when considering items to carry on bike, i really thought about the amount of hills we where going to ride through (thank you google for warning me.) unfortunately we didn't have the opportunity to camp out in the park as camp grounds were muddy from the rain storm two days before. we opted to rent a hotel over night to re-explore spt park instead of finding other camp grounds which relieved us of having to haul a tent, sleeping bags, and travel. with much gratitude, i hauled about 15 lbs worth of food and clothing to get us along the path. i took only what i needed for 2 days, not bad considering i was going to ride through many many hills, typical california typography for you. although, i thought i was going to quit i never gave up. the only thing i would do differently is get a lighter framed bike to carry cargo, these terrains are not made for the weak and easily discouraged. wendy is no weak bike, she survived a bad accident last year, but she could use a little more gears to help make pedaling a breeze. thank god for san francisco hills that have geared up these legs, i would have stopped when i saw the hills back up to the golden gate park! the panniers that i got for this trip were sufficient enough for the time we where spending there and i would definitely use them again, but i think if we were out longer i would definitely invest in touring panniers.
i'm planning another day trip out to Angel Island in three weeks from now. a lot of friends keep telling me it's a great place to explore, and i have already started making plans. any of you experienced Angel Island tourers got any suggestions?
thanks so much for your kind words and inspiration everyone i love hearing about your plans to tour on a bike. excited to hear more.
it is so important that you keep a check on how much you add to your bike. like mary she is great and i can get up any hill with her but our last bike camping trip the entire way was up hill...no joke...4 miles of up hill and every little break we got i stopped and i wasn't carrying anything because i new that adding any weight to her would have made it nearly impossible, i am so proud of myself for doing it though! i really want to do that ride again when i have white lightening ready, she will have a super granny gear plus she will be about 20 lbs lighter!
i haven't been to angel island during this time but be aware it may be windy. i don't remember what site it was but you want to be in the sites that face sf..so pretty! the ones facing berkeley are the windiest and when we went the road was all really loose big gravel which made it really really hard to ride down, especially since we had so much stuff and it was really steep too. to make a lighter load we just packed sandwiches and we have a really small little stove set that heats up with alcohol...really good and light weight. perfect for making coffee and soup!
xo,
cb
WOWOWOW!!! not only do you look chic and fashionable your outfit looks really practical too. i'm so jealous that you have tank top weather :)
congrats on completing your 24 hour ride!!
Post a Comment