,parksNav,|.asp

What worked:

Trailer - an excellent idea, although it's gonna take time to get used to hauling it, and the tent, and the sleeping bag, and.....

Tent - the Columbia Lost Lake, a two person tent, was enough room for me, my gear, and enough space to prevent claustrophobia.

Camping - I've never camped before, but I didn't find the process too difficult.

What didn't work:

Sunscreen - I forgot to apply it today, and despite the cloud cover above I have sunburned ears.

Sleeping pad - My foam pad didn't do much to make me comfortable. Perhaps an air mattress is the next step.

Panniers - I used them with the trailer the first day. Bad idea. The bike became unstable, and I wobbled all over the place. When I used the trailer alone, I became much more stable. However, then I was carrying heavy panniers in the trailer.

Interpersonal relationships - things became strained between Neil F. and I during much of the tour. He rode alone during half of the final day. Although we have reconciled since then, this may have been our last joint tour.

Sleeping pad - My foam pad didn't do much to make me comfortable. Perhaps an air mattress is the next step.


Try a Thermarest or similar inflatable pad for backpacking, not a car-camping air mattress that requires a lot of blowing up.



Panniers - I used them with the trailer the first day. Bad idea. The bike became unstable, and I wobbled all over the place. When I used the trailer alone, I became much more stable. However, then I was carrying heavy panniers in the trailer.


Front or back? with a trailer, the panniers should probably be in front, to prevent overly light steering - but you probably don't need that much storage, anyway.



Interpersonal relationships - things became strained between Neil F. and I during much of the tour. He rode alone during half of the final day. Although we have reconciled since then, this may have been our last joint tour.

Well, that's a toughie, sorry to hear it. It's really hard to tour with other people, even your friends. Maybe you can talk about what happened, and you might be able to find a solution. If not, better to keep the friendship and tour separately. Also, even if you do tour together, you don't have to do everything together - if one person is an earlier riser, he can get going first and you can meet up later - same with faster/slower speeds on the road, amount of stopping desired, etc. You can even separate for a few days at a time and then get back together. I found that a lot of problems can be solved by examining the assumptions you are both making, and then reality-checking them.

Also, kudos for you for not sharing the details, you guys can work it out between you without a whole bunch of strangers muddying the waters.

Good luck, and don't give up!

Peace.

Try a Thermarest or similar inflatable pad for backpacking, not a car-camping air mattress that requires a lot of blowing up.
Note that the key with these is figuring out how much air they need. Too little and you bottom out, too much and they are hard. A little practice and you can get them just right.

Front or back? with a trailer, the panniers should probably be in front, to prevent overly light steering - but you probably don't need that much storage, anyway.

Well, that's a toughie, sorry to hear it. It's really hard to tour with other people, even your friends. Maybe you can talk about what happened, and you might be able to find a solution. If not, better to keep the friendship and tour separately. Also, even if you do tour together, you don't have to do everything together - if one person is an earlier riser, he can get going first and you can meet up later - same with faster/slower speeds on the road, amount of stopping desired, etc. You can even separate for a few days at a time and then get back together. I found that a lot of problems can be solved by examining the assumptions you are both making, and then reality-checking them.

Also, kudos for you for not sharing the details, you guys can work it out between you without a whole bunch of strangers muddying the waters.

Good luck, and don't give up!

Peace.

The bike is a Trek 7.5 fx. According to John Schubert in the latest Adventure Cycling, it's unsuited to touring because it has a carbon fork, and hence no place for a front rack. One reason I was so tired the first day was balancing such a misloaded bike for 36 miles.

The problems seemed to stem from my partner's inexperience camping. He didn't have a good time in his bivy sack style tent, he didn't sleep well, and he had no coffee. Once we reconciled we discussed possible future tours, with the idea that, just as you propose, we would keep individual paces and perhaps separate for a few days. That would spare us the tedium of visiting a historic site that only one of us wants to see - the John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove, for instance, was an enjoyable stop for me on this trip, but only climbing for Neil F.

Oops. There goes the kudos out the window.

Oops. There goes the kudos out the window.

I hardly consider those excessive details. Besides, it's potentially an interesting discussion for the forum. At least more so than another "I Love My LHT" thread.

True. Sorry, I couldn't resist. The dynamics of joint bicycle touring are interesting, and can tear apart what was previously a healthy relationship. But as always, there are two sides and to be fair to Neil, we really do need to hear his if we are to discuss it further.

