More specifically, all my "stuff" for our five day, 509 km (315 mi) trek all the way across the State of California along old Route 66 from Santa Monica Beach in Los Angeles to the Colorado River near the city of Needles must fit into the two bags draped over my rear wheel, and the small bag that sits on the rack just above the rear wheel (in between the tops of the aforementioned two bags), and the even smaller bag that hangs from my handle bar, and the even smallest bag that attaches to the bottom of my bike seat. And if needed, I can fill up and sling on my my backpack.
First step in this logistics experiment is to gather up all my "bike trip gear" and place it in one location. This location will be our queen size bed. (Deb is at the brokers office today so I can get away with this.)
Utilizing an equipment list that has been created and refined by two previous major rides -- (Our de Anza trek from Tubac, Arizona to Ocotillo, California, March 2012, and our Arizona Route 66 trip from Prescott/Ashfork, Arizona to the Colorado River (Pirate Cove) near Needles, Arizona; lots of blogs on these adventures previously posted on this site) -- I scampered through the house collecting and checking off my equipment list the items retrieved.
You can see a picture or these items strewn about the bed. Not every item on the "must have" list is present. You won't see my toothbrush. (I have to purchase one of those travel brushes at Wal Mart.) Nor will you see three very very important items -- my sleeping bag (A new felt bag. Guaranteed by Bro Mark "to do the job," although I don't think he has actually field tested this smaller, lightweight type bag before) and my tent (Ordered from REI and shipped to Prescott, Arizona and waiting for me there. A supposedly lightweight tent) and my ground cover (nowadays called a "footprint") for my tent.
Other than those items, pretty much every thing is here. (If you are really curious and just have to know exactly what I am taking, check out a previous blog related to this topic http://bikebruce.blogspot.ca/2012/08/what-i-take-on-long-bike-ride.html.)
So now I was curious as to how everything would fit in my assortment of bags. So Marian (my daughter and assistant for this experiment) started stuffing my stuff in my bags. We weren't overly concerned about what went in which bag. I'll tweak that detail closer to trip departure.
Every piece of equipment fit into the bags, with room to spare. But I have no doubt that such space will be easily occupied by sleeping bag, ground cover, and tent (and extra water bottles, etc.)
First experiment a success!
My next logistical equipment experiment (or hope, at least, given the unrelenting Canadian winter we are experiencing these days): Place these loaded bags on my bike and pedal the 85 km (53 mi) to my kids' home in the town of Goderich. This will give me a (very) little bit of experience with this new equipment. Hopefully will flush out any "bugs" (such as bags falling off bike). And such a ride will also give me a little greater confidence that my right knee will cooperate with my pedaling dreams. (It has been causing me a little bit of discomfort in training as of late.)
All I need for experiment #2 is a non-snowing day and dry roads. (I don't need high temps. I can really bundle up for the ride. But non-icy roads are essential.)
I'll let you know how experiment #2 goes.
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| Most of my humble gear ready for insertion into bike bags. |
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| Everything fits! Plus room for sleeping bag and tent (I hope). Please note that light colored backpack in back row is actually empty and able to carry some really light items. If needed, I can put light weight items in backpack and then put tent and sleeping bag into bike bags. It's a theory, anyway. |
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