Rubber to Road

Hello All!

As I previously mentioned, I really don’t want to get any flat tires on my journey, so I took as many precautions as possible… other than installing hard solid rubber tires. Somehow that doesn’t seem like a comfortable option. As far as my little trailer, I installed a tire liner that creates a barrier between the tire and tube. I also added a Slime filled self-sealing tube. Considering the length of the liner which went around the inside of the tire twice, I think it’s going to take a bullet to put a hole in that tire!

My bike has been fitted with new road tires along with tire liners. Quite a makeover from mountain bike tires.

One of the other important factors of bike touring is storage. Wearing a backpack can put a lot of pressure on your lower back as well as make you feel hot and sweat more. Since I’ve began preparing, I’ve found various bags that mount on different areas of my bike.

The top left photo is an under seat bag which contains tools, a tube patch kit and extra tubes. Behind that is a collapsible bag which has a plastic liner and can double as a small ice chest for emergency cold beers. The top right photo shows the red frame bag which will hold a water bladder usually found in a backpack to sip water from. There is more room for who knows what. Below that photo is the handlebar bag with one large area and two smaller side pockets. I’m not sure what I’ll put in there, but most likely it will be items that I’ll want conveniently located. The lower left photo is a small saddle bag which has a to area for a phone or Ipod and two side pockets for my phone and snacks.

As I finish gathering everything I’ll need for my adventure, I know I’ll have to eliminate some items already. I have a bad habit of taking more than I really need on trips, but considering I’ll have to pull the weight while I pedal, less is more.

A couple of recent purchases will be extremely important for this particular journey… a water purification kit and bear spray! I did some research on water purification kits but found it to be easier to ask my brother Greg who has one and uses it as often as he can. The bear spray… well, that’s a necessity when camping in the middle of nowhere in Alaska. Hopefully I won’t have to use it, but if I do he’s going to get both barrels!

Thank you for following along as I prepare for this adventure. I do like to be as prepared as possible, although I know life is full of surprises and those are what memories are made of! One week until take off! Hopefully I get some free peanuts on the plane!