Enginerve : Bikes

10% luck, 20% skill, 15% concentrated power of will, 5% pleasure, 50% pain…a 100% reason to remember the name

  • From a Facebook post by Darren Alff (see notes at the end).  For those not on Facebook.

    Packing for a bicycle tour is one thing. Preparing your body and mind for life on the road is another. In this article I address how you can 1) get in shape and 2) mentally prepare for a long-distance bike tour.

    Get In Shape — Ride Your Bike
    Bicycle touring can be a workout…and you need to be physically prepared. Before you even step on your bike, you need to assess your personal level of fitness. Some people have never ridden a bicycle before. Others are experienced cyclists with thousands of miles under their belts. Most of us are somewhere in between. If you are an experienced rider in good physical shape, you can likely skip this step. But if you are new to cycling or know that you are not in as good a shape as you should be, then please keep reading.

    It is important that you see a doctor before heading out on a bike tour, and before beginning a training regiment. Once you’ve been given the go-ahead to start training for your trip, jump on your bike and start riding. It’s important to ride your bike as much as you possibly can! The goal to 1) get in shape and 2) feel comfortable, safe, and in control of your bicycle. Working out at the gym, improving your cardiovascular workouts, and eating healthy foods can also play a part in preparing for a long-distance bike tour. But while working out at the gym is good, riding a bike for long distances is even better. You know you’re ready to depart on your bike tour when you can ride at least 20-30 miles without feeling any extreme discomfort.

    Become A Strongman — Add Some Weight
    Once you’ve become comfortable riding your bike, start adding some weight. Add a couple panniers to your bicycle or start pulling a trailer. As your departure date nears, start riding your bike with more and more weight added.

    Riding a bicycle with no weight on it is completely different than riding a bike weighted down with 30-60 pounds of additional gear, especially if you plan to ride with front panniers, which drastically affects the way your bike handles.

    Riding with a weighted bike while close to home will help to ensure your safety on the road once you start your tour and it will get your body in shape — as carrying that weight on your bike does require some extra muscles.

    Understand Your Gear — Practice Packing Your Panniers/Trailer
    Experienced bicycle travelers will pack and unpack their bikes several times before they leave on tour… and I recommend you do the same. This packing and unpacking process will help you understand what items you REALLY need for your trip. It will also allow you to practice distributing the weight of your gear evenly across your bike and placing your personal items back in the same place each and every time you pack your bike.

    Know What It’s Like — Live Off Your Bike
    As your tour grows closer, start living your life as though you are already on your bike tour. Pack up your bike completely and start living off of it. Start sleeping in your sleeping bag; bathe with the same toiletry kit you’ll be using on your tour; wear the same clothes you’ll be traveling in; and go on bike rides on a daily basis — even if it means riding to and from work. Do this for a few days (or even a few weeks) and you’ll get a taste of what it’s really like to be on tour.

    Toughen Up — Sleep On The Ground
    If you are really into the preparation process and you plan on camping while on your tour, try sleeping on the ground (or even outside) for several nights before you leave on your trip. Camping is a very hard thing for some people to adjust to. But if you can get used to the camping process before you leave on your tour, you will be that much more comfortable once you hit the road.

    So, there it is! Five things you can do right now to start preparing for your upcoming bike tour.

    What else would you add to the list? How are you preparing for your next bike tour? What questions do you have about preparing your body and mind for life on the road?

    —

    DARREN ALFF conducted his first long-distance bicycle tour in 2001 at the age of 17. He’s been traveling by bike ever since and just recently returned from a 9-month tour of central and eastern Europe. Darren now runs the website at www.BicycleTouringPro.com and is working to inspire a new generation of bicycle travelers to get out and explore the world.

  • It was this article originally published in the NYTimes by TARA PARKER-POPE that finally led me to purchase my Five Fingers Vibram shoes.  I have included the article here as I sometimes can’t get to the NYTimes.  It is better to click through and read the article on their site as it has all the related articles, pix, and comments.

