magohn

I also see that you rode the STP (Seattle to Portland) ride. What year? I did the STP in 2010 and 2011. I took last year off to ride the RSVP (Seattle to Vancouver, BC) but threw my back while training for the distance so never rode the route. Why not do the STP in 2013 and try out that awesome bike? Perhaps I could watch out for you as I intend to ride the STP in 2013 also. The 200 mile distance really is an accomplishment, though I took the Sat/Sun to complete the distance. Im not brave enough to try it in one day . That new bike of yours would be a dream on the 200 mile ride

Peter_C

Touring can be a 5 mile ride and sleeping in a friend's back yard, and then riding home the next morning, or, it can be a 3-4 month tour across the US. Me, I started (finally) touring last year after dreaming about it for 30+ years. I first did a small test close to home to see if my gear would work for me or not. Then, I did my 'first' real tour and did nine days on the GAP. I loved it~! And I plan to spend more time in the area again this Spring/Summer. All I can say is touring is what you want it to be. What *I* want touring to be is simply going where-ever I go, setting up camp before dark, and then moving on the next day - going as slow as I want, without stressing about a clock.

magohn

Perfect description Peter. 9 days - wow! Good for you. Did you use a regular 'touring bike' or your slick recumbrent? Pics?

All sounds very interesting as I sit watching the rain on the windows I toured 'a little' in my youth and rode from the north of France to the south (Oringinally Im from the UK). I was grossly unprepared wearing a backpack and carrying a 'regular' tent - no panniers. My brother and I made it though and camped in very interesting places from farmers fields to romany campsites. The romany people were awesome and invited us to watch their greyhounds chase down rabbits in a neighboring field. Not a word was understood because of the language barrier but a nicer set of folk you could not wish for. Memories I havent forgot some 25 yrs later We just made it back to the northern ferry home with my back wheel shedding spokes every few miles due to the constant side to side stress of my backpack swinging on my back. Good times!

Peter_C

I do not want to go off-topic here, but a group of people left Homestead, PA, going to Cumberland, MA (I was with them). A day into the trip the group split into a faster group, and a slow group (me and two others). After making it to Cumberland, I got a ride back up the big hill, and then pedaled part-way back towards Homestead, and on the 9th day i woke with back-spasms so I called it quits at that point. (this is the really short version) You can see some 140+ photos here: https://s1103.photobucket.com/albums/...20Ride%202012/

I had a blast~! Trike, trailer, bout 50-60lbs of gear. Slow, but very much fun for me~! I learned that you need to make sure if you tour with others that you have the same goals. I plan to do it again, but hopefully either alone, or with just 1-2 other people that understand that I want to chat with whomever, stop and read whatever signs, and not worry about a clock in any way - that's my *thing*.



Back to your regularly scheduled thread about the Chef and his touring plans

magohn

Thanks Peter. Very nice pics. Thats a nice looking rig and I agree about the 'no time schedule' thing. Awesome pics of the 'Mason-Dixon Line'

Neil_B

I read the post, and I didn't see Indyfabz advocating 'jump on a bike and go.' He mentioned something like it as an approach some people take to touring, but if you've read any of his posts on his tours, you know he puts a lot of work into them before the rubber hits the road.

BTW Indyfabz was one of the first people in BCP who mentioned touring to me. His opinions on touring are worth getting. Perhaps the two of you can go for a ride and talk about your plans.

Mark Stone

That would be mine, also.

Neil_B

Unfortunately, while you might ignore the clock, there's no ignoring a map, calendar, and weather report.

indyfabz

In another post you wrote that you want to set up camp before dark, so you have to be conscious of the clock to at least some degree. Also, that approach can be problematic in areas of the country where severe weather events can be a regularity. For example, if you are in an area at a time of year where severe hail storms are not uncommon, it can be prudent to start early and get done, or at least position yourself so that you are not caught out in the open. Competition for limited camping space may also come into play.

If you don't mind riding by yourself you can always go with others who travel at different paces, but it helps immensley if you are not dependant upon each other. For example, if you are the "rose smeller" but are also carrying the one community stove, your famished partners might not be so happy waiting for you. I would never tour in a situation where I was dependant upon anyone other than my gal. If I were with a group of people and was self-sufficient, or at least not dependant on someone who was signficantly slower than myslf and the person I was depandant on, when others finished wouldn't make the slightest bit of difference to me.

Neil_B

On my first GAP trip, with Neilfein, we got off to a late start one day and missed the warning to avoid riding during a thunderstorm on the "high ridges." So as predicted the late afternoon thunderstorm materialized while we were atop Big Savage and we wound up ducking under a trail display for protection. That was avoidable by paying attention to both the clock and the weather.

chefisaac

It was in 1997. Did it with my best friend and we rode a lot together. I may try it again sometime but not sure when. We made it to Longview, WA which I think is 150 miles. Then the next day to Portland. It was a lot of fun. I miss that area and miss riding with my friend.

chefisaac

Nicely put! Just like riding is so different and with different meaning to each individual.

chefisaac

This was just my opinion when I read his post which was in another thread.

INDY: you be up for lunch sometime?

