Going Slowly, world tour, and cycling as is

About two years ago, I encountered a blog that I found to be far better reading and more entertainment than most novels.  The story was simple–a young couple from the American MidWest was going to tour the world on bicycles.  Pretty adventurous, right?

Yeah, it was, especially considering that the young woman had little interest in “serious” cycling before encountering the young man.  In fact, I’d say it’s probably a pretty safe statement to say that all through her childhood, she never once thought, “Okay, I want to grow up and tour the world while riding a bicycle up and down mountains and hills, in the heat, in the cold, in the rain, and in the sun too.”

So meet Tara Alan.  She’s like a lot of us…she learned to really like it, except maybe the cold, hot, and mountain part anyhow.  It probably didn’t hurt that the man who has apparently snagged her heart and her loyalty was along for the ride either.

That happens to be Tyler Kellen.  A computer programmer, he was taking his work on the road with them to help finance their extended trip, as well as being the guy in charge of things such as flat tires, worn out wheels, and probably spider killing as well.  (I know that spider killing would be on MY list of things I’d want my partner to be proficient at…I’ve called on GM to come do the honors on numerous occasions already!)

Together, these two form the team known in the blogosphere as “Going Slowly.”  They are also indirectly responsible for this blog.  While I found their blog absolutely fascinating, I also know that I will never attempt to duplicate what they did for a long list of reasons.  My days of cycling up mountain passes on a road bike such as theirs are long gone, and my days of being willing to take the risks of wandering the countryside with nerves of steel are pretty much past too.

This blog was started because of a different kind of journey, and probably a journey closer to what many of us on the far side of forty are interested in taking.  This is the journey of cycling as is, without a lot of preparation, forethought, or any big goals of distance or time.  We do it for the scenery, the fun, the savings on gas, and for some exercise.  We may ride a ***mart bike or a real bike from a bike shop, we may know a little or a lot about maintenance of our bike…but we DO know about comfort, convenience, and enjoying ourselves while we ride.

So with that connection aside…let’s get back to Tara and Tyler…our heroine and hero of this particular post.

Now Tara and Tyler wound up their journey last year in Bangkok with a marathon of writing and playing catch up on their blog.  I waited anxiously for their postings, until the end drew very near.  I knew they had already stopped traveling, so hearing the last of their journey was almost anticlimactic in some ways.  I didn’t want their journey to end really, I was partly hoping they’d head over to Australia and then do South America, just to prolong the fun.

Finally, reading the end of their journey and return to the USA was inevitable.  I couldn’t put it off anymore.  I also couldn’t imagine what they were going to do after such an epic journey, after all…a two year bicycle tour of the world?  Come on!

Their blog is about that journey, and now, it will be embarking on a very new journey that they are taking, and surprisingly, one that I’m equally as interested in–their next phase will be establishing a self sufficient homestead.  Granted, I’ve never been to Vermont and I hear it gets so cold the ground is covered with white stuff in the winter…but hey, I’m digressing.

While we may not duplicate their journey, some of the things they learned are interesting to us anyhow.  Like their camping–bicycle camping sounds like a great deal of fun to me!  In addition, the whole idea of going slowly is to enjoy the experience, which is exactly what the cycling as is blog was all about from the beginning.  They learned a lot, not only about cycling, but about themselves, each other, the world around us all, and lots more.

To make this even more interesting, as an internet radio host, I interview people on a variety of topics, mostly alternative and paranormal in nature, but crossing the spectrum into music and other areas as well.  What better kind of a guest than ones who have taken an epic journey?

While Tara and Tyler have agreed to do the show, we haven’t confirmed the exact date yet.  When we do, I’ll certainly post it.  In the meantime, check out their Going Slowly blog and start reading about it yourself, or check out our website.

Oh, and my radio show is called Gia Scott’s Dawn of Shades, and we air live on Tuesdays from 7-9 pm Central.  There is more on how to listen on our website too.

Spring and bikes

Spring is here on the Gulf Coast, with most days being in the mid-seventies, even in February.  Flowers are starting to bloom, and the mosquitoes haven’t taken a vacation all winter.  It’s cycling season, at least here.

Some of the country might still be dealing with snow and sub-freezing temperatures, hardly what you’d call “ideal cycling weather.”  Even with that, it won’t last forever, and soon, spring will be here.  That’s the time when everyone wants to get outdoors, escaping the confinement of winter, yet not plagued with the heat of full summer.

Of course, the die hard cyclists have been out there most of the winter already, and training indoors when they weren’t.  Most of us are not “die hards”  We’d much rather enjoy the experience, than worry about time trials and endurance.  So what about us?

Now is the ideal time to get your bike ready for the season.  With a little bit of preparation, we can take our cycling to the next level of enjoyment by adding a few accessories.  I’m not talking about just an assist motor here, I’m talking about armchair comfort…or as close to it as we can get with a bicycle.

For many of us, to put it as Wendy Darling does in the end of Peter Pan, we’re “ever so much more than twenty” now, and with that often comes medications and infirmities of all kinds.  One of the common issues with medication is the need to avoid excessive sunlight exposure, in addition to worries about skin cancer.  Cycling, by its nature, exposes us to sunshine.  One of the accessories that I found via Ebay was a mount for an umbrella.  While an umbrella mount would surely slow down the “serious” cyclist, for those of us who prefer a more leisurely ride, that umbrella not only can offer shelter from spring showers, but shelter and shade from an unforgiving sun.  I haven’t ordered one from any of the sellers yet…but I am seriously contemplating that one.  I also wonder if it would fit on my trailer, to offer my dog shade from the sun, as it is an open cargo trailer and she’s not a fan of hot sun either.

