Preparing

To-Do List 0.2

Wheel full 70pxThe second cut at the to-do list, now in better order.  These remain items that involve accomplishing something between now and July 25th.  As before, the ones followed by a question mark are things I need to research/make decisions about. Your input on these is particularly appreciated.

Green are done.  Red are urgent need to do.

Physical Health

  • Dietitian – UPDATE: Appointment 6/21/16
  • Endocrinologist – UPDATE: On wait list
  • Dentist
  • GP
    • heatstroke?
    • salt tablets?
    • chafing
    • muscle pains
    • numbness
  • Meds
    • ADDED: Refills?
  • Sunblock
  • First aid kit
  • Personal care items

Bicycle clothing, outerwear and shoes

  • Bicycling shoes
  • Socks and underwear
  • Pants and shorts
  • Shirts
  • Outerwear
  • Rain gear
  • Gloves

Other clothing

  • Street clothes, ADDED: underwear and socks
  • Street shoes

Camping gear

  • Tent
  • Sleeping bag
  • ADDED: Ground pad
  • ADDED: Small flashlight

Other gear

  • Goggles
  • Helmet
    • Helmet mirror

Routing

  • RidewithGPS
    • Finalize routing
    • ID bike shops along route
    • ID lodging/campgrounds along route
    • ADDED: ID bike organizations/clubs along route
      • ADDED: Contact and provide routing info and tentative dates in area/request feedback  DO ASAP
    • Cue sheets
      • Print and laminate ADDED: ? Note: Are these necessary?- duplicates cue sheets on iPhone

Travel to JAX and final pre-ride

  • ID JAX bicycle shop UPDATE: Done- Zen Cog
    • Arrange assembly of bike in JAX
  • Air travel ANC to Florida UPDATE: On 7/22/16 to JAX
    • ADDED: Make reservation DO ASAP
  • Ground travel airport/lodging to Zen Cog
  • Pre-ride lodging/camping in JAX

Tool kit and spare parts

  • tire bars
  • inflation gauge
  • patch kit
  • hex wrenches
  • spoke wrench
  • Quicklink
  • Chain lube
  • Extra tubes (part of bike purchase)
  • Extra tire (part of bike purchase)
  • Extra spokes (part of bike purchase)
  • spoke nipples

Misc Accessories

  • ADDED: iPhone Quadlock case on hand
  • Quadlock cardio monitor ADDED: Ordered/received

Photography

  • Handlebar bag camera UPDATE: Canon “M” Series w/ lenses on hand
  • ADDED: Flexible tripod
  • ADDED: iPhone Quadlock case tripod connector on hand
  • ADDED: iPhone remote shutter release on hand
  • iPhone card upload cable UPDATE: On hand

Handlebar stuff

  • Handlebar bag (part of bike purchase)
  • iPhone Quadlock stem/handlebar mount ADDED: Ordered/received
  • ADDED: Bar ends (part of bike purchase)
  • Handlebar tape
  • iPhone card upload cable UPDATE: On hand

Frame stuff

  • Frame mount pump
  • Water bottle(s) (part of bike purchase)

Bike protection

  • Lock(s)
  • ADDED: Security cable

“Should I?”

  • Camelback?
  • Strava?
  • Solar panel?
  • Bounce box?
  • AAA?
  • Handlebar speaker?
  • GoPro?

Budget

  • Spreadsheet

Miscellaneous

  • Upgrade data plan ADDED: for iPhone

 

Wheel full 70pxThis is the first effort to organize this list. The next iteration will take into account comments and suggestions made thus far.  As before, if you see anything I am missing or an item you want to give me input on or about, please comment below.

GoPro or No?

Wheel full 70pxIt’s been suggested that I buy a GoPro camera to take on the trip.

image

Wheel full 70pxThey look like a pretty nifty device. The idea of automatically documenting the ride as you go along is appealing. But…

1.  It looks high maintenance. Memory cards? Power? Weather resistance?
2. Bike riding is inherently not really smooth. Video quality?
3. Comfort. What is it like to have one of these hanging off your helmet all day?
4. Utility. Does anyone really want to look at 500 or so hours of YouTube video of a quirky route across the US shot at around 10 miles an hour? Doesn’t Google Maps pretty much offer that without all the pedalling?

Wheel full 70pxSo I know nothing about having and using a GoPro. Is it really the best use of around $400 out of the ride budget? I welcome discussion of this, and particularly by folks who have used one of these gadgets.

David Edgren

It’s Not about the Tech

Wheel full 70pxI’ve been looking at the great comments that have been made on the “to-do” list thread as the train I am currently riding traverses the Great Plains in northern North Dakota and it crossed my mind emphatically that my focus during this ride will not be on the gadgets that I would be taking with me.  In other words, I don’t intend to ride for 4,000+ miles watching the screen of my handlebar-mounted iPhone.  I’m not going on the ride for that. If that was the point, I could do the same ride by sitting on my stationary bike at home for about 500 hours over 10 weeks or so. Either way, I’d never see this.

image

Now, we can argue the merits of whether that is worth seeing or not, but hey… I’m the one doing the pedaling.

