Gear Review: Double leg kickstand

The Esge/SKS double leg kickstand is a wonderful, wonderful thing. Why would I buy a $40-50 kickstand you ask? (By the way, is that price SHOCKING or what? A regular kickstand is $7 for goodness sakes!)



A double leg kickstand keeps the bike straight up and down (not leaning like a traditional one leg kickstand) and fully lifts one wheel off the ground. This is the.best.thing.ever. when cycle touring because:

1. The alternatives (no kickstand or a one legged kickstand) are nothing but a lesson in frustration. You'll either be constantly finding something to lean your bike against or laying it on the ground (picking a loaded bike up off the ground is annoying) or worse, having it constantly fall over when you try in vain to get a one legged kickstand to hold the weight of a bike with loaded panniers.
2. It makes it oh-so-easy to get your bags on and off the racks
3. Because it's free standing, can provide full 360 degree access to any part of the bike.
4. Because one wheel is lifted off the ground tuning the gears and lubing the chain is a snap.
5. It performs admirably even on uneven ground and soft ground since it doesn't depend on leaning.

This kickstand is not for everyone. I've heard that it doesn't fit on all bikes (although both my Trek FX and MM's Surly Long Haul Trucker were just fine). If you aren't touring it probably doesn't make sense to drop $50 and add more weight than you'd expect to keep your bike vertical. But if you are bike touring, I wouldn't leave home without it.

Anyone out there a kickstand lover like me? In the race obsessed cycling world it's not a popular choice, but I'll dare to be different on this one.

To plan or not to plan: that is the question

Some people are planners, some prefer to fly by the seat of their pants. I fall squarely into the planning category. I love to plan. I relish it. I'm one of those people who gets almost as much enjoyment out of planning the trip as they do from following the carefully laid plan...umm, I mean going on the trip.


BUT - I have planned enough to know that there are times when planning really hinders more than it helps. While on a backpacking trip I plan carefully (what I'll eat for each meal, where I'll camp each night) but on this biking trip I put the planning on hold.


If you are biking the Oregon Coast I'd suggest that you consider leaving a few items open to fate. Here a list of what I planned carefully as well as a list of what I just made up as I went along.


Items the I planned carefully:

• Map - having a great bike map like the one from Cycle Adventures was one of the big reasons that I didn't need to plan too much. The route is clearly laid out along with hill profiles and narratives to make surer you don't miss a turn. And it gives you all the info about campsite locations and town amenities that you could need.
• Money - And I don't just mean budgeting in advance to make sure you've saved up enough money for the trip. The Oregon Coast is full of small towns and you'll run into many places that are cash only. Meanwhile, the variety of banks available isn't great. If you're with Bank of Astoria or US Bank you'll be fine, but if not considering bringing cash with you to avoid ATM fees.
• Off bike transportation - we carefully planned how we would get to our starting place and how we would get home from our ending place. This was significantly more difficult than we thought it would be, so make sure you think about this ahead of time (expect a full post on this in the near future).
• Packing - every pound counts so consider every item carefully before you put it in your bag.
• Training - make sure to practice some tour-like riding before you actually head out. Not only will you be on a bike for hours in a day, you'll be doing it again the next day. And the next. You'll enjoy the trip more if you aren't aching with pain for the first five days.

But for the following items I found it better to go with the flow:

• Where to sleep - not only did the bike map outline all the campsites along the way, but the Oregon Coast seems to have a campsite every 15 miles! On top of that they always have space for bikers, so there's no need to make reservations. Keeping your daily destination flexible means that you can take advantage of unexpected events along the way (like stopping for the annual Pirate Treasure Hunt in Depot Bay or riding an awesome tailwind a few extra miles).
• What to eat - it's strange for me not to think about this because it's one of my biggest planning item on a backpacking trip. But my absolute favorite thing about cycle touring is that eateries, grocery stores, cafes, markets, and convenience stores abound! Finally you get to eat the way you want to when you are exercising all day. The Oregon Coast is studded with quirky diners and fantastic coffee shops. Ask the locals for advice - especially the guys at the bike shops. They never steered us wrong.
• What to do/see - One of the cool things about the Oregon Coast is that it was developed back in the heyday of road tripping. Therefore, you can learn about pretty much anything cool (festivals, markets, attractions, view points, beaches) right from the road. On top of that, the 101 acts as a main drag for most of the towns that it goes through so you'll find yourself right in the middle of the action pretty much wherever you go. Having a sight or event in mind is great, but don't feel like you have to drive yourself crazy figuring out all the best things to do in advance.