Another is a cup holder.  These come in a wide variety of configurations, as well as prices.  What better accessory to add than a place for a cup of coffee or an ice cold drink?  We can always use the excuse of needing to stay well hydrated during our exercise regimen, right?

It’s a good time to check your lights too.  These may need replaced.  There are a wide variety of lights, and night time isn’t the only time to use lights.  Flashing lights can help increase your daytime visibility immensely, an important feature when dealing with drivers who are spending too much time on their cellphones or yelling at the kids in the back seat to notice that you are pedaling along in your neon green vest, flag waving in the breeze from your rear axle, and minding your own business.

The most basic accessories to add are baskets and racks.  I like an easy-to-remove front basket that I can carry in with me to hold things like my wallet, cell phone, etc.  It can also carry small purchases along with me or our lunch easily.  Rear racks are a good accessory because of the flexibility having a rack adds.  They are also required for mounting things such as panniers for when more cargo capacity is wanted.

It may also be time for a new seat.  While many people prefer the Brooks saddles, those of us seeking comfort are typically looking for something a bit cushier and weather resistant, as well as larger.  Try to test seats, on friends’ cycles, strangers if they will let you, or at your local bike shop.  For those being price conscious, going “cheap” will often leave you with buyer’s remorse in three to six months…if that long.  Plan on spending about $30-50 for your new seat, and buy one with a good reputation.

There are a lot of other gadgets and gizmos out there too, and your handlebars can soon be well endowed with them.  Some things to consider are mounts…for everything from your gps, cellphone, and video camera.  There are classic additions too, such as rear view mirrors.

While a rear view mirror may seem like a childish addition, in reality, they are nearly essential for ensuring that you are aware of traffic coming from behind you.  In this day and age of hybrid vehicles, engines are more silent than ever.  We also, like it or not, begin to lose our hearing as we age, and while we may deny it…it is still happening.  Adding that rear view mirror may well be a lifesaver.

There is also the helmet issue.  Wear one.  Yes, I know they look dorky, but especially if we’re at the grandparent stage of life, it’s a good example for the youngsters who look up at us.  It also protects our aging noggins just as much as it protects their growing ones.  I figure that I’m addled enough on a bad day that I sure don’t need to add scrambling my brains to my list of issues to deal with.  Embrace the dorkiness and allow your inner child to come out with it, even if it means attaching plastic flowers and some antenna to it!  It’s also a great way to get some revenge on our now grown children, as we pedal to their house with our now incredibly dorky bicycling helmet!

Spring is also a good time to look forward to our warmer weather of summer.  One place to consider is our cycling attire.  While many of us don’t wear “special” clothing for cycling, maybe we should, and there are some special considerations for those who don’t think that spandex suits them to consider.

I love cotton, but cotton rots, develops odors, and isn’t the best fabric for quick wicking and  coolness.  There are some high-tech fabrics out there, but these usually come with a high price tag, as well as are not typically available in styles and sizes that appear to those who are “over the hill” and not interested in clingy spandex.  Instead of looking exclusively at clothes designed for cycling, look for clothing made for other outdoor activities.  Many have the same requirements of quick drying, non-odor developing, and wicking moisture away from your skin.  While many of us prefer loosely fitting clothing, remember that on a bike, we don’t want them too loose or they become more of a hazard than a help.  Pantlegs can be secured to avoid the chain, but excessively flowing sleeves are a no-no, as are over sized shirts that hang long enough to catch on the seat, etc.  Moderation is the key here!

Then, there is the consideration of color.  I know from following cyclists that the color that is most easily noticed at a distance is the neon green.  It’s far more visible than the yellow or more traditional orange.  You may not want a shirt or jacket in that color, but adding a safety vest in that color may greatly improve your visibility.  It is also nice in that it goes on over your other clothing, making it a single item that can be worn year round.  Make sure to get it with enough ease that it will go on over your bulkier cold-weather clothing too.

Don’t forget your eyes.  If you wear regular glasses, as many of us do once we reach the magical age of 40 when our arms begin to shrink in size at amazing rates, you have “eye protection” on all the time to protect your eyes from wayward insects and grit as you ride.  They may not protect you from the glaring sun, however.  Consider sun glasses as an addition to your gear, whether prescription ones or over-the-counter ones.  They don’t have to be expensive ones, and the polarized ones for outdoor activities such as hunting or fishing are really nice additions.

Air up your tires, check your brakes, inspect your bicycle, and even consider taking it to the bike shop for an annual tune up.  Most shops can quote you a price for an annual tune up, and rates are usually pretty reasonable.  They also are experts, and it can be a huge time and frustration saver if you aren’t a skilled bike mechanic to have someone take care of that for you.  In addition, they will often mount new accessories that you purchase from them at no extra charge while doing the tune up…a really nice perk that saves even more time and energy!

Most of all, it’s a time to get ready to have some fun with cycling.  We’re free…free of time trials, endurance tests, comparing notes with other cyclists on how far we’ve ridden this week, and of the number of ounces and grams our bikes weigh.  We’re free to have fun with cycling, which is what it is really all about!

