Saying Goodbye to New York by Bike

Airport Security Makes it Tough to Bike Tour

2005-07-14T10:11:00.000-07:00

In the old days, airports had storage and lockers you could rent short & long-term. I called Hancock International Airport today and spent 30 minutes in automated voice menu hell before finally calling someone at the aviation department. Although she was very nice, she told me there would be nowhere to store my bike case for the three weeks I'm in NY. She transferred me to United Airlines (my carrier) who also told me they couldn't store my case. So, I called the Best Western (adjoining the airport), and Ron, an angel who happens to be the assistant manager (and who's mother is a senior olympian cyclist) very kindly said he would store my case for me and I could take the shuttle from the airport. Thank you Ron and Best Western!

Unveiling the Bike!!!

2005-07-13T22:29:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally finished building my bike. Couple of tiny touches left, but all in all, she's tour-ready. For those of you who are curious, here are the details. I decided to match the frame with silver components. Sweet looking bike!! I'll take a photo tomorrow and post it here.

Rivendell Atlantis (steel lugged touring frame) -- 56cm
Shimano XT Front Derailleur
Race Face Silver Cranks & Bottom Bracket -- 175mm -- 22 - 32 - 44
Shimano Dura Ace Bar End Shifters
Shimano XT Rear Derailleur
Shimano XT Cassette 12 - 34
Avid Short 6 Cantilever Brakes
Cane Creek Compact Brake Levers
Nitto Randoneur Bar (sweet! it flares out at the drops)
Dimension Quill Stem (silver with removeable face plate -- easier to pack to fly)
Cinelli Tan Gel Bar Tape
Sun Rim 32 spoke rear wheel (silver, of course) with Shimano hub -- 26"
Sun Rims 36 spoke front wheel -- 26"
Panaracer Pasela Tires -- 26 x 1.25 (nice tan sidewalls match the bar tape)
SKS Silver Chrome Plastic Fenders
Nitto Front & Rear Racks (tubular steel)
Delta Waterproof Panniers (shiny silver)
Thompson Elite Silver Seat Post
Selle Italia SLR Saddle (my favorite -- on all my bikes except my mtn bike)
Three Silver Bottle Cages
ESGE Super-Trick Double Kickstand (both legs fold up onto the drive side)
Shimano 959 SPD Pedals (stolen from my cyclocross bike)

Still working out the accessories. I'll probably keep my small saddle bag on the bike (tire levers, CO2, patch kit, tube). I also ordered a small handlebar bag and a separate map case that attaches to the handlebar. Oh, and I got the coolest pump in the world. It's a Topeak Road Morph. It has a pressure gauge and a little platform that folds out so you use it just like a floor pump. One of the trickest inventions I've seen in bike equipment in years!!!

Rode the Atlantis for a short ride tonight with the racks, fenders, and kickstand installed. Feels good. Front brakes squeak like crazy even after Josh adjusted them. May try new brake pads.

I just love this bike! It's the first bike I've completely picked every single component on. And I actually helped build a good portion of it (including installation of the fenders, racks, and kickstand -- big pain in the ass). My trip still feels like a very long way off in the future, but I'm getting a bit excited. Planning to go out for a short ride loaded tomorrow -- that should be an adventure.

The final, final!

2005-07-11T13:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, confirmations back from everyone and just a bit of tweaking. This could be it!

July 18th -- Fly into Syracuse -- Ride to Syracuse (Jim) -- 14 miles
July 19th -- Syracuse to Geneva -- 56 miles
July 20th -- Geneva to Rocehster (Ashley) -- 46 miles
July 21st -- Rochester to Fair Haven (Diana) -- 60 miles
July 22nd -- Fair Haven to Cortland (via Auburn) -- 70 miles
July 23rd -- day off in Cortland (or short day if don't ride to Cortland on 22nd)
July 24th - 30th -- Bon Ton Roulet (departing Cortland)
July 31st -- Cortland to Ithaca -- 26 miles
August 1st -- Ithaca to Bentley Creek, PA -- 55 miles
August 2nd -- Bentley Creek to Elmira (stop at forest lawn memorial cemetary) -- 15 miles
August 3rd -- day off in Elmira
August 4th -- Elmira to Corning (via Harris Hill) to Watkins Glen -- 40 miles
August 5th -- Watkins Glen to Seneca Falls (via Geneva) -- 46 miles
August 6th -- Seneca Falls to Phoenix (Terri & Paul) -- 50 miles
August 7th -- Phoenix to Camillus (Rosati's) -- 24 miles
August 8th -- Camillus to Syracuse (visit with friends at Stage) to Hancock Int'l Airport -- 18 miles

