Eric's Bike Adventure 1995

Equipment List

This is the complete list of everything I brought with me (to the best of my memory) on my trip. This is enough stuff to handle just about anything that might have happened on the road. I've included some commentary along the way for what I would change about the equipment for another trip.

The Bike

My bike is a Giant Innova "hybrid" bike, with straight-across handlebars, and wider tires than street bikes. It is not quite as rugged as a "real" mountain bike, and not as light as a road bike. I think it's a good compromise for the type of commuting and road/light trail riding that I do. Now, a little over a year after I got the bike, I understand much better what I want and don't want in a bike. I probably wouldn't get this same model again. Before the trip, I certainly saw no need to switch, even though there are much better (and lighter) bikes on the market.

After returning from the trip, there are some things I am changing about the bike. The bike had straight-across handlebars with grip-shifters. Before the trip, I didn't think I'd ever want to go back to different shifters after using the grip shifters. They're cool, but I ended up with some minor finger numbness/tingling at the end of the trip. 2 weeks of leaning on your hands for 6 hours a day really build up. I am going to switch handlebars so that there is more possible variation for hand position, and so that the resting position is more sustainable. While I was riding with someone who was recovering from wrist problems, it really drove home how important it is to not screw up your hands.

For the trip, the bike got pretty loaded -- lots of goodies. Some of them are useful, some of them are just for fun. Here is the list of everything I brought on the trip.

Cycling Gear

• One slightly used 25 year old male
• Front and rear REI Novara panniers
• 2 Water Bottles mounted on bike
• 2 one and a half liter water bottles on the panniers. I eventually ditched these. It's easy enough to refill the regular water bottles on this route.
• Bungee cords/straps
• Maps, and Bicycling the Pacific Coast book
• The Essential Touring Cyclist book (Yes, books are heavy, but having the references give me some confidence that I have a "friend" for when I'm sure to run into problems. Turns out I never used it.)
• Cable with built-in combination lock
• Headlight
• Taillight
• Mt. Zefal plastic fenders
• Blackburn Cross Rack, and Low Rider front rack
• Bought a bar-end mirror in Crescent City - a VERY worthwhile purchase. I should have started with one.

Camping Gear

• REI Bivy Sac. Next time, I'd bring a tent! The Bivy Sac worked great, but it's like a sauna - you bake! Perhaps if it were colder...
• North Face Cat's Meow Sleeping Bag. Comfy and WARM.
• Therm-a-rest Sleeping Pad. Worth every ounce of weight.
• Tarp/Ground Sheet. Mostly used for covering the bike from dew.
• Mini-Maglite Flashlight, with spare bulb and batteries
• Swiss army knife
• Towel and washcloth
• Nylon cord (25-50 feet) (clothesline!)
• Trowel (portable toilet! never used it.)

Cooking Gear

• MSR Whisperlite camp stove (can burn white gas, kerosene, or unleaded, if it comes to that)
• 1 liter fuel (white gas to start, didn't finish it.) I would bring a smaller fuel bottle.
• matches
• "big" pot (well, big for one person)
• frying pan (got a tiny iron skillet, despite the weight. worked awesomely for quesadillas.)
• food flipper
• cooking spoon
• plate, bowl and cup
• utensils (knife, fork, spoon)
• can opener (actually part of swiss army knife)
• stove maintenance stuff
• sharp knife
• condiments (tiny packets liberated from fast food restaurants)
• food (only kept a day-or-so at a time)
• Campsuds dish soap
• pot lifter
• pot scrubber
• cooking towel
• I thought about a water purifier, but since I wasn't that far from civilization, decided against it.

Cycling clothes

Next time, I'd make 'em even more visible.

• Helmet with reflective stickers all over it
• Cycling Gloves
• warm, long fingered Cycling Gloves
• Cycling Shoes
• Cycling Socks (2 pair) (ended up getting one more - they take forever to dry!)
• Cycling Shorts (2 pair)
• Fuzzy Pullover
• Skipped the rain-proof booties, hope it doesn't rain much!
• Jerseys (2)
• Leg Warmers
• Wind shell (excellent for visibility, too)
• Gore-Tex Rain Gear
• Leg band (built into rain gear pants)

Camp clothes

I think this was total overkill. I'd only take one set of clothes next time - the swim suit doubles as shorts. I never used any of the polypropylene.

• 2 t-shirt(s)
• pair of shorts
• swim suit
• sweat pants
• underwear
• socks
• assorted polypropelene warm stuff (leggings, a couple shirts)
• warm hat
• Teva sandals

Tool Kit

• tire pump (blackburn mp-1)
• tire levers
• allen wrenches
• screwdrivers (phillips and flathead)
• crescent wrench
• socket wrenches
• needlenose pliers/wire cutters
• chain tool
• spoke wrench
• "hyper cracker" freewheel remover
• chain lube
• grease
• electrical tape
• ripstop nylon tape
• safety pins
• zip ties
• didn't have a tire gauge

Spare Parts

• tire patch kit (3)
• inner tubes (2)
• spare tire
• spokes (2 of each length, for front, rear non-drive side, rear drive side)
• spare chain link
• spare brake pads
• brake cable (2)
• derailleur cable (2)
• misc. bolts and nuts
• didn't bring extra cyclometer battery, but did bring extra batteries for head/tail lights.

Personal Items

• glasses
• sunglasses
• sunscreen (tres important!)
• lip balm (also important!)
• toothbrush, toothpaste, floss
• soap and shampoo
• comb
• nail clippers
• toilet paper
• hand lotion

First-aid/Emergency

• matches (regular and waterproof/windproof)
• telephone change
• insect repellent
• aspirin or ibuprofen (for inflammation)
• stingeze (insect bite pain killer)
• antihistamine
• talcum powder
• water purification tablets
• first aid cream
• tweezers
• elastic bandage
• adhesive bandages
• butterfly bandages
• sewing kit,with needle
• emergency food (some powerbars, maybe more after food shopping)
• credit card, $$, wallet, ID, emergency info

Extras

• camera and film (remember to bring more film than you think you'll need)
• writing pad and pens
• cards (didn't use 'em)
• bandana
• thermalounger (converts your therm-a-rest into a chair. I'd skip this unless I weren't camping in regular campgrounds with tables.)
• fanny pack (useful for carrying stuff when not on the bike)
• stamps, postcards
• Renegade leather juggling balls (6, since it's definitely time to start learning to juggle 5 balls)
• didn't bring an eyeglass repair kit

Things I Should Have Brought

• Stopper for sink - useful for washing clothes in the bathroom, or anywhere else that has no sink stopper.
• Candle Lantern - a flashlight just isn't great for reading for any length of time, especially for maps.
• Head band for flashlight - useful for doing dishes, bike repairs, etc.
• A tent! Tents just provide a shelter from water and insects that the bivy sac can't match.