Targeted cyclist marketing and the real cyclist

I talk about bicycles, I surf bicycle related websites, I write about bicycles, and I actually ride a bicycle.  Therefore, according to the algorithmic reasoning of advertisers, I am a targeted audience.

That is probably true.  A large portion of my meager discretionary spending is spent on bicycling related items.  I’ve bought special wheels, special seat, special handlebars, and a lot of add on accessories besides that in the past two years.  I’ve also bought four bicycles, and still don’t have one that I actually really like.  I probably am in the targeted audience.

However, manufacturers and retailers alike are not properly targeting my particular little market niche.  I have a news flash for them.

I’m not one of the spandex cyclists.  Me in spandex may actually be deemed “public indecency.”  I’m ever so much more than twenty, to put it as Wendy Darling did in Peter Pan.  I’m also ever so much  more than petite.  I’m a plus sized cyclist who is also on the far side of the hill.

That doesn’t mean I WANT to go riding in frumpy clothes.  Inside of this middle aged woman is a twenty year old woman who is screaming in horror and wondering what on earth happened when she wasn’t looking.  That part of me wants attractive and appealing clothing suited to cycling instead of baggy sweat pants, frumpy “pedal pushers” and smock tops with a hooded sweatshirt topper.

But what I don’t want is spandex in size XS.  Spandex is something middle aged people wear UNDER their clothes to control what our muscles are failing to keep from rebelling and signing on with gravity to do.    Sure, some women (and men) can still wear size XS after age forty.  I’m just not one of them.  Even the ones that can are usually plagued with sagging skin, bony points, and flabby areas…and they too would probably look a lot better if they skip the bikini and spandex and went to something a little more “comfortable” looking and a lot less clingy.

I would like quick drying, sweat wicking clothing that didn’t develop an odor that announced my arrival ten minutes before me and the bike arrived.  Especially at a reasonable price–after all, one thing we’ve learned after a long haul on this planet is that money doesn’t grow on trees, and spending too much for something you aren’t sure you are going to like can be very uncomfortable.  That’s part of the reason I have a favorite brick-and-mortar bicycle shop–Neil personally guaranteed that my very expensive bicycle seat isn’t going to start oozing disgusting substances in my lifetime, and will still look good in a year.  His guarantee means a lot more to me than any manufacturer’s guarantee, by the way.  I’ve had too many long battles with manufacturers over the years about their warranties to make me have much faith in them.  I want someone I can look in the eye to guarantee me something.

A lot of things, to the novice, especially the more thrift conscious and less brand conscious, make us question the merit of spending 300-1000% more for an item that looks pretty similar to us.  Why should I buy a $100 bicycle helmet that looks very similar to the $20 one from Walmart?  Why is this wheel $300 and this one is $30?  What’s the difference between this $10 tire and this $50 tire, if they both fit my bicycle?

The fact is, there often isn’t any difference for the casual recreational rider.  If all I ride is sidewalks and bike paths, my tire needs aren’t going to be nearly as intense as someone who uses their bicycle as their primary transportation and typically travels 20+ miles per day.  On the wheels, that is one of the primary components that determines a particular bicycle’s ability to carry weight, when the frames are comparable.  A heavy person simply needs a heavier, stronger built wheel to ensure reliable performance over time.

For those of us who choose cycling as a way to stay active and fight back against the battle of the bulge…we may as well get used to paying a bit more.  Riders over 150-175 lbs. are often going to want to upgrade wheels, tires, and seats as part of their standard gear, for comfort, reliability, and safety.  While wheels might be an easy fix, simply replacing the stock wheel with a heavier gauge wheel with heavier gauge spokes, the seat gets downright personal and very difficult.

The seat…

There are split seats, comfort seats, narrow seats, wide seats, gel seats, leather seats, retro seats, cruiser seats, seats with backs, seats with no horn, spring seats, quick release seats…the list seems infinite.  Since it is so very personal and the preferences can be so unique…all I can say is try them.  Preferably without having to buy them!  Try friends’ seats, try strangers’ seats if they will let you…ask to try them in the bike shop…and you still won’t know until you have made numerous rides in one whether it really is “your” seat.  When you find “your” seat, you’ll cling to it like it is your only life raft in the vast ocean, refusing to consider any other…it’s that personal.  Might I suggest  you buy a spare and hide it in your closet on the top shelf, just in case it is no longer in production in five or ten years when you have to have a new one?

Handlebars are another area with a lot of personal preference, but this is more directly related to the style of riding.  My ilk wants to ride upright, able to rubber neck the scenery around them, lollygagging and gossiping with their grandkids, showing off their portable pooch, or just enjoying a morning ride to go have coffee with friends.  That means I look for a bike with a longer stem and big handlebars that are swept backwards to allow for that comfortable stance.  That doesn’t mean I always knew that though!

When I bought my first “senior” bicycle a few years ago, I looked at what was available.  There was the basic cruiser, but no gears, and I already knew that gears made riding much easier.  There was the road bike, but the skinny tires and hunched over position appealed to me about as much as a mammogram followed by a root canal.  That left mountain bikes. They had gears, they had shocks, and they had an “in between” looking handle bar.  Unfortunately, it was more hunched than upright–a substantial amount of stress is put on wrists, hands, and shoulders in that position, along with a peculiar neck position to see ahead.  It didn’t work for me, and I’ve heard others complain about hand/wrist/shoulder problems with them too.

