Trailer Travels

Here's a notable tale of a local Burley Nomad owner.

One of my fellow Mt. Bachelor National Ski patroller's is also a Burley Nomad owner. He first borrowed a trailer from me to ride to Mount Bachelor Ski Resort to patrol this Spring. He loaded his skis, boots, poles, patrol vest, beer, ski clothes and some other odds and ends and rode from Bend to Mount Bachelor. The distance from Bend to Mt. Bachelor is 23+/- miles with an elevation gain over 2,300 ft. Keep in mind an alpine patroller must be dressed and ready to go at 6:45 am. Tim left way before dark to get to the mountain on time. After patrolling he shared his beer and rode back home. Since then he bought his own trailer. Recently he rode to Mount Bachelor for a true human powered adventure. Instead of patrolling this time he skied to the base of Broken Top Mountain in the Three Sisters Wilderness, set up camp, climbed and skied Broken Top for two days, skied back to his bike and trailer and rode home. Here's a picture of his loaded trailer with Rhea keeping guard (sort of). For this summer he is planning a 50 day bike tour from Washington through British Columbia to the nether lands of Alaska. He's still figuring out the details for this next adventure. This is a true testament to living life filled with human powered adventure.

Cheers, Ben

Bicycle tours in Oregon, California, and Vermont
www.wildheartcycling.com

Bicycle Touring Pack List

On this post we'll cover a little of what to bring on one of our camping tours. A fundamental theme with backing is to go light. Lightness equates to comfort. Keep in mind you need to pack only your personal belongings on our tours. Your guides carry a medical kit, bike repair kit, and the food. As with any of our tours you can always contact us if you have any questions. Below I've listed our packing list for the Wallowa Mountain Rambler Tour. This is a seven day camping tour. With each item listed below I've tried to give some packing thoughts around the particular item.

Wallowa Tour – Packing List

"Items listed below should be packed for this tour. Feel free to add or delete items. Just keep in mind that some of the items listed below are absolute necessities. Additionally, adding numerous heavy items means a heavier trailer. Please contact us if you have any questions on what to bring at info@wildheartcycling.com." The preceding text is included with the packing list.

□ Bike (Please have your bike tuned by a qualified mechanic before the start of the tour.) A reliable, well tuned bike is fundamental for a great trip for yourself and other folks on the tour. Bike problems do occur but most can be avoided by having your local shop give your bike a good once over.

□ Bike Trailer (Wild Heart will provide) We show you how to attach and ride with the trailer. Never hesitate to ask questions.

□ Water Bottles (2) or CamelBak (We will provide you with a 24 oz water bottle to keep at the beginning of the tour.) I can easily drink 2 to 4 water bottles in a day. I carry two and plan on refilling the first bottle once I begin drinking out of the second water bottle.

□ Tire Irons We use these to change a flat. We recommend you carry a pair in case you want to change the flat before your guide arrives.

□ Spare Bicycle Tube This goes with the tire irons. By the way who came up with the term tire irons. Sounds heavy.

□ Tube Patch Kit Carry one of those little patch kits you can get at your local bike shop. You can use it to patch your tube with the hole in it.

□ Bike Pump Have a lightweight frame pump that works. If new try it out at home before you bring it on your tour. All pumps are not equal, by a long shot. I've experienced a few crappy pumps over the years.

□ Bike Helmet Mandatory. Have a helmet that is comfortable and cool.

□ Bike Shoes Bike shoes should be comfortable but have a stiff sole. You can lose a lot of energy with a street shoe that has a flexible sole. A pair of cycling shoes coupled with mountain bike pedals makes for a nice touring setup. Mountain bike pedals use a recessed cleat. This makes for easier walking in your bike shoes.

□ Cycling Shorts (2 ~3 pairs) – There are laundry facilities at Wallowa Lake Campground (Days 3 & 4). Multiple pairs are essential. Plan on rinsing/washing your shorts nightly. Following this practice will help prevent "diaper rash". I also apply Assos Creme to the chamois of my shorts each morning. I hang the just washed shorts off my trailer as ride along. I usually bring three pairs when I guide.

