cyclezealot

I'll be doing a 14-day tour in the Pacific Northwest during June and July. ( Washington State and Oregon. mostly east of the Cascades. )
The 14 days will be sag supported. We are allowed two bags carrying no more than 25 lbs. And our bikes. Nothing loose floating about will be tolerated.

. Within one of those two bags must be our tent, mattress, stakes, etc. That will be OK.
. But, I am going up to Oregon on the train. Prior to the tour, I'll be riding about Portland and doing some dressy events with friends. ( I'll be staying in a hotel.)
Next we are on to the tour. No problem there.

After the tour's end in Bellingham, WA, I wish to stay a couple days and see Victoria, BC.. When the sag wagon drops off our stuff, there will be more than I can carry on my bike. In Bellingham, WA I'll stay one day and go over to Victoria, BC for 2 days.

.. Logistically, getting all this stuff up and back seems easy. Probably ship surplus stuff by Fedex.
Not sure how much stuff will I need for the non-tour segment before and after the 14 days of sag support? All in all, I'll probably be gone 21 days.

.. Any ideas. I will be taking my Surly Cross Check. Lighter and easier to get over the mountains than my Full Tourer. Didn't plan on taking panniers. I'll need six days of clothes for the Non-sag portion of my stay.
My question. What is your preferred way of carrying six days of supplies while on the bike? In Portland, we might do a stage play and one night of clubbing. Bike shorts - not appropriate attire. Are skinnier 25 mm tires ideal for heavier panniers. ?
Large back packs, handle bar bags. ?

CliffordK

I think your idea of using the mail will help. Perhaps you can work it out to mail some stuff from Portland to a hotel in Washington (or from your home direct to the Washington destination). Then mail the tent away as soon as possible after the trip.

I've done a few day self-supported trips with narrow sewups. Your narrow 25's should be fine for some light touring unless you are already a heavy rider. Will your riding around before and after the trip be mainly in one town, when you can use a hotel as a base, or are you doing other tours... such as heading to Astoria for a day?

cyclezealot

I think my plan is mail my tent and camping supplies to my hotel in Portland. Then ship them back from Bellingham. In Portland, I'll be doing some local touring about Portland, Bellingham, and B.C. How much street clothes will I need for 3 non sag days in both Portland and Bellingham and how will I carry them. I don't think most back packs, (Which I hate) will hold enough supplies for 3 days. Maybe one small pannier and one back pack.?

Juha

I wouldn't pack clothes for 6 days. I'd pack for 3 days and have one laundry stop somewhere in between. Or maybe even 2 days clothing with two laundry stops.

--J

cyclezealot

That's a good plan. There would be no questions if it was simply the 14 days with sag and I was coming straight backwith no off days in Portland. . Guess, I could take just one pair of black jeans. That is slightly dressy for one night out at the theater.
another concern. The tour involves 2 off days and 12 days on the bike. Two of the nights involve primitive camp sites. How many pairs of bike shorts should I take and how will i keep them clean.

Juha

I usually bring 2-3 pairs for any length over 3 days. After a day's ride I'll take a shower and while I'm at it, wash the bike shorts with soap. There's no way I can get padded bike shorts dry overnight if I'm camping. The next morning I just wear another pair of shorts and let the first pair air dry on the bike during the day's ride. 3 pairs go a long way, weather permitting. If needed you can always machine wash / tumble dry them somewhere in the middle.

I also use merino wool shirts that don't need to be washed so frequently - airing them out is usually sufficient. But if you have commercial laundry available where you ride, keeping even the "technical" riding clothes presentable shouldn't be a problem. Around here finding a laundromat often requires a bit of advance planning.

--J

andrewclaus

When I tour, I typically wear a long sleeved nylon trekking shirt with buttons and a collar (good for sun and bug protection). I carry a pair of light weight long trousers (for bugs in camp). I wear running shoes (and use pedals with toe clips). It's at least appropriate attire for a play or a dinner. Around home, I wear much the same, with better shoes. I'm not sure about clubbing, but why not? I guess it depends on whom you're trying to impress. All that stuff is easy to wash in a hotel sink and let dry overnight.