On any tour, there are compromises that *have* to be made, and I think there was a recent thread that discussed some ideas of how the ways can be smoothed. valygrl's comments on establishing expectations beforehand are very soundly based. A key element definitely is patience, followed by an acceptance of each other's foibles.

I don't know how far you guys went with this beforehand. I do know Neil's excitement was palpable, judging from his most recent pre-tour posts. Simple things can be missed or forgotten when setting out on what really seemed to be a major adventure for him.

The worst thing that can happen is to play the blame game.

I hardly consider those excessive details. Besides, it's potentially an interesting discussion for the forum. At least more so than another "I Love My LHT" thread.
Maybe. Be careful though, public airing of dirty laundry can destroy an otherwise salvageable friendship.

I agree regarding the dynamics of bike touring. Actually, all kinds of travelling can bring up unexpected reactions in people. I know very few persons with whom I could start a long tour tomorrow with no hesitation at all. Some of my dearest friends I would never tour with.

Regarding Thermarest and other inflatable pads. They're comfy, they provide a good layer of insulation, and pack down to a small space. Problem is, sooner or later they're going to develop a leak. Most leaks can be fixed, even on tour, but if the leak is close to the valve or the valve itself, you may be out of luck. A foam pad doesn't have many failure modes.

When I come home from tour (or ski trip, or paddle trip...) I make at least a mental note to self of what gear I used during the trip and what was useless and why. That will help me prepare for the next trip.

--J

Maybe. Be careful though, public airing of dirty laundry can destroy an otherwise salvageable friendship.

Quite correct, I've seen it happen, which is why I have no intention of discussing details of this in public. Neil is a good touring partner, and yes, we argued; yes, it got pretty tense. Perspective tells me that all friends have arguments at one point another and, hopefully, work through them.

Back to camping: I had some trouble falling asleep in the tent, and when I did, I slept fitfully. I'm hoping that acclimating to this might help.

The one-person Eureka Solitaire is a good tent, it stayed nice and dry inside. But after getting up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I realized that you stay dry until you come back inside the tent. A vestibule would have been nice, or more room to set up an area for wet shoes and rain gear. I'm thinking I may look for a 2-person tent for the next trip.

My 4-pannier setup worked extremely well. Rolling up all my camping gear in a big stuff sack worked pretty well, but the large Thermarest was pretty bulky and stuck out behind my rack by a foot, making it pretty awkward to get into the elevators at train stations.

I suspected this before, but after bike camping in the rain, I can confirm that Ortlieb panniers rock. I'm tempted to order a pair of front rollers as well, but will probably wait until the Banjo Brothers bags I'm using are threadbare.

Overall, I'm quite pleased with the way things turned out. I had some mechanical problems that threatened to become serious - a balky rear quick release - but that could be due to my tightening it incorrectly. I'll ask my mechanic about that.

And don't forget barking dogs! There was a pair of dogs having a bark-off across the campground were I was staying thi swekend, punctuated every 10 minutes by a very annoyed fellow camper (or rather RVer) yelling "Shut the **** up!!!" in an extremely loud voice. Eventually it died down or I passed out due to extreme tiredness

Quite correct, I've seen it happen, which is why I have no intention of discussing details of this in public. Neil is a good touring partner, and yes, we argued; yes, it got pretty tense. Perspective tells me that all friends have arguments at one point another and, hopefully, work through them.

Yes, hopefully. One reason I brought it up is to work through it. I'd rather not have a repeat, especially on an extended tour. Already we've had at least one valuable suggestion in this thread, so it was worthwhile bringing it up. Touring is not all sunlight.

On my first tour the three of us had many fights. We were teenagers, we knew it all, and we all though we were obviously better that the other two losers we were traveling with.
It damn near led to fisty-cuffs, but since there were three of us, nobody could figure out who to hit first.
It was kind of like a mutiny on a Pirate ship, idiots running around after each other in the black night.
Then we would sit there, eating breakfast in the morning, always waiting for somebody to make his move........
Now we look back on that trip and laugh. And those two guys are some of my best friends over 20 years later.

And don't forget barking dogs! There was a pair of dogs having a bark-off across the campground were I was staying thi swekend, punctuated every 10 minutes by a very annoyed fellow camper (or rather RVer) yelling "Shut the **** up!!!" in an extremely loud voice. Eventually it died down or I passed out due to extreme tiredness

We were lucky. No dogs in camp, but plenty of kids. The kids shut up about ten PM.

