Back In The Saddle (Again): TransAmerica Equipment Recap

March 2019 Update

I temporarily relocated to Neptune Beach, Florida, in early January and have averaged 75-100 miles of bicycling per week along sunny and beautiful beachfront routes. While the routes are very flat, the stiff ocean breezes add to the physical challenge (which I like).

At this stage of my cycling life, 75-100 miles per week sustains my cycling fitness.  Without considering touring adventures and an occasional century ride, this totals to about 4000 miles per year. 

As a relatively new “snowbird,” I appreciate the slower pace of life of the Florida beach community.  And I don’t miss the weather up north at all!

Here are some pictures taken along my route:

My interpretation of this sign: Only use authorized restrooms!

Ponta Vedra Beach in winter is perfect for introverts!

My turn-around stop on Highway A1A: Elroy the gator, about 7-8 feet long, was often submerged up to his eyes laying in waiting for a meal, often cranes. On this day, he was out of the water catching some rays.

This post fulfills my longstanding promise to provide a recap of some of the equipment I used during my 2017-2018 TransAmerica ride.  I’ve categorized the equipment as follows:

  • the bike,
  • me on the bike,
  • resting on the road, and
  • resting off the road. 

The Bike

THE RIG: 2017 Kona Sutra: http://2017.konaworld.com/sutra.cfm

  • I evaluated all major touring bike options and found that the Kona geometry fit me best.  I love this bike!  I am now a fan of the Brooks B17 saddle.  Disc brakes are my newest must have.  Other than a few broken spokes (I was glad that the wheels have 36 spokes-my broken spokes were never disabling), the bike performed magnificently.
  • I made 3 modifications:
    • Changed tires to Schwalbe Marathon Mondial Tires 700 x 35: extremely durable; had only 2 flats and both were caused by metal shards. Look for sales on-line.
    • Installed a Tubus Logo Evo Rear Rack and Tubus Tara Front Rack.
    • Installed Deore XT PD-T8000 Pedals (found them on sale for $75 on Amazon).

BIKE BAGS (PANNIERS): Ortlieb Front and Back Sport-Roller Classic Panniers: Ortlieb is as good as most say as to being rugged, waterproof, and functional! Yellow was the right color for me. I also added a Ortlieb Ultimate 6 Classic-M Handlebar Bag; I took it off the bike whenever I needed to leave the bike unattended. Look for sales on-line… I didn’t pay full price!

SAFETY EQUIPMENT:

  • SAFETY FLAG: Since the early 1980’s, I’ve found that putting an American flag patch on the back of my backpack while bicycling tends to encourage good behavior from passing motorists.  I searched for a way to apply this concept during the TransAmerica journey where I didn’t intend to wear a backpack.  I found a company, Aditude, that makes a 6 ft lightweight fiberglass whip pole that easily mounts to the bike rack using velcro tabs.  The pole supports various flags and safety pennants.  I chose to fly a 12 inch by 18 inch American flag. For the TransAmerica journey, in addition to making a patriotic statement, this provided added visibility in the mountain passes.  This is now standard equipment on my touring and hybrid bikes.
  • MIRROR: D&D Oberlauda Ultralight Bike Mirror: a critical piece of safety gear, especially for anticipating approaching trucks.
  • SATELLITE TRACKER: Given the frequent absence of cell coverage along the TransAmerica route, I searched for a way for loved ones to track me.  I chose the GPS Spot Gen3. In addition to tracking and pre-programmed texts, it has a panic button that alerts local law enforcement that you’ve experienced a serious problem. As a solo touring cyclist, I considered the tracker necessary for peace of mind.
  • LIGHTS: I used my old reliable Planet Bike front and rear lights.  I used the front light only once during a night ride.  I often used the rear blinking Superflash in the rain and fog.
  • BELL: Mirrycle Incredibell Original Bicycle Bell. Great for alerting pedestrians, other cyclists, and animals (especially deer and squirrels) as you approach.
  • WEATHER RADIO: I carried a very small NOAA weather radio, the MIDLAND weather alert radio. I kept it in the alert mode.  It alerted several times during the trip giving me warnings about oncoming severe weather.
  • Membership in Better World Club: They’re the AAA for bicyclists. Fortunately, I never used them but I did think about calling after my crash in Kansas.

