Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Nothing hard is ever easy: A bicycle tour attempt.

Me: A 57 year-old high school teacher from San Antonio TX attempting a "bucket list" item AND to become all-time "Coolest Uncle" to my many nephews and nieces in New York State.

The title snippet of wisdom, along with "Without change, nothings different" quoted by my Vietnam Vet x-USMC cousins when I was fresh off the boat from the Peace Corps and we was building their house in Vermont thirty years back

Preparation for this trip started back in August 2013, when I took down my old '89 Schwinn Voyageur after more or less 24 years of nearly continuous hanging on the garage wall (it was given to me be a dear friend just as moutain bike were coming in big). Thought it was horrible at first, the pedals about killed my right knee, until I thought to switch the old cage pedal out with plain ol' wide platform pedals... et voila! Different bike!!!

Back in August '13 a 10 mile commute into work was a long way for me, OTOH January of '14 was the first time I put in a 108 miles in a day. Here are the best pics I have of the bike in it nearly original form (except for the pedals) with the addition of a racktime (??) rear rack, Nashbar front rack (lightweight junk, since replaced w/ a heavier Bontrager unit) and Ortleib bags. Photos taken about mile 70 (in front of the Alamo natch....)





At the time I didn't know enough to know that you just dont ride 25 year-old hubs, bottom bracket and headset that ain't been greased in that long. Predictably, all those componets got trashed in what were becoming 100 mile commuting weeks and frequent 50 and 60 milers on weekends.

Soo.... while the frame remains, everything else is different. Here's the bike in present form....



700c wheels built to order by Universal Cycles, Mavic A714 (??) rims, 17 ga db spokes, Shimano 105 (??) hubs (aint got the bike with me just now, will edit later). 32mm Conti Gatorskin front, 32mm Gator Hardshell rear (they were both supposed to be Hardshells, but one got taken out last week in spectacular fashion through tread and sidewall by a 2" nail).

Cheap Wellgo platform pedals replaced with $50 sealed bearing set of platforms from Nashbar.

Nashbar 22/33/44 chainring set w/sealed bottom bracket, Scram 850 chain, 11 - 32 8 speed (due to chainstay shape I can only use 7 speeds, dont have much use for that little 11 tooth sprocket anyway). Still using original downtube friction shifters and derailieurs.

Trekking bar covered with foam grip and w/ Ergon grips at end. TWO el-cheapo mirrors from Wal Mart (I love 'em). Recycled rubber bar bag from REI. Chris King headset. Brooks B-17 saddle.

My attire:......

Down here at 29 deg. N latitide the sun is like seven degrees off of vertical at noontime. So I'm gonna dress like a roofer (ie. cover everything possible from the sun)....

Broad-brimmed hat, with or without helmet, dependent upon heat and comfort therein....



Half-finger cycling gloves, Magellan nylon fishing shirts, oversized and left out of pants. Cotton t-shirts underneath have since been dispensed with. Long REI light nylon "adventure" pants (or some such) tucked into ordinary cotton dress socks. I was wearing nylon boxers too but am finding that part expendable. Just the pant are cooler.

No padded shorts but I'm bringing a couple of pairs just in case.

Biggest departure from the norm is my footwear.. el cheapo slip on sandals...



I find these are cool in the heat, wear well in this application, and in conjunction with the broad platform pedals allow me to move my feet freely around to alleviate knee pain.

Departure time... tomorrow morning 6/17/2014. It was supposed to be a week ago but it is amazing all the things that turn up needing to be done befire one takes off for 6 to 10 weeks. Plus there was that whole Spurs championship thing....

Goal... distance be durned.... this will be all about hours in the saddle. I hope to put in 50 hours a week for four weeks.... and then take it from there. Speed is no concern, as long as the wheels are rolling, I'm getting there.

I also want to avoid hotels/motels and much as possible, campground preferred if available, carefully-chosen overnight spot if not as long as that can be done w/out trespassing.

Potential problems... besides the usual getting run over, bit by dogs etc etc etc....

THE HEAT (no, not Miami). I can ride in 100 decree heat and full sun, but slowly, and I've never tried to do it all day long, day after day.

My right knee, or rather the ligaments around it. At present I'm hobbling after long sessions of yard work/brush cuttings and pilings the last few days. So far these frequent sorts of leg/knee pain haven't tranlated to or been brought on by pedalling. Gonna keep my fingers crossed.

I'm bringing a little notebook computer, hope to get online each day or two at a McDonalds somewhere to update here.

I have no idea how far I'll get, just that I'm gonna give it at least a month, and take it from there.

I'll get on here when I can.