Back to camping: I had some trouble falling asleep in the tent, and when I did, I slept fitfully. I'm hoping that acclimating to this might help.

The one-person Eureka Solitaire is a good tent, it stayed nice and dry inside. But after getting up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I realized that you stay dry until you come back inside the tent. A vestibule would have been nice, or more room to set up an area for wet shoes and rain gear. I'm thinking I may look for a 2-person tent for the next trip.

My 4-pannier setup worked extremely well. Rolling up all my camping gear in a big stuff sack worked pretty well, but the large Thermarest was pretty bulky and stuck out behind my rack by a foot, making it pretty awkward to get into the elevators at train stations.

I suspected this before, but after bike camping in the rain, I can confirm that Ortlieb panniers rock. I'm tempted to order a pair of front rollers as well, but will probably wait until the Banjo Brothers bags I'm using are threadbare.

Overall, I'm quite pleased with the way things turned out. I had some mechanical problems that threatened to become serious - a balky rear quick release - but that could be due to my tightening it incorrectly. I'll ask my mechanic about that.

I recommend the Columbia Lost Lake tent. It was very roomy. However, I need to position the sleeping bag better to accommodate my height - 6'1" - since I was crammed against one tent wall. Sleeping diagonally across the tent would be better.

Oh, and it you want to switch to Ortliebs, I'll see those Banjo Brothers panniers get a good home. :D

I crawled in my tent (a REI quarter dome T2 - which I give 4/5 stars) as soon as the light started to go. I was officially in bed by 8:30 pm - didn't get up till 7:00 am. I think I was a smidge tired...

Luckily for me I first started camping well before bicycle touring. I say luckily, because I got all of my inefficiencies out of the way then, so I wouldn’t have to literally carry them with me on the bike.

I remember being a teenager and going camping over night, one night. We packed my old Jeep CJ-5 to the gills (it's a small vehicle), and then TOWED A 6x8 TRAILER full of everything you could think of. It was ridiculous. We never even glanced at 90% of the things we brought with us.

Later on a hiking trip I blew my knee out because my pack was so heavy. Full liter of Vodka, camp chairs and full size air mattresses tend to make your pack heavy.

Even so on one of my first long bike tours with a Bob trailer I ended up mailing home a box with 27 pounds of gear I didn’t use.

I guess my point is that no matter how hard you try, it takes time to be an efficient packer for camping trips.

This past weekend I just did a small tour, 150 miles round trip to Lewes De and back. I was packed pretty well, but there were still a few things I didn’t use. What I did use was all three rear tubes I'd brought for my bike...and yes, I patched them several times before they were ruined. That's another story and I'm starting to ramble.

Anyway, it sounds like you guys had an interesting trip and I'm sure you took a lot away from it, good and bad. All of the things you guys learned will make your next trip all that much better.

I recommend the Columbia Lost Lake tent. It was very roomy. However, I need to position the sleeping bag better to accommodate my height - 6'1" - since I was crammed against one tent wall. Sleeping diagonally across the tent would be better.

Oh, and it you want to switch to Ortliebs, I'll see those Banjo Brothers panniers get a good home. :D

That's yours, right? Looks like a good tent. I'm going to start a separate thread for this.

This past weekend I just did a small tour, 150 miles round trip to Lewes De and back. I was packed pretty well, but there were still a few things I didn’t use. What I did use was all three rear tubes I'd brought for my bike...and yes, I patched them several times before they were ruined. That's another story and I'm starting to ramble.

I'd be interested in hearing it; did you blog it somewhere?


Anyway, it sounds like you guys had an interesting trip and I'm sure you took a lot away from it, good and bad. All of the things you guys learned will make your next trip all that much better.

We did indeed learn a lot. I'm planning the next one, a weekend to Bull Island in NJ.

I'd be interested in hearing it; did you blog it somewhere?



We did indeed learn a lot. I'm planning the next one, a weekend to Bull Island in NJ.

I'm working on it, stay tuned :)

On my first tour the three of us had many fights. We were teenagers, we knew it all, and we all though we were obviously better that the other two losers we were traveling with.
It damn near led to fisty-cuffs, but since there were three of us, nobody could figure out who to hit first.


