Originally Posted by
Bassmanbob
I've decided not to take a spare tire. My buddy is taking two pieces of old tire as a boot. If he doesn't go, then I'll be OK with no extra tire.
I do have, and will use, my mirror on my glasses.
Cold in SE Florida in April? Honestly, not usually, but it did go down to the mid to high 50's last week. Besides simulating a week or two summer tour, I'm also simulating a tour outside of Florida, hence a top and bottom base layer and buff as well as my rain jacket. I do have rain pants, but I really would rather not considering it's fairly heavy.
Food & Water: I'm taking two days worth, even though I don't need to. We will be near a quickie mart/ gas station Friday night and a supermarket Saturday night. but I want to simulate a situation where I'm not near a reliable food source for two days. I will have access to water at the camp sites, and I'm taking two 28 oz water bottles and 2 empty liter Smart Water bottles. I will fill them up Saturday and Sunday mornings, considering we will not have a water source for about 40 miles during that ride and about 30-35 miles the next day. For those of you who know Florida, Saturday we are riding out of Palm City to Okeechobee. Sunday we are riding out of Okeechobee to Ft. Pierce. There is no reliable water source between each of those towns. Then I will continue, solo, to my home about 20 miles south of Ft. Pierce with plenty of water purchasing opportunities.
Tire boot, I cut up some rectangles from US Post Office Tyvek envelops. I pack one with each spare tube. Never used one yet, but if I need one I probably will need the tube at that time too.
Mirror on glasses is great. I mount my mirror on helmet, but glasses works too. A friend of mine that I have toured with used glasses mount.
One liter Smartwater bottles are great, if you pack one in a pannier they are less likely to leak than a standard water bottle. And that size fits in most water bottle cages. I am lucky that I can fit three of them on the frame on one of my bikes. Life WTR one liter size is another brand that fits water bottle cages. I use the flip top lids from other size bottles on them.
But as you probably already know, only the one liter size of those water bottles fit in cages.