Tag: gear

cycling

What’s in my (saddle) bag?

It’s two weeks before my departure to Utah, and my body feels like it will likely be in sufficiently good condition to handle the rigors of the 13 or so days of pedaling over four mountain ranges I’m about tackle  But there are other things to get ready before I depart, the most important of which are probably the bike itself (of which more in a later post) and then all of the stuff I need to take with me either on my body, on my bike or in my saddle bags.  So in the tradition of a certain CEO, I thought I’d provide a look at what exactly I’ll be dragging around with me on this voyage. In what follows I’ve tried to account for all of the objects I’ll be transporting — everything except my body and the bicycle.  The lone exception — I think —  is the bicycle pump I use, which happens to be mounted to the frame.  So without further ado, here’s what’s coming with me.

Mostly on my body or bike:

bikepacking.001

  1. Bern Brentwood Zip Mold helmet with visor (XXL — apparently my head is massive.)
  2. bike gloves
  3. Novara quick-dry bike socks
  4. Louis Garneau Nova riding vest
  5. Novara cycling rain jacket
  6. jerseys
  7. Novara panniers with rain fly
  8. swimming trunks (I’m going to some hot springs, and I jump in rivers)
  9. lightweight underwear
  10. Patagonia lightweight down hoody jacket (cold mornings, > 5000 ft passes)
  11. flipflops
  12. Shimano CT71 click’r bike shoes
  13. bike hat, warm hat
  14. 2 pairs bike shorts
  15. FitBit surge
  16. “town” pants for days off (Bluffworks)
  17. Gym shorts (to sleep in)
  18. Tesla under-layer compression shirts and pants

Mostly not on my body:

bikepacking.002

  1. 13” MacBook Pro (I’m going to work for 4 of the days I’m on the road.)
  2. Aquaquest dry bag for MBP and iPad — in case my bag falls in a river
  3. iPhone 6
  4. iPad Air 2
  5. Purist water bottles
  6. Toiletries
  7. under-seat tool case
  8. Rivbos removable-lens cycling glasses, bag, extra lenses
  9. take-a-look rear-view mirror (attaches to glasses — extremely important safety item)
  10. Chamois butt’r (don’t ask)
  11. laundry kit (for doing laundry in the sink)
  12. Jetpack charger
  13. Gu emergency nutrition (prevents bonking)
  14. Havit bluetooth earbuds
  15. Apple earbuds (for when the Havit ones are charging)
  16. Zilu 5-usb charger
  17. power cords and chargers etc
  18. wallet
  19. first-aid kit
  20. kryptonite light-weight lock
  21. journal, pens
  22. spare tubes
  23. tire irons
  24. Portland Design Works shiny object CO2 inflator and cartridges
  25. multi-tool
  26. allen keys
  27. patch kit
  28. rear light (not going to be riding at night, but just in case)

Actually pulling out all of this gear and listing it makes me aware of how much I’m planning to take … this is probably a good thing, since I think that over-packing is a much bigger threat than under-packing for these sorts of trips.  Though I’ll be in some remote places, I have to remember that the high plains of Oregon and Idaho are a far cry from the ends of the earth.  Rather, my packing philosophy is based around avoiding manageable bike-disasters (which really equates to dealing with flats quickly), staying warm and being able to work and stay in contact from the road.  One thing I don’t have to worry about is camping — and that’s because I won’t be doing any.  Deciding to “credit-card” it (ie:  sleep in motels of various kinds) subtracts a lot of weight from the bicycle — no tent, sleeping bag and the like.

cycling

Saddle

When riding for a long time or for many days on end, it’s important to get a few things right.  One of those is to choose the right kind of saddle.  (And just a note here for the un-bicycley, it is saddle and not seat.).  Making a poor chose in this department can result in miles and hours of discomfort in the form of really bad pain and chaffing and other physical problems specific to men which I won’t go into here.  Paying top dollar for a good saddle is almost always worth it for anyone who will spend a significant amount of time riding, and I say this as someone who really isn’t a believer in always buying the “best” components.

Here’s my new saddle, the Brooks Cambium C17.


I’ve long coveted one of Brooks traditional touring saddles, all of which are made of leather.  A leather saddle has the nearly unique characteristic of conforming to the shape of your body in the way that other saddles don’t.  The result is a ride that is way more comfortable over many miles and hours.  But what has always me back (aside from the significant price tag) is the fact that leather saddles are sensitive to weather, and can be damaged by repeated exposure to rain.  Given where I live and my level of dedication to keeping my bike dry (nil) owning one always seemed like a poor idea.  That’s why the C17 is so rad.  Same butt-conforming properties and comfort, but it’s made out of rubber and a denim-like fabric that render it waterproof.

I’ve been on this saddle for just over a week now, and have put perhaps 80-100 miles on it.  There’s a “break in” period of about 100 miles for these sorts of saddles, which means mine is just at the point of reaching its proper shape.  At first I thought the saddle felt harder than my previous synthetic one — my first couple of rides ended with more soreness and a bit of disappointment.  But after my last ride (just last night, 22 miles over 1.5 hours) I started to feel it.  I wasn’t sore at all, and I have a sense now when I get on the bike that there’s a sweet spot where my body just fits on the bike.  Later this week I’ll have the chance to try it out over a longer ride of perhaps 3 hours, but so far I’m very happy with this saddle.