There just aren’t very many budget conscious bicycles out there for the sorta-serious recreational rider who wants a comfortable and casual upright seated position and isn’t worried about time trials and speeds.  Face it, at a certain point, we’re just worried about getting to point a, enjoying ourselves on the way, and then making it home in one piece.

Then I found Dutch bicycles.  Oh, I want one…but unfortunately, compared to the average Dutch person, I’m apparently pint-sized.  The bikes are just too big for someone as short as I am, especially since I want a “men’s” bicycle (not only are they easier to put a frame mounted motor on, but…they are easier to put on a bike carrier.)  Men’s Dutch bicycles are for people who are over 5’8″ it seems…and I don’t care how much I stretch, I’ll never be that tall!

It’s too bad that we don’t have an American equivalent, especially considering the number of people taking to cycling as a great local transportation method.  They have some built in features that really appeal to me, like an integrated locking system, sturdy fenders (instead of flimsy shiny ones) a skirt protector to keep coats and skirts out of and away from the wheel, and both racks and baskets, along with a light.  They also have gears in the hub, eliminating the derailleurs entirely and simplifying the whole chain thing.  They are sturdy and simple, designed to last a lifetime.  While I know they’d never come in at the $100 mark our current diet of cheap Chinese bicycles seems to be set at, one of these cheap bicycles typically lasts about a year before beginning to fail somewhere.

Another contender for a favorite of mine is the English roadster, another old fashioned (shall we say “retro” here?) classic style.  It has a lot in common with the Dutch bicycles, far more than the standard American cruiser has in common with either one.  Once again, it is not a popular style in the USA, and few retailers carry them.

The old classic “Flying Pigeon” doesn’t seem to be imported to the USA.  Some things I found indicated that it fails to meet modern American safety standards.  I’m not sure how stringent American standards are, but that is somewhat frightening, considering the low safety threshold achieved by most *mart assembled bikes.  Even so, they also had the upright seated position that casual riders enjoy.

Unfortunately, the “comfort” bikes that are often labeled as such don’t necessarily offer anything resembling comfort.  Cruisers often fail to be particularly comfortable either, especially after struggling up even the mildest of hills on one of their single speed wonders. I’m not sure who they are really designed for, as the comfort bikes seem to by some strange hybrid of mountain bike and cruiser, with a little road bike tossed in.

There’s another breed out there too.  Day Six makes a “pedal forward” bike that is between comfort and recumbent, utilizing the pedal forward concept of the recumbent without the low rider positioning and exaggerated leg position.  I haven’t ridden one, and with a price tag of over $800, it’s not a casual purchase that you can park if you don’t really like it either.  However, if your bike shop allows test rides, that may be an option–my cycle shop does carry them at times.

The same goes for recumbents.  It’s a whole ‘nuther breed of bike, and one that I’m a bit uncertain about.  I do like the looks of some of the side-by-side versions for two riders though–imagine being able to ride beside your partner and actually converse as you toodle along instead of shouting back and forth until you come to a stop to actually hear what they are saying.  Some of them actually separate into two independent 2-wheel recumbent bicycles as well, while others are dedicated trikes.  For those of us who have health problems or balance problems, even if it is mostly a fear of a spell of dizziness while riding, this might be a very viable solution.  Unlike traditional trikes, recumbent trike riders are usually very fond of their trikes with few of the complaints that plague the riders of the “traditional” version.

For those who have a bike they love, but have balance issues, there are some expensive but good solutions out there for “training wheels” designed to cope with adult size riders and provide the security that we crave.  They aren’t simply bolted to the axle, leaving some cheap pot metal to support the rider in the event they lose their balance either, instead often having a “spring” like effect and also fixing elsewhere on the bicycle frame.  They aren’t cheap, and they may require mounting at a bike shop if you aren’t handy, but they do exist.  Like most specialty products, their low production numbers means a bit higher price tag, but hopefully it is also accompanied by good design and a solid warranty.  I like the look of the “EZ Trainer“.  Stabilizer Wheels are also another option that looks like it has merit to me.

So, despite the futility of the targeted ads that I’m being sent about cycling gear, there are products out there that I am interested in.  We have to look a little bit harder, but…the one thing that isn’t very readily available is the high tech clothing in plus sizes.  There are some thermal underwear pieces, but living on the Gulf Coast, cold isn’t the same worry as good old heat and humidity accompanied by ample sweating and further aggravated by a desire for protection from UV rays.  Even so, I can’t see me in spandex, and I pray that my husband never decides to try it.  I may love him dearly, but my mind just can’t stand the thought of that particular visual.

Come on, cycle companies…America’s largest demographic is now over 40 and still active.  Where’s our gear and garments?

Distance touring?

I want to take a long, even possibly a coast to coast, bicycle tour.

Yeah, I know, it’s totally nuts.  I’ve been too sick to even ride the bike locally for months now.  I’m disabled, I have health problems, there are a thousand reasons why doing such a thing shouldn’t even be on my bucket list.

