Gravity Works

3,600 miles to cross the country by bicycle, and we avoided injury and illness. We didn't realize how great a feat this was until our third mile on the back roads of Loretto, Kentucky. The perfect combination of a downhill grade, sharp turn, gravel and dogs on the chase led to a scary spill and emergency room visit. We were reminded of a few tips for coping with dogs while riding, but, more importantly, we were reminded of the necessity of safety gear.

Always...

Wear a helmet.
Wear gloves.
Wear glasses (plastic, NOT glass).
Carry identification AND insurance information.
Bring a cell phone.
Ride with a buddy and/or tell someone your travel plans.

These few things made a dangerous situation much more manageable. For those who need a little more convincing... How's a shiner and some killer road rash?

Adding It Up

10 States

2 Provinces

15 days

3,000 miles

$1,084.24

During our recent road trip, we often explained our route to folks as, "traveling to Ohio... by way of Maine." This usually led to a few raised eyebrows, which was a perfect opportunity to outline our tour of New England. The next question was usually something like, "How are you able to afford a trip like this?"  The answer is plenty of prior planning and thoughtful saving.

This venture was the perfect opportunity for us to practice traveling frugally, simply and efficiently (by car this time). It gave us a chance to make our own rules, and test how they work. A review of our expenses reveals that it is quite possible to travel comfortably on a limited budget, so we wanted to share the good news with others! Here is a breakdown of costs for a 2-week 3,000-mile car trip through New England:

Gas = $375.29
Tolls = $41.15
Food = $373.50
Lodging = $218.61
Miscellaneous = $106.58

Costs Explained

Transportation - For this trip, we drove a 2003 Subaru Outback. It doesn't get the best gas mileage, but it averaged 28 mpg on highways. More importantly, it had the roominess and driving capabilities that we needed. We were hit hard with tolls around New York, and later opted to select "Avoid Tolls" on our GPS.

Food - We spent $100 on a grocery store stop at the beginning of the trip to stock up on staples like peanut butter, bread, snacks and produce that lasted us beyond the two weeks of traveling. This included several easy-to-cook items that could be mixed and matched for camp-stove dinners like rice and vegetables. When we realized we had stayed under budget, we treated ourselves to a few inexpensive meals "out." Note: Our "food" category also includes tasty local brews from places like the Bar Harbor Brewing Company, Atlantic Brewing Company and some exotic Canadian micros.

Lodging - The majority of our accommodations were tent sites. We were generously received by family and friends in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New York and Ohio (totaling 5 nights). Near the end of the trip, we noticed that the motel next to our KOA had a lower rate than our camping reservation. We cancelled our reservation (losing a $10 deposit), and treated ourselves to a small room with a mattress, cable TV (!), A/C and a clean bathroom all to ourselves. It's hard to believe it was less expensive than a patch of grass and public restroom! Word to the wise - Be on the lookout for better deals, even when you already have a reservation.

Miscellaneous - Most of these purchases were planned outings and fees, including park entry fees/passes and a kayak rental. Note: When traveling abroad (even if it's just across the border to Canada), be prepared for an "international tax" to be added to credit and debit card transactions. If you're only visiting for a short time (like us), and opt not to exchange for foreign currency, the few cents tacked onto your bill can be worth the convenience.

A Successful Experiment

When we finally added up our expenses and compared the numbers to our regular monthly spending, we quickly saw that these 15 days on the road were not tremendously more expensive than staying in our cozy little apartment and living a "normal" life in the suburbs. We are convinced that being able to travel in style does NOT require having lots of money, a travel agent, or a tour bus. So, if you're itching to go out and explore... do it! Just make sure you plan ahead!

Greetings from Portland, Oregon!

Hello from the west coast! The ride officially begins in a few days, and we're excited to spend this week meeting fellow riders, grabbing some extra gear and practicing riding in a large group. For more updates on the ride as whole, including other riders, check out LVsRide's official blog: www.lvsride.com/social.

See you on the road!

Upgrade Complete!

We've slacked off a bit on our posting, but we've still been venturing out on new and exciting rides. Our most recent rides have picked up the pace as we've converted to a clipless pedal system. We were hesitant to make the change (and the big purchase!), but great finds at our local REI's Attic Sale and loaner pedals from a friend made the upgrade possible. Since swapping our cage pedals for SPDs, we've seen big improvements: We've increased our average pace, and found both uphill and downhill grades to be much easier and more productive. An added bonus: by keeping the leg in a relatively fixed position, the knee issues we experienced on our Annapolis (mis)adventure have largely disappeared. We now understand why so many avid cyclists swear by clipless systems!

