RB Bike Trip Day 3

Yesterday, I was feeling not challenged enough!  HA!  Got up this morning and wanted to chuck it all, as they say in British Mystery Novels.  I was tired, clammy and cold and there was a head breeze to boot.  But after a couple of hours, I started to feel better, and eventually rode about 68 miles (in 7 hours 10 minutes)

I’m now in my suite of rooms here in Clifton Park, trying to stay awake long enough to finish this post, so lets talk about equipment.

I’ve got a Fuji touring bicycle…..

Its a 27 speed… I know you might be pooh-poohing multiple gears as elitist!  But they really make the difference between pain and mere discomfort.  Riders really can pedal at a limited range of pedal speeds… too slow and it ruins your knees…. too fast and … its too fast!  So you’re ALWAYS shifting.  ifwqqqqqqqqqqqqqxxxxxx  Oops, just dozed off…. sorry.

Anyway, imagine you’re driving your car but you can’t push the gas pedal down more than about 10% of its travel.  When you get to a hll, if you can do some quick shifting, the car will slow way down, but you’ll make it to the summit.  Me, I’m often cruising along at 12-13 MPH, but slow down to as little as 3.9 mph for the really tough hills.  You just have to keep saying to yourself “even though your going walking speed, if you keep going you’ll eventually get up the hill”  This little mantra works wonders.

I’ve got a pair of panniers over the back wheel, spare parts (tubes, tires, tools) and changes of clothes… and a notebook computer.  All this stuff plus my two water bottles weigh about 25 pounds.  This is pretty light for a touring bike (the bike itself is another 27 pounds)

This is a fully-loaded touring bike.  In fact, it is a “Surly Long Haul Trucker”  panniers on the front too!  This gear weighs 60 lbs plus!  Amazing!

The photo is from the website:  pbase.com,  which is a tribute to fully loaded touring bicycles.

Gotta hit the hay, can’t stay awake and there is 55 to 75 miles to do tomorrow.

Ciao!

Bob S.