Day 1

So I made to Banff but was brutal. I got heat exhaustion and spent a lot of time reconsidering this trip. As a kid seeing the bikes traveling seemed glamorous but in reality its just a lot of hard work.

Today is just as hot as yesterday and I have started really late. I will take it really easy today and see how my body is after wards. So far today I am not aching so that is good but I am very tired.

This packing list is designed for those biking tours, who will be cooking their own food and camping.  Its easy enough to trim down the portions if you plan no eating out or hosteling.

The goal of packing for a bike ride it to carry as little weight as possible, as weight really sucks when climbing mountains (or hills).  I have chosen to carry at most a days worth of food on me, and to wash my clothes more frequently instead of packing an additional set. Since my bike doesn't have capability to carry paniers I've gone with a trailer.  I purchased a BOB YAK trailer with a single tire that looks like it will do the trick of carrying my cargo easily, although it does look small.

This post is longer then most but for anyone else who is planning a tour a lsit like this will help a lot.And crazily even though the list looks long the weight of the bag isn't so bad.  Its important to choose light weight items where ever possible.

Bike Related

• Bike
• Emergency Bag (patch kit, multi-wrench & spare tire), make sure the glue has not dried up.
• Trailer (or saddle bags)
• Trailer Bag (waterproof)
• Tire pump
• Head lamp (with fresh batteries)
• Lock (key type - not combination)
• Rear Lamp Light (with fresh batteries)
• Helmet
• Camel bag or water bottles

Spare Parts

• 1 - Fold-able bike tire
• 1 - spare trailer tire (16 x 1.75")
• Tubes for bike (2) and trailer (1)
• Spare batteries (if required)
• Chain lube

Biking Clothing

• 2 - jersey (3 pairs if you want less times washing)
• 2 - padded bike shorts (3 pairs if you want less times washing)
• 3 - pairs socks
• 1 - pair leggings or pants (I prefer leggings as they hardly take any space)
• 1 - water tight shell (for rain and windy cold days)
• 1 - biking shoes with cleats
• 3 - pairs no seam underwear
• 1 - long sleeve jersey (optional, but handy if its colder)
• cycling gloves
• sunglasses

Non Biking clothes

• 1 - Shoes / sandals
• 2 - t-shirts

Hygiene / Medical

• shampoo & container
• soap bar & soap container
• wash cloth
• toothbrush & tooth paste
• sunscreen lotion
• bug repellent
• razor
• small roll - toilet paper
• small towel
• advil
• medications
• bandaids

Camp Related

• tent - small lightweight personal sleeping bag (water repellent with inside over zippers) as light as possible
• sleeping bag stuff sack (stuffed with clothes to be a pillow)
• sleeping pad
• 5 - 1.5 m locking straps.
• small cook stove
• utensils
• water filtration tables
• matches and match container
• dish soap and cloth
• Hunting knife / Leather man
• Plastic bowl (handy for so many things from ceaning to cooking)

Food - Riding

• Beef Jerky
• Dried Fruit
• Nuts
• Tuna meals
• Energy Gels
• Protien bars

Food - Camp

• Rolled oats w/ in a plastic bag
• Brown Sugar .in a plastic bag

Other

• Cash  / Visa
• Maps
• Pen and small pad of paper
• Bible and or another book to read.
• Proof of heath insurance
• Camera (small) & charger
• Cell phone & charger
• mp3 player  & charger (hopefully same charger for all 3)

Some people will take along the following as well.  Depending on your trip you may want to consider these items:

Optional Bike Related

• 15 mm cone wrench
• Chain tool
• Spoke wrench
• Cassette tool to unscrew cogs
• Spare spokes, two of each length
• Spare brake and shift cables
• Cable Ties

Other Optional

• Padlock for campground lockers (or hostel lockers.

Test

• Trailer Loaded with Bike
• Weight of load, and packing of load, needs to be balanced.

Advil is for mornings and evenings.  In the morning to help with any left over aches n pains as well as cramping.  And the same in the evening so its easier to get the needed sleep.


Band-aids are for blisters most likely or small cuts.  Anything bigger will have to be dealt with with aid from others.  When biking you are really restricted on what you can bring and you can not carry everything you will need for EVERY possible event that could happen.  Its better to plan for the likely events and adapt as required. 


I was going to build a solar charging unit for my phone / music player, but it didn't work so I was going to buy one, with only a couple days before I leave and lack of time to really try thhem out I've decided to hold off on the solar charger.  Its a neat idea but it seems that many of them aren't as great as they sound.  So plan B will be to scrounge up a MP3 player as they will go for 30+ hours.  And I should easily be in power range at least every couple days.  My phone I will leave off except for phone calls or blog updates, this will allow me to keep it charged for a few days as well between charges.  The nice thing about this plan is that I will actually carry less weight as a mp3 player is much lighter/smaller then a solar panel.


I am not taking a lot of foood with me, which can really add up in weight, but it also means I need to find a grocery store quite frequently.  Pert of the problem is I am not sure what I want to take with me for food.

Nanton - Chain Lakes (re-living the memories)

Yesterday I had an opportunity to bike the daunting section of the R2CC 2010 ride I did a few weeks back.  I felt it would give me a good feel to how some of the mountain sections would be and also and to tell if I've gotten any stronger since last time I did this section.  

