Category: Touring

Categories
Tentist and the Teapot

Day 2

We woke to a windy day and ate breakfast before breaking camp. Elbow Room coffee started the day. Once packed up we headed into the wind, grinding our way to tonight’s camp.

The wind was brutal and forced us into the drops to move forward at a snail’s pace. Open space and the ocean do not slow the wind, so it hit full force. Call it practice for riding across Kansas.

We made it to camp and set the tents before the rain and I sat under shelter posting on Strava and eating a grinder that was carried to Cape Henlopen State Park. The rain stopped and we toured the military base and saw the ocean. It is now raining again as I write this post.

Categories
Tentist and the Teapot

Day 1

What a way to start a tour! We show up to the start and get ready to ride, I put on my helmet: the clasp breaks as I click it into place. I dig out my spare helmet and ride off with my friend CK. Two miles later my rear tire is flat. 25,000+ miles and I get a flat now with a new tire. Luckily Nancy is only a few miles up the road with all my extra stash. She comes back and I change the tire. Now I remember that I might have nipped the sidewall while cutting the zip tie—it’s a small, clean paper cut like slice.

The start
Second glitch

We head over to Bombay Hook Wildlife Sanctuary and take in the views. It is so nice there.

We finally get into camp and set up before dark. Hopefully all this bad luck is over and the rest of the tour will be free of setbacks.

Categories
Tentist and the Teapot

The beginning

I had been watching the weather in Delaware for the past week, hoping for a warm and dry start. I check, it’s warm and sunny. I check again, it’s in the 20’s and freezing rain. The start of the tour will be a crap shoot! We hitched up the Teapot and headed off packed on a cold Ashfield day. Our first stop was lunch at the Creamery in Cummington, my cookie stop. It is snowing. We arrived late and tired at CK and Erin’s home, our friends in Delaware.

I will start the tour from here on Wednesday with CK’s company, riding along the Delmarva coast to meet up with Nancy five days later. CK will head home, Nancy and I will cross the Chesapeake Bay and camp in Yorktown for the night. Then, we head west!

Categories
Rides Tentist and the Teapot

First picnic this year

I had been getting anxious for a long ride and today was the day. Most of the things that I need to finish up before the tour are out of the way. Today’s weather was close to perfect, so after a lazy morning enjoying my coffee, I readied my bike and myself for a six hour adventure.

I set out just before noon, thinking that I would eat somewhere on the route. The day being so warm and fresh, I chose to pick up a sandwich, drink, and chips, and sit on a bank above the Deerfield River. Lunch was unhurried, as I listened to the water pass by heading out to sea.

My ride ended a bit later than expected. I came across a few friends also enjoying the day on their bikes, so I paused my ride for pleasant conversations. In the end, the ride ended as the sun set below the trees, and I’m now settled at home.

Categories
Rides Tentist and the Teapot

Fresh air, fresh bread

These past months I have been focused on preparing for this tour. I’ve been overhauling my bike, Ms. Eve R. Green, hopefully thwarting any breakdown along the journey. I’ve also been stockpiling components and supplies to have on hand as they need replacing.

Today was one of those welcomed sunny warm days that remind me, if only for a short time, that spring is on the way. The days are also getting closer to the start and this brings anticipation. So, I was eager to ride and the fact I have been slicing my way to the bread’s heel was a sound reason to ride to the bakery.

This ride put everything back into perspective and satisfied my jones to ride. Fresh air and fresh bread, I couldn’t ask for a better day. 

Categories
Crusty Rusty Tentist and the Teapot

Today’s tinker

Today was a good day to tinker and figure out how to use the camper’s table as a bike stand. I will be gone for around six months and having a stable way to hold my bike as I repair and do maintenance is more of a necessity than convenience. My plan is to use what I already have and to not carry items that are dedicated to a sole purpose.

The camper table is designed to swivel out of the sitting area when not in use. It also removes from its bench mount and can be attached to the outside wall of the camper for outdoor eating. With the tabletop removed from its leg it now becomes a pole to hold the arm mount of my portable stand. After scanning my bike room and boxes of saved “whatevers,” I realized that my old post mount bracket for a Caradice bag would clamp to the post for the table. All I needed was a seat post shim (stored in a parts drawer) to clamp the adapter to the table leg, and an odd cutoff of an adjustable shelf bracket to mount the bike arm plate to the Carradice bracket.

Now I have a very compact stand to keep my bike working. Another successful day of tinkering!

Categories
Rides Tentist and the Teapot

Prep and ride

Trying to balance tour prep and riding as the clock ticks down. Two days and five weeks to go before my big tour and each day races past. Today was warm and sunny and riding took priority. It’s nice to see the changes the days make to the same old roads.

Categories
Crusty Rusty Tentist and the Teapot

Bead set

I ride tubeless tires, and they are near impossible to set the bead without an air compressor. I won’t have one while touring, so I needed to solve this potential problem now. I don’t like the option of carrying a portable air tank, so I made this handy alternative plastic tubing and a valve stem that was lying around the shop. With this I can attach my good tire as an air tank to pump the tire that needs setting.