Should anyone think that they are interested in doing this, maybe I should lay out the planning and where I am after week one.

Week one summary. I completed 782 kilometres (496 or so miles) in six days then took a rest day today. That is roughly one quarter done the trip. I am near Knox Indiana right now at a campsite and today the most strenuous thing I have done is eat. I have read, napped, read some more, napped some more, cooked dinner, ate dinner etc. A very strenuous rest day. I like rest days on the road. There are no honey-do list distractions (yes I wrote that out loud). 

Practicalities and Planning:

For those interested here are the facts.

Bike Carriers

Trailer: Radical Designs (Europe) Cyclone Bike Trailer – for my needs and future trips with Joy the best I could see

Seat Pack: Revelate Designs (Alaska) Viscacha. Again best bang for my needs.

Camping

Tent: Big Agnes Ultralight Copper Spur MtnGlo UL2 (3.4 lbs with fly)

Sleeping: I went with a combination sleeping bag liner and a Marmot light Venture sleeping bag. This will not cut it in Colorado where I’ll hit a thrift shop and buy a blanket. Leadville mornings have been as cool as 34 degrees on race days and other mornings

Sleeping Pad: Thermarest mummy shape, light and works well.

Pillow: Inflatable with fleeced side

Cooking: Backpacking pot set (only one pot) with an MSR WhisperLite International stove. I needed availability to fuel anywhere. Unleaded gas will technically work. 

Eating: One plastic container with sealed lid and one large soup spoon. Simple, elegant and weighs almost nothing.

Clothes

This is where I had to make some choices. 

Two Smartwool T-Shirts with V neck and two Smartwool underwear. Wool just smells better longer so people will still talk to me.

Ex Officio short sleeve dress shirts for riding with Ex Officio shorts (eBay purchases) with a light Sugoi under shammy are what I wear for the hot days. On the cooler days I’ll add in a wool base layer shirt.

For evenings when it cools down I went with a Monsarret 800 count down fill sweater/jacket. Light and darned warm instantly.

Rain Gear is all Showers Pass. I love their stuff and it keeps me dry.

Facts Total: This isn’t all that I have but gives the big ticket items.

Total cost to outfit and get on the road was around $3000 which did not include the items I already owned. That also included bike parts, spare trailer parts and specialized Trek bike parts I knew I would not find on the road. Of that $3000 literally almost all of it is stuff that will be reused in the future. I plan on doing more of this. This is just my ‘Start’ to quote Shelly Rollison again. I have plans for Joy and I and even myself and my friends. More on friends later in another post but yes, that is in my plans.

My trip is specialized because I have a very expensive Trek carbon fibre mountain bike tricked out for touring because I am doing a mountain bike race (the Leadville 100) when I get to the other end. To say this is a difficult mountain bike race is an understatement. It is punishing and difficult at elevation. Leadville sits at 10,200′ elevation and the race climbs from there. I have spent a lot of time talking with Pete of Sweet Pete’s bike shop who sold me the Trek. He did the race with three friends last year and only one of the four finished inside the 12 hour time and got the buckle. I am going for my fourth buckle. One for each of my children. It is painful and punishing. Um, kind of like riding a bike pulling 50 pounds worth of gear in a trailer on gravel roads in 95 degree heat. That kind of punishing. I seem to specialize in that stuff.

If you have any specific questions about my gear choices or ideas just ask!