Birdwatcher

I'd think I would want a much stiffer sole if riding that distance, than flip flops. I believe your foot will speak to you about this later...
I hope I"m wrong or you are carrying better pedaling shoes somewhere hidden.

Good luck, Jeff

Looks like a great time there. Just leave out the spandex images please.

Bringing a backup pair of old running shoes, and can re-equip en-route if needed, after all I dont hit TRUE wilderness until Arkansas, but I've been putting in 100 mile weeks on that sandal set-up no problem... yet.

Birdy-

I believe that a proper pair of cycling shoes coupled to a set of cleats will do better for your knees than your present set-up. You would need cleats that provide ample "float', something like the Speedplay X type. Cleats take some of the pressure off your knees by allowing you to pull up a little with the opposite foot on each stroke. The right pair of cleats for you would give you the benefits while still allowing you to move your foot around quite a bit. I know a bit about this because I also have a bad knee and ride about 2500 miles per year.

Best of luck! If you end up traversing the Southern Tier of NY and want a place to camp out or need some support, please PM me.

I'm looking forward to following your trip.

Bill

Mike,
I couldn't help but think that you look like Po Campo. Do you tell fortunes if we spit in the wagon?

My own wife is still alive and well.

But crap, I forgot all about Blue Duck.

Mike,

PM me your cell #.

Ed

The ability to pull up, and stiffer soles, on a long day of riding, sure made it easier.

Seemed whiehever view you take, pulling up either makes it half the work or you get twice the energy out of a circle of motion.

I hated the clip on shoes and so simply wore stiff running shoes in duathlons, and used the stirrup type pedals my shoes slipped into eventually. I"m too uncoordinated to try the clip on ones Carolyn used in triathlons and dualthlons and benefit rides.

You better not turn your back on that half breed. Rumor has it that he can fly. Good pedaling, Mike. Wish you were coming through here so I could treat you to room and board.

unfortunately speaking from experiance "pulling up" can quickly lead to lots of pain with some peoples bum knees....pulling up would leave me beside the road puking from the pain before i hit 5 miles....

An acquaintance in grammar school lost a toe that got taken off by the chain/sprocket during a bicycle accident. Didn't cut it off clean, but mangled it badly enough that doctors couldn't save it. Sandals are about the very last kind of footwear I'd consider for a long distance ride, but that's me. Good luck, Mike.

Good luck on your journey!

Be careful with the sandals! Having rode from the Pacific to the Atlantic one summer, I would highly recommend clip in pedals and proper riding shoes. It will greatly help with fatigue and safety for those toes as KG suggested.

I have long used cages (or whatever they are called) on my mountain bikes over the years, and am familiar with the pull up effect and the advantages therein. Plus on a mountain bike they do help your feet from coming off of the pedals.

Only problem is on loooooong days. I have EEE feet with broke and bent toes on my right foot. Any kind of enclosed toe and the forward pressure characteristic of pedals has those toes crowded and seriously hurting.

Also, for sever knee pain the most reliable cure has been to ride with the instep directly over the pedal axle, thus removing the balls of the feet from the equation entirely. Less efficient but my target speed is only about 10mph anyway.

Mike

As long as you are comfortable. Have fun!

Have fun, and good luck!

Watch where you're going! Wishing you good health, good weather and good luck!

Awesome! I hope you have a safe and fun trip. Bring lots of blinking lights in case you get caught in the dark.

I've heard many fire stations will let you camp in their yard, use their showers, and will often let you eat with them - plus it's safer than a lot of other places. Camping in baseball diamonds can get you run off by the popo.

Good luck Birdwatcher, I believe you'll probably make it just fine. Be extra careful though as I heard on the news a couple of days ago about a woman cyclist touring cross country with some others was accidently struck and killed by a motor vehicle here in KY. Narrow shouldered, hilly, curvy, heavily vegetated roads were blamed. I talked with two middle aged looking women at our local post office a couple weeks back who said they were biking coast to coast from Virgina back to their home up in Washington state. The heavier and older looking of the two women was even pulling a little trailer packed with whatever behind her bike.

In truth, despite all my preparations, at this point I cant possibly imagine riding that whole way

I seen the south shore of Lake Erie from the air flying from a Detroit connection to New York about a month back and pondered how the next time I saw that shore was supposed to be on a bicycle

Just gonna take it one day at a time and not quit until I run out of time and/or money, which means I oughtta be good for about six weeks depending.

My dogs AIN'T gonna understand why I'm gone.

I'm expecting lots of heat, sweat, pain, tedium, boredom, grunge and misery

....and an inkling on what it USED to be like crossing this continent back when your own muscles were the motor and air conditioning would have been a miracle.

I expect I'll keep folks here posted, should be a different kind of thread anyhow

Birdwatcher