CMAN ON TWO WHEELS

A number of people have asked about my gear, so I thought I'd share what I'm taking with me and how it's all going to fit on the bike. Here's a list of what I'm taking: Camping Supplies: Big Agness HV UL2 tent with poles, stakes, and foot print Kelt Cosmic Down 40 sleeping bag Nemo Tensor 20r sleeping pad Bike Stuff: Lezyne Micro Drive HP Pump Crank Brothers Multi Bicycle Tool Leatherman 4 tubes Specialized SWorks Turbo 26 mm tire 4 mm and 5 mm allen wrenches Park Tool patch kit, tire boot, levers Zip ties Chain lube 2 SRAM speed links 2 - 11 speed derailleur cables Clothing Complete cycling kit Cycling jacket Arm and leg warmers Cool weather full fingered gloves Camp clothes - t-shirt, convertible pants, and socks New Balance Minimus minimalist shoes Electronics Spare Garmin Edge 800 Anker PowerCore 20100 to charge everything Misc. cables and wall chargers Garmin inReach Explorer Misc. Supplies: Misc. to...

I have been asked a number of times about the route I will be taking on my ride to Virginia.  Below is a rough outline of that route: You'll have to ignore the lines West of Oklahoma City and Tulsa, OK and the lines West and Northeast of Springfield, MO.  To create this route, I took a number of .GPX files and merged them together.  But, the above image gives a good overview of the route. I came up with the route by combining a number of established routes from the  Adventure Cycling Association  using their Interactive Network Map .  In particular Bicycle Route 66 and TransAmerican Trail.  Since neither of those routes (or any other route) ran through Dallas, I used  Strava Labs Heat Map to create my own route from Dallas to Tulsa. The Adventure Cycling Association has a lot of great information about endurance cycling and produces some really great materials (maps, magazine, etc.).  I bought a number of their maps (obviously) an...

I headed out on the White Rock Roadies ride this morning. Was fun to ride and chat with a good group of people. I could feel a bit of yesterday's ride in the legs, but I was still able to put in a few good efforts. This week is going to be an easy week and then a "tune-up" week leading up to the big trip.  I think (and hope) I'm ready.  I snapped a picture at the rest stop. Everyone was trying to get out of the sun, if only for a couple minutes.  

I decided to ride up to Plano and ride the PACC route. I'm not sure if any rides it anymore, but I have fond memories of riding it with the PACC Team back in 2012.  I got in 100 miles and caught sight of the longhorn that jumped over the moon. I took the CRUX and aside from front derailleur sticking a little, it rode really well. Tonight I cleaned and lubed everything really well and replaced the derailleur cable so it should be fixed.  Tomorrow's another ride with the 8:05 group and maybe some additional miles if I feel good. 

I have been having problems with the bike I'm planning on riding to Virginia on.  On every pedal stroke the bike clicks and, whenever I pedal hard (like going uphill), it creaks.  I've had the bike shop look at it a few times and they've even replaced the (bottom bracket) bearings.  That usually quiets the bike for a few weeks, but then the clicks come back.  There's really nothing mechanically wrong with the bike, but I have no desire to ride 6-8 hours a day for 21 days hearing "click", "click", "click" over and over again.  So, I'm taking one of my other bikes (I have four).  In two weeks, I will be leaving Dallas on my 2015 Specialized CRUX... (Personally, I think it's a beauty!) The bike is a little heavier than what I have been planning to ride, but I've climbed mountains on it before and it was alright.  What I like is that it has disk brakes, which will come in handy on those descents in the Appalachian Mountai...

If you've followed this blog in the past, you'd know I was planning to ride my bicycle from Dallas, TX to Yorktown, VA last year.  Unfortunately, I had to postpone my trip. I had three weeks available to me and had I been able to ride the planned 100-125 miles per day, I would have been able to do it.  But, during my last big block of training, the idea of HAVING to ride 100-125 miles day after day without rest and no room for the unexpected, seemed like a bad idea.  So, I postponed the trip and now I have 4 weeks available to me. So, this year, it looks like it's really going to happen.  Or, at least, I'm going to give it a real go.  My trip starts June 9th and I hope to arrive in Yorktown, VA no later than July 4th. And, with that, we're off and I'm hoping to keep this blog updated with my progress. I don't think Bruno and Hope are too excited!