 Switching out our pedals proved to be pretty straightforward.

Just remember to pay attention to the direction of the screw threads: each pedal is designed to prevent the forward motion of the crankshaft from spinning it loose.

We opted for "mountain" style cycling shoes to make it easier and safer to walk around with minimal damage to our cleats or the ground/floor. After all, we plan on hopping off our bikes to check out the countryside this summer!















To test out our new pedals and shoes for the first time, we opted for a scenic ride to St. George Island in St. Mary's County.

It was a perfect test run, as it's a pretty flat route. We enjoyed the beautiful waterfront ride with family, and stopped for a few photos.

A highlight of the route was visiting Piney Point Lighthouse. Our SPD shoes made it possible to hop off our bikes and take a look around...

We'd love to hear from any fellow cyclists who use clipless pedals. Did you encounter any challenges when making the switch? We appreciate any tips/pointers as we get used to the new system!

Deciphering the Derailer

The Aurora has been having some difficulties shifting into the largest front chain ring, so we've been doing some research about how to investigate (and maybe fix) the problem. A good friend shared this handy article with us on derailer first aid. Make sure to check out Sheldon Brown's note at the bottom regarding the spelling of derailer. You can read the interesting story about the spelling here.

Do you have any advice/tips for shifting issues?

Meet Aurora

The good folks at Proteus Bicycles recommended that we ride a new bike for about a month, and then bring it back to the shop for a free tune-up (included with the purchase of a new bicycle). Last week, we dropped off our 2009 model Jamis Aurora to do just that. So, we thought it might be nice to introduce you to the second of our two sweet rides...

We know... It's a pretty bike. Even if you're not a cycling buff, the vintage color (specs call it "bone") and custom-designed suede saddle are pretty eye-catching. But don't let the aesthetics distract you from the important stuff.

Since our tour will be fully supported (all of our stuff will be in a van that accompanies us along the way), we weren't necessarily looking for a heavier, sturdier machine. Some folks might even suggest sticking to aluminum to save a few pounds. However, Jamis (and all of the employees we talked to at Proteus and College Park Bicycles) recommended a steel frame for its smoothness and durability over a long period of time.

When we began shopping, we were very careful to stay within our modest price range. These were our first touring bikes, after all. We learned that January (and the beginning of the year, in general) is a great time to shop for new bikes. Many shops offer significant discounts on the last year's models to make room for the new year's bunch. We bought the Aurora for 60% of its original price.

The biggest challenge in finding bike #2 seemed to be finding a bike that was small enough for a 5'1" female, while also being fitted for a cross-country tour. Apparently, a 47' touring frame is a little tough to come by. In this situation, having a full fitting included in the purchase of the bike was a big deal. One month of riding led to the discovery that having relatively long legs and a short torso can result in some strain on the shoulders/deltoids from trying to reach for handlebars with locked arms. Along with the full tune-up, we decided to roll back the handlebars and angle the nose of the saddle down a bit, which was a huge improvement... and just in time for our longest ride so far.

There are two other characteristics of the Aurora that make it short-rider friendly. For one, it has Tektro safety levers, which we thought were purely for convenience. It turns out that these safety levers (also called extension levers) have a pretty neat backstory (courtesy of Sheldon Brown's Bicycle Technical Info):


In the early 1970s, many people bought bicycles with drop handlebars, for reasons of fashion, even though drop bars did not suit their casual riding style. Given the frame and stem designs commonly available at the time, it was generally impossible to get drop handlebars high enough up to allow a low-intensity rider to reach the drops comfortably.

The problem was worse for many women, whose shorter torso made it hard to reach forward to the drops. Though a taller handlebar stem with less forward reach might be installed, this often did not occur. Also, small hands could not comfortably grasp typical drop-bar brake levers of that time.

Dia Compe invented bolt-on extensions that allowed Weinmann-type brake levers to be operated from the tops and middle of the handlebars, making this type of bar bearable for casual cyclists, since they never had to use the drops. This was so popular that Weinmann traded licensing with Dia Compe, so that each could copy the other's products. (Check out the full story here.)

