Messages

106

General Discussion / Re: Opinions wanted: Traveling the Southern Tier alone as a young woman

« on: March 22, 2014, 08:00:39 pm »

I'd say 'go for it'.  I run into Lone Lady Riders frequently and I am always amazed at their ability to take on the world.  Try to stay on the ACA routes and you will see plenty of other riders.  I've never run into an unsafe situation on tour and in speaking to women riders, they haven't either.  But if you were my daughter, I'd want you to carry pepper spray in your handlebar bag.  If you have the means, pick up a SPOT CONNECT satellite-tracker, too.
Plan your route far ahead.  Use Warmshowers and Couchsurfing whenever you can.  You meet the best people!
Safe Riding.

107

General Discussion / Re: Mailing drop boxes to be held at post offices?

« on: March 22, 2014, 07:45:55 pm »

All the above is correct but check with your shipper.  If you are ordering something, be sure and tell them to ship it USPS.  UPS and Fed-Ex don't ship to the post office.  ...I found out the hard way.

108

General Discussion / New Tool For Planning Your Tour

« on: March 22, 2014, 07:42:00 pm »

New tool for planning your tour.
I enjoy sharing my on-tour experiences on Facebook with updated photos and brief stories while pedaling my route. One thing followers have been asking for is a 'single-click to see' zoom map where they may pinpoint my location on the road while also looking at the route ahead to where I am going, and even looking back to where I have already been.
Google Maps Engine Lite is free and fills that purpose very well. After playing with it for awhile, I purchased the Pro version which allows for much more information to be included. ($5 per month) I'm still playing with it but it will also import data from Google Drive where I keep a spreadsheet of my host information and overnight stays.
It requires some work during the planning phase but later while traveling, it just takes a little wifi now and then to keep up and make adjustments. All I have to figure out now is how to import it to my Garmin GPS unit. ...See my 2014 in-progress tour map below.

https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zobmp9RdFhRI.k2SE9GEV_SHI

109

General Discussion / Re: bike tour spring summer 2014 questions

« on: February 06, 2014, 06:05:05 pm »

Don't worry about it, that's wasted effort.  Your body is the result of thousands of years of evolution and will make the best of what it is fed.  Eat whatever your body tells you it wants when on a high calorie burn trip.  It will use every smidgen.

110

General Discussion / Re: Newb, feeling over whelmed by planning process. where/how to start???

« on: February 06, 2014, 05:59:43 pm »

In planning, you have to determine your methods of travel, first.   My desire is to stay with as many hosts as possible.  Others may be loners and would rather not plan but camp on the fly.  To me the hosts make the trip.
Below is my method, but everyone has their own ideas.
1.  Draw a general line on a map that defines your direction of travel from point A to B.
2.  Select a town or general area on either side of that line every thirty to fifty miles as an over night stop.  (This gives me time to get to know my hosts and maybe look around a bit)  If you are young, you are going to travel lighter, faster and farther, and only be concerned with the end goal.  The older the wiser.  I don't want to miss anything in-between.
3.  Use Warmshowers, Couchsurfers and Tripping websites to locate and arrange overnight hosts in overnight stop areas.
4.  Contact governmental State and City Tourism Departments for their bicycle and state road maps and side trip sites.
5.  Use Google Drive to create an systematic on-line spreadsheet of all pertinent data that your laptop/phone can access at anytime.
I organize my rides months in advance.  In 2013, I traveled 7,000 miles and stayed with 127 hosts that I will never forget.  I owe the overall success of my trip to prior planning.
Hope this helps.
Jack

111

General Discussion / Re: Hosting - WarmShowers

« on: February 06, 2014, 05:04:00 pm »

Dear Day Tripper: 

You are what this website is all about.  Graciousness and hospitality are contagious, didn't you know?  Those you help never forget and always pass it on ten-fold.

Thanks for all you do.

Jack

112

General Discussion / Re: What's on your cycling bucket list? Bike rides to do before you die.

« on: January 09, 2014, 11:03:54 pm »

Thanks for the invite, but I did Maine last year.  It's beautiful and gorgeous and you should have a great time.

113

General Discussion / Re: Hosting - WarmShowers

« on: January 05, 2014, 11:49:51 pm »

Warmshowers and Couchsurfers are the two hospitality organizations that make my bicycle tours more than I could have ever imagined.  The people make the 'ride' for me.  I have asked every host I stay with if they have ever had a problem with visitors.  None have.  In fact, most say that the experience continuously changes their lives for the better.  And most are acting as hosts because of the enjoyment and inspiration they receive from their guests.  I stayed with more than 100 hosts in 2013 alone.