I'm a pacifist, so I'd never strike Neil F, even if he deserved it. I think he's very fortunate in his choice of touring partner...... :D

We did indeed learn a lot. I'm planning the next one, a weekend to Bull Island in NJ.

Who are you riding with?

I'm working on it, stay tuned :)

Dont want to steal your thread so here's a link to another thread i started about my past weekend, which has a link to my blog:)

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=6597795#post6597795

Dont want to steal your thread so here's a link to another thread i started about my past weekend, which has a link to my blog:)

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=6597795#post6597795

BTW, thank you for the advice you gave me a couple of weeks ago about NOT training for a tour. It reduced my stress level for the trip to Green Lane.

BTW, thank you for the advice you gave me a couple of weeks ago about NOT training for a tour. It reduced my stress level for the trip to Green Lane.

Ha!
Glad I could help

Ha!
Glad I could help

Perhaps I should elaborate on our conversation for the folks reading.

I rode with "holiday" two weeks ago on part of his commute. During that time, we discussed the upcoming Green Lane tour and the Pittsburgh tour May 30-June 8. When I described my training plans, "holiday" advised me not to train at all, and related a tour he took without any preliminary riding at all. While "holiday" is in much better shape than me, lighter, and a decade younger, and I might need a LITTLE warmup, I scrapped my training plans. Despite having only one lengthy ride on gravel beforehand, I did fine on my first extended trip under full load. If I "ride lots" before Pittsburgh, so I can get used to being in the saddle day after day, I'm going to be OK. Perhaps I'll be tired the first couple of days, but I'm going to be OK.

Who are you riding with?

The answer, of course, is "ME." I thought I'd answer this question for those folks who are paying excessive attention to my teasing of my touring partner.

Different people need different "essential" comfort items. I have a thicker thermarest pad, the LE series from a couple of years back, which is a bit thicker, but has cores removed from the foam to keep it relatively compact.

Even the original thermarest pad, thinner version, was just too uncomfortable for me to manage sleeping side in, and this one really radically changed my comfort level in a tent. Where previously I felt like I was awake all night, in the years since I bumped up the pad I was using I am actually comfortable, and really get good sleep in a tent.

It takes time to get used to a mummy bag, and it definitely takes some getting used to before you are okay being in a small tent. I would seriously consider a camping hammock if I was going to stealth tour.

I used a thermo rest for years but was never really comfortable, then my brother commented that as a " side sleeper " he found a non self-inflating air matress was much more comfortable. I bought an Air Core from Big Agnes and found I agreed with his observations.

Have fun. Are you going to try the trailer on this trip?

Here's the trailer, AKA the Wussy Wagon, on the first day. Note I had the panniers on the bike, which was a poor decision. I wobbled all over the place and had a tough time going down a 12 per cent grade on gravel. I need to add a handlebar bag.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2079/2460530482_35cef3fd81_b.jpg

What worked:

Trailer - an excellent idea, although it's gonna take time to get used to hauling it, and the tent, and the sleeping bag, and.....

Tent - the Columbia Lost Lake, a two person tent, was enough room for me, my gear, and enough space to prevent claustrophobia.

Camping - I've never camped before, but I didn't find the process too difficult.

What didn't work:

Sunscreen - I forgot to apply it today, and despite the cloud cover above I have sunburned ears.

Sleeping pad - My foam pad didn't do much to make me comfortable. Perhaps an air mattress is the next step.

Panniers - I used them with the trailer the first day. Bad idea. The bike became unstable, and I wobbled all over the place. When I used the trailer alone, I became much more stable. However, then I was carrying heavy panniers in the trailer.

Interpersonal relationships - things became strained between Neil F. and I during much of the tour. He rode alone during half of the final day. Although we have reconciled since then, this may have been our last joint tour.

It's not our last joint tour, but here's the account anyway:

As Neil F. and I have reported on the Touring forum, we had angry words exchanged during the last day of our overnight camping tour. For several miles we rode separately. But these two headstrong Capricorns were able to unlock their horns over ice cream at Moccia's in Schwenksville, and so all the dispute was good for was to make an attention-grabbing intro to a ride report.