The drop handlebars on the Aurora are also very ergonomically designed. On most bikes, it is common for cyclists to experience numbness and tingling sensations in their arms, hands and/or wrists during long rides because of the angled grip needed for the curved bars. A close look at the final curve of the Aurora's drop bars reveals an inverted line, serving two purposes: a straighter angle from the rider's wrist to shoulder and and easier reach to the Shimano Tiagra STI brake levers. With both the extension brake levers and uniquely shaped drop handlebars, the Aurora makes for a pretty comfy ride!

Meet Jake the Snake

This past week's warmer, drier weather afforded us more opportunities to get out and ride (including a trip to Point Lookout State Park), so we thought it would be timely to highlight our sweet new bikes.

Jake the Snake is a 2009 Kona model, and is somewhat of a "Frankenstein." The aluminum butted frame was sold back to College Park Bicycles by a rider who was looking for an upgrade, but wanted to keep all of the parts. CP Bikes built new parts around the frame, which meant that we got an almost-new bicycle for a great price!

Since this was a rebuild, there are obviously some differences from the manufacturer's spec list. Here's a breakdown of the new parts for all of you spec nerds!

1. Truvativ Isoflow road crank set
2. Shimano Tiagra front and rear derailers
3. Shimano V Brakes
4. Avocet racing-style saddle
5. Weinnman Zac-19 rims
6. Continental Ultra GatorSkin tires (an upgrade we requested, these tires are built with Kevlar to be puncture-resistant)
7. Shimano bar-end shifting system. In fact, the whole handlebar system was replaced with an aluminum Bontrager set. This is probably the most significant alteration from a functional standpoint (arguably an improvement). It's been a lot of fun getting used to the bar-end shifters.

We opted to stick with the cage-style pedals in the interest of cost (clipless pedal systems and shoes can easily cost more than your bike) and ease of use. As new riders, we were a little skittish about adjusting to new shoes and clips. We're also keeping in mind that we'll want to pack as light as possible on our trip, and having different shoes for riding and walking will just take up more space.






Some quick research suggested that Jake is a great for riding through places like Montana! Straight out of the shop, Jake the Snake is considered a cyclocross bicycle. With the modifications, it's now a great touring bicycle - a complex and beautiful machine!

Back in the Saddle

Photo from http://pedalrevolutionblog.wordpress.com/

... Well, not quite yet. Darn these cold, wet days! Even though we've been restricted to the stationary and treadmill at the gym, a good friend and avid cyclist suggested this article on selecting and adjusting the perfect saddle for your bike. We didn't realize how important and complex a saddle fitting can (and should) be, especially for long rides.

We welcome your comments about other great resources!

Bike Crafting

We had fun watching this video while sitting next to our own bikes. It definitely made us appreciate the work that goes into crafting these impressive machines! Stay tuned for a future post about the specs of our bikes.

P.S. - Thanks to the Nightwolf for sharing a great find! :-)

Riding in a Winter Wonderland

Today was our first long ride (in that we spent more time in the saddle than bundling up). It was great! With the past week's snowfall, we were a little concerned about road conditions. Fortunately, the sun broke through in the afternoon just long enough for an hour of riding. It made for a beautifully scenic ride around Greenbelt National Park, a popular site for short cycling races. There's very little auto traffic, just a few joggers, and even a cross-country skier!

We've been following a training schedule for "Beginners/Social Cyclists" like the one here. We're also training on new bikes, so we're slowly adjusting to the "buttery smooth" ride of real touring bikes. It should be noted that one of us has a little more experience with long-distance cycling... 60 miles one-way on a kids' Huffy mountain bike! But that's another story...

Today also marked REI's first Attic Sale of the year. We showed up bright and early to wait in line with all of the other outdoor enthusiasts/bargain shoppers. We came back with a few fun cycling gear items (for great deals!):

• Novara Bar-Top Handlebar Bag - A simple, yet effective storage space, complete with a see-through map compartment and netting to hold your belongings. We'll see how it holds up during our longer trips this spring. We're keeping an eye out for larger, rear rack bags - suggestions welcome!
• Planet Bike Blaze 1-Watt Front Bike Light - We actually picked up two of these because they had such a huge markdown. They came without the mounting gear, but we've gotten creative with some of the extra parts from older lights we no longer use. We welcome any of your suggestions for jury-rigging lights when mounting parts break/go missing!

It's been a great first week of training. We're looking forward to longer days, longer rides and more sunshine. We'll continue to keep you posted, please feel free to share your suggestions, tips, advice, etc. in the comments below!