Mark Stone

Of course. But while paying attention to the map, calendar, and weather report, don't ignore the surroundings. Take in the sights, stop at the historical markers, meet the locals. Relax.

vesteroid

I try hard to stay out of these threads, but some of the stuff I see makes me scratch my head.

I see I carry 50 lbs of gear or xyz and I just cant help responding.

Of course anyone can carry anything they want, they can take table, chairs, etc. Its all a personal thing, and your desired level of comfort, vs your desired speed, level of work to carry said weight.

As a reference I have gone out for 7 days straight carrying all my gear, all my food, and all my water and never weighed over 30 lbs. I could probably do two straight weeks for less than 40. I could cut it even more, if I wanted to put more repetition in my diet and only carry highly caloric dense foods.

from experience I can tell you there is a direct correlation between the amount of gear you carry, your speed, and your "tiredness" at the end of the day (and of course the distance you travel, or the days required to go said distance).

Chef will tell you I am a weight weening when it comes to gear, and again each to their own, but dont ignore the obvious consequences associated with heavy gear. I dont mean to imply the consequences are negative, just that they exist, you will go slower, and you will be more tired.

sstorkel

I think tiredness has as much to do with training as with how much gear you carry. Before I went on my first tour, I spent three months training for the trip. For the final six weeks I was riding around on my touring bike with my expected load. My route down the Pacific Coast involved lots of hills, so I made sure to spend more time than normal climbing hills. The ride was still demanding, but I never felt overly tired and every morning I was looking forward to spending more time on the bike...

cyclokitty 

Chefisaac: what is a sleeping quilt and how does it compare to a sleeping bag? I clicked the link but the screen on my iPod is tiny. I'm curious because the business concept of the seller is interesting.

Neil_B

Like this?

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...a-Winding-Road

Mark Stone

That would be it!

Neil_B

True, but like life, its a matter of choices. Do I really want to saw off the handle of my toothbrush to save a fraction of an ounce? Do I want to wash my shorts in the campground sink every night because I have only two pairs? Should I tear the pages out of the book I'm reading as I read them to reduce weight? Such discussions remind me of one of my favorite Art Buchwald columns, the "Three Minute Louvre", which is about a contest to get through the Parisian museum as quickly as possible while seeing the only three things worth looking at. (One racer left the film out of his camera to save weight.)

Also, its usually easier to reduce weight on the rider instead of the bike.

For threads about my longer tours, I've usually listed the items I'm carrying. One reason Iron Chef needs to do an overnight tour before his long trips is so he can pare down his list. Like most people, he will probably overpack.

One poster on this thread I take it mentioned bringing a chair. If that's Peter C., I have word from an experienced bike tourist friend that for Peter the chair isn't a luxury, but a requirement. Sometimes people have a need to bring something other bike tourists wouldn't.

Neil_B

The CPAP. Its a battery operated unit, or are you going to camp at electricified sites? If the latter you've restricted your choices, especially along the GAP and C & O.

cyccommute 

You are making a classic blunder in touring. You are assuming that you need to carry more stuff for more days. Nothing could be further from the truth. What you carry for around a 4 day long trip is going to be the same as you'd carry for a year long trip. The worst trips to try and pack for are the shorter ones. A 3 day to 5 day trip is just about the worst. For an overnight or even a 2 night trip, you can get by with carrying 2 sets of clothes. For a 3 day trip, you have to carry 3 days or clothing or do laundry. Who want to do a short trip and spend time doing laundry? On a 5 day trip, you'll just about have to do laundry at least once. Twice if you only carry 2 days worth. If you want laundry hell, carry one set...bleech!

chefisaac

Negative ghost rider. Will be purchasing a battery operated cpap in the next two weeks. The battery will be recharged on the dyno hub on my bike daily. However, the battery should last me two or three nights depending. Good question!

chefisaac

The sleeping quilt is very cool. I was debating if I should get a sleeping bag or quilt. The quilt is similar to a sleeping bag in the fact that it is a round unit on the bottom where your feet are but up top, it is more like a blanket. With down filled sleeping bags, the underpart of the bags down gets crushed and is useless overtime. With the quilt, you use it like a blanket (ie no crushed down).

Plus I am a warm sleeper so the quilt gives me more options.

This was my reason with going with a quilt. It was a shot in the dark but I did have some information to go on.

Peter_C

I realize I am at the other end. My gear is heavy because it's cheap - you can get cheap and light (crap), cheap and good (heavy), or expensive and good (light). Plus, I do tend to bring more than is usual - like a camp chair - due to my replaced joints and size, I need a good chair to c=be comfortable. Pulling a trailer adds weight, and the reason simply was the ability to pack "loose", and use a water-tight container to carry my gear - all choices that add weight.

I do agree with the above, weight makes my speed even slower, and the day longer - but (for me) the proof is in the pudding - I enjoyed myself, and am/was happy with my gear choices. If/when I can, it of course would be nice to lighten the load, but I won't do it at the expense of my comfort. Me, trike, trailer, and gear - all up was bout 500lbs - I am what I am, have lost bout 45lbs since then, so that will help too.