  • I have no idea if this will work, or does work, but if it does, it could make my life this summer a great deal easier on the TransAm Trail.

    TrackMyTour keeps your friends and family updated on the progress of your bike tour, hike, sailing trip, road trip, vacation, or any other tour. See a sample map, read the tutorial, or just download the app and give it a try.

  • This just in for those doing the AdventureCycling TransAm route.

    Located beside the Beaverhead river at the edge of Twin Bridges, this campground appears to be the ideal base of exploration for the many exciting natural treasures in southwestern Montana.  They offer a bicycle friendly campground that is just what you’ve been looking for after a day of cycling through the pristine valleys and mountains of this beautiful country, for location see their map.

    http://www.cyclecamp-twinbridges.com/

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  • What do I need to participate?

    • A bike capable of pulling a Burley cargo trailer (the trailer hitch attaches to your bike’s rear wheel quick-release)
    • The ability to safely navigate the streets on your bike
    • A helmet
    • If it’s your first time delivering meals for Loaves & Fishes Center via bike or car, you’ll need to fill out a complete registration form on your first day. OHS (Oregon Health Services) requires us to perform a criminal background check to ensure the safety of our seniors.

    You may deliver meals using:

    • Your own bicycle and cargo cart
      You will be loaned a safety vest and spare bike lock, if needed.
    • Your own bicycle
      You will be loaned a cargo trailer with hitch attachment, safety vest and spare bike lock, if needed.

    Optional Equipment:

    • Safety flag, bike lights, map holder
    • Mobile phone to call the center in case of emergency

    When do I deliver?

    We’ll work around your schedule. If you can deliver once a week or once or twice a month, we will do our best to accommodate you. If you want to be a substitute rider, let us know and we will contact you when we need your help!

    Plan to arrive at your assigned center around 10-10:30 a.m. to get the trailer, coolers and meals.

    I want to help, but I’m not sure about riding a bike. How else can I help?

    We invite you to consider investing our community by sponsoring one or more bike trailers for the Meals-On-Two-Wheels Program. There are several sponsorship levels from which to choose. Click here for more information.

    Also, we’re always in need of volunteers for our daily Meals-On-Wheels routes. Click here to let us know you’re interested in helping!

    If you’d like to make a donation to Loaves & Fishes Centers, click here.

    For more information on the “Meals On Two Wheels” program, please e-mail mealsontwowheels@lfcpdx.org

  • Ordinary bicycle, Skoda Museum, Mlada Boleslav...
    Image via Wikipedia

    I’m writing to let you know that BikePortland.org has invited Ginny Sullivan of Adventure Cycling Association to talk about the emerging U.S. Bicycle Route System in Portland, OR on Wednesday, Feb 3 as part of their ongoing “An Evening with?” series of live interviews. Adventure Cycling’s executive director, Jim Sayer, will also be on hand to meet and greet members.

    For five years, Adventure Cycling has had a leading role in helping states design and transform the national corridor plan (see www.adventurecylcing.org/usbrs) into what could become the largest bicycle network in the world! Ginny Sullivan, special projects director, will talk about the role Adventure Cycling has taken in nurturing the project along and share the latest progress on which states are moving forward.

    We hope you can join us. This will be a great conversation – not just about the U.S. Bicycle Route System but about the realities and future of bike travel. Bring your friends and questions for a Q & A that will follow.

    An Evening with Ginny Sullivan and the U.S. Bicycle Route System
    Wednesday, February 3rd
    6:00 – 8:00 pm – come early to meet Ginny and Jim Sayer, eat, drink, and be merry.
    Plan B (1305 Southeast 8th Ave.)
    http://bikeportland.org/2010/01/20/join-us-for-an-evening-with-adventure-cyclings-ginny-sullivan/
    Hope to see you there.

  • For a preview of the summer trip, albeit the wrong direction, view Bret Taylor’s video of the Adventure Cycling TransAmerical Trail or the TransAm.