Are you a meticulous planner or do you like to leave your options open? Do you ever find that there's a benefit from abandoning your typical style?

Bike Trip Packing List

"You can't travel happy, heavy, and cheap. Pick two."

Rick Steves really says it all for me with that quote. For years I've prided myself on traveling light and, lucky for me, MM subscribes to the same mantra. Not only does traveling light make it easier to get around cheaply, it makes me HAPPY. Happy because I'm not slogging up hill with 45 pounds of gear on my bike (or back, or whatever) and happy because it makes me feel free from my all the Stuff that clutters up my life.

This is what MM and my bikes looked like on our week long tour of the Oregon Coast. My bike is the one with the blue bags, his has the black.



Not bad, right? I can sure tell you that we seemed to have a LOT less stuff than many others on the road. No trailer, no front panniers, no giant rear rack. We actually fit all of our stuff into two panniers each (each bag had a 40-43L capacity) and a few things on top of the back rack - namely the tent, MM's running shoes, and a bag for carrying groceries.

So for those of you who enjoy packing lists, here's what we brought!

Bags and packing gear

• 2 rear panniers each
• 1 handlebar bag each
• Assorted bungee cords. The bungee net was our favorite.
• A couple carabiners
• Extra bag to carry groceries. We used a zippered cooler bag which was unnecessary. An empty sleeping bag sack would have been just great.

Bike Gear

• Rear racks
• Standard tool kit - multi tool, tire irons, patch kit
• 2 tubes each
• 2 portable pumps
• Chain Lube
• *note* we meant to bring some extra cables and a small wrench but we never got around to it.

Camp stuff

• Sleeping bags. To save bulk and weight we brought summer bags.
• Sleep pads
• Tent
• Dry bag. Since the tent was on top of the rack instead of in our panniers we kept it in the dry bag to keep it from being rained on during the day. This ended up being very valuable. You could probably achieve the same thing with a heavy duty garbage bag if you don't happen to have a drybag of the correct size.
• Backpacking stove
• 3 small canisters of fuel. We only used one, this was far too much since we didn't cook often.
• 2 Lexan bowls
• 1 heat proof spatula
• 2 spoons
• 1 camping knife
• 2 mugs
• 1 cooking pan with handle
• Lighter and matches
• Headlamp with extra batteries
• Mini first aid kit

Bike Specific Clothes

• Helmet
• Gloves
• 1 pair Bike shorts

Clothes - packed into a packing cube that keeps things organized and doubled as a pillow

• 2 shirts
• 1 fleece jacket
• 1 water resistant biking jacket
• 1 pair fleece pants
• 1 pair normal shorts
• Long johns and thin t-shirt to sleep in
• Socks/undies/sports bras
• Bathing suit
• Sarong (luxury item, more to come on this)

Shoes

• Riding shoes (that's runners for me, real riding shoes for MM)
• Flip flops
• MM brought a pair of runners as well but since his riding shoes are a comfortable XC mountain bike style he didn't actually need them.

Accessories

• Camera and battery charger
• Sunglasses
• Map and directions
• Mini wallet
• Cell phone and charger

Toiletries - packed into a large Ziplock bag

• Mini towel. I like the 12" x 14" sweat towel type.
• Hand sanitizer
• Chap stick
• Hair elastics
• Sunscreen
• Contact solution/case/extra lenses/glasses
• Toothbrush/paste/mouthwash
• Toilet paper in Ziplock bag
• Body wash, shampoo, conditioner
• Pain killers

The italicized items only came with me because we had access to actual showers and real bathrooms. I don't take them on backcountry trips.

Regardless of whether we were going for a week or two months, I wouldn't have packed anything more. There are always Laundromats available and if we ended up needing anything else we could always stop in at a store and buy it.

Is there anything else you'd suggest to bring on a biking trip? Anything you think I over packed on? Do you have any stories about packing too much for a trip or converting to the packing light lifestyle?