The real deal is…it’s always been there, this desire to try a stint as a bicycle riding nomad, self supported and living in a tent.  I also turned fifty last year, and the reality of disabilities and health problems has been trying to beat itself into my thick skull.  It feels like I’m running out of time to do crazy things.  This is a big, and probably seriously crazy thing that I want to do.

For the last eighteen months, I’ve been “nagging” my usually tolerant husband about the idea, and he’s grown frustrated and aggravated with my refusal to give it up.  He wavers between wanting me to be able to do it, be happy, and then shut up about it to wanting to choke me as he explains for the 10,000th time to me why its crazy and impossible.  He has tolerated the assault on his miserly wallet with the motorizing project in fairly good graces, although the necessity of many ramen noodle based meals to find the extra money for the bits and pieces hasn’t thrilled him on numerous occasions either.  He’s even accepted that I’m willing to give up other things I enjoy to keep the budget balanced and fund my insanity, as he sees it.

I know his biggest concern is that we’d set out on the journey only to discover it was truly impossible, leaving me depressed and upset about that, whereas now…I’m not depressed about it, I’m just a goofy nag about it.

He has some legitimate concerns.  I have my health and disability issues, and he has some of his own.  Living out of a travel pack and tent for months at a time isn’t easy on the body or soul either.  Many things could go wrong, and what would we do then?

Then, I have a past failure on my record, a black mark in terms of convincing him that this is do-able.  He had to come get me and Red Dog with the van, after we waited for hours in a park for his return.  The trailer I had ordered to carry her had not arrived, and she could not go another mile.  We had walked to the trail head for over a mile, the dog dejected and exhausted, even though I had never gone fast enough for her to break into a run on the first few miles of the morning’s journey.  Red Dog, like her mistress, was past her prime and her age was showing.  I had stopped, confessed that the dog could not do any more distance, let the dog rest, and then slowly walked the bike for over a mile, stopping often.  Even after resting for a couple of hours, Red Dog couldn’t have done another leg.  She was done for several days, and I was probably lucky that I didn’t give her a heart attack.

I had ridden far enough that I knew without a doubt that it was beyond me to ride over ten miles with the trailer and a large dog riding in it on my own.  That was when I started looking at assist motors.  I’m still not done with that project, as we are still trying to get an ATV thumb throttle to work with the motor kit.  It’s another one of those things that went on the back burner when I got sick.  The bike has sat there, waiting for me to get over that hump of healing and back to “normal”, whatever that is.

So with all of my nagging, I got his grace to “start planning but not buying anything for the trip” as I work on recovery enough to even ride locally again.  He groaned as I announced our first “maiden voyage” would be to ride to Ocean Springs and stay overnight at the Gulf Islands National Seashore campground there.  I was reminded that at this point, I couldn’t ride around the block, and my reality check was in place…for both of us.  In return, I promised to stop nagging about it, which seemed fair enough.  (I didn’t regard it as nagging to mention it a time or two a week though!)

I call it my Great American Adventure, and it’s a cheap way (I hope) to just travel around and SEE this continent that our nation occupies so much of.  Unlike traveling in a car, a bike is personal and up close.  You see things in a much different way when you ride a bike or a horse through an area.  The logistics of traveling with a horse are much different than those of traveling on a bicycle though, and I think the bicycle would be much easier and less expensive.

My general idea is that we’d simply have to take it slow.  Even as self supported cyclists equipped with camping gear, that isn’t impossible.  It just takes longer to get to where you are going, but it also allows you to take time and smell the wildflowers along the way.  Why would we need to hurry anyhow?  It’s not like we’re trying to set a speed record!

If we only do ten miles a day, in 30 days, we would have traveled 300 miles.  It doesn’t matter how far we actually travel in a day, as long as we can find somewhere to pitch a tent, ala stealth camping or a campground.  Rough calculations have us dedicating 4-6 hours per day for traveling, although I have to stop about every 30 minutes whether I’m riding a motor assisted bicycle or not due to my disabilities.  Each stop varies from about five to ten minutes, so we’d lose that ten minutes minimum per hour, plus another hour or so for a midday stop.  That means in a 4 hour travel day, we’d actually travel less than three hours, but on a six hour travel day, we’d get over four hours.  If we average ten miles an hour, that would give us thirty to forty miles a day.  At fifteen miles per hour, we’d manage to cover 45-60 miles.  If we were able to cruise along at twenty miles an hour, we’d see another jump in the daily miles.

That’s not bad.

The next thing is to figure out where I want to go, which translates to what I want to see in this country.  That’s tougher.  I can make a very long list, featuring a number of national parks and forests, and start with that.  This isn’t the route I’m planning, but rather just the destinations.  That’s also the fun part!

We also have to figure out what kind of gear we really need, as well as how much it will cost.  We need different bicycles for touring than we currently have, and while these touring bikes can be used as daily bikes, our “daily” bikes aren’t necessarily touring candidates.  We also need to determine what engine will be used for not only GM’s bike (he needs one too) but whether we are going to stick with the Chinese two cycle that I’m currently modifying to work for me.  All of this also equates to “how much money we need to spend before we can even begin worrying about the money we need for the journey itself.”  We need to figure out what gear we have to have, what we want, and what will fit in panniers and on trailers.

We will also need to calculate how much money we need for living on the road.  It’s not necessary to be rich to do this, but we also need a realistic idea of how expensive it will be, what bills we can’t eliminate while we are traveling, and what extras we need to be prepared to cope with.

