Riding the dream...

Thursday, February 17, 2011

A week ago, I’d met with Kim to discuss her plans to ride a bike from Highland Heights to Gothic, Co., a trip she is planning to take this summer. I really had little to offer except for a direct connection to someone who has logged more miles on a bike in remote places than almost anyone on the planet…Alaska Paul. I sent him an email…he’s skiing in the Grand Tetons at the moment…describing her agenda and asking for advice. When he finally retuned to the internet, he sent me a list of do’s and don’ts that will prove priceless to Kim…or anyone attempting a long distance cross country bike tour. I’ve taken a 1,100 mile ride, but did it when I was 18 and with all the planning your typical 18-year old could muster…practically none. Some of Paul’s tips were outstanding and simple…like sewing extra pockets onto the outside of panniers (bicycle backpacks that hang on racks attached to the front and back of the bike). Space is at a premium and so he mentioned a Klymit sleeping pad, which he claims will fold up to a size that fits in your pocket. “My goal is to always pack the panniers with room left over for food, wine or beer if I run past a grocery store.” Priorities…Paul’s are interesting.

“Always be sure that your gear can’t drop into your spokes,” he cautioned, and it’s so true. The vibration of the road over the course of many long hours in the saddle could eventually shake something loose and if it goes into the spokes, you could be going over the handle bars and into a deadly crash. “If you’re on a narrow road, watch for oncoming traffic and when you see it, check behind you. If something’s coming at the same time and you’re in doubt – get off the road. It’s not worth a trip to the doctor…or the morgue.”

He suggests racks made of steel, hollow tubes. “It can be welded on the fly, if necessary.” He talks a lot about the proper panniers, water-proofed being worth their weight in gold, but mentioning the added precaution of lining them with trash can liners and having water-proofed, durable covers to keep the road grime, dogs and branches from damaging them along the way.

He also had plenty of good tips for staying properly hydrated (drinking more than just water) and keeping energy levels up to avoid bonking (low blood sugar resulting from very long bouts of exercise without taking in carbohydrates. When this happens, the muscles stop firing and you stop whatever exercise you’re doing). He made some excellent points on what to carry for bike maintenance, but cautioned that having a professional do the final tune-up before leaving is excellent preventive medicine. “I like to carry baby wipes to clean grease from my hands when I have had to make a repair, though.” I carry baby wipes when camping, too. They’re good for cleaning all kinds of things…if you can imagine.

Kim…do whatever you have to and make the trip. It’s been almost 40 years since I took mine and I’ve never forgotten the adventures I had. Plan and prepare all you can, but you’ll still run into the unexpected…and the way you handle it will become some of the best stories of your life.

Paul left us both with a final thought on planning and quality gear… “I ran into a guy doing a 600 mile trip on the cheap in the northern reaches of the remote Northwest Territory of Canada. He had a rusty mountain bike with crappy parts and was carrying everything he needed hanging off the handlebars of his bike in plastic shopping bags. There's a real example of cheap travel. He was on the side of the road when I found him, rolling some cigarettes.”

Okay…skip the cigarettes, but some times you just have to go ahead and do it…no matter what.