Wednesday, July 4, 2007

How to Pack for Every Occasion



So it is really a bit of luck combined with a torrent of technology that allows the modern bike tourist to actually pack an entire self-contained world on their bike. Apart from refilling on food twice a week and water a bit more frequently, Jason and I will be entirely self-sufficient (though this doesn't mean we will be ignoring the benefits of civilization when they appear). In fact, we are touring pretty "heavy" and are bring some luxury items like a camcorder and a Go board. Numerous people have asked me how I cram all this stuff onto my bike, so I made a few quick movies to describe what I am bringing and how I pack.




So, firstly, I have a touring bike (named "The Iron Giant") with front and rear racks, full fenders, three water bottle cages, and clipless pedals (see the picture above for a good approximation of what it will look like in a few days).


As to the videos mentioned above, they can be seen here: first, second, third, and fourth. And thus is my packing.

3 comments:

Steve said...

Oh my god... You know, when I originally heard your plan was to bike 65/miles per day, I thought to myself "that should only take them 3 hours or so -- what are they going to do the rest of the day?" I totally didn't consider how much stuff you would need to bring with you.

Do you have a cycling computer? If so, how fast of a speed can you maintain riding with all that weight?

Steve said...

Also, google video lists "50 Cent Getting Shot 9 Times" as a related video to your first clip.

Not sure how that is related but it's pretty hilarious.

eric said...

Well, we probably roll at about 13 MPH on nice level ground. Hills are much slower.