Research doesn’t happen overnight.  When you are researching for cost conscious solutions on gear, it’s even tougher.  Our bikes are a major expense, along with their motors.

I am seriously thinking about recumbent bicycles for both of us, actually.  This is for a variety of reasons, but mostly because of the relatively comfortable position it puts the rider in, as well as the broad seat for aging behinds.  I don’t think we would be plagued with  sore behinds and chafed places as much in this style of bike.  The problem is that these are also much more expensive, but a tandem bike would allow us to ride together, and possibly eliminate the need for a motor.  It would also restrict us to using a single trailer, a problem if we are traveling with our dogs and camping gear too.  I really like the side-by-side tandems, but then again, I question how well they work when riding alongside traffic–many “bicycle routes” such as the Natchez Trace have minimal shoulders and no actual bike lane, forcing cyclists to actually ride IN the vehicular traffic lane.  Speed restrictions may exist, but our jaunt along a portion of it found many people driving far faster and more impatiently than the signs indicated.

Another advantage of the recumbent is the fact that we would always have an “easy chair” wherever we park the bicycle, be it roadside for a short break or a park for the night.  So, I proceeded to search and see what I could find.

I found something to drool over.  Seriously drool too.  It’s called a “tumtum car” and it’s a tribred, with electric, gas, and pedal combination, as well as a solar panel canopy option.  It even offers such options as 7 speeds, bucket seats with flip down arm rests, and tow hitch front to tow behind your car.  I wonder…if it can accomodate a trailer?  But…it’s a dream cycle.  The tri-bred model comes in at $3978, plus the option fees to add the 7 speeds, bucket seats, and the solar panel canopy with controller.  That’s $355 for the extended range battery set, $584 for the solar panel canopy with controller, $95 for splash guards, $98 for the 7 speed transmission, and $199 for the bucket seat option.  At $5309 before we add in shipping and handling, that’s a serious purchase.  Check out their website here.  They also make a less expensive (and fewer options) “Googlycar” as well as four seat models.

So the planning begins, surely something to cheer the grumpiest of recovering invalids, right?  I’m somewhat cheered by the small sign of erosion of resistance.

Don’t anyone tell him that “resistance is futile” in terms of wives….”we have our ways”, right?

I just hope that I also have sense!

January 2012

The first week of the New Year has come and gone.  My motorized bicycle stands forlornly in the yard, with an old mountain bike alongside of it, as well as my old bicycle, GM’s bike, and a really vintage bike that belongs to the neighbor.  Unfortunately, I’ve been “under the weather since before Thanksgiving, and cycling has been sort of on the back burner as I’ve dealt with health problems.

That’s also part of the reality of being an older cyclist.  Our minds are fine, parts of us are very willing to go cycling, but we have parts that are under protest and demonstrating against something.  It’s the “Occupy Your Body” sort of event, and just like Wall Street can be clogged with demonstrators, our schedules get clogged with the whole problem of an aging body.

Getting older is NOT easy.

But as this first week has come and gone, I’ve also begun to see a glimmer of light ahead that soon, I’ll be back up and running, and attacking the whole cycling thing with renewed energy and interest.  Now is also the time I’m starting to prepare to finish up my motorized project, even if I am not up to riding it myself yet.

It started off with the throttle being a problem.  It was a cheaply made throttle, “best on the market” and “upgraded” or not.  It was also a twist throttle, which was not physically comfortable for me to operate.  I couldn’t imagine dealing with it for more than a few minutes at a time, hardly conducive to “riding further, faster.”

So, it has been replaced with a thumb throttle intended for an ATV.  Great idea, until the next problem appeared.

We needed to modify the throttle cable–it was far too long, and the new throttle could not control the throttle.  We finally came up with a “fix” but while the components have been created and purchased and modified…I haven’t actually installed it to see if it would work.

What I needed was a crimp on barrel end, but such a thing didn’t exist locally.  I did find a mail order source, but I had to order a massive quantity…like $50 worth of them.  I didn’t need thousands, and I sure didn’t want to tie up that amount of money in something I didn’t need.

The bolts and nuts bin at Lowe’s gave us a small barrel intended as part of an assembly to use on a cable.  This was drilled through, with a hole (hopefully) large enough for the cable. The ends were then tapped to allow set screws to be used to actually clamp the cable inside, allowing for adjustments if I don’t get it right the first time.  It sounds great in theory, I have the parts, I just need to cut the cable and remove the old barrel end, thread it through that tiny hole, and tighten the set screws.

Sounds easy, but I know better.  I’m using wire cutters, not cable cutters, and that means that I’ll have some fraying at the end of the cable, and will have to twist it all together as tightly as possible to thread it into that very tiny hole.  Then this whole assembly has to fit in the throttle properly to allow for good throttle control.

So, with that done, the frame itself is the other problem.  It’s just plain too big.  I was given a suitable mountain bike frame, but from the appearances, I’ll only gain about 1″ by changing it to the other frame.  I’m not convinced that this minimal gain is going to really help and warrant the amount of work necessary to change the entire motor and wheels, etc. over to the “new” frame.

To be sure, I’ll have to put the seat post and seat from my current frame onto it, and see if it fits enough better.  If it doesn’t…well, that’s part of the reason for the other vintage frame.  I will also measure it, see if a) the motor will fit and b) if it fits ME.

