On bicycle touring

In this blog I like to share my experience on bicycle touring. I am a novice bicycle tourer with only one successful tour under my belt, nevertheless I like to share what I have learnt.

Cycle touring for me is travelling by bicycle, for a number of days, and carrying with me all that I need to reach my destination. Personally I prefer to do this on my own without company. For safety reason it is better to have company. Also with company, the team need to carry only one set of tools, spares and first aid kit, and share the cost of accommodation. The problem is finding a tour partner that is compatible in ability, attitude and temperament.

Carrying as little load as possible is very important for the enjoyment and success of bicycle touring. The amount of stuff that a touring cyclist carried is dictated by the destination (route) and length of the tour. In my case my 'destination' was to cycle around lake Ontario. The route is in Canada and the USA, well populated, with  many accommodations (hotel, motel and campground), many restaurants and stores along the route.

The plan.
Preparing and planning properly for the tour is important. It allows me to achieve my goal with minimal stress. My first attempt cycling around lake Ontario was not properly planned and prepared. Lesson learnt.
For my cycling tour around lake Ontario, I do not need to carry cooking equipments and fuel, nor camping gears. I can stay in hotels and motels, and eat in restaurants (fast food - Subway restaurant is one of my favourite) or purchase from the grocery store. This eliminates the hassle of setting up, and taking down, tent and sleeping gears; less time wasted. Less worry about weather condition, less weight, less stress.
I plan to start cycling around 7:30 AM and finish the day around 4:00 PM, this gives me 8 to 9 hours travel time; plenty of time to cover 100 km, including rest and sight seeing time. I will only cycle during daylight, so I will not carry bicycle lights. Again less stress.
Based on my research of the terrain to be covered that day, a destination was determined. So if it was an easy flat terrain a destination of over 100 km was selected. If the terrain was hilly or not paved a destination of under 100 km was selected.
I will also incorporate an easy or rest day, to give my body some respite and a chance to recover. This is important for the success and enjoyment of the tour.
Hotels will be booked one day ahead, as I feel comfortable that I will most likely be able to get there that day. Again this is to reduce my stress level by ensuring a place to stay that day.
Of course, no matter how well we plan, things can go wrong; we just have to be mentally prepared for that possibility.
As it turned out, the plan that I made, called for 9 days to cover almost 900 km. Averaging just under 100 km a day.

The engine.
The rider is the engine; the most important component of the bicycle tour. The engine must be in the best condition possible, well tuned and in good shape.

Exercise, that means lots of cycling, some strength and flexibility training, and proper rest. Good nutrition. Health care, dental, eyes and annual check up. All those are important to have the engine in good shape and well tuned. When I started my first tour in 2012, I was not in good health, had sinus issue. It was not a wise decision to go ahead with the tour, especially not at my age (70).

This challenge, cycling around lake Ontario, was my biggest motivator to exercise and to take care of my health. It motivated me to exercise even in bad weather. It made me more discipline in the food and drinks choices I consumed.
I had lost 12 lbs in the process; I was 128 lbs when I started my cycling tour on the 1st of September 2013. Always good to loose unwanted extra pounds, less weight on the bike.
Now that this challenge is completed, I need a new motivator to keep this engine humming -:).

The bicycle.
The bicycle I used for this tour was a 2010 MEC Shadowlands; with Aluminium frame, 700c X 32 Hutchinson touring tires, Hydraulic disc brakes, 27 speed (3X9). Designed to be a light duty touring bike.
Ideally, the bicycle type and design should match the terrain, surface and condition of the route. There are many bicycles that would perform well for a bicycle tour around lake Ontario, it just happened that I already own this bike and it is my favourite bicycle. It is very stable and smooth.
My other bicycle, a Giant Sedona Dx comfort bike, would also make a good touring bike after a few upgrades. I would upgrade the rear cassette to a 9 speed from a 7 speed and change the shifter to a 9 speed trigger shifter from a 7 speed twist shifter. This is crucial for climbing the hills. I would also replace the 26X1.95 tires with a 26X1.5 to make it more nimble.

This MEC Shadowlands bike had performed well, I did not have any issues at all with this bike during my tour. I had replaced the original pedal, meant for special cycling shoes, with a regular platform pedal. Initially I had replaced them with inexpensive pedals purchased from Canadian Tire store. They did not last long. Water and dirt found their way into the bearings. I like to be able to use regular shoes. The other thing that I would like to replace is the aluminium fork with a carbon fork, this should help absorb the vibration from the road and sidewalk bumps; it will be more comfortable to ride. Wish I had done this before the tour.

Hydration.
I drink often, a few sips every 15 to 20 minutes throughout the cycling day.
I carried 2, 750 ml water bottles. One filled with water and the other one with Gatorade that I made myself form the powder, this way I could control its concentration. I may replenished the water along the way, depends on the weather, but one 750 ml of Gatorade drink was all that I needed for the whole day of cycling. Carried 10 days supply of Gatorade powder as well as Protein powder. I made and consume the Protein drink at the end of my ride each day, usually during my ice bath.
Whenever possible I took an ice bath at the end of my riding day to speed up recovery.