□ Cycling Jerseys (2 ~3 pairs) I may bring a sleeveless and a short sleeve jersey. My sleeveless jersey is super cool and also looks sharp.

□ Cycling Gloves I bring one pair. Gloves protect the palms if you fall and put your arm out. They also help dampen some of the road vibration.

□ Cycling Socks (2 ~3 pairs) I bring two pairs. Avoid cotton socks. I like socks that breathe really well.

□ Rain Jacket/Wind Breaker On the Wallowa Tour we cross a pass that can be quite cool and possibly wet. Here again I would look for a lightweight rain jacket. A jacket combined with a helmet cover makes for comfortable ride in the rain. Louis Garneau makes a sweet helmet cover.

□ Rain Pants Don't worry about being fashion conscious here. You can use your hiking rain pants just make sure to use a pant strap to keep the fabric out of the chain. Rain pants cause a conundrum for me. If a I wear them I usually sweat profusely. If I don't wear them then I my lower half gets soaked. I always bring them but I only wear them if it's cool and rainy.

□ Warm Cycling Shirt or Pile Jacket I wear this same shirt around camp in the evening. I have a wool Ibex long sleeve wool jersey that I love. It's ~4 years old and it still works great.

□ Sunglasses A must have. The Wallowa's are typical dry and bright.

□ Sunscreen I apply it in the morning and then again around lunch.

□ Tent Here's where you can save some weight. I use a Black Diamond 1st Light Tent. At 2 pounds 11 ounces it has to be one of the lightest tents on the market. The tent also has generous amount of space inside. We rent these tents. If your tent is around 4~5 pounds I would think seriously about renting one or purchasing your own.

□ Sleeping Bag Here's another area where you can save weight. For this season I'm using REI Travel Down Bag +45 deg. At 1 pound 11 ounces it comes in as a lightweight bag. For our summer tours I expect it will perform admirably. I'll let you know.

□ Sleeping Pad Go with a thin lightweight pad. I like the Thermarest type since you can add air to them. Pick a lightweight pad and you can save a few ounces. We rent lightweight pads.

□ Swim Suit Shouldn't be much weight here. A cool dip in a deep pool is always fun.

□ Towel I bring a lightweight pack towel. They dry quickly and take up very little space. Bringing a full length beach towel is an extravagance I would leave home.

□ Camera I bring a high resolution point and shoot. Most of the photos on our website were shot with this camera.

□ Evening Camp Clothes Plan on wearing the same clothes every night. I also use my warm cycling shirt and rain jacket as an evening camp wear. I bring a pear of Chaco sandals to walk around camp in. Keep it simple and comfortable.

□ Winter Hat I like to wear a winter hat when I first get up. It's an easy lightweight way to add warmth.

□ Camp Shoes or Sandals Leave the penny loafers home. I go with a pair of Chaco sandals. Sandals combined with socks can keep the feet toasty and comfortable.

□ Head Lamp Necessary for the late night trip to the bathroom.

□ Toilet Kit – Toothbrush, shampoo, etc. Bring only what you need. Leave the full size shampoo bottle in your shower home.

□ Personal Items – Book, medications, etc. I usually bring a book. I avoid bring War and Peace or other hefty books. Bike touring is definitely a time to catch up on your reading.

□ Appetite You will be well fed!

Recommended though not required:

o Triple chain ring on the front The lower the gearing the better. When I'm climbing I try to keep myself comfortable by spinning.

o Mountain bike cassette and derailleur on the rear A mountain bike cassette combined with a triple ring is the ideal combo for bicycle touring. Our goal is not to go fast but to go comfortably.

Cheers,
Ben


Bicycle tours in Oregon, California, and Vermont
www.wildheartcycling.com

Lookin' Good - Wild Heart Cycling Cycling Jersey

For 2008 we will be offering some fine looking jerseys to be seen in. Take a look. If you would like to reserve your jersey pop us an email through info@wildheartcycling.com.

