Really Boring List Of Gear

If you're looking for a list you can use to plan your trip, try Judy Colwell's site at (I'll find her address later).

Bike (Cannondale ST700 (Silk Tour)) and jerseys advertising my bikeshop, dentist and 3 favorite restaurants (all within walking distance of home), courtesy of Old Town Bicycles. It was so hot, I wore the Old Town jerseys (thank God I had 2) more than half the trip.

• Got a Vaude handlebar rack at REI before I left. Didn't really want to use one, I just didn't like the way my map holders velcroed to my handlebars. This attaches to a clamp that fits right around the stem. Doesn't get in the way of my hands at all. I wound up putting all my important toys in it - computer, camera, phone, glasses - along with some bike food and something to wipe the sweat.
• My Cateye bike computer keeps my mind busy working out mileage and elevation. When I'm moving fast, I watch the mileage, when I climb a pass, I watch the elevation. Today I watched the temperature! It does a pretty good job of keeping track of current altitude and elevation gain (it ignores loss) as long as the weather isn't changing causing changes in barometric pressure.
• I'm carrying 3 water bottles, in addition to my radiator. One is so covered with mud, I only use it to get wash water in camp. The other two were contaminated with rancid Gatorade. I wasn't sure how to get rid of the taste without replacing it with a soapy taste. Then I thought of rinsing them real well with toothpaste and letting it soak overnight. Not only are they clean, but my breath is fresh and my teeth are white.
• Almost all my tools are in an underseat bag and I'm pleased to say that I haven't needed anything out of it yet. The seat itself is a CODA that came with the bike. Plain old hard narrow seat but the way it's mounted to the rails at the very front and back lets it spring a little on bumps.
• I got a Schwinn trunk to fit on the back rack. It's a little cheesy, but it has pockets that zip down like mini-panniers when I'm carrying extra food. However, they really catch the wind (that's why I'm using bob), so I rarely unzip them. I've got everything else I might need on the ride in them - whatever clothes I shed, more food, a lock, spare parts, sunblock, etc. I'm having pretty good luck with Avon Skin-so-soft sunblock with citronella. It does a pretty good job of keeping me from burning, usually discourages bugs, (although they're sure after me now) and my skin is oh-so-soft.
• The rack is a Blackburn Mtn Expedition, the only rack I could find that would fit and I still had to hacksaw it in 3 places. For a touring bike, Cannondale could have put a little more thought into it.
• The radiator is a Vaude bag from REI with well padded shoulder straps, a mesh back that keeps plenty of ventilation between the bag and me, a chest strap and gut strap that look just awful in a picture you won't find on the web, two zippered pockets for all the stuff I usually have in my pants pockets (money, wallet, checkbook, knife, pen, pliers/screwdriver/wirecutter) and a big pouch for the 70 oz Platypus BigZip bladder. I like the radiator. It keeps the engine cool.
• Then there's bob. It attaches to each side of a special quick release skewer through my rear axle with a couple of cotter pins. I worry about them, since I lost one on my Vashon test ride, but they're holding on fine. The arrangement is a little noisy. If bob bounces, the "trailer hitch" rattles. You roll the flaps to close the big red Ortlieb bag, then snap 4 straps. I guess I'll find out in a couple of days if it keeps the rain out. The flag on the back is great. I can see it in my mirror, right over my shoulder. There are rare times that I wonder if it's still there.
• I've got a pretty big sleeping bag stuffed inside, along with all my clothes, recharging gear, stove, cookware, books, walkman, etc. My REI so-called two-man tent and full-length thermarest are wrapped in the tent groundcloth and bungie corded on top, making it almost as tall and into wind as low panniers. Everybody wants to know if panniers or trailers are better. I have no idea. I've got a bob so I use it.

Electronics

• Camera - Kodak DC220 digital. With an extra 48 MB flash memory card.
• Computer - HP Jornada. Closest thing I've found to a real computer that's still small enough to get lost in a handlebar bag. I can put the camera's memory card in it and directly view pictures or upload them to the web.

Back to day 6.

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