All of this also needs to include setting up the new heavy duty front wheel, which is still sitting inside, with no tube or tire on it yet, despite having been purchased clear back at Thanksgiving.  There just was no rush when I wasn’t feeling well enough to ride anything, too big or not.  Heck, here lately, I’m often not feeling well enough to walk anywhere, let alone climb on a bicycle seat and get to pedaling!

It’s going to take me months to regain muscles and endurance I have lost too.  I guess that’s all part of the entire experience, but my brain is still highly upset with my body’s refusal to follow directions and just stay healthy and functional.  Of course, any time we’re ill, our wallets also file protests, because everyone knows that medical expenses are outrageous.  I would much rather have had that money to spend on a new bicycle!

So, another day…and hopefully, it will be a better one.  One day at a time, one step at a time, one ride at a time.  How many things have we gotten through by simply convincing ourselves that we were just doing the next step, that’s all…

I can’t even begin to count!

The spandex crowd versus the world

We have all encountered them somewhere, some time.

Bicycle paths, hiking trails, sidewalks, streets, even the bicycle shop.  They are all places frequented by the spandex crowd.  Bicycle clubs are also often frequented by them.

So who is the spandex crowd?

They are the cyclists dressed in spandex, riding an expensive bike, usually a road bike of some kind, occasionally it’s a mountain bike.  They talk about time trials, sprints, and regard the weight on their bikes in grams.

They aren’t talking graham crackers either.

This blog isn’t about them.  They despise us, sneer at us, pity us, and make fun of us.  That’s okay.  We do the same thing to them.  What kind of cycling experience can they have if they ride with their heads down, concentrating on getting that tenth of a second off of their time for their sprint, and getting their miles done for the week?

I don’t care how many miles I do in a week.  I care about a few things when I ride bicycle.  One is getting to where I’m going, IF I have a destination.  Arriving there in one piece and in plenty of time for whatever I’m going to do is a good thing.  Sometimes, I allot too much extra time, forcing us to waste time along the way by stopping for a cup of coffee, or leisurely looking in store windows.  Sometimes we stop and buy something somewhere.  Then, I want to get home, in one piece, and hopefully before dark.  Just in case we don’t, there is always lights ready to use.

We have baskets and racks, bags and tool kits.  We have locks and cables.  We even have a pump.  We’ve never used any of them while riding, but that’s kind of the point.  We don’t carry a spare tire in our car because we want to have a flat either.  Those things are carried…just in case.  On a bike, it’s even more important.  AAA doesn’t service bicycles.

We bring our cell phone.  We have a bottle of water when it’s hot, and I want to get a cup holder for my bike.  I think it would be great to be able to take a cup of coffee to go some days.

Obviously, I’ll never be a member of the spandex crowd.

A further sign of my lack of eligibility in the spandex crowd is my choice of seats.  I don’t want a narrow hard seat designed for someone who’s pedaling hard and fast.  I’m not hunched over my handlebars to reduce my drag either.  I’m sitting up, proud, and that means I’m sitting ON my seat.  I’ve also got a tush that appreciates a bit of space and cushioning as we do that, even when I’m pedaling along.  Hence I bought the biggest seat on the market.  I’d have bought the model with the back rest, if they ever get smart and invent one that folds down for mounting.  There is a limit to how high I can swing over everything, and the back rest went over that limit.  I already have to lean my too-big bike over to mount it.

The entire point of bike riding for the likes of me is to get out and enjoy the journey, not achieve great goals in speed and endurance.  That’s the reason for the motor too.  I don’t want to see how fast I can make that bike go.  I want to just go along leisurely and see the sights, see the flowers, discover new stuff, and most of all experience the journey.  What is the point of hurrying anyhow?  If it’s no fun, I’m simply done.

What I really don’t understand is the need that so many in the spandex crowd has to make fun of the casual cyclists.  Obscenities, profanity, nasty remarks, and rudeness isn’t going to make us squeeze into tight spandex clothes and join their races.  It isn’t going to impress bystanders either, and help make them sympathetic to the push for bike lanes and bike racks near businesses.  It isn’t going to encourage the casual rider to come to that bike shop to make their purchases either.

Casual riders come in a wide variety of ages, sizes, and devotion to cycling.  Some do it by choice, some do it to commute, some do it because they can’t afford a car, and some do it out of necessity.  They are also often the ones who choose to motorize their bikes.  That 20 mile round trip commute becomes a lot more do-able if there’s a motor to help you on the way home as well as preventing you from arriving drenched in sweat.  It’s a lot easier to pick up the kids at school with your bike and trailer than it is to fight the other soccer moms and their SUVs and minivans alongside the street.

The serious cyclists wonder why anyone ever buys a bicycle from the discount chains.  I know they lack the quality I really want, but I’ve done it anyhow.  I chose to NOT buy my bike from a cycle shop when I lived in Louisiana because of the spandex crowd.  A visit to the closest bicycle shop was an exercise in humiliation.

I went to the store because I really wanted (or thought I wanted) a Trek bicycle.  I’d done my research before hand, and I wanted to get sized properly and buy a decent bicycle.  I was a bit nervous about spending that kind of money on a bicycle, uncertain if I would really be able to use it often enough to justify the purchase.  It had been 25 years since I’d given up cycling, after a dog attack while riding.