Kitchen, snack and food.
I like to snack while cycling. By snacking throughout the day I maintain my energy level at a more even level.
Banana chips, various cookies, biscotties and energy bars were some of my choices. A few snacks were wrapped in plastic and stuffed in an open bag that was mounted on the handle bar, so I could easily reached them while cycling. I snacked often.
I carried some food, mainly for breakfast. Instant oatmeal, hard boiled eggs, tea bags, miso soup and a freeze dried package food. Together with the snacks that I carried they also served as emergency food, in case I could not get food from restaurant or grocery store when I need it.
Each morning before I start my ride, I had instant oatmeal with tea and one hard boiled egg. This spared me from stress of finding a restaurant for breakfast.
After the days ride I had protein drink and sometimes miso soup. I also boiled water for next day Gatorade drink and water bottle. I use a small (1 Liter) electric kettle to boil water.

Clothing.
One set of street clothing, they consist of one pair of shorts, one pair of underwear and a long sleeve T-shirt that also served as a back up cycling shirt. Two sets of cycling clothes, they are two pairs of cycling shorts, one short sleeve cycling jersey and one thin, long sleeve, merino wool T-shirt. Three pairs of wool socks, two ankle length, thin ones and one thick standard length. I washed every day.
One pair of sandals as the only footwear. They are Keen sandals. I like them, they are comfortable and look great for all occasions, they also protect the toes. No special cycling shoes.
A rain jacket, 'shower pass', very useful. Together with a water proof helmet cover, protects me from the elements - rain, wind and cold temperature. I really like the 'shower pass' rain jacket.
A pair of thin, one size fits all, cotton gloves that I wear underneath my regular cycling gloves for additional warmth when the temperature gets really cold. Next time I will replace them with one made from thin merino wool.

Personal stuff and medications.
Tooth brush and paste (small tube), comb, disposable shaver and dental floss.
First aid, - polysporin, band aid of various sizes. Gel soap. Ibuprofen, Imodium. Eye drops and supplements.
Should have some toilet paper and dish liquid soap as well for all purpose washing.
For personal safety, next time, I should also carry a pepper spray to protect myself from dog attacks.

Navigation and communication equipments.
For communication I brought 2 cell phones, Bell and Trackphone. The Bell cell phone (Samsung T669B) was to be use in Canada. With this I could call Theresia's cell phone without incurring any long distance or roaming charges. The Trackphone (Motorola flip phone) was to be used in USA, it is a prepaid phone that can be used any where in the USA for the same rate. It had over 1000 minutes, good until April 2014. Whenever there is good WiFi connection I could also make Skype calls from my Nexus7 tablet.

The Bell cell phone worked well, I did not encountered any problem making and receiving calls within Canada. To control cost, I did not use it in the USA.
On the other hand the Trackphone had problem getting signals several times, always in small communities. No signal around Albion, Palmyra, Wolcott. Pulaski, Cape Vincent and along the route between those cities. I was able to use it at the Canadian - USA border (Niagara, NY), in Lockport, Rochester and Oswego.

For Navigation, I used Google map to plot the daily route to travel by bicycle from point A to point B, and print a hard copy. Each day, the printed route for that day was inserted in a plastic protective sleeve and carried in the handle bar bag for easy access. Together with the bicycle trip meter this printed route were my main navigation tool. This printed routes were prepared at home before the trip. A compass on the bicycle bell and down loaded maps from InReach GPS site and from Google site on to my Nexus7 tablet, made up the remaining navigation tools.

These navigation and communication system had worked and got me through the tour; they are existing electronics that I already have, I did not purchase anything new specific for this tour. With the problem I have with my eyes, I needed something that could guide me by voice, like a car GPS; it has to be operated by a rechargeable battery that will last 8 hours or more between charging and it must also be able to map bicycle trail routes. Hope I could find something like that for my next tour that is within my budget.

Spare parts and tools.
Two inner tubes, tire patch kit and a variety of nuts and bolts were the spare parts that I carried for this tour.
My tool kit contained a set of tire levers and various screw drivers, Allen keys and small wrenches. I also carried a small bottle of chain lube, a rag and some disposable plastic gloves. Baby powder. A bicycle pump is always mounted on the bicycle. I will add a spoke wrench and a chain tool on my next tour.


Conclusion.
My first tour went very well. Besides good luck, good planning and proper preparation played a huge part. As indicated above there are a few things that I could improve.
I will change Shadow's aluminium fork to a carbon fibre fork, this will make the ride on side walks and rough surfaces more comfortable.
Toilet paper, liquid dish soap and bathtub stopper will be added to my gear list as well as a pepper spray.
Use only clothing that are comfortable, and quick to dry.
A GPS navigation for bicycle with audio (voice turn by turn) instruction would be very helpful.
I did not take enough picture on my last tour partly because I did not carry a camera that suit me; I just used my cell phone. On my next tour I will take along a small digital camera with a view finder and a small tripod.
Yes, I do have a plan for my next tour. I love bicycle touring, at this moment I am dreaming my next tour and I am going to live my dream. Life is short, especially if you are over 70. Live your dream while you can, you are never too old to seek new challenges.............till next time.