114

General Discussion / Re: Safe Places to Park My Gear

« on: January 03, 2014, 10:11:33 am »

Keeping the bike parked within the sight of a clerk or ticket taker was always my goal.  I never had the feeling it was for security reasons that they were saying no.  It was the annoyance of me wanting to stretch the rules.
There was the Greatest Show on Earth circus museum in Baraboo, WI where they sternly asked me to move my bike away from the door.  I was one of the very few customers as the season had just ended.  The officious woman there gave in, only because I told her I had to leave if my equipment would be in an unsafe situation.  But she made sure to let me know that she wasn't one bit happy about it. 
But the most representative instance was at a Dollar Tree store where I wanted to pick up some reading glasses.  The strip mall had a number of thug-type characters hanging around just outside the door.  The building itself had columns out front that were too large to fit my bike lock cable, and there was nothing else out there, not even a trash can.  I looked inside the store and there was a large open space just to the left of the door.  I went in and informed the girl of my plight and asked if I could bring my bike inside.  I told her I would only be in the store a few minutes.  She said she would have to get the asst. manager.  I then explained my situation to that person and he said he was going to have to ask the manager.  When I repeated my story once again to the manager, he would not give me permission to bring the bike inside.  He said there was not enough room.  ...I had to laugh.  I was the only customer and no more in sight.  Many of these situations have to do with who is in charge.  They may be IQ challenged.

115

General Discussion / Re: What's on your cycling bucket list? Bike rides to do before you die.

« on: January 02, 2014, 02:53:46 pm »

At 70, I try to keep my expectations lower, but I do have some particular places that move me which will highlight my bike tour this coming season.  The bad-ass Badlands of South Dakota, the Continental Divides in the Tetons, the Cascades, and the Pacific Coast Highway from Monterey to Moro Bay.  Then next year, I am looking at the Grand Canyon rim and Monument Valley among others.  ...There is so much that I haven't seen in the USA.  The more I ride, the more I don't feel the need to go outside our borders.  This is one, big, beautiful country.

116

General Discussion / Re: Florida-traffic on connector and coast routes

« on: January 02, 2014, 02:37:11 pm »

I took A1A (beach roads) all the way up from Key West this year to Maine.  Usually flat, little traffic, and lots of wide shoulders.  It was very scenic and surprisingly undeveloped.  Much of the coastline is set-aside.  I was really surprised.  And the views were gorgeous.

117

General Discussion / Re: Heading West in May, Advice Appreciated!

« on: January 02, 2014, 02:30:50 pm »

(I tried to put a longer post here.  There must be limits)  The toughest part of a ride is to keep a journal to share with others.  It takes time and effort, and also locating wifi hook-ups.  As a journal, I posted daily captioned photos to Facebook, over a thousand of them to explain where I was, the things I saw. and the folks I met.  My family loved it and it made them less concerned for my safety.  I also had a satellite tracker that showed them in near real time exactly where I was on a Google map that they could use on Facebook.
So get ready for the most fun and interesting event of your life.  One never knows what is just over the next rise or around the next bend.  ...If you like, check out my website for in-progress maps for my upcoming western ride.  And good luck.  https://jacksvelosafari.shutterfly.com/

118

General Discussion / Re: Advice or Feedback for Pacific Highway Cycle 2014

« on: January 02, 2014, 02:24:48 pm »

I heard that they are closing some of the low cost campsites along the PCH due to bums invading them.  Is this true?

119

General Discussion / Safe Places to Park My Gear

« on: January 02, 2014, 01:04:02 pm »

I recently returned from celebrating my 70th year with a solo 7,000 mile bicycle loop through the eastern USA and Canada.  I had a magnificent trip with only one annoying on-going problem that I would like to share.  When visiting National Park tourist attractions with a fully geared down bike, most places had no place for me to safely stow my rig.
For example, the Fort at St. Augustine, FL where many lower tier rides start and terminate, the policy is for bicycles to park in the parking lot which appeared to me to be an open invitation to thieves.  After spending time talking to the Park Ranger, he looked around for his boss, winked his eye and told me to park it on the side of the ticket station up near the fort which made me feel much better.  I was able to go inside and spend some time checking things out.
The NASA Visitor Center at Titusville, FL was not so friendly.  They wanted me to park in the motorcycle parking lot which was out of sight of the center entrance.  The place is set up like an amusement park and the line of ticket kiosks act as a barrier to anyone sneaking in.  I asked if I might park my bike just inside the center where there was an unused wide open area.  This felt pretty safe to me being inside the gates.  They would not work with me at all on the situation and I had to ride away without being able to visit the museum.  I had gone miles out of my way on dangerous no-shoulder roads to get there and remember well the way I felt.
In Philadelphia, PA I wanted to see the Liberty Bell.  A Park guard stood there at the entrance where there was a long line to get in, but he wouldn't let me park my bike near him even after I explained the value of all the gear and my plight.
This sort of thing happened a lot.  One can lock his bike, but not the gear on board, and I carry lots of stuff.  This year (2014) I am attempting a ride through the Pacific Northwest.  As I plan my trip, I'm going to write to the places of interest and explain my plight.  Maybe I can get some better cooperation that way.

120

Classifieds / Re: FS: Bob Beckman Expediton Panniers for sale

« on: January 29, 2013, 08:48:11 pm »

Dear Sirs:
I am interested in the panniers but I couldn't find a website to learn about them.  I have three questions.
1.  Are they for sure waterproof?
2.  Will they fit?  I have a REI Novara Safari that comes with a rear rack.  I added an Old Man Mountain front rack.
3.  The handlebar bag looks huge.  Is that two of them?  Maybe what I need are better pictures.  I hope to hear from you.
Jack Day