Frequently
Asked Questions:
Q--What
kind of bike do you ride?
A--My bike is a custom Seven Cycles frame, outfitted with Campagnolo
Record Triple components. The larger triangle of the frame comes
apart
for shipping in a standard sized (though the largest size allowed by
the airlines without extra charge) suitcase.
Q--How does this ride compare to the
other ABB rides?
A--I've only been on the ABB North ride but several of the riders on my
tour have also done the ABB Cross-Country Challenge (San Francisco to
Portsmouth). To a man, they thought the North ride was slightly
more
challenging and had better scenery. The ABB "fast" rides, even if
one
is capable of riding them comfortably sound like too much riding with
too little time left to locate, much less smell, the roses along the
way.
Q--What should I think about before
signing up for a cross-country ride?
A--Before signing up for this trip I suggest that you read the tips
that are found on the ABB web site and Mike Munk's web site.
Those two
sources don't always agree but you'll get a good flavor for what you'll
be getting into. I certainly found them helpful in my
preparations for
this trip. I've also come up with a few thoughts to add to what
you'll
find there.
In deciding whether this trip is for you, don't get too concerned about
the distances involved; they are manageable by anyone who is reasonably
fit. You should have more than a "feeling" that you can do it,
though. Most important, you'd better really want to do it.
Ride your
bike on several long rides (100 miles or so--you'll need to work up to
that distance) and see if it is something you like. It is not for
everyone. If you are not comfortable riding in traffic or where
vehicles, some quite large, pass within a couple of feet of you, you
will like this ride. Some of the roads we rode were in pretty bad
shape; smooth bike paths are the exception. Mike is right when he
says
the romance and the reality of riding across the country are two very
different things.
On the plus side, you will be out in the fresh air, moving under your
own power through sometimes breathtaking scenery, meeting the day's
challenges with the support of the staff and your fellow riders.
You'll meet some interesting people and some characters, both in the
tour group and among the people you encounter along the way.
Most of our riders, including me, have ridden for many years; the
traffic and bad roads are something we're used to. But every tour
will
have a few relative "newbies." If you are one, I encourage you to
learn proper group riding techniques. There is more to riding in
close
proximity to others than just pedaling. You must know how to
ride at
a consistent pace, to signal when you are turning, slowing or stopping
and how to point out obstacles in the road. Without those skills,
you
are a danger to yourself and others.
Q--How much training do you recommend?
A--Don't scrimp on training. You will enjoy the tour a lot more
if you
come ready to put in the miles. But don't train so hard that
you're
sick of cycling when the trip comes around. The most important
aspect
of training is to acclimate your butt to your bicycle seat.
During the
two weeks just before the tour, you should ride your bike daily.
I'm
not sure how long the rides need to be--some should be long for the
benefit of your legs and you should taper off and perhaps take a day or
two off just before the tour starts--but your rear end needs to get
happy with your seat. I didn't take a poll but I'm guessing that
just
about every rider had some saddle sore issues and several probably came
close to abandoning the tour over them. The most I trained
consecutively was three days and I had some soreness during the first
two weeks. It was uncomfortable but not debilitating. A
& D
Ointment, while riding and then again in the evening, along with drying
the affected areas with alcohol wipes, worked well for me. As a
point
of reference, I don't normally use any ointments at home but then I
rarely ride on consecutive days. Some of those who regularly use
ointments were using it in such quantities that it was coming through
their shorts, giving their saddles a healthy glow and an "extra-soft"
feeling (or so I was told--for obvious reasons, I didn't verify those
claims). Some of the restaurants we visited were less impressed.
Q--What should I bring on the trip?
A--After reading ABB's and Mike's advice, you'll probably be a bit
confused about What to pack. ABB makes a big point of trying to
keep
the weight down but I can't imagine meeting their limits if you brought
what was on their list. They will be happier if you work with two
smaller, lighter bags rather than one heavy one.
