Bygone Bicyclist

This is a long time coming (is 6 days really a long time? I guess it probably is.). An explanation!

From Seattle I had approximately three days until the border, and I was out of new replacement spokes. 1,000 miles traveled and I’d used well over 20 spokes – probably closer to 30. After having narrowed down the reason behind the breaking, assessing the solution was next in line. The reason was a coupled problem. Kennedy cycles are fantastic city rides. I still love the bike very much, and am so glad to have it. Throw on another 40-50 pounds and it starts to have a small issue. That small issue stems from a design flaw (oversight, ignorance – whatever you wish to call it). Center drilled holes (in the rim) make it hard for the spokes to have a nice straight line from the hub to the nipple. A slight bend sometimes occurs, and this eventually becomes the weak point in that single spoke. As well, the bicycle only has 52 spokes, when most ordinary cycles had somewhere between 70 and 100 spokes. This alleviates the spoke-line issue a small bit, and also adds multiplicative strength to the wheel.

Why is this such an issue then, considering I just said it wasn’t a big deal? Well. Breaking spokes on the road is a complete mind game. Breaks aren’t a huge deal. You get off. Replace it. Check trueness. Continue riding. All in all it takes me about 3 minutes to replace both a spoke and nipple as well as thread, jive, weave and maze the new spoke into the lacing pattern. When you break a spoke, it’s like both of your tires going flat at the same time (on a bicycle with pneumatic tires, that is!). It’s kind of a bummer. When the second spoke of the day breaks though, it’s like getting 95 flats at the same time (even though it only takes a few minutes to fix!). It’s just a mental deterrent. Spokes rarely if ever break while in the city without bags. Get on some 4-8% grades with 40-50 pounds of gear and the stress level overdoes it.

So where’s that put the Bygone Bicyclist? Well, he has a few plans up his sleeve that hopefully prove to be fruitful. In short, I’m on a small break, pausing until I get my issues solved. Have I quit? Far from. Do I plan to finish this SF to AK journey? 100%, of course. Do I still plan to do it by penny farthing? Is that a serious question? That’s the only way I can fathom traveling. Having completed 1,000 miles on my Kennedy up the Pacific Coast states, it’s clearly proven that I can complete this journey. It’s a matter of mechanics at this point. As soon as the problem is solved, you can bet you rear I will be back pedaling towards The Last Frontier. I honestly cannot wait to get more miles done. Since Seattle, I’ve taken a train home (to Phoenix), where I am planning out my return to the road with a stronger Wheel. Don’t write me off. I’m far from finished.

Frantically living out a seldom exciting life always seems a quite ironic thing. It’s true though, and I’m maybe grasping that as reality finally. Nothing is as dire as anyone seems to make it out to be, yours truly hardly excluded. Being bored means you have time to realize the beauty in things, and really enjoy them. All that said, I very abruptly found my trip falling to pieces before my eyes. The local savior (for lack of better words) for my cycle fell through, seemingly being unwilling to assist me in any of the small issues I had. We all want a professional’s reassurance, and that’s most of what I was wanting – something I was harshly rejected. Worse so, while traveling to meet said person, I had a catastrophic wheel failure. First one spoke, which was fine, although my new and improved spokes from the amazing Mr. Spillane didn’t fit (perhaps I should pay attention more, right?). I was between 3 and 4 miles from ‘the shop’ so I figured I’d just ride it out. Then subsequently three spokes snapped at the bend, throwing the true completely out of the wheel instantly.

This was all before finding out this fellow was unwilling to assist me (contrary what his communicated to me), so I walked – good thing I left early. After being all but turned away, I headed home. At home, I prepared the hub for the new spokes, while also installing the new spokes. She shaped up to be quite a looker once all silvered spokes were donned. The last two tasks, both of which worried me quite, were truing the wheel and getting new tire on both wheels. Fantastic Mr. Greg Barron from Rideable Replicas agreed he could and would assist me once I got to the Bay Area, and suggested a few trips for getting it rideable. Real friendships aren’t dime a dozen, and thanks to Nathan I had a true wheel to ride around. The night put some de-stress on the wheel, releasing some of the spokes (and now it isn’t 100% true like he had it), but it’s still *very* rideable and will get me to RBR no problem.

Now to riding.

Actually, at this point it’s mostly less than two months.

My original plan was to leave the Continental US around the first week of May. However, I might have to leave a week or two sooner – time will tell. The most important thing part of when I leave is allowing myself enough time to reach as far north as I wish for by June. If I don’t allow for enough time, I’ll risk potential snowy/cold times as I venture back south.

Hectic is the best word to explain my status. Not a moment of my current life isn’t busy with something. Being the person that I am, and valuing quality over speed, cost and quantity, I’ve spent incredible amounts of time researching gear for this trip. I wanted to purchase one, and have it last, and I think I’ve done a superb job thus far. Because of this, I’m going to start a sort of ‘gear review’ section of this site. When I say I’ve spent ample amounts of time doing this research, I mean countless hours across multiple weeks have gone into deciding each and every item. Of what has arrived, I’m overly pleased with, and I have no doubts about their further pleasure and strength. There’s something to be said for quality. [Thomas] Stevens rode ~13,000 miles on the same ordinary cycle he left home on, and only had mechanical issues *ONCE* on his whole trip around the world (that took nearly three years). The one time he did have that mechanical problem is most likely due to the abuse / lack of care by some foreign officials. With the technology we have today, don’t you think we deserve things that could last us a lifetime. I know I’m sick and tired of material objects with a half life (which happens to be often months, rather than years or decades).