Lists

2005-07-11T09:41:00.000-07:00

Here's my initial packing list for my trip. I'll likely add or subtract to this as I get closer and actually pack my bike and also when I take my test trip on Wednesday.

Bike Stuff

Duct tape
Zip ties
Tools TBA
Lights (front & rear)
Lube & Red Rag (mail lube in advance)
Water Bladder
Tool Bag (mail CO2 in advance)
Water Bottles (3)
Extra Tire
Extra Tubes (3)
Spokes (ask Josh how many – need to learn to fix them)
Pump (Topeak with gague)
Bike Lock
Seat Cover
Bungee Cords for rack
Clips to attach wet wash cloth to the bike

Camping Stuff

Tent
Tent Stakes
Sleeping Bag
Thermarest
Stove
Gas for Stove (mail in advance)
Cup
Bowl
Silverware
Coffee
Clothes Pins
Zip Locks
Flashlight

Food (pack light – can replenish on the road)

Clif Bars
GU
GU2O
Recovery Drink?
Oatmeal
Coffee
Bananas (buy on the road)
PB&J (buy on the road)
Whole Wheat Bagels (buy on the road)

Hygiene

Baby wipes
Shampoo/soap (get some combo stuff at REI)
Facial cleanser
Prescriptions & vitamins
Razors
Hairbrush
Comb
Ponytail holders & barrette
Wash Cloth (chamois camp towel?)
Camp Towel
Mirror?
Insect Repellant
Deodorant
Moisturizer
Sun Screen
Lip Balm
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Dental Floss

Clothing

Cycling shorts (4)
Socks (8)
Base Layers (4)
Jerseys (4)
Gloves
Knee Warmers
Mtb Shoes & Shimano Sandles
Windbreaker
Rain Jacket
Helmet
Glasses (include yellow and/or clear lenses)
Skirts (2)
T-shirts (2)
Tank Tops (2)
Bras (8)
Bathing suit
Quarks?
Hat

Misc Stuff

Camera + extra battery
Card Reader
Charger for Phone & Ipod & camera
Journal & Pens
Trinkets
Business Cards
Chamois Crème
Road ID
Wallet (ID, health insurance card, debit card, cash, emergency contact card)

The Maiden Voyage of the Atlantis

2005-07-10T21:02:00.000-07:00

So, my Atlantis frame (by Rivendell) arrived on Tuesday. It's in almost perfect condition (one little scuff in the paint). We ordered the components on Tuesday and Josh and I planned to build it up on Friday. Well, Friday didn't happen, so Josh and I met Saturday morning at 7:30am to build my bike. How fun!!! First, I've never hand-picked different components for a bike. I wanted to do everything in polished silver. It's a real mix of old school and high tech components -- Nitto bar & stem, Thompson Elite seatpost, Shimano XT derailleurs & cassette, Race Face cranks & bottom bracket, Avid Shorty 7 cantilever brakes, and Shimano Dura-Ace bar-end shifters. I left at 10:00am to go ride and I'd put on the all the components. Josh was going to run the cables, adjust everything, tape the bar and mount the computer. Well, he wasn't done when I got back from my ride, so I hung out and we finished around closing time (6:00). Too tired to do my fit, so I did it this morning (Sunday) and then went on an awesome ride with Kim Perez. I love this bike! It handles great. I thought the 26" wheels might be slower, but I had no problems keeping up with her. I spent most of the ride in my 46t big ring, but I know I'll need the two smaller rings once I load the bike.

Still to do.....mount the fenders and racks. Oh, and the front brake squeaks like crazy. And I need to see what's wrong with my right pedal (can't seem to tighten the tension).