The clerks consistently ignored us and walked off.  I could have stripped off my clothes and danced through the store without being noticed.  I guess overweight middle aged customers weren’t the ones they were interested in.  They were far too busy pursuing the desires of a young girl.  After fifteen minutes of trying to be patient, we left.  I bought cheap bikes the next week, unwilling to endure that again.

They were shoddily assembled, out of poor quality components.  We still use them, about 18 months later, but they aren’t worth much.  When my project bike is finished, I’ll likely give mine to the first person in need of a bike that I encounter.  It will work for someone for a few months, at least.

So the spandex crowd has influenced my life.  I’m glad to have a store that doesn’t specifically gear to cater exclusively to the spandex crowd now.  I hope to shop for a new bike in the spring, and for the first time, actually get one that is properly assembled and tuned before I bring it home.

Author’s Note: When in Gautier, MS, stop in at Cycles Plus.  Tell him the crazy lady with the motorized bicycle sent you.  I’ll also guarantee he’s not a member of the spandex crowd!

The saga of the Flying Pig

Just in case you are wondering, the Flying Pig is my motorized bicycle.  The gender I have assigned it is male.  Don’t ask me to explain the name and gender–it might not be a story you like.

With that aside, we’re still working on the Flying Pig.  This chapter started off pretty simple.  I wanted to change the handlebars  to my Nirve Kandy handlebars from my old bike–I like them and the stance they put me in.  It’s comfortable.  I already owned a set, and saw no reason to buy another one. I also wanted to replace the cheap Bell “gel” seat I had bought at Walmart with a seat I didn’t have to cover with a grocery bag.

That is something else.  That seat, sold at Walmarts across the country, as well as online, is the worst piece of junk I have ever encountered.  These so called gel pads in the seat began peeling away from the seat within a month, and are now oozing this really foul smelling sticky gunk.  They are just over a year old.  They are also disgusting.  Don’t buy the seat, not even if you are in a jam and absolutely can’t stand the seat on your bike.  You will regret it as you try one solvent after another trying to get rid of the residue on  your hands.

My favorite bike shop, Cycles Plus in Gautier, sold me a seat.  Just for the record, it was priced exactly the same as Amazon, and I had it to install right away.  Don’t assume that you are going to save money by ordering it yourself from an internet based company.  It might not be true.  My wheels, which I am still waiting on the front wheel, have cost me considerably less, plus Neil puts the tube & tire on for me, sparing me an hour of labor.  (It takes him a few minutes, but he’s done it a lot more than I have too.)

But back to the seat…it was expensive, about $15 more than what I had as a target price, but I bought the largest gel seat he had.  He promised me it would not start oozing goop and if something like that did ever happen, he’d make it right with me.  I believe him and don’t need it in writing.  He’s unbelievably tolerant of my dumb questions, weird parts searches, and goofy quest to have a motorized bicycle.  He scares me–he now recognizes my voice on the telephone!  (I really don’t call him that often, but maybe my weird questions when I do call tip him off.)

Seat installation is easy–even I have mastered that.  I simply loosened the seat post from the frame, allowing me to work at a better angle.  I then loosened the bolts that hold the clamp on the seat to the seat post, removed the gooey, foul-smelling seat, and then tightened the new seat in place.  Just remember to make sure the reflector on the seat post is on the back (if you have one) as I almost had it backwards before I smacked myself on the head for for not paying attention.

I had new brake handles to replace the funky and very rusty ones that had come with the Flying Pig.  I opted for metal ones, hoping I don’t regret my choice as temperatures skyrocket or drop–we get both right here in Mississippi.  They don’t match the handlebars, but nothing does.  I even have a beat up red stem holding my black oxidized handlebars.

I have a fair amount of new stuff to get installed.  New brakes for the rear, and I have these weird ones I’d never seen before that has a cable in a y shape.  (I hate them, by the way, and wish I’d figured out how to put something else on.)  Brake handles, new cable for the front brakes (the old one was too short to reach on the new bars.)  I also have a new thumb throttle to replace the twist throttle that is excruciatingly painful for me to operate for more than a few minutes.  I haven’t addressed the incredibly stiff clutch yet–we’re still adjusting it, it’s still in the break in period, and I’m not sure changing the handle is going to make it any easier.  The kill switch that came with the original throttle is toast–it apparently arrived broken, and it is past the warranty, so I just have to replace it myself.

Once again, it is all simple stuff…or should be.  It’s not.  NOTHING has gone right.  I’ve lost nuts, never to be found again despite combing the ground carefully with a magnet.  Cable ends don’t fit, and I’m having trouble trying to cut cables with wire cutters.

Then there is the saga of the need for a crimp on cable end that MIGHT be called a “barrel” cable end.  I’ve had a lot of trouble with terminology in trying to explain what it is I need and then get it.  I’ve failed on these barrel ends miserably.  To make a long story short, I THINK I got what I needed from a Bell cable kit at Walmart, and I justified the purchase because I also needed another brake cable.

I’m not sure GM bought it, but he wasn’t in the mood then to talk about it.

Unfortunately, at that point, I was out of daylight.  That left me with putting away stuff in the dark.

Tomorrow is another day, and hopefully…I’ll figure it out, borrow a better cutter for the cables and might be able to beg a nut to replace the missing one.  We’ll see…