The bulk of my purchasing is done, although I do need to find a few more things to finish up my fashions. Just this week I came to the idea of how to modernize my saddle, allowing a modern saddle be easily installed or removed if necessary. I’ve had to go against my initial plan for baggage and resort to a more modern approach; panniers are on their way (and will be attached at the spine). I still would love to have a ‘large’ MIP bag (Multum in Parvo – much in little), but with time constraints and lack of venues for getting one, I’ll have to wait on that. After the baggage and saddle work, I have to reinvent the wheel with the help of some local Wheelmen, and then I believe I am mechanically sound for the trip. One of my final tasks is to finalize a mapped plan, including rations for the “end-goal” (including the purchase of said rations). The one part of the trip that worries me is that ‘last’ (I quote it because it’s more like the middle, as I have to head back afterward). Food and travel will be tight, but I have no doubts about being able to pull it off.

Today with the help of the brilliant father of mine, I fashioned a new seat post, of sorts, for the ordinary. This allows me to mount a modern day saddle to the wheel (something I slightly worried over considering the possible extent of such a trip). One forgets what happens to leather over 40 years, but is quickly reminded when using a brand new leather saddle – one’s posterior reminds you have such things though. After finishing the mount and getting it dialed in (and riding it a nice 5 mile jaunt), I disassembled the machine. I’ve been worried for some time about the missing paint and wears, and I’m taking it to our plater tomorrow to see if it can get a new jacket of nickel within a 2-3 week window. After that, the pannier brackets and rebuilding the wheels are all that remain.

38 and raining. It’s coming down quite hard. Dreary days for me are like sunny days to most. I love the rain and clouds. I attribute it to growing up in a state that is sunny 360 days a year. Days with no clouds in the sky at all really seem to ruin my mood. Strewn clouds throughout the sky leave me pleased for the day. Rain and pure cloud cover and I am just dandy. ecstatic really. Even riding in the rain deters me not, although cold hands, feet and ears are often miserable. Wind though…wind can go straight to hell. West Texas hills combined with Texas winds lead to miserable workouts, long lived miles and tiresome rides. I’m guessing a large majority of reason comes from my choice is rides this trip. A penny farthing and a fixed geared road bike. Given my little option in gearing, the hills and wind take a larger toll than 100% necessary otherwise.

100% random, holding no bearing or meaning to this entire post.

Dealing with weather is a major task of cyclotouring. While out in the wild, fending for yourself, only what you bring, have or find is at your disposal. Rain, snow and cold pose problems when venturing into the Arctic, but not as bad as most think. Fairbanks, while not quite in the Arctic, averages highs of 60, 70, 73 and 66 from May to August respectively. Deadhorse, however, averages 27, 44, 54 and 51 through those same months. Average lows in the Arctic Circle are in the 30s during the summer, meaning freezing is a possibility. Add in any wind chill and precipitation and you can get nice slushy, mud ridden roads along the Dalton. I think weather is my biggest worry, combined with distance that can be traveled per day. The only reason the latter worries me is the effect time has on weather. The longer it takes to get to and from Prudhoe, the higher chance at both bad weather, and being later in the year (leading to colder, worse weather).

During the summer there is very little night time from the Arctic and north. This causes constant glancing sunlight, where temperatures have a chance to stay decent all day. That said, snow in the summer is a possibility, and sun has never been a cure-all to storms systems. Fairbanks and south can reach highs over 90F, so it’s not all fun and games in the dreary cold when it comes to the A.C.T. 2010.

Pene is back in commission thanks to my ingenious grandfather. If he was my age, he’d easily be some kind of nuclear neuro-aerospace engineer (if that could even exist). A problem solver on the simple spectrum, but a brilliant creator on the complicated side. Any problem needing solved mechanically seems easily cured. Seemingly impossible looks just a normal task. But when something is mentioned impossible, then you create a dare of sorts. At this point his brilliance is challenged, and it seems the wheels churn at a motivated pace. It’s obvious where my dad gets it from. Me? Well, I’m still working on that.

The obvious for someone who has a life changing experience is to continue on forward in that direction. My month mostly out of the saddle has finally transformed the prior two months into a magical experience no amount of words, videos or stills can explain. It’s something that can’t even be experienced for some – it’s just different for each person. It becomes painfully apparent as I clean the mess I made before leaving, preparing to sell things that I had planned to sell even before that trip that I need direction. That direction has shown face however just recently. I acquired a new toy, which happens to heavily influence my future and desires. Every moment spent with her makes me yearn for the next chance. Perhaps it’s the sensation of sailing above everyone. Perhaps it’s the joy in every passerby’s face. Perhaps it’s none of that and nothing at all – I may never know. What I do know is my future goal.

Sell my clothes, I’m off to Heaven. Naysayers will be naysayers.

Better words never spoken than those straight from the first to accomplish such a feat, Thomas Stevens. “‘The impracticable scheme of a visionary,’ was the most charitable verdict one could reasonably have expected. The first essential element of success, however, is to have sufficient
confidence in one’s self to brave the criticisms – to say nothing of the witticisms – of a sceptical public.” As I sift through my goods to find things of worth (and rubbish to make waste of), I start dreaming. A dream is what starts it all. I don’t know when, but the day’s gonna come. Around the world you say? Yes. Around the world. On that crazy thing? You’ll kill yourself! As well, on this ‘crazy thing’. I have no plans of dying, however. I expect plenty criticism. That said, I’m hopeful for much encouragement as well. This webpage will be taking a new form soon, and hopefully I can get my things in order otherwise. I plan to offer my pictures (both ones already existing and those I will take from now on) as printable purchases to the public to help fund such a trek. Hopefully between what I’ve mustered from purging the tangibles I no longer need and selling prints / photos I can fund my trip. Stay tuned for more. I assure you it won’t be a boring journey.