I only carry one pair of shorts and wash them daily, typically mid-day at a public restroom, and wear them dry. Some consider that extreme but it works fine for me and it's one way to reduce the bulk of clothing most carry.

My bike with its 25 mm tires does fine on my self-supported XC tours.

Tourist in MSN

Agree. I carry a small bottle (3 oz) of Woolite soap. I carry 3 days of clothes, but 4 or maybe 5 days of socks in case of sustained rain, I do not want foot problems.

I assume you mean "primitive" camping as in no sink for laundry, but will be camping other nights with access to sinks.

A lot of campground sinks do not have a drain stopper, I carry a flat silicone rubber drain stopper that works with virtually all sink drains. A short piece of line (1/8 inch paracord) and a bunch of clothespins can come in really handy. Do not put up the line up until you are ready to hang your clothes, otherwise everybody in the group will take up every foot of your line before you have a chance to put your own stuff on it.



If it is not raining, I do laundry every night. I do not want to wait until I need to do a lot.

I put my damp stuff the next day outside of one of my front panniers or handlebar bag, but since you are not carrying panniers you would need an alternative plan. All my stuff is quick drying, the only 100 percent cotton stuff I bring are a few bandanas.

If you find you are putting all your stuff into a washing machine at once, you can wear your rain pants while waiting. I always try to have at least two bucks of quarters in case I need them for vending machines or laundry machines.

25 pounds, is that total of two bags or 25 pounds each? Use light weight bags. I stopped using luggage with wheels several years ago, instead use duffel type bags. This bag holds a lot more than 25 pounds, so would not work for you, this is the type of luggage I use.

staehpj1

I used to carry a spare pair of shorts and washed one out in a sink or the shower when convenient. On more recent trips I have taken to only having one pair of bike shorts. I wash or rinse them out when convenient, but if I go a few days between washing or rinsing it isn't the end of the world. If they don't get washed I sometimes turn them inside out and let them get some sun. That kills whatever might grow there about as well as a good washing. They may be damp when I put them on some mornings, but that really isn't a big deal since they get wet with sweat quick enough any way. I have gone with one pair on a few long tours now including a coast to coast one and have not found it to be a problem.

The bottom line is that two pairs is more than enough and you could get by with one if you wanted/needed to.

saddlesores

a little confused about the timeline, but seems you're okay getting to the first hotel.
you'll take on the train: bike, on tour stuff, and before/after tour duds.

in that case, after the first few days, you send the dressy stuff for after the tour
by ups to your next hotel, in a duffel or small soft luggage.
you leave the hotel on your bike with only the stuff you need on tour.
you have all your on-tour needs in two bags, which just happen to be bicycle panniers.
you do not need duffels or backpack on tour.

when you finish the tour, you leave the dropoff point by bike with your on-tour stuff inside
the bicycle panniers hanging on your rear rack.
your dressy duds are waiting for you at the hotel.
you may at this point send via ups one or both of your panniers home.

for non-riding days, i wear my gettin'-to-another-country-goin'-thru-airport-clothes.
lightweight cotton/nylon khaki shorts with elastic waist (no belt=no buckle=no tsa)
lightweight no-iron quick-dry polo-style shirt.
tevas/sandals (no take off ze shoeses at security) and a soft cap.
no belts, no zippers, no keys, no buckles, no metal whatsoever.
all of this, except for size 12 sandals, folds up really small, and really light.

cyclezealot

Staehpj. Once we did a tour and one of our riders didn't change his shorts for days .By the smell of him, maybe even the better part of a week. He got a bad case of crotch rot. It was not pretty. That really affected me. It was almost like he didn't want to sit down.. Yes,probably 3 jerseys and 2 shorts. Two of our nights will be primitative camping, think I'll take along my portable shower. One of the camp sites is on the banks of a tributary of the Columbia . Could always take a bath on the banks of the Tieton River.

fietsbob

Me, 2 pair of panniers and the tent and sleeping bag on the rear rack top , good for 1 or 10 months.