Gear Hack: A handlebar purse

While bike touring I decided that I'd keep all my MVI (most valuable items) in my handlebar bag. That way not only are they handy, they are also easy to grab and take with me whenever I leave my bike, thus keeping them a little more secure (go on, steal my stinky socks, I dare you! But the credit card stays by my side). The only problem is that I have to carry the thing around by hand, which is a little annoying.

So before embarking on my trip I created a handy shoulder strap that could be attached to my bag. My first gear hack! It's simple, it's easy, and it's just common sense - but aren't these the qualities of some of the best things in life?

Steps

• Buy four feet of webbing off the spool from your favorite gear shop. I prefer webbing over other rope because it's nice and smooth. Cost ~$2.50 Or better yet, if you have something appropriate lying around just use that.
• Tie ends of webbing together with the secure knot of your choice. I used a fisherman's knot. And by "I" obviously I mean that I had MM do it. He's much more knowledgeable about knots being a climber and all.
• When in use, loop the webbing through the velcro on the bar bag.
• When not in use, store inside the bar bag.

So there you have it, just a simple gear hack that any of you intelligent people could have thought up on your own, but something you might want to consider before heading out on a tour. I really did find this to be sooooo useful.

Cycle Touring: Oregon Coast Itinerary

I'm back from Oregon! And as expected, I had a fabulous time. The views were amazing, the road was great, the people were friendly, and our legs didn't get too sore. And if you can believe it we went the whole tour with not even as much as a flat tire! The biking gods were with us.

Many biking related posts are forthcoming, but I thought it was only logical to start off with my full itinerary. The route we followed can be found on the Adventure Cycling bike map (which is fabulous, by the way).

Day 1: Drive from northern Washington to Portland. Spend a fabulous night enjoying Portland;

Day 2: Participate in the Providence Bridge Pedal with 20,000 other cyclists (25 miles). More on that here. Drive to Cannon Beach. Park the car and start biking. Camp for the night in Nehalem State Park in Manzanita (15 miles). Memorable mention: the banana bread at Manzanita's market.

Day 3: Bike from Nehalem to Cape Lookout State Park. (49 miles) Memorable mention: Strolling the stormy beach and exploring the sea caves at Cape Lookout with hot tea in hand.

Day 4: Bike from Cape Lookout State Park to Depot Bay (53 miles). We stayed in a motel due to rain. Memorable mention: the cafe beside the Cape Kiwanda Inn has a cozy couch, communal computer, and AMAZING panini.

Day 5: Bike from Depot Bay to Yachats. (39 miles) Another motel due to LOTS of rain. Don't worry, I've wiped the rain from my mind. Memorable mention: the friendly bike fiends at Bike Newport invite weary bike tourers to use their lounge and dryer.

Day 6: Bike from Yachats to Honeyman State Park. (33 miles) Memorable mention: Walking the beach and hiking the lighthouse trail at Carl G. Washburne State park.

Day 7: Bike from Honeyman State Park to Coos Bay where we stayed with a friend. (48 miles inc a detour) Memorable mention: heading out on a dune buggy ride with Sandland Adventures just south of Florence.

Day 8: Catch a ride from Coos Bay all the way back to Cannon Beach. Pick up car and drive to Seaside and Astoria. Park outside Fort Stevens State Park near Astoria and ride bikes in to camp for the night. Memorable mention: counting the bike tourers that seemed too few and far between while we covered six days worth of biking in four hours.

Day 9: Drive back to northern Washington.


262 miles in total over the course of 6 biking days for a pleasant average of 44 miles per day. And besides a little rain, it really couldn't have gone better.

I have posts planned to tell you about everything from the awesomeness of Portland's Bridge Ride to planning tips to the gear we packed. Stay tuned!

Biking the Oregon Coast

I'm off to bike the Oregon Coast for a week with Mountain Man. This is our rough itinerary:

Saturday: Drive to Portland and check out the sites. Stay in Portland for night.
Sunday: Drive to Cannon Beach. Start Biking
Monday - Friday: Keep peddling south. We plan to cover about 230 miles which is a leisurely 40 miles per day.
Saturday: Catch a ride from Coos Bay back to Cannon Beach in the am, possibly more biking in the afternoon.
Sunday: loooooong drive home.

Wish me luck! I'll be sure to let you know how it goes!