Mark, such a compelling points Mark! Especially after today's ride back from an overnighter. Twenty mph direct headwinds for about 3 hours had me going 5mph in spots. By the way that's actually a good thing for me. I need to overcome the inclination to push back harder against things that are pushing against me. Yeah for me! I just slowed down and did the best I could to keep the bike upright. An important victory. Mindset can make or break a trip, right?
I weighed my 69 year old self and gear (that I'll be taking on my longer trip) before leaving and it came in at 305 lbs. I weigh in at 205. The bike is 47lbs. without panniers, and the rest is stuff. Gosh, 11 pounds of water! Does anyone make a lighter water? The laptop with the extra wattage charging battery is a little over 5 pounds. I'll be camping as much as possible so 5 pounds means a lot. I actually did cut off the handle to a toothbrush once in my backpacking days. Really.
I like your thought on a paper journal being a keepsake for future generations. So cool! I know that often things I record digitally like pictures and thoughts or posts go to the digital never-never land. How many bits that I've generated with passion will be flushed when I'm gone? On the downside, I'm an engineer and spelling doesn't make sense to me.
And I like the idea of unplugging. One of my intentions is to get away from all the social rubbish that has invaded my life. I need to embrace the quiet and welcome the still, small voice into my life. If you know what I mean. I don't think that can be done with my brain plugged into electronics and all that brings, and I will plug in if it's there.
By the way my experiment with using my iPhone to supply internet connection to my laptop then to Cycleblaze worked great except importing pictures. Apple and Microsoft don't play together. Also, that interconnectivity is another drain on batteries and requires more lithium ions to push up mountain passes. I do have dynamo on my bike, but it doesn't do much good at anything under 10mph.
Mark, you may have swayed me to pencil and paper. SO glad to have a place to discuss such things. Thanks to all.
David - there are several types of dehydrated water available on Amazon, FYI.
Now that we've had our laugh - I streamlined my journal posting by entering photos directly from my phone to the journal instead of importing them to my computer first. This does not work if you like to do photo editing on your computer, or if you are using a real camera. From your description above, I think you could skip the computer and save some battery usage. Should you decide to bring the computer along. I have thought several times of leaving mine behind. It always makes the ultimate cut.
Great ideas Kelly! But I’ve heard that dehydrated water doesn’t taste as good as the real thing.
I note with interest our similarities. We're within a year in age, my loaded bike with me included weighs about 325 pounds, and I'm also an engineer. So whenever and however you publish your journal I'll be interested in reading it.
I'm very much on team "Do it Live". Basically, I agree with everything Kelly said about doing the journal in real time, on the tour. There's no way I would have the patience to go back after a tour (one longer than a couple of days, anyway) and write it up. That would be extreme drudgery for me. Ugh.
I've carried a laptop on every significant tour (ones more than a few days) I've ever done. I need to have it with me anyway, since I have to do work occasionally on my tours (supporting customers who use software I created.) The extra weight doesn't bother me, especially since I've pared way back the amount of stuff I carry now.
At this point, I suppose I treat a bike tour as a sort of "art project" (haha) in which the documentation (the photos and contemporaneously written journal) are an essential part of the experience for me. I don't expect very many people to look at the journal, but for whatever reason I find the act of creating it satisfying.
People sometimes say they wouldn't have the energy to create a journal during the tour itself, but in my case I feel invigorated, with a lot more energy than usual, while I'm touring. Maybe it's being outside all day in the sun - who knows.
I like the idea of unplugging. One of my intentions is to get away from all the social rubbish that has invaded my life. I need to embrace the quiet and welcome the still, small voice into my life.
I try my best to "unplug" during bike tours. I stay in motels but never turn on the TV. In restaurants I try to keep my back to TV screens. I use my smart phone as needed for navigation and to find services, but I don't use the phone hours per day.During tours I consciously try to keep my thoughts focused on the here and now, and shut out thoughts about home and the outside world.
Wayne, do you have any withdrawal symptoms? I say half-jokingly.
Or do you notice any internal/personal benefits?
I think I have a solution! I'm going to have ChatGPT write my journal for me in poem format when I get home. Maybe it will start like this. Ha Ha.
David went on an epic trip, but it wasn't on a ship.
It wasn't by car, but he did go far.
It wasn't a hike,
He went on his bike.
Wayne,
I definitely enjoy being disconnected while touring. I think the entire upcoming election year should be one year long tour. Not wanting or trying to start a political conversation. When we come back home after a tour, I seldom feel as if I have missed anything on the news.
"I'm just now reading this - it was a delightful diversion to my morning. I happy to hear (read?) someone else just as long winded as I am!"
Kelly, I wish you could have shortened your long winded statement from three sentences to two, or maybe even one. I had to come back to it a couple of times to finish it.
1 year ago