Three and a half big questions for seasoned cyclists - PART II

1. First Aid - Red Cross
Languages: ?
Basic repairs: book store - bicycle repair book; practice/experience. Basically, know how to repair a flat (the most likely scenario you'll encounter). Other skills are good to know (i.e., chain repair, spoke replacement), but don't worry too much about it. You most likely will get through any mechanical problems you encounter with minimal difficulty no matter what crops up.

2. Practice riding with your setup for 25 - 40 miles several times prior to your start date. If you can do that, you'll grow into riding longer distances more frequently as you ride. You're young, you'll do it.

3. WSL, campgrounds (including RV campgrounds, local/state/federal parks), Adventure Cycling Association trail maps.

4. Colorado Springs, CO

4 1/2. Craigslist, bicycle stores, etc. It can be anything you're comfortable with: road bike, touring bicycle, hybrid/cross trainer - whatever fits your riding style and can carry your gear for you. I rode 1500 miles from CO to OH on a used Trek 7200 hybrid with a Burley Nomad trailer. The bicycle was purchased for $250.00 and is now my one-and-only bicycle for exercise, commuting, and touring.

Another thought: don't over-think / over-analyse things while planning this. Get your bicycle, panniers/trailer, sleeping gear, cooking gear, cell phone, camera, change of underwear, and some cash/credit card and go for it. Take your time to enjoy the ride and engaging the people you meet. I'm not saying your questions for preparedness aren't important in all of this, but in my opinion, you'd be better off psyching yourself up for adventure ahead of you versus getting into the "preparatory weeds" (so to speak).

And if you're interested, my some of my bicycling adventures can be found at mrgoot.net.

Good luck and enjoy your trip.

Dave

1. Learn some basic First Aid and carry a first aid kit with you. Make sure you know how to adjust your gears, as the cables will streych during your journey, and practice removing your rear wheel, deflate, remove and replace the tube, re-fit the wheel to the bike. This sounds simple, but flats always occur in heavy rain and wind, so you need to be quick!!

2. Intake calories, calories and more calories!! I can eat 3 full cooked meals a day plus snacks on a long ride, and still lose weight!

3. All light weight stuff! If you each will have your own individual tents, I would recommend 2-person tents. The extra room allows you to take your panniers into the tent and organize everything - plus keep everything dry. If your route includes any bear country, be sure ALL food, soap, deoderents, toothpaste, etc. goes in one separate pannier from day-1, and that pannier NEVER goes into your tent!

4. Canada - not on your route! Maybe meet up next time?!

4 1/2 If you buy a new bike for under $500, about one third way through your ride, you will be buying another "under" $500 bike! Try for a good used hybrid touring bike made in North America!

Have a great trip - Dave

for first tour go out a few days and two nites. Guess at what you need. Go were motels are easy to find. If your not prepared use a motel. if food prep items don't work out go to a fast food place.
Than after you done that think thru what went wrong.
Do it again trying to elimenate mistakes from last time.
By the third time you should be prepared.
For my 1st tour I used a tube tent. it worked fine. for diner at end of day I got a take out sandwich (without mayo)plus a treat or two before stopping to camp. for breakfast. granoal power milk and furit You just need the minimum to start with. Don't go touring into wide open areas like west of the Missippi till you get some tours done in areas were cities and towns are 25 miles apart
Charles

However while in Colordo doing an organized seven day sagged ride with over 25,000 feet of climbing and over 12,000 feet elevation while starting in steam boat Springs a 1st time tourer with a ten speed bike(no grany gear) from 70's road along with us. He got on amtrack in Clevland never having toured or rode much in his life. He was in his 20's. He got off in steamboat and started home from there. I would start early on my organized ride and for days I would see and talk to him after both of us had gone over 8,000 to 10,000 elevation passes. I don't think he had a clue to just how hard a route he was riding. he must have been prepared to camp and tour. How i never know
Charles

Hi,

You might find some helpful info on our site, TravellingTwo. In particular, we've put together a free eBook that answers a lot of your questions.

The bikes we're touring on now cost us just $100 from a 2nd hand shop and we've toured probably 2,000km on them now, so you can definitely go low budget and still have a great tour.

http://travellingtwo.com/resources/the-100-touring-bike

A lot of things you can learn on the road. Anne Mustoe made it around the world without fixing her own flat tires! So much just depends on a great attitude.

If we can help at all with any questions, feel free to email us.

Friedel & Andrew

1. How to read a road map. That's about it.

2. You'll get fit as you travel. Stop, or get off and walk a while when you feel like it, (yes, walking's good too) - don't push too hard on the hills and you'll be ok.

3. Tent = Vango Equinox TBS350. This tent is big enough to fit the bike and bags/trailer inside its porch. Weighs 6.5kg - not too bad on a steady tour.

4. Pass.

4.5 I used a $300 Giant Boulder. No problems at all on a 4400 mile European trip. Solid, well tested tech. Don't go for the latest and greatest gear, find something anyone can fix, anywhere, and under any conditions.

http://hittheroadat.blogspot.com/2004/12/equipment-list.html