This overnight trip was to be the first time camping for both of us. And since we are going to be riding on a gravel trail and camping 3 or 4 nights, I chose the best test track I could find - Green Lane Park and its Deep Creek Lake Campground:

http://www.suburbancyclists.org/images/GreenLanePark467x322.jpg

Green Lane is the final stop on the Perkiomen Trail, which consists largely of gravel and cinder for its 20 mile course:

http://www2.montcopa.org/parks/cwp/imageserver,Path,parks/cpvpareapost.jpg,AssetGUID,618f4508-2f33-41c4-aad8ab1604d096aa.jpg

We were off to a delayed start Saturday morning - one Neil forgot to seal his tent. (Since I left out last names, you can guess who.) Both bikes were wobbly, and mine excessively so, since I decided for some odd reason to carry both rear panniers and a trailer. We sped downhill along Rt. 23, stopped at the Revolutionary War Cemetery in East Vincent:

http://eastvincent.org/vertical/Sites/%7B5B8F1E55-6CA8-450E-BB40-12A8385B1313%7D/uploads/%7B3EA51E64-5583-4510-A955-C81A8ED8D5B6%7D.JPG

Then through Phoenixville to the new trailhead on the Schuylkill River Trail. We followed it up to Audubon, and visited Mill Grove, the John James Audubon home, which is a museum devoted to the artist's work. Here we see a first edition of the Birds of America, the so-called "double elephant folio" (named for the size of the pages):

http://www2.montcopa.org/historicsites/cwp/imageserver,Path,historicsites/images/tour-millgrove/photorecall%20trial/mill%20grove/web/picture5.jpg,AssetGUID,14dd7b4d-88bb-4537-b269a3c5a5e8656c.jpg

Neither Neil wanted to ride our bikes down the 9 per cent grade on the trail at Mill Grove, so we returned to the Perkiomen Trail and trudged north. We were passed by another Clydesdale poster, "freemti" on HIS trip north to camp, and didn't find out about it until after we got back.

The threatened rain held off for most of the day, and we arrived at Green Lane around 5:00 PM, 36 miles later. We learned how to pitch our tents, and Neil F. put my stove to use - I cheated and brought a hoagie for dinner. We befriended Patrick, a student at a nearby college who was having trouble with his stove. Our new friend was training for a possible hike of the Appalachian Trail this summer, so Neils on Wheels were happy to provide "trail magic" for him and let him use my stove. Besides, in a camp filled with obese RV users, the non-motorized campers had to stick together. We retired about 8:30 PM, and I was soon asleep.

We awoke the next morning to a cold and overcast sky. It had rained and thundered overnight, and while we were dry, the ground and tents were a mess. Thanks to breakfast, inexperience, and sloth, we took three hours to break camp. I didn't notice the strain my friend Neil was under that morning. I said and did things as we were leaving that wouldn't have been a problem under other circumstances, but pushed my friend to the breaking point. The break happened when, in a moment of annoyance, I told Neil I was sorry I brought him out for the ride. This was not only hurtful, but also a lie. And the lie did its damage. So I rode on alone for about eight miles along the Perkiomen Creek.

http://www.pedf.org/perk.jpg

The sun had come out, and the sunlight reflected off the creekbed rocks as the water danced southward. I was riding my bike amid glorious nature, having successfully camped for the first time in my life, and I couldn't enjoy it as I should because of my thoughtlessness towards someone I care about. I pushed onwards, hoping I'd catch up to Neil and I could apologize. He wasn't in Green Lane Borough. He wasn't at the bridge at Spring Mount, nor at the 12 percent grade near that bridge. I passed Patrick hiking back to his dorm and asked him how long before Neil F. had passed. "15 minutes" he said. My heart sank. Neil F. could maintain that lead and make it to the trail end without my catching up. All he needed to do was head south on the Schuylkill River Trail to Norristown, where he could catch a train to take him home without seeing me again. I tried to pick up speed and pedaled on. My rear panniers were stuck in my trailer, so while I didn't weigh much less, I was more stable, and could ride faster.

Fortunately for me, Moccia's is directly on the trail, and Neil has a fondness for milkshakes. They were open that morning, and he stopped for one:

http://www.princessleia.com/images/schwenksville/moccias_junction.jpg

I caught Neil mid-slurp, and apologized. He smiled and let me ride with him the rest of the way.

The only additional landmark we visited was Lock 60 of the Schuylkill Canal, across the river from Phoenixville:

http://www.schuylkillcanal.com/restoration/images/Lock601BarryTag4.05.jpg

We arrived at my home about ten after four, Neil F. pulling in about ten minutes before me because I needed to stop for water. 70 miles for the weekend, and despite some unpleasantness and tension, a triumph for Neils on Wheels. As usual.