Finally, after much preparation, and even more laundry, I'm hitting the road...
Tomorrow morning, I load up my gear, get on the bike, and get going. So, where the hell AM I going anyway? Well, I'm actually starting from Pittsburgh, PA, and ending up in San Francisco. So, that's not the whole country, you say... well, I'm going to fly back to PA after I hit San Francisco, and then get back on the bike, and ride to D.C., at which point I'll dip my wheels in the water in front of the Lincoln Memorial or something.
Anyway, out of PA, I'm heading south from Pittsburgh on 837, and jumping on route 40, which will take me through the tip of West Virginia, and on through most of Ohio. Luckily, it's going to be fairly flat, and assuming everything goes as planned, I should ride through 3 states tomorrow, something I've never actually done! At which point, I'm going to pitch my tent, and probably sleep like a baby... there aren't any bears in Ohio, are there?
Alright, time for bed... will update sometime tomorrow.
See ya out there,
Ben
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
The Rig
So, for the trip, I'm going to be riding a Trek 7.3 FX - many thanks to Jeff at Dirty Harry's for getting me dialed in. The Trek is sort of a "hybrid"... it's got 700c wheels, with geometry similar to an X-C mountain bike, but it's fairly light, and also has mounting points for my racks and fenders, which is pretty key. After riding bikes from a number of manufacturers, I kept coming back to the Trek... It's got a Shimano Deore mountain group - nothing too crazy, but certainly good enough for plunking away on the road. I swapped out the standard 700x32 tires for 700x28s - not quite as low profile as a standard road tire, but still fast and light(as well as being a little cushier for the long miles), and small enough to fit under my 35mm fenders. The fenders, by the way, are from my man David at Planet Bike, and I can't say enough good things about them. They're light, easy to set up, and do a great job of keeping the bike and drivetrain clean and dry when it's nasty out(they got a good workout the past few days in the torrential downpour).
For the luggage - I decided against using a trailer given that I'm packing pretty light, and haven't noticed much effect on the handling of the bike. I could have dragged along more stuff, but in this case, three pannier bags are enough. They're heavy-duty waterproof items from Ortlieb, a German manufacturer who makes amazing stuff.
Otherwise, the bike has been easy to deal with... I debated the advantages of drop bars vs. flat(I'll be adding bar ends before I get to the mountains), but aside from a slight aero advantage, and perhaps a couple more hand positions, I was happy as is.
The next part of the whole deal was the pedals from Bebop, which have proven light, tough, and very easy on the knees so far... more on them later.
Other safety items I added to the bike are the absolutely blinding front and rear LED lights from Planet Bike, and a waterproof front handlebar bag from Ortlieb to hold my wallet, phone, etc...
For the luggage - I decided against using a trailer given that I'm packing pretty light, and haven't noticed much effect on the handling of the bike. I could have dragged along more stuff, but in this case, three pannier bags are enough. They're heavy-duty waterproof items from Ortlieb, a German manufacturer who makes amazing stuff.
Otherwise, the bike has been easy to deal with... I debated the advantages of drop bars vs. flat(I'll be adding bar ends before I get to the mountains), but aside from a slight aero advantage, and perhaps a couple more hand positions, I was happy as is.The next part of the whole deal was the pedals from Bebop, which have proven light, tough, and very easy on the knees so far... more on them later.
Other safety items I added to the bike are the absolutely blinding front and rear LED lights from Planet Bike, and a waterproof front handlebar bag from Ortlieb to hold my wallet, phone, etc...
Friday, August 21, 2009
From Taiwan with Love...
No, no, I'm not talking about some bad James Bond re-make - Today I got a package in the mail from my friends over at Bebop Pedals / VPone components sent directly from Taichung, Taiwan! Woo, more toys! So, you say, what's in the box that's so important they had to send it directly from the factory? Well, my friends, the latest and greatest 195 gram(yeah, that's light) Bebop Stainless-steel pedals! So why am I talking about the pedals, of all things? Well, because they're what connects the motor to the bike! Not to mention, this is a sweet looking set of pedals! Unlike the somewhat ungainly Looks on my road bike, definitely not a case of function over form here. Anyway, to get to the point, out of all the possible pedal choices for this trip, I had a couple specific needs which the Bebops fulfilled:
First, as I'll be 'touring'(yeah, I hate that word too), I'm going to be walking around a lot off the bike, so a design compatible with my Northwave mountain bike shoes is a necessity. As such, we rule out pretty much every road focused pedal with their bulky cleats, and 3 bolt designs. Next, I need something knee-friendly both because I tore my ACL this spring, and because I'm going to be racking up some serious mileage. These pedals have 20 degrees of float(the range of movement allowed before the cleat disengages from the pedal), and a large cleat surface which allows easy shimming for proper alignment. Furthermore, these pedals are an extremely low-profile design, allowing your foot, as compared to most other designs, to be closer to the pedal, and thus a bit more stable.
Durability is also a consideration, but the Bebops combine solid Stainless-steel axles and beautifully machined engagement points with a bulletproof cro-moly pedal body. Unlike some designs which utilize some form of carbon or plastic, vulnerable springs, and multiple moving parts, the Bebop design is the ultimate in simplicity. The only moving parts are two small engagement springs mounted in the cleat itself - hidden away from possible damage, and designed with minimal movement to eliminate concerns about material fatigue. Best of all, these pedals only weigh 195 grams(260 with cleats) - as Bebop says, 'road light, mountain tough'. Plus, with all the gear I'm carrying, I reallly appreciate saving weight without sacrificing durability.
Over the next day or so I'll be getting the pedals dialed in, at which point I'll also detail the cleat installation procedure. Also of note: due to the low 11mm stack height, most mountain bike shoes require shaving a small section of tread to avoid contact with the axle, so I'll share the best procedure, as well as a template, for doing this.
