Routes!!!

After much disorder and dismay I have finally finished planning a route for my trip! I had to try three or four different online mapping programs before I found one that would actually allow me to correctly save my routes. I finally stumbled upon www.mapmyride.com which worked exceedingly well for my purposes.

One of the difficulties in planning these routes was finding roads and highways that were suitable for bicycling. The satellite photos found on most mapping programs were helpful to tell the size and expected traffic of possible routes. I also got lots of help from cyclists who are local to the areas that I'll be travelling through. They were able to give me alot of great advice on good biking roads. Regional online cycling forums were very useful for contacting these helpful individuals.

All in all it's a 785.5 mile trip. If you'd like to see more detailed interactive versions of these routes then I'd be happy to post links for such.

Long time coming...

I've been slacking off on updates and I apologize. My computer went down and the back-up computer was so confoundedly out of date (Win.98) that it made me neglect my duties as a "blogger". However, the long break has provided me with all sorts of new things to write about so let's get on with it!

Bicycle Upgrades & Repairs
I brought my bike in to the local shop for a full overhaul a few weeks ago. It cost a pretty-penny but was well worth the cash. They deconstructed all the components, cleaned them, greased them and put it all back together again. I also had them replace the brake and shifter cables, something that should have been done a long time ago. This work smoothed out my rides a great deal and I wish I had done it sooner.

A couple of weeks later (after getting paid again) I picked up two new tires and a set of bar-ends. The tires are a mis-matched pair of 32cm's. Normally I run 26 or smaller but for the extra weight on the trip I thought it'd be wise to go with a wider tire. I didn't realize how badly my tires needed replacing until I got out on the new ones. I quickly noticed better handling and braking power. I decided to add bar-ends to my flat bar rather than replace it with a racing style drop bar. The price of replacing the handlebar and all the components that go along with it was just not something I was willing to pay. The bar-ends are working great and I'm very happy with them. I just hope it provides enough hand positions for 7+ days on the bike.

On my first long ride after replacing the tires I encountered a mechanical problem in the drive train! A terrible wrenching sound with lots of grating friction was coming from my bottom bracket (where the cranks meet the frame) Upon inspection I noticed a lot horizontal motion in the bracket. Back to the shop I went. They took it apart and diagnosed a broken segment inside the bracket. They ordered the part for me and did the install-labor for free. Another $30. I'm glad to spend the money now though, rather than have it break in the middle of nowhere Kansas.

There have been other developements that I'll be posting about soon. Including, equiptment gathering and route planing (as soon as I figure out how to post maps on here!)

Update

I hit a new personal best in mileage today, a 60 mile round-trip to Leavenworth, Kansas. I expected my legs to feel like warmed over jello tonight but that's really not the case. I've been getting in two long rides a week and it's starting to pay off. I managed today's ride in 2 1/2 hours each way. I probably would have been slower coming back but I took a three hour break to visit with a friend in Leavenworth. The only hitch in today's ride was a map reading mistake that lead me three miles down a dead-end road. Rather than running parallel to a set of train tracks, as I thought, the road simply stopped. Instead of back-tracking I chose to follow the tracks on foot to a point where the road re-connected with my path. Stumbling down a rail-bed in bicycle shoes for 1/2 a mile is no easy task but I did find a stray rail-road spike for my troubles. If you'd like to see how I made the mistake look at the northern border of Wyandotte Lake Park in Kansas City, Kansas on any online map service. I was on 77th street headed north and thought it would veer west and merge with Wolcott Dr. on the other side of the park. This will be an important lesson when I get into the nitty-gritty of my route planning, details of which will come in a future blog.

A new pair of shoes and a long ride...

My shoes came in the mail the other day. I did a few slow circles around the neighborhood to get used to the change. It's rather odd to be attached to the bike. I'm sure, with time, I'll get used to it. For now it gives me something else to focus on while I'm in the saddle.

I tried out the new foot-wear on a long ride today. I rode 52 miles through 4.5 hours with a half hour break at the folk's place. That's from Westport to 199th and Metcalf and back, if you're familiar with the K.C. area. Needless to say, I'm a bit tired this evening.

The shoes worked very well. I was able to engage and disengage the clipping mechanism with relative ease by the end of the ride. The actual sensation of powering through my upstroke will still take some getting used to but I'm sure it will come naturally by the end of the summer.

A Brief Update...

I rode 45 miles last Friday and felt great afterwards and the next day. I made really good time in a meandering trek around eastern Johnson County.

I also ordered a pair of clipless cycling shoes. I've never used cycling shoes before and I'm looking forward to the extra efficiency they'll provide. I'm not looking forward to pain of training the other muscle group in my legs. I'm sure it will be worth it once I get my legs broken in.

On Gear...

One of the more difficult things to approach when planning an extended bicycle trip is figuring out exactly how much stuff to bring. It's interesting to pare down your entire personal inventory of junk into a few dozen pounds of "essential items". I start with a long list of things I think I might need or like to have. Then run the list through a gauntlet of considerations and see which items make it through.

I've got my list broken down into five main categories. Camping gear, Hygienic gear, Bicycle Gear, General gear and Non-essential gear.

My list of camping gear encompasses the materials found in most primitive camping situations. Including essential items such as my hammock/tent, sleeping bag and mess-kit. There are also less obvious materials like dish soap and bug repellent.

Hygienic gear is your basic traveling kit of tooth-brush, hand sanitizer, soap/shampoo. One item of note in this group will be baby wipes. I'll be using them for general bathing purposes due to the lack of available shower facilities. I considered picking up a camp shower but decided I didn't want the added weight of the contraption and all the water it would take to use.

Bike gear includes basic spare parts (tubes, spokes chain) as well as the tools to make minor adjustments. I also include obvious items like my helmet and bike lock in this category.

General gear includes all clothing, maps and contact information. This will include exact numbers of shirts/shorts as well as things like a cell phone with extra batteries.

Non-essential items are usually the first to get cut. They include a couple paperbacks, some notebooks and other items of personal amusement. I may cut this group altogether. I didn't use any of these items on my last trip.

I've got my list in a MS-word file, broken down into groups and color coordinated into categories of things I have in my possession and those which I still need to aquire. If you're interested in see the Big List let me know and I'll post the whole thing or send it attached to an email.

On Training

Austin, Texas is roughly 750 miles from Kansas City, Missouri. I've done a few calculations concerning estimates of daily mileage and found that I'll be on the bike for 9-12 days if I average 60-90miles per day. This is bound to take a toll on my endurance and therefore it's important that I build my stamina over the course of the summer.

I was in great shape during my trans-Missouri trip last fall but the cold K.C. winter didn't allow me to get out on any long rides. So now I'm starting over. I went out yesterday for a hard-paced 20 miles to get back in the training mindset. If I've got the time then I'll try to do another 30 today. I need to try to get in as many back-to-back training days as I can. The ability to be on the bike day after day is just as important as the ability to cover the high-mileage. I'd like to meet a personal goal by getting in at least one century ride (100miles) during the training period.

By the end of the summer I'd like to be able to take a couple of overnight practice runs to local campgrounds. I'll carry full gear and stay at a state park on the outside of town. This will give me a chance to train for the camping portion of my trip. I don't want to be ignorantly fumbling with a camp stove or knots when I should be relaxing after a long day's ride.