Here is the map of the Nanton - Chain Lakes - Nanton trip we did.  http://beta.mapmyride.com/route/detail/20248692/ 

So the ride was good, although we started a little later then expected we had planned for a 10am start, but didn't get going till nearly 11.  We took it easy, and I let Peter lead so I didn't push myself  and we got to Chain Lakes by 2, so it took 3 hours to get there with breaks.  I have to say I took more time to enjoy the scenery this time, it was very beautiful.  It was blue skies most of the way there, but became cloudy with threatening clouds for the return trip. 

Return trip was faster as we left Chain Lakes about 2:30 and got back to the vehicles in Nanton by 4:30. That massive hill we climbed and climbed and climbed at R2CC is a really really long enjoyable ride down, which is great!  Really makes you realize how long of a climb it really was.  We did have a head wind for the last stretch to Nanton which was a little sad as I was expecting a nice easy finish.  

I did notice that overall I took less breaks and had a faster pace yesterday then during the R2CC which means I have.

Total trip is 77km, so not a great average time  but when you consider that there is total 650m climb involved it makes it seem a little more reasonable.  I think I am ready physically for my trip next week... only 8 days remaining but so much to still do to get ready. 

And we are already talking about doing the Nanton - Chain Lakes ride again in August, probably late August or early September (I do need to take a little time off after I return).   I think I will email the Cenovus R2CC team when its closer as there may be another crazy person out there interested in joining us.    

My next blog entry will focus on my  preparations, what I'll be taking with me and why I made the selections I have.And hoeflly I've selected wisely as its a little hard to come home and pick up that really important item when I am 4 days into my ride. 

Please support Prostate Cancer Research as 1 in 6 men will get it in their life. Click the image or the link below.




http://www.conquercancer.ca/site/TR?px=2361639&pg=personal&fr_id=1372

Cold Feet

You know its not only bride and grooms that get cold feet, mine have been getting cold too.  Last couple days the temperature has plummeted but that hasn't been what has made my feet cold.  It's only days away from my ride, 15 and counting, and I'm starting to question my sanity.  I am sure many of you have already been questioning my sanity all along. 

Yesterday I watched as it poured buckets of water and pummeled cars and the building with golf ball sized hail. All the while I was thinking holey crap where would I take cover in such a deluge while biking!!!! And then on my drive home from Sorrento while passing through Rogers Pass - Revelstoke I kept looking at all that long unrelenting mountain I would have to be climbing.  

I must be crazy! I also know that I did bike from Nanton to Chain Lakes and that was also a brutal stretch of road, so I have that comfort to fall back on. Having done something similar once does easy the panic, and one of my motto's of "baby steps" also comes to mind every time I start to get overwhelmed.  I can always stop, I can always walk, and I can take more time if I need to, tackling a major mission like a 2 week bike ride is one that needs to be broken down into days, and then each day may be tackled peddle by peddle.  

This is the same approach cancer patients have to approach life, they need to accept their reality, determine a game plan and then methodically work through it, doing their therapies and working trough the recovery of each treatment.  All the while accepting that they can beat cancer because so many people have provided the funds for research to make it possible to win.  It's not a guarantee that their cancer can be overcome but with each year and each fund raiser the odds of winning have increased.  

Please share my journey with friends and family, with 1 in 6 mend being diagnosed with Prostate Cancer I know that at least one man you know will be struck by this.

Please support Prostate Cancer Research as 1 in 6 men will get it in their life. Click the image or the link below.



http://www.conquercancer.ca/site/TR?px=2361639&pg=personal&fr_id=1372

Week of R & R

So after the grueling weekend of biking I went on holidays to the Shuswap with my kids.  We stayed at Sorrento Centre where the kids hung out and spent a lot of time with the the other kids in the youth programs. Most other adults there were involved in the adult oriented programs, but I had other plans. My week of R & R was a week of riding and running.

After making breakfast I would head off on a bike ride up the back roads around Sorrento, some days I would stop and take pictures of interesting places or animals.  It was a very hot week with some days reaching 38 C which is very hot for me.  All my rides started with a 4 km hill that got me working hard and then the ride became a set of gentle rolling hills with a great view of the farms and orchards.  By Friday, which was the hottest day, I was biking to Tappen and back which is a 50km trip, with steep hills at both ends of the ride.  

I tested out my new water pack which worked really well. The water stayed cold/cool which surprised me.  And I carried along my camera a few camera lens just to add weight to the trek, and you never know when a great photo moment will occur.  

Each night I also ran with my dog which he greatly enjoyed.  I started with a 30 min run the first night and then bumped it up to 60 min runs the remaining evenings.  By Friday I had made significant improvement in the distance I was running in 30 minutes, as after 30 min I'd turn around and head back to the dog kennel to drop of my Lab.  

I do have to say that I have had many moments where I think i might be crazy to be doing this ride to Vancouver.  That its impossible and thus ridiculous for me to even bother with trying to do.  I know coming home I looked at the grade (6%) and trhe length of hills from Rogers Pass to Revelstoke (50k) and that made me really wonder what am I getting myself into.  Once the moments of fear pass I know I can do it, I just have to break it down into little steps.   It is going to be a very difficult ride both physically and mentally. The mental part is already starting with all te self-doubt I have been feeling the past couple weeks but I know that if I loose that part then I won't make it.  

Please support my ride either through donations to Prostate Cancer or by sharing my journey with others.  Its important that more money is raised for prostate cancer as it affects 1 in 6 men.

Please support Prostate Cancer Research as 1 in 6 men will get it in their life. Click the image or the link below.



http://www.conquercancer.ca/site/TR?px=2361639&pg=personal&fr_id=1372