Wheel full 70pxAnd don’t get me wrong.  The tech is great.  On my first long distance bike rides I packed a bunch of paper maps, a North Face tent with shock-corded 1/2 inch/1.25 cm aluminium poles that I had to bungee to the frame, a brass Svea pressurized white gas backpacker stove, a fuel flask, a candle lantern (remember those?) and a bunch of stuff that probably all together weighed more than my bike.  Unless I was at an intersection or a landmark I never really knew where I was. If I broke down out in the boonies I had no way to call for help. My finicky little fork mounted generator- the kind that had a little roller that needed to press just right on the side of the tire- made just enough electricity to power a dim to the point of useless front and rear light. Bike helmets as we know them today pretty much didn’t even exist. But I rode anyway, and took some really great trips.

Wheel full 70pxSo for a modest investment, I’ll be outfitted on this trip with stuff I couldn’t have even dreamed up in 1970. But no matter how good it all is, no matter how amazing, it isn’t what the ride is about. That’s how you’ll know me if I happen to pass by. I’ll be the guy with my head up, looking around, and making the most out of crossing the country at about 10 miles an hour.

David Edgren

To-Do List 0.1

Wheel full 70pxA first cut at a to-do list, in no particular order.  These are all items that involve accomplishing something between now and July 25th.  The ones followed by question marks are things I need to research/make decisions about.

  • Dietitian
  • Endocrinologist
  • Dentist
  • Bicycling shoes
  • Socks and underwear
  • Pants and shorts
  • Shirts and outerwear
  • Rain gear
  • Tent
  • Sleeping bag
  • Meds
  • Strava?
  • Data plan upgrade
  • Solar panel?
  • RidewithGPS
    • Finalize routing
    • ID bike shops along route
    • ID lodging/campgrounds along route
  • Cue sheets
    • Print and laminate
  • Bounce box?
  • Street clothes
  • Street shoes
  • ID JAX bicycle shop
    • Arrange assembly of bike in JAX
  • Air travel ANC to Florida
  • Ground travel airport to JAX
  • Pre-ride lodging/camping in JAX
  • AAA?
  • iPhone Quadlock stem/handlebar mount
  • Quadlock cardio monitor
  • Camera
    • iPhone card upload cable
  • Sunblock
  • First aid kit
  • Personal care items
  • GP
    • heatstroke?
    • salt tablets?
    • chafing
    • muscle pains
    • numbness
  • Goggles?
  • Helmet
  • Handlebar mirror
  • Handlebar tape
  • Handlebar speaker?
  • Gloves
  • Camelback?
  • Frame mount pump
  • Water bottle(s)
  • Lock(s)
  • Quicklink
  • Chain lube
  • Extra tubes
  • Extra tire
  • Tools
    • tire bars
    • inflation gauge
    • patch kit
    • hex wrenches

Future iterations of this list will become increasingly sophisticated.  If you see anything I am missing or an item you want to give me input on or about, please comment below.

Three Grand? Oh Well…

Wheel full 70pxI now have the detailed price quote for the Surly Long Haul Trucker kitted out for the ride prepared by Darrin at Bike Gallery.  Here it is.

Bike quote p1 800px

Bike quote p2 800px

So that’s how you turn a $500 frameset into a $3,000+ road bike.  Note that there are front and rear racks and panniers and a handlebar bag included in that amount.  Also included is a Shimano dynamo hub and converter for generating onboard power, among a couple of other add-ons.  I’ve been assured the components chosen meet my “bulletproof” standard.  Now that I know about what my biggest item of expense will be, I will begin developing a budget for the overall trip.

Wheel full 70pxI’d like any comments that any of you who are road bike savvy and can read the item descriptions in the quote might have.  Please note that I have deliberately chosen flat instead of drop handlebars and am sticking with a classic road (i.e. hard) seat despite what I’ll suffer early on in the ride.  Call it penance for gaining all that weight since the 90s, eh?

Wheel full 70pxAgain, your recommendations, criticism, applause, whatever are urgently requested and will be very much appreciated  I’ll meet with Darrin on Thursday or Friday to confirm the order, so I need to be ready with any changes I would be persuaded to make.  Thanks in advance.

David Edgren

Some Progress…

Wheel full 70pxWell, OK. It’s been almost a full month since my first post in this blog, and everyone who has seen it is probably wondering what I’ve been up to. I’m pleased to be able to tell you that things have been moving forward, although not as quickly or as smoothly as I would have liked. Time has been spent on a couple of false starts identifying a bike to ride for the trip but, as l’ll describe in further detail below, I think we are finally on top of that critical piece. I have also spent a lot of time refining the planned route on Ride with GPS, mainly in getting it into a form where I can talk specifics with local bike clubs and knowledgeable people in advance of setting out. So here’s where we’re at as of today.

Wheel full 70pxAfter doing quite a bit of research on the web and as a result of being in touch with a couple of bike builders, I have decided that the best bike available for this trip is a Surly Long Haul Trucker outfitted with disc brakes and a number of other components intended to bulletproof it as much as possible. Just about everyone I have talked with has recommended the Surly after I have described the trip as a bike that can be worked on almost anywhere and which has the quality and durability that I will need.

