Heading west

We are heading to Rocky Mountain National park!  First day was all RAIN 🌧 at times with 30 foot visibility on I-94 near Chicago, I am glad we made it in one piece.  Staying the night on the Mighty Mississippi.

Practice Ride

 

My bike all ready to go, I added the front panniers at the last minute.  Read a good article about 2 vs 4 (only a bit more wind drag).  I am still trying to figure my final setup, the only thing in the front bags was my tent and day bag.

First stop was The Bake Shop, great pastries and pepperoni bread.

My new tent was great, 45deg with 15mph winds much of the night and I slept well.  It was hard to setup in the wind, I finally had to put my bags into it then set it up, otherwise it kept blowing away.

Stopped for a burger and beer a few miles before the park, first time eating out since the pandemic.  That burger and fries tasted so good!  The beer made it the perfect meal.

Inside the tent is cozy, but not too tight.

Lesson learned:

1) Sunscreen is not enough for me, I need to have sun covering.  DaBrim and sun leggings will be ordered.  No I am not a vampire, yes I could play one on TV.

2) I need to drink more water along the way.  I am prone to leg cramps and don’t drink enough, a bad combination I  need to keep working at.  My trip back was good because I made several stops for OJ which seems to help.

3) I like traveling with people!  I don’t mind traveling by myself, but I enjoy company more.  I met a 77 year old gentleman (John) who is still bike touring and road with him for about 15 miles, one of the highlights of the trip.  I also ran into Jim on the return ride.

4) Coffee from a percolator is 30 degrees hotter than from an espresso machine.  Burnt tongue is a painful! How many times have I learned this while camping?  At some point it will stick!

5) I had everything I required at 50lb of gear.  Now what can I get rid of and still have everything I require.

6) Michigan State Parks are required to accept cyclists even when full, much of their staff does no know this.  The site they give you is not much.

7) I am in good enough condition to go, it will be more fun if I am in better shape.

https://strava.app.link/YEEnqXt7Hgb

https://strava.app.link/Tpjrs8p7Hgb

A fun two day adventure!

Gravel ride test email post

https://strava.app.link/NksnlwcbJ4

Strava Ride update via mail

Check out my ride on Strava.
https://strava.app.link/wllaHivaJ4

Gravel ride today- testing posting with my phone

It was 40ish degrees and sunny today, so I did a gravel ride from home.  About half the distance of our planned Southern Tier ride days (30 miles vs 60+).  Not much traffic, mostly good roads with a few mud and ice spots, being outside in the sun made it great.  The pastries in South Lyon MI did not hurt either.

https://www.strava.com/activities/3163219750

Southern Tier Gear - what do I think I need

My current packing list - I know it will be updated a few more times so I want to see what changes...

Bike		Camping Gear		Clothing		Food Stocks
Spare Tire		Tent		Rain coat		Coffee 1lb
Spare Tube 2x		Sleeping bag		Fleece		Cliff Bars 6x
Spare front spoke 2x		Air mattress		Biking Socks 6x		Oatmeal
Spare rear spoke 2x		Stove/fuel		Biking shorts 3x		Coffee filters
Chain link 2x		Coffee pot		Biking shirts long 3x		Spice kit
Tool kit		Spoon / bowl		Sun leggings 1x
Lube		Camel back (4 l)		Zip offs 2x
Air pump		Trowel and TP		Shirts 2x
Water bottles 3x		Shave Kit		Shorts 1x (sleeping)		Other
Panniers		First Aid Kit		Shirts 1x (sleeping)		Camera
Handlebar bag		Sunscreen		Camp shoes		Memory cards
Frame bag (repair kit)		Hand sanitizer		Handkerchiefs		Phone
Cycling shoes		Wipes		Sun hat		Charger (2 port)
Bike lock		Rope		Towel		Backup battery 15000mah
Radar		Flashlight		Underwear 7x		Cables
Headlamp		CampSuds				Tripod?
Bungee cords		Day pack				10 foot charger cables
Gloves		3-Way Plug adapter
Helmet		wool gloves (hot pads)
Cold weather gloves		Ear plugs
spare screws		Headlamp
Maps

Southern Tier - Cross Country Bike Ride - Taking the train - Southwestern Chief - to San Diego

After multiple years of talking about biking across the country for my 60th birthday, things have become real.  This week train tickets from Dearborn to San Diego were purchased!  A short train ride from Dearborn to Chicago and then we get on the Southwestern Chief from Chicago to Los Angeles and then a commuter down to San Diego - 56 hours end to end.

Full details on the train ride are here:  https://www.amtrak.com/southwest-chief-train

One of the nice things about the train is we get to take our bikes with ous.

My next step is to figure out exactly what gear I am taking and find panniers that can hold it and a bit more.

I will be riding a Specialized Sequoia and will try to keep my total weight as low as reasonably.

More soon!