Friday July 10, 2009

Retool Time. I spent the whole day in Cumberland. I found a great bike shop – “Cumberland Trail Connection”. Hutch and Rob were not only very helpful but also experienced riders and bike tourers. They had scales and I was able to weigh all my stuff. It turns out that counting all of the bags, I was carrying over 110 lbs.
My earlier theory on what to bring on this trip was the old “Pioneer Pack Horse” theory. If you need something you better bring it with you. I bought the lightest version of everything that I might need and then just loaded it on the “Larry Carter pack horse”. It turns out that Larry is considerably weaker than a real pack horse.
I tried out eating ground wheat on the trail. It worked well but in involved bringing a wheat grinder, a supply of wheat, a container of powered milk, salt, a backpacking stove and an insulated container to cook in.
My new theory is: The USA has an abundant supply network. I will only carry what I need for that day. I can buy plenty of food and water each day. It also means that if I need something in Wyoming I am not going to carry it across Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska. I will buy it in Wyoming.
I boxed up and sent 37 lbs of stuff to Ed in Utah. I am still carrying 64 lbs counting all of the bags. That is still a lot. I camped with a couple of guys who have done a lot of bike touring. They only carry about 30 – 40 lbs.
The bike shop had the exact model that earlier research had indicated was the best road touring bike for the money: Surly “Long Haul Trucker”. I bought it, outfitted it and sent the other bike to Mei-ling in Alexandria. She was kind enough to store it for me.
The new bike and the weight reduction made all the difference. I can now pedal up steep hills rather than walk and push the bike. It still takes a lot of strength and energy and I will need to build up as I go but at least now the ride to Utah up over the mountains is in the realm of possibility.