Wheel full 70pxSo on Friday of last week I made the hour drive to Portland to the “Bike Gallery” bicycle shop location on Sandy Boulevard.


I spoke with a very helpful and knowledgeable sales person named Darrin for about an hour concerning my plans for the trip and the way that I thought I needed the bike built and outfitted. Darrin is certainly far more knowledgeable about the current state of the art of bicycle components and gear than I am since my last long-distance ride was in the mid 90s and, as a result, he made several very helpful recommendations. I was surprised to find though, that I was still able to speak in “bike talk” and not feel like a complete fool. I am watching for a detailed part/component list and estimate that he was going to try to get to me today. Once I have it, I will post it for your comments. My hope is that I will be able to place a deposit on ordering the bike later this week. I am also hoping that we can keep the cost to under three grand, which would allow me to eat something other than roadkill along the ride.

Wheel full 70pxAs for route planning, I now have the entire route broken down into 50 mile/80 km segments.  There are 81 of these, with the entire route now coming in at just under 4,068 miles.  I stress that this is an “almost final” route, as I am hoping that there will be feedback that will allow me to further refine it as close as possible to perfection.  If you see a change that you think would be a good one, please don’t hesitate to recommend it.  Don’t be disappointed if you do propose a change and it takes me a while to get to it, as I plan to accumulate them and then relook the route all at once, probably some time in June.

Wheel full 70pxIt has at times seemed like I have been spending days (on a slow Internet connection… the horror, the horror) using Google’s satellite view to look for paved minor roads in states like Kansas and Idaho. Now that the segments are created, I can begin to detail them in Ride with GPS with information that will take my cue sheets beyond “straight ahead” or “slight left onto US 95.”  I figure that this will take me a couple of more weeks to complete.

Wheel full 70pxI’ll be writing much, much more about route planning in the near future.

Wheel full 70pxI’ve also begun a comprehensive list of “to-do’s.” This post has already run longer than I planned, so that will be the subject for the next one, coming up shortly.

David Edgren

Hello there…

Wheel full 70px…and welcome to the blog I have started to document the planning for and undertaking of my solo unsupported transcontinental bicycle ride from Atlantic Beach, Florida to Pacific Beach, Washington.  I’m calling it the Beach 2 Beach Trans-Con, or b2b for short.

Relief Map Annotated - 800px

Here’s the Ride With GPS route I have created for it [linkie].  I am in the process of fine tuning the route and breaking it into 50 mile segments, which I will make available in future posts on this blog.  As of May 9th, the initial “tuning” is done and the 50 mile segments of the route are posted on Ride with GPS.

Wheel full 70pxMy current plan, subject to change, is to start the ride the last week of May following attending my daughter’s wedding in Rhode Island .  Based on that start date I would reach the left coast sometime in the second week of August, around 60-65 riding days later. The start date now is likely to fall somewhere in the last 10 days of July.  The reasoning behind this will be addressed in an upcoming post.  The “About Me” post here [linkie] will give you some idea of the considerations that have gone into making the trip.

Wheel full 70pxI’ll be starting on the Atlantic Coast east of Jacksonville, cross the State of Florida, then bike along the Gulf Coast until I reach New Orleans.  From there I’ll pick up the Mississippi River and turn north, riding mainly on levee tops to the mouth of the Arkansas River.  This first 1,000 miles of the ride is almost flat, and will be a great period during which to recondition long disused muscles.  Once at the Arkansas, I’ll turn northwest and follow the Arkansas River into central Kansas, where I’ll then make a jump over to the Platte River Valley in Nebraska.  I’ll ride along the North Platte into central Wyoming, then up over the Continental Divide and into Idaho through Jackson and the Grand Tetons.  I’ll miss entering Yellowstone National Park by that much, but you can’t do everything.  Once in Idaho the road will turn north and I’ll be in Montana for a short time before finally turning west and heading for the Columbia River Valley.  On reaching the Columbia, I’ll dip down into Oregon for a few miles then return to my final destination state: Washington, for a long (mostly) downhill run along the north bank of the Columbia River  to Vancouver.  The last two days of the ride will be spent reaching the Pacific Coast and the hamlet of Pacific Beach, where I’ll dip my tires in salt water for the second time of the trip.

Boundary Map not Annotated - 800px

Wheel full 70pxThe next couple of blog posts will deal with the issue of finding a bike to make the ride on.  I hope you will find what I write here informative and interesting, and welcome you in advance to comment as you would see fit.  Please speak up in particular if you think I could be doing something better in planning and preparing.  Your opinions are absolutely appreciated, whether I wind up agreeing with them or not.  Please speak up sooner rather than later, too.  I’m on a really tight time frame, and decisions about things- in particular equipment and accessories- will be getting made on almost a daily basis starting very soon.  I would also appreciate input as to location-specific routing, as well.  I will be writing various cycling clubs and bike shops asking for comments about the route I have come up with, but there’s nothing like hearing from someone who has detailed info about a better/more scenic/more bike friendly routing.

Wheel full 70pxThanks for coming along for the ride.

David Edgren