I'm planning a trial run on Wednesday night. I have a client until 5:30pm and then I'm going to go for a two-hour ride, camp, and then come home Thursday morning. Want to test all the equipment and also test the bike once it's loaded. Now I just need to figure out where to go.

Back to the Drawing Board

2005-07-10T19:37:00.000-07:00

Okay, I totally forgot that Diana Coles' daughter, Holly, is getting married on August 6th, so my plan to do the western/Rochester leg of my trip the last week just won't work. Drat! Let's see if I can find a way to do Rochester first and still make it back to Cortland by August 23rd:

July 18th -- Fly into Syracuse -- Ride to Camillus (Rosati) -- 14 miles
July 19th -- Camillus to Geneva -- 45 miles
July 20th -- Geneva to Rocehster (Ashley) -- 46 miles
July 21st -- Rochester to Fair Haven (Diana) -- 60 miles
July 22nd -- Fair Haven to Cortland (via Auburn) -- 70 miles
July 23rd -- day off in Cortland (or short day if don't ride to Cortland on 22nd)
July 24th - 30th -- Bon Ton Roulet (departing Cortland)
July 31st -- Cortland to Ithaca -- 26 miles
August 1st -- Ithaca to Bentley Creek, PA -- 55 miles
August 2nd -- Bentley Creek to Elmira (stop at forest lawn memorial cemetary) -- 15 miles
August 3rd -- day off in Elmira
August 4th -- Elmira to Corning (via Harris Hill) to Watkins Glen -- 40 miles
August 5th -- Watkins Glen to Seneca Falls (via Geneva) -- 46 miles
August 6th -- Seneca Falls to Phoenix -- 50 miles
August 7th -- Phoenix to Camillus -- 24 miles
August 8th -- Camillus to Syracuse (visit with friends at Stage) to Hancock Int'l Airport -- 18 miles

OLH in five weeks (four, really)

2005-07-09T20:58:00.000-07:00

Old La Honda (OLH) is one of the more infamous climbs in the San Francisco bay area. It's a 3.4 mile climb averaging an 8% grade. If you had told me five weeks ago, when I got back on the bike and struggled up Crystal Springs (and could barely make it to Woodside), that I'd be climbing OLH in July, I would've thought you were crazy! Well, I did it. The 29 sure helped. It took me 38 minutes (slower than slow), but I did it!!! And then we climbed West Old La Honda. If I can do that, I can do anything in NY!!!

Shopping!!!

2005-06-29T07:23:00.000-07:00

Well, for the past two weeks, I'd been stoked about going to a Backpacking clinic at the Sports Basement tonight. I arranged my schedule to work with my cyclocross client in Golden Gate Park beforehand, but when I arrived, the clinic was cancelled (the speaker was sick). I had hoped to learn all the ins & outs of packing light, light, light. Oh well! Since I was there, I decided to do a little comparison shopping. Ended up buying a tent, a sleep sack (it's too warm for a sleeping bag in NY in the summer), a nifty little camp burner (with a coffee press) and a can of gas (need to ship to NY), and a super light-weight therma-rest, and a cool water carrier thing. Ooh, need to remember to get insect repellant.

I decided tonight that I'm going to do a one-night trip before I leave, so it's even more important to get the bike built up soon! The bike should arrive tomorrow or Monday. I'm going to try to order all the components tomorrow so I can build it up by the middle of next week and start riding it.

Decided to go with a mtn bike triple. My client's husband showed up at the park on his new Waterford built for touring. I like his set-up. Sunigo triple cranks, XTR rear derailleur, bar end shifters. He also had Ortleib rear panniers (no inner pockets). Hmmmm.

Lessons Learned -- route planning & flights

2005-06-28T21:06:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I finally revisited my routes. I wish I'd ironed all this out before booking my flights -- I would've liked a few days on one end and fewer on the other. Oh well! I think I've finally knocked out something that takes me to most of the places I want to go and gets me there on the days I need to fit into people's schedules. I can't get everywhere I'd like to go -- Niagara Falls and Alexandria Bay are both out of the itinerary now. Maybe this warrants another trip to NY sometime?