Many thanks to Erik, Barrie, and the other fine folks at Bebop / VPone for getting these to me in time for the trip!
-Ben
First, as I'll be 'touring'(yeah, I hate that word too), I'm going to be walking around a lot off the bike, so a design compatible with my Northwave mountain bike shoes is a necessity. As such, we rule out pretty much every road focused pedal with their bulky cleats, and 3 bolt designs. Next, I need something knee-friendly both because I tore my ACL this spring, and because I'm going to be racking up some serious mileage. These pedals have 20 degrees of float(the range of movement allowed before the cleat disengages from the pedal), and a large cleat surface which allows easy shimming for proper alignment. Furthermore, these pedals are an extremely low-profile design, allowing your foot, as compared to most other designs, to be closer to the pedal, and thus a bit more stable.
Durability is also a consideration, but the Bebops combine solid Stainless-steel axles and beautifully machined engagement points with a bulletproof cro-moly pedal body. Unlike some designs which utilize some form of carbon or plastic, vulnerable springs, and multiple moving parts, the Bebop design is the ultimate in simplicity. The only moving parts are two small engagement springs mounted in the cleat itself - hidden away from possible damage, and designed with minimal movement to eliminate concerns about material fatigue. Best of all, these pedals only weigh 195 grams(260 with cleats) - as Bebop says, 'road light, mountain tough'. Plus, with all the gear I'm carrying, I reallly appreciate saving weight without sacrificing durability.
Over the next day or so I'll be getting the pedals dialed in, at which point I'll also detail the cleat installation procedure. Also of note: due to the low 11mm stack height, most mountain bike shoes require shaving a small section of tread to avoid contact with the axle, so I'll share the best procedure, as well as a template, for doing this.
Many thanks to Erik, Barrie, and the other fine folks at Bebop / VPone for getting these to me in time for the trip!
-Ben
Monday, August 3, 2009
An introduction to 'Velo Traverse'
'Vélo travers'... or translated, 'cycling through'. Until last month, I could only sit at my desk on Wall Street of all places, dreaming, and more aggravatingly reading, about the adventures others were having as they cycled and blogged their way across the country. Luckily, at the beginning of July, my general level of discontent(think Peter Gibbons in Office Space) registered significantly enough that my boss called me into the conference room for a little chat. With a knowing smile on his face, the first words he spoke were, "I know you don't want to be here anymore."
So I'm finally going to hit the road, but the 'tone' is something I've struggled with a bit. As a lifelong cyclist, and a former expert class mountain bike racer, it's somewhat challenging to ignore the speed reflex, and simply meander. Recently, Dani Wyss won the annual 3,021 mile Race Across America in a record setting, delirium inducing, 8 days, 5 hours, and 45 minutes (www.raceacrossamerica.org). Yes, you read that correctly. I certainly don't have the legs for that, but more importantly, the desire. In maintaining that agonizing pace, I can only imagine what Mr. Wyss missed along the way... the very things I hope to enjoy on my journey.
With that said, this won't be some flowery philosophical exercise either, so don't expect any chautauquas a la Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Who knows, maybe I will find some brand of zen out there on the open road, but if not, that's okay too. Beyond east to west, it's an open-ended trek - there's no goal, no finish line, and certainly no predetermined agenda. Our lives force us to be connected, always planning and watching the clock, and I need a break. Trust me, I'm not a hippie, or some bohemian freak, but I've also realized that I have no clue what it's like to have time - not just a long weekend, or a week's vacation - stretching out ahead that I can fill with anything. But enough of the profound - I'm just a dude with a mild adrenaline addiction who loves being on his bike, and is fortunate enough(depending on your point of view) to be lacking a mortgage, a girlfriend/spouse, and the other assorted trappings of 'responsibility' which would preclude me from having this experience.
Along the way I'll be writing about everything: the people, the places, my observations(and frustrations), and lest we not forget, since I'm still just a big bike nut, the gear(since a trip like this definitely requires the right toys). Whatever happens, wherever I go, I hope you'll enjoy the stories.
-Ben
So I'm finally going to hit the road, but the 'tone' is something I've struggled with a bit. As a lifelong cyclist, and a former expert class mountain bike racer, it's somewhat challenging to ignore the speed reflex, and simply meander. Recently, Dani Wyss won the annual 3,021 mile Race Across America in a record setting, delirium inducing, 8 days, 5 hours, and 45 minutes (www.raceacrossamerica.org). Yes, you read that correctly. I certainly don't have the legs for that, but more importantly, the desire. In maintaining that agonizing pace, I can only imagine what Mr. Wyss missed along the way... the very things I hope to enjoy on my journey.
With that said, this won't be some flowery philosophical exercise either, so don't expect any chautauquas a la Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Who knows, maybe I will find some brand of zen out there on the open road, but if not, that's okay too. Beyond east to west, it's an open-ended trek - there's no goal, no finish line, and certainly no predetermined agenda. Our lives force us to be connected, always planning and watching the clock, and I need a break. Trust me, I'm not a hippie, or some bohemian freak, but I've also realized that I have no clue what it's like to have time - not just a long weekend, or a week's vacation - stretching out ahead that I can fill with anything. But enough of the profound - I'm just a dude with a mild adrenaline addiction who loves being on his bike, and is fortunate enough(depending on your point of view) to be lacking a mortgage, a girlfriend/spouse, and the other assorted trappings of 'responsibility' which would preclude me from having this experience.
Along the way I'll be writing about everything: the people, the places, my observations(and frustrations), and lest we not forget, since I'm still just a big bike nut, the gear(since a trip like this definitely requires the right toys). Whatever happens, wherever I go, I hope you'll enjoy the stories.
-Ben
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