In packing, keep in mind the following:
ABB has tires, tubes and some spare parts (chains and cassettes, so
long as its Shimano, brake pads, cables, rim tape) for sale on the
road. So long as you're not super picky about your tires you can
probably just bring the two you will start on. There are bike
shops
along the way but some are so mountain bike oriented that you won't
find but a few road tires; I found first class shops in Boise, Rapid
City, Sioux Falls and Manitowic. (For my Campy 10 speed setup, I
packed a spare chain and cassette and used both during the trip.)
Your
best bet is to check with the ride leader shortly before the tour to
see what they'll actually be carrying--on the smaller tours, they have
smaller storage--a trailer towed behind one of the vans rather than a
large Budget truck.
Quite a few riders brought Mavic Ksyrium wheels and had no problems
that I'm aware of. If you have them, I'd say bring them, along
with a
few spare spokes.
You'll see a flashlight in the list of things to pack but no mention of
why you need it--to navigate three pitch dark abandoned railroad
tunnels in Wisconsin. I can tell you from experience a 2xAA
flashlight
doesn't cut it. You can buy a larger flashlight on the road or,
if you
have one of those new high output LED headlamps, bring it and buy some
batteries as you close in on the tunnel. The heavy duty 10-20
watt
lighting systems are too heavy for one day's use though.
The mechanic's toolbox has a pretty good selection of tools. The
only
thing they didn't have for me was a spanner wrench to tighten the S and
S connectors on my bike frame, admittedly a specialty item.
ABB will give you a jersey to wear on various days (first and last for
photos and others along the way). You can get by with a rotation
of
three outfits. I found that I could rinse out my cycle clothes
when I
showered after the ride and hang them to dry overnight. In some
cooler
or humid places they weren't absolutely dry but they were in good
enough shape to go into the duffel and hang for a final dry the next
afternoon. Some chamious dry better than others, though; pretest
yours
to see how well this will work. If you're hoping to find some
obscure
local jerseys along the way for your collection, by all means try but I
didn't have much luck finding any.
For cooler days, bring arm and leg warmers rather than a long-sleeve
jersey and tights. You'll find the combination more
versatile. On
many of the mornings, you'll probably want a least a nylon vest to
protect your core from the cool air.
Don't bulk up on personal supplies either. You only need your own
sunscreen to apply first thing in the morning; ABB has sunscreen at the
SAG stops. Err on the side of leaving things behind and then
picking
them up at a drug store if you find you really need them. Note
that
not all of the hotels provide hair dryers.
Bike luggage. ABB allows you to drop off items you won't need for
the
rest of the day's ride at the SAGs. They go into a bin from which
you
collect your stuff after you get to the motel. That works fine
for
things like arm and leg warmers and windbreakers on the days where
there is no threat of rain. On your bike, though, you'll still
need a
place to carry a windbreaker or rain jacket, spare tube, patch kit and
tools. Some folks started with very large rack or handlebar bags;
quite a few of the seatpost racks were no longer in evidence by the
middle of the tour. Some others used large water hydration
packs.
What I did was to spread things around my frame. I started with a
seat
bag, rear seat triangle bag, bento box on the top tube and a relatively
small handlebar bag to hold my route sheet. The bento box
eventually
came off because I found I had more capacity than I needed. It
and
then the handlebar bag were great for holding a plastic bag of cookies,
nuts or pretzels for refueling while on the go. You just reach in
and
pull out a snack.
Q--Any tips about getting to and from
the ride?
A--Getting from Portland to Astoria is a pain. The rental cars
seem
ridiculously expensive ($130-150) until you look at the shuttle prices
(ditto). If you have two or more in your group, you're probably
better
off renting a car at the airport and dropping it off in Astoria.
Greyhound has an inexpensive bus to Astoria, but it leaves only once a
day at 11 am, which is a tight connection and requires either a cab or
light-rail and a walk to the bus terminal from the airport. I
chose
the rental car option (and keep an eye on your rental car bill--on both
ends, they calculated the charges after I left and tried to charge me
for fuel I'd already replaced).
Getting back at the end is a bit easier. Southwest flies into the
Manchester airport, about a $60 shuttle or rental car from
Portsmouth.
ABB will drop you at the Boston Airport for $20. I've not been to
Boston but I can report that Manchester was easy and convenient.
Either way, don't schedule your flight too early in the day.
Email your questions
and
comments to Paul