Drumroll.....please!

July 18th: Fly into Syracuse. Ride to Syracuse: 8 miles (Jim Clark?)
July 19th: Syracuse to Ithaca: 57 miles
July 20th: Ithaca to Bentley Creek, PA: 46 miles (camp at Mormon Lake)
July 21st: Mormon Lake to Elmira (visit cemetery and Sullivan’s Monument on the way): 13 miles + side trip (Judy & Richie?)
July 22nd: Elmira to Corning (via Harris Hill): 20 miles to Watkins Glen: 21 miles
July 23rd: Watkins Glen to Ithaca (via 414) to Cortland: 50 miles
July 24th - 30th: Bon Ton Roulet (finishing in Cortland) -- note to self, need to find a place to stay on the 30th
July 31st: Cortland to Camillus: 37 miles (Rosatis)
August 1st: Day off in Camillus?
August 2nd: Camillus to Phoenix: 25 miles (Teri & Paul)
August 3rd: Phoenix (visit Sandy Schilling) to Fair Haven: 25 miles (Diana & Ron Coles)
August 4th: Fair Haven to Rochester: 58 miles (Ashley)
August 5th: day off in Rochester with Ashley
August 6th: Rochester to Geneva: 45 miles
August 7th: Geneva to Camillus: 45 miles (Rosatis)
August 8th : Camillus to Syracuse Airport: 14 miles

Need to Make a To-Do List

2005-06-26T21:37:00.000-07:00

And a To-Buy List, and a To-Think-About List, and a To-Pack List. Whew! Anyways, today's burning question is how the heck do I pump my tires on the road? I certainly don't plan to pack a floor pump. Do a find a mini with a gauge?

On the riding front, I'm progressing nicely. Conistently riding 5-6 days a week with two longer (3-4 hour) rides. Yesterday was my longest since my recovery -- 55 miles with some good climbing. Started running and lifting last week too!

Go an email from Diana Coles. Was surprised to hear her husband Ron has Alzheimer's. She's invited me to stay at her house in Fair Haven. Can't wait to see her.

In addition to the Ritchey Cyclocross bike, I just picked up a Rivendell Atlantis on eBay. This was my back-up choice and I just happened to find one in my size on eBay. The auction closed yesterday. Only one other bidder and I easily beat him but didn't make reserve. However, the buyer and I agreed to a good price so I'll build it up and see how it feels. I'll likely also still get the Ritchey since I need a second cx bike and like the idea of having a break-away. A girl can never have too many bikes now, can she? Actually, I do have too many bikes. I've got racks for six bikes in my house and now I own seven (plus the Altantis and the Ritchey so that makes nine). I think I'll sell the two track bikes.

Hope to finalize my travel outline tomorrow or Tuesday.

Connections

2005-06-14T11:41:00.000-07:00

Good news is I've connected with Terri K., Jim C. and Ashley R. Ashely (in Rochester) has a new job and an interesting work schedule (M-T 10 hour days), so I want to arrange my trip so I can visit on a weekend. More tweaking to do......but progress all around.

Now, I just have to break it to my boss at the bike shop that I'll be away for three weeks.....

Leavin on a Jet Plane

2005-06-14T00:23:00.000-07:00

No one can accuse me of being a commitment-phobe now! I just booked my flights. I guess it's real now. I fly into Syracuse on Monday, July 18th and return on Monday, August 8th. Whew! And in all the time I was fiddling with possible flights, I realized I might be able to reverse my week (start by riding to Elmira and finish with my trip elsewhere in the state) and make the trip work a little more smoothly. Okay, but now I've got buyer's remorse (in less than 5 minutes) and realize if I moved the trip back a few days it might work even better. Sheesh!