I bring 3 pair of Bike shorts to always have a clean pair each Morning.

that and washing myself 'down there' at least , every Night reduced skin bacteria saddle sores

cyclezealot

Post tour in Bellingham is my bigger question. I'll have no sag wagon. . . Guess, my time there will mostly be spent on the bike. Very little social stuff going on.. Mostly riding about Vancouver Island for a couple days.
When I send my camping gear back I can probably live mostly in bike gear and send almost everything else back except for what I will need for the return home on the train.
It is Portland , where I will be doing more social kinds of things prior to the tour.

Tourist in MSN

I thought that wearing bike gear to social activities in Portland was considered high fashion.

cyclezealot

Could be. But, My time spent there is nowhere near Haloween.

spinnaker

Exactly and you don't need clean clothes every day. Who cares if you look like a slob for a coupe of days.

At most 2 pair of paints and 2 shirts maybe a t-shirt. Get those zip off pants that can double as shorts. I like to take something comfortable to sleep in. A couple pair of underwear You won't be wearing street clothes for more than a few hours so no big deal wearing them a couple days in a row. . Regular sandals double as shower sandals.

Two bike shorts two jerseys, 2 pair of socks. Rinse what you wore and hang it from your bike the next day.

Personally I would still take one pannier or a large saddle bag. Good for rain gear, stashing what is drying, snacks etc.

saddlesores

what's the bigger question? what you'll do without a sag wagon?
you'll be staying in a hotel, right? you'll have already mailed back
your camping gear that filled one of the panniers you had the sag
wagon carry. well, now that pannier can if necessary hold you
post-ride stuff.

cyclezealot

I am always one to take more stuff than I need. I'll probably stay one night in Bellingham. One night in BC. Another night in Bellingham before I hit the train back.. A day and a half on the train. On the surface that sounds like one would need a lot of stuff on what amounts to four days plus to get back home. Maybe that last night in Bellingham, I can hit eht laundromat. So, I'll need put four days stuff in one pannier and one backpack. If I were just doing a straight 14-day tour and nothing before and after, it would be simple. But, that is not my plan. I'll be away almost another whole with just me and my bike.

cyclezealot

I think I found the perfect match for a 3-day credit card tour. That and a small backpack should do the trick.
. Light . It should hold at least 3 days worth of one's basic needs. It holds 28 liters of stuff and weights only 18 ounces.

spinnaker

You are planning on strapping the pack to the rack I hope? Backpacks are a pain in the back when you where them on the bike.

cyclezealot

I agree. I might be going solo for a four day credit card tour. My distances during those four days won't be that great. I might take along a foldable lightweight backpack just in case.

spinnaker

My first tour, I did pretty much how you are planning. Cheap saddle bag panniers from Sunlite and a small backpack. Kind of nice to have that option.

Just inspect those panniers closely. My buddy bought a cheap pair of Nashbar panniers. A rivet let go and the plastic backing got caught in his spokes, causing him to flip over his handlebars. When he got home guess what? Yep called Nashbar and got them to send him a replacement of the same bags.

RickNV

if you decide to ship some of your stuff home during your tour be sure and do that while your in the USA - it might get confusing and expensive trying to ship into the USA from Canada due to the duties and shipping rules- just an FYI- while you are near Victoria Canada I would suggest a visit to Sidney BC- they have several good resturants and places to stay.

Machka 

I've done a lot of fully loaded tours with 25 mm tires. They were just fine.

In your case, I'd probably go with a couple smaller panniers.

onbike 1939

When faced with this problem I usually rely upon clothing made with clothing made by a British company called "Rohan". Their range are ideal for your situation in that they are light, non-wrinkle and of very high quality. They are made to dry quickly also so are very suited to camping. I'm sure there must be similar hi-tech clothing made in the USA.

https://www.rohan.co.uk/mens-clothing