Me on The Bike

  • SHOES: This took a lot of research as I wanted a rugged shoe that supported an inset SPD clip. I chose mountain biking shoes: Five Ten Men’s Kestrel Lace Mountain Bike Shoes (Clipless). They were comfortable, rugged, and dry.  For the TransAmerica, they performed superbly as my all-purpose shoe.  The only other shoes that I carried were flip flops.
  • SOCKS: I prefer Darn Tough Vermont Men’s 1/4 Merino Wool Sock Light Cushion Athletic Socks and their longer crew socks.
  • HELMET: I used a Giro Revel with visor.  Pick what you like but wear a helmet!
  • GOGGLES with PRESCRIPTION INSERTS: I require vision correction to see clearly; pretty important on a bike!  Wearing contacts is not advisable while bicycle touring (it’s a dirty and dusty life!).  So I decided to go with this option after looking at prescription googles costing a few hundred dollars.  Through my research, I found a company named 5.11, which at the time sold tactical RAID goggles that could accommodate prescription inserts.  The total setup, including prescription lenses from America’s Best, cost me $180.  This continues to be a fabulous setup for me.  Unfortunately, 5.11 no longer sells these goggles. So, if you desire a similar set up, check out military and law enforcement tactical supply companies such as Revisionmilitary.com (for example, their Stingerhawk spectacles can accommodate an Rx carrier (look under accessories).
  • BIKE COMPUTER & SENSORS: In the past, I’ve not advanced beyond a hard-wired CATEYE device. So, I really got out of my comfort zone when I decided to get a GARMIN Edge 820.  Matched with Garmin Speed and Cadence Sensors, it ended up being the perfect choice for me.  I had map connectivity for the entire journey.  I used the slope metrics to plow through the mountains.  And the computer did a terrific job of keeping daily, weekly, and total trip metrics.  I only triggered the automatic crash alert once, but am glad that I had it in the event that I was rendered unconscious.
  • HEART RATE MONITOR: Scosche RHYTHM+ HR Monitor Armband. Again, the perfect choice for me!
  • PADDED SHORTS: I tried a few but found that the Performance GEL III shorts worked best for me. I purchased them during sales at Performance Bike (online and in the stores).
  • OUTER SHELL/RAIN JACKET/RAIN PROTECTION: I opted for the Performance Hooded Jacket.  It kept me dry in driving rain.  It kept me warm as an outer layer in 30+ degree F weather.  It dried quickly and was easy to wash. I also carried Performance Borough Rain Pants, which I occasionally used, and an old pair of neoprene shoe covers, which I used once in an especially drenching rainstorm.  I frequently used rain covers for my helmet and Brooks saddle.
  • WATER BOTTLES: I carried three bottles on my bike. Two were Zefal 33 oz (available at Amazon) in the stock bottle holders. I also carried a 24 oz bottle using a SKS-Germany 11313 Anywhere Bicycle Attachment Water Bottle Mount that I installed below the down tube close to the crank.

Resting On the Road

  • TENT: After a lot of research, I decided that the Eureka Amari Pass Solo Tent was an appropriate balance between cost and weight.  It was the ideal size for me, and allowed me to store my panniers in the vestibule. It performed superbly in all weather conditions, and, more importantly, kept the mosquitos and rain out.  A rain cover is a must!  I found it for $90 on Amazon but note that this particular model has been discontinued.
  • SLEEPING BAG/AIR PAD: I chose a Slumberjack Sojourn 40 Sleeping Bag and Klymit Inertia O Zone Air Pad, again balancing cost against weight and size.  Both served me well in a variety of conditions and were easy to maintain. Their are lots of lighter options available if you are willing to pay for them.
  • HEADLAMP: Black Diamond Unisex Spot Light. A headlamp with a red light is a must while camping so you don’t get blinded before you go out to look at the stars.
  • BIKE LOCK: NRS Vigilante Cable Lock: Long enough to lock the wheels, frame, and seat. At campsites, I generally locked my bike to a tree or picnic table.
  • COOKING STOVE: MSR PocketRocket. A great value!
  • WATER FILTER: Sawyer Products SP103 Mini Water Filtration System. I used it more than I thought I would.
  • RECHARGING ELECTRONICS:

    • ANKER POWERCORE+ 10050: Worth it’s weight in gold!  Was able to charge my phone, bike computer, and heart rate monitor through multiple days of “no electric available” cycling.
    • ANKER 40W/8A 5-port USB Charger: Used it a lot at those campsites that only had one outlet in the restroom.
  • INSECT REPELLENT: REPEL with Deet was the most effective against mosquitos.

Resting Off the Road

  • LAPTOP: I’m not savvy enough to maintain a blog without a laptop. So, I decided to carry my old 4 pound Macbook Air.  I’m glad I did so that I could maintain connectivity during the one day per week when I stayed in motels.
  • BIKE MAINTENANCE GEAR: I only want to highlight a few of specialized items that I carried:

    • Finish Line Grunge Brush: This was the most used bike maintenance tool during the trip, even more so than a bike pump. A clean drivetrain is a happy drivetrain!  I used the brush and a Dawn/water solution every other day, and performed a deep clean of the bike every week.
    • MINI PUMP: Over the years, I’ve accumulated a collection of mini-pumps but found that the  Lezyne Micro Floor Drive HP ABS Pump performed the best during my TransAmerica experience.  I ran with tire pressures between 80 and 100 psi.  If your tubes have removable valve cores (sometimes you don’t know until the core pops out while unscrewing the pump head), make sure you also have a valve core remover (to tighten them).  You can try to get one for free by asking at you local bike shop.
    • CASSETTE TOOL: I decided to carry a Stern Mini Cassette Lockring Driver on the chance that I needed to remove the cassette. I ended up using the tool twice during spoke replacement.  I now consider this device a must have!  I didn’t try it beforehand because of concerns about breaking something; I did ensure that it would fit my bike.  The instructions are pretty straightforward and using the tool isn’t as dramatic as the instructions might seem. 

My next blog entry will tally my deep appreciation to the many folks who provided assistance to me during my 2017-8 TransAmerica journey.  And I hope to forecast my next adventure as well.