A third Option

2005-06-13T23:01:00.000-07:00

Okay, what if I don't go to Phoenix first? Based on weekday vs weekends, maybe I want to fly into Syracuse on a weekday, visit my friends at Stage and spend the first night in Syracuse. Then I could ride directly to Fair Haven.....and stop in Phoenix on my last night before returning to California:

July 18th: Fly into Syracuse. Ride to Syracuse: 7 miles (visit friends at Syracuse Stage)
July 19th: Syracuse to Fair Haven: 46 miles ( stop in Phoneix en route to visit Sandy and Terri -- visit Diana Coles in Fair Haven)
July 20th: Fair Haven to Rochester: 58 miles (visit Ashley Rosati)
July 21st: Day Off?
July 22nd: Rochester to Seneca Falls: 51 miles
July 23rd: Seneca Falls to Cortland: 51 miles
July 24th - 30th: Bon Ton Roulet (finishing in Cortland) -- note to self, need to find a place to stay on the 30th
July 31st: Cortland to Elmira: 57 miles
August 1st - 3rd: Ride around Elmira (Forest Lawn Cemetary, Mormon Lake, Sayre, PA, Watercure Hill, etc)
August 3rd: Elmira to Corning: 20 miles (via Harris Hill)
August 4th: Corning to Ithaca: 44 miles
August 5th: Ithaca to Camillus: 54 miles (via Auburn) (visit Rosati family)
August 6th: Camillus to Syracuse: 10 miles (short day to visit friends and possible departure) -- or spend an additional day in Elmira or Camillus and move departure to August 7th (Sunday)

Another Route Option

2005-06-13T22:46:00.000-07:00

Okay, I can't settle with my first whack at a route, so here's another option:

July 17th: Fly into Syracuse. Ride to Phoenix: 16 miles (visit Terri Konu and Sandy Schilling)
July 18th: Phoenix to Fair Haven: 25 miles (visit Diana Coles)
July 19th: Fair Haven to Rochester: 58 miles (visit Ashley Rosati)
July 20th: Rochester to Niagara Falls: 86 miles
July 21st: Niagara Falls to Batavia: 55 miles
July 22nd: Batavia to Seneca Falls: 76 miles
July 23rd: Seneca Falls to Cortland: 51 miles
July 24th - 30th: Bon Ton Roulet (finishing in Cortland) -- note to self, need to find a place to stay on the 30th
July 31st: Cortland to Elmira: 57 miles
August 1st - 3rd: Ride around Elmira (Forest Lawn Cemetary, Mormon Lake, Sayre, PA, Watercure Hill, etc)
August 3rd: Elmira to Corning: 20 miles (via Harris Hill)
August 4th: Corning to Ithaca: 44 miles
August 5th: Ithaca to Camillus: 54 miles (via Auburn) (visit Rosati family)
August 6th: Camillus to Syracuse: 10 miles (short day to visit friends and possible departure)

Nope, that won't work (too many days -- it's just too far to ride to the western end of the state and back in a week. What if I look at front-ending my entire two weeks of independent touring before the bon ton roulet?

Reconnecting with Friends, GPS, routes

2005-06-13T21:46:00.000-07:00

Well, since I need to plan my route ASAP, I decided I needed to start by re-connecting with friends and family in NY and determining who I wanted to see and where I would go.

Next, I need to determine when I want to arrive and how many days I'll have before my anchor -- and organized ride called the Bon Ton Roulet. That ride begins on July 24th. I was just glancing at their website, and they offer some interesting options. One is called Camp-Telling, and for $200 they'll set up your tent, provide an airmatress and camp chair, coffee, and cell phone change. I think they also offer these services a la carte. Something to consider.

Okay, so here's my super-initial itinerary (all miles are car miles from yahoo maps):

July 16th: Fly into Syracuse. Ride to Phoenix: 16 miles (visit Terri Konu and Sandy Schilling)
July 17th: Phoenix to Watertown: 63 miles
July 18th: Watertown to Alexandria Bay: 30 miles (okay, need to find somewhere before Watertown to even out these days a bit, although it might be cool to have a short day and spend some time in A-Bay or Gananoque)
July 19th: A-Bay to Henderson Harbor: 46 miles
July 20th: Henderson Harbor to Fair Haven:56 miles (visit Diana Coles)
July 21st: Fair Haven to Rochester:58 miles (visit Ashley Rosati)
July 22nd: Rochester to Seneca Falls: 51 miles
July 23rd: Seneca Falls to Cortland: 51 miles
July 24th - 30th: Bon Ton Roulet (finishing in Cortland) -- note to self, need to find a place to stay on the 30th
July 31st: Cortland to Elmira: 57 miles
August 1st - 3rd: Ride around Elmira (Forest Lawn Cemetary, Mormon Lake, Sayre, PA, Watercure Hill, etc)
August 3rd: Elmira to Corning: 20 miles (via Harris Hill)
August 4th: Corning to Ithaca: 44 miles
August 5th: Ithaca to Camillus: 54 miles (via Auburn) (visit Rosati family)
August 6th: Camillus to Syracuse: 10 miles (short day to visit friends and possible departure)