Cheers,
Ben


Bicycle tours in Oregon, California, and Vermont
www.wildheartcycling.com

Bicycle Commuting - Real World Data

Here at Wild Heart Cycling we thought it might be interesting to document our own results from running errands by bike rather than car. Over roughly a two~three week period Celia completed 11 errands by bike for a total mileage of ~30 miles. Round trip distance for each errand was 2~4 miles. We've both found that the more errands you complete by bike the easier it becomes. Depending on vehicle traffic I would guess that running errands by bike only takes ~10 minutes longer though it biking might be quicker if a parking space is hard to come by. On a more personal note I find errand running by bike a great way to break up the day and put some energy into a day that may be a little dull and boring. Now this study is not scientific but I do think it gives some idea on the real world performance of running errands by bike.

Cheers,
Ben


Bicycle tours in Oregon, California, and Vermont
www.wildheartcycling.com

A Pillar of Sustainability: THE BICYCLE

In celebration of earth day I'm offering up some interesting facts and figures:

In the Negative Column

• Nearly half of all car trips in the US are three miles or less.
• More than a quarter of all trips are less than a mile.
• Most trips involve home, store, job or school.
• A car produces one pound of CO2 per mile.
  
• Mile for mile, short trips are the most polluting. Engines running cold produce four times the CO and twice the VOC of engines running hot.
• Smog forming VOCs continue to evaporate from an engine until it cools off.
  

In the Positive Column

• Bicycles outnumber automobiles two to one in the world.
• 50 million people bike at least once per year in the US but only 2 million are regular bike commuters.
  
• A bicyclist can cover a mile in 4 minutes while a pedestrian takes 20 minutes.
• A bike produces zero pounds of CO2 emissions. No fossil fuels required to operate
  
• A bike is a blessing for your wallet, health, and legs

The above are an excerpts from Seven Wonders for a Cool Planet by Eric Sorensen and the Sightline Institute.

Now for our own real world experience. Celia has kept track of her bike mileage while running errands around town over the last two weeks. She rode a little over 30 miles while completing 8~10 errands. Some simple division gives us ~3 miles per trip. Feel free to add your own experiences.

Keep it Real,
Ben

Bicycle tours in Oregon, California, and Vermont
www.wildheartcycling.com

Caring for Nature

The David Suzuki Foundation offers simple actions we can all take at home or work to slow the impact of global warming. Here are a few of his (and others) suggestions:

• Reduce your home heating and electricity use by 10%. Install flourescent lights, let your clothes dry naturally, turn your electronics off when not in use, unplug your charger, turn your heat down, turn your ac up, etc.
• Choose energy efficient appliances.
• Buy your food local.
• Bike to the store or work at least one day a week. If you're already doing it increase the number of days you ride.
• If your moving choose a home within 30 minutes of work.
• Get involved. Share your ideas with friends and family.
• Learn about the impacts of air travel. Consider taking a vacation closer to home.

Check out the David Suzuki Foundation for more ideas and discussion on environmental issues. Their website contains a wealth of information and has an interesting Canadian flavor. Since 1990 they have been working to bring our human impacts into balance with nature.

Although our focus is running sustainable bike tours we believe it's a positive step to offer a few tips on how to live more sustainable. The Green Jersey tip shown above is one way how we do this.

Cheers,
Ben

Bicycle tours in Oregon, California, and Vermont
www.wildheartcycling.com

What's it like to pull a Burley Nomad Bicycle Trailer?

Can I pull a bicycle trailer? On our website we try to give you an idea how easy it is to pull a Burley Nomad Trailer but I thought it might also be helpful to read some reviews from folks who use the Burley Nomad Trailer but have not taken a tour with us. Go to this link at www.bicycletrailers.com to read reviews from folks who use the Nomad Trailer. Go to this link to read our description of bicycle touring with a Nomad Trailer. Let me know if you found this info helpful.

Although we're a retailer for the Burley Nomad it's more important to get the word out on how easy it is to use the Burley Nomad Trailer.

Cheers,
Ben
Bicycle Tours in Oregon, California, and Vermont
www.wildheartcycling.com