Fall bike touring my favorite kind of touring... just hopping on a bike, hearing the crunch of the leaves under the tires and enjoying the cool temperatures inside a warm tent. This episode I chat about my recent mini-tours on the C&O plus my plans for a winter ride in 2017!

Hey it's the direct download link: The Pedalshift Project 060: Fall bike touring and planning for winter (mp3)

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The Journal: Fall bike touring and more Fall C&O weekenders

• May try to wedge in one more through ride if I can pull it off
• Did a wet ride this past weekend... really enjoyed the quiet trail and using the rain gear. When it's a choice rather than having it foisted upon you, touring in the rain is great.
• Want to see if I can get Belle Starr out there, but need it to be bone dry (i.e. no hurricanes like last weekend)
• C&O Water Followup
  • Had a chat with a trail ranger a few weeks ago on the rumor we heard about the Park Service not treating the water pumps at the campsites anymore.
  • This was news to the volunteer and he was skeptical of the rumor. Dehydration on the trail is a costly issue for the Park Service requiring remote rescues that are pretty pricey.
  • In fact the ranger let me know that
    • (a) they are required to carry substantial amounts of extra water on patrol and even more interesting,
    • (b) there are secret caches of drinking water the Park Service has out for emergencies.
  • To be continued, but this makes me think it’s more likely the treatment would change before they would cease well treatment altogether.

Winter ride?

• I hope to be able to pull off a longer tour next year, but just in case things break differently I'd like to add another week-long tour to the mix... so I'm considering a winter tour.
• January or February week long ride south enough to be warm enough
• I like the idea of segmenting the Atlantic route, but I'm not liking the infrastructure in a lot of the east. Florida from Fort Lauderdale to Jacksonville is one possibility and then segmenting the remaining portions north and south of DC in the spring, summer and fall.
• The one that seems more interesting to me is a desert ride that would be 1 week of the Southern Tier route from San Diego up and over the mountains and across the desert basins to Phoenix. I'd look to complete the remainder of the southern tier in the spring and fall.
• Crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel

Good Afternoon and thank you for contacting the CBBT.   The CBBT would be happy to shuttle you and your bicycle across this facility upon arrival.  We would like to ask that you notify the CBBT at least 48 hours in advance of your estimated arrival to make the transport arrangements.  Please contact the Operations Division at 757.331.2960 ext. 8940.   You will be responsible for your one-way toll of $13.   Safe travels! Connections Runner turned cyclist Hi!   Your podcast episodes are my favorite! So informative and enjoyable! I'm a half marathoner turned cyclist, so you've inspired this newbie quite a bit!    I've actually jotted down notes from your show for my first tour this past summer (from Santa Barbara to Orange County). Because of you I've been inspired to get a folding bike and take it up to the land of sunshine and bunnies (I'm from San Diego).  Thank you so much for all the great episodes and wonderful interviews, especially the one with Patience. Her IG pics inspire girls like me to get out there and be adventurous!

Best,

Emmy   Getting back in the game   I am actually going through a training period thru the end of the year before I throw my hat in the ring for my own attempt  at a transcontinental ride.  I recently got back into biking using a recumbent trike after many years setting on the side lines.  I first got the urge to do a transcontentental ride when I was in high school a long time ago, before Bicentennial was even around.  Now at 60 years old with partial paralysis in my legs I am seriously making an effort to accomplish this bucket list item.   Jeffrey from Escondido

 

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Music

The Pedalshift Project theme is America courtesy of Jason Kent off his self-titled solo album. Check out his band Sunfields' album, Habitat, wherever cool music resides.  I heard Jason's new album in January and it is AWESOME. More info when that drops!