Well, that's 21 days. But, I'm missing the entire western end of my trip (Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Jamestown). Maybe I need to rethink it a bit. And there's no days off (although there are some easy days).

Guess I'll think about it a bit more tomorrow.

On the GPS front, I sent an email out to the Velo Girls group (900+ women) and got two offers so far to borrow GPS units and I also think I found racks and panniers. Cool!

More Technology

2005-06-13T08:12:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I was reading mtn bike mag last night and saw reviews for bike-mounted GPS systems. It hadn't occured to me that this would be a smart option. I just can't rationalize the expense, so I'm going to see if I could borrow one or pick up a used one.

Here are the recommendations:

Garmin Forerunner 301
Magellan Explorist 600
M10 168RS
Suunto X9

On the riding front, I feel positive. Did about 25 miles on Saturday with two climbs, 45 miles yesterday, and my recovery ride (11 miles) this morning. Had some challenges yesterday -- can't tell if it's dehydration or glygocen deficiency. My flexibility sucks right now so I need to do some very focused stretching every day (maybe Bikram?). Oh, and I'm not sure the saddle on my new Trek Madone 5.9SL makes me feel good. I've lost so much core strength and leg strength that it could contribute to a sore butt.

The Farewell Tour

2005-06-11T20:32:00.000-07:00

On our ride in Marin today, I was telling the women about my tour and called it the farewell tour. Of course, that just made me think of Cher (and her farewell tour every year for decades). I started giggling like a school girl and no one could figure out why.

Progress -- Getting a Bike to Tour

2005-06-09T10:13:00.000-07:00

Okay, this is good. I'd decided I didn't want a Trek (even though I work at a Trek dealer), because the color is ugly. Stupid reason, but I've got to look at it, right? So, I'd done some research on the Adventure Cycling Association site and narrowed it down to the following:

Rivendell Atlantis (local, in stock, hard-core touring bike)
Steelman Custom Euro-Cross (local, Brent said he could just make my deadline, would become my back-up cyclocross bike)
Ritchey Break-Away Cross Bike (local, in stock, great price with EP or team pro deal, couplers so it would be easy to travel with -- could've used it in Philly)
Independent Fabrications Independence (awesome bike -- not available until August -- too late)

I'm leaning toward the Ritchey. Will call them later today to place an order, I think. Then I can build it up however I want at Summit (where I work).

Next up, figuring out my route!

The Journey Begins

2005-06-08T21:08:00.000-07:00

Why do I always title my first blog entries "The Journey Begins?" Well this time it really is a journey. And in reality, it won't begin for a month or so, but it's something I've been thinking about for years.

In July, I'll return to NY. I'm going to do a bit of self-supported bicycle touring, join in on a week-long organized ride around the finger lakes, celebrate my 40th birthday, visit with some old friends (I haven't told them yet), visit my parents' graves, ride through my childhood, and say goodbye once and for all to a whole lotta past.

I've been thinking about this trip a lot lately -- probably because I need to figure it out soon so I can book my flights. I'll probably take two-three weeks (including the one-week tour) and want to visit Syracuse; Elmira; Sayre, PA; Mormon Lake; Rochester; maybe Buffalo; maybe the Thousand Islands. Wow! That's a lot of riding.

Things to do:

Decide my route (in general).
Book flights.
Get a touring bike and equipment.
Figure out my daily plans (specifically).
Contact friends and family I want to visit.
Finalize maps.
Think about accomodations.
Find internet cafes.
Relax and enjoy the process.
And I need a number ten, so I guess that would be continue preparing here in California for an incredible journey.