Trip Planning

One of the things I love most about upcoming trips is the planning process. What will the route be, what are the gear requirements, how am I going to carry what I need, and what camera gear is needed?  Early in the process I begin making lists, sorting through requirements and eventually bringing out the scale to insure that I have not gone overboard with the 'oh I could use that piece of kit' syndrome.

My Gen 1 Fargo on the Oregon Coast

Next month, I head to California to bike the lost coast.  A stretch of road, trail and beach that runs from the Oregon/California border down to the beautiful city of San Francisco.  I will ship my bike and gear out to Crescent city because their is simply no way to fly there on a plane big enough to carry all my kit.  I will hop from the east coast to San Francisco, meet up with my riding partners, Erik and Andrew, and then take one of those puddle jumpers up to our starting spot. 

Camping amidst the giant redwoods

My goal for this 7 day trip, since it is short, and in the relative confines of civilization, is to go as light and fast as possible.  The exception to this could be my camera gear which largely rests on the issue of bringing the D800 and Zeiss lenses.  Over the next several weeks I will begin to share my process of planning, pairing and then packing.  This will be a SUL (Super Ultra Light) bikepacking trip for me, with a goal of coming in under 10 pounds for everything but food, water and cameras.  

Stay tuned as the Fall is about to get really fun! 

A Day of Not Knowing - The Ambassador

A simple enough challenge; hop on the mukluk and start pedaling.  No maps. No route. No expectations. See what comes my way.  While this was a day trip, I plan to use this same idea for several longer trips later this summer.  The theme will expand to a single Porcelain Rocket Booster bag and a Porcelain Rocket Frame Bag and that is it.  Carry what I can, go where I will, see what happens and what the universe reveals.  I firmly believe that it is through letting go, unconditionally, that only then are we able to truly find ourselves.​

The day began simple enough, some oats and peanut butter, a cup of coffee from the french press and a burst of emails and images to be edited.  At mid morning, I had enough, and off I went on the Mukluk.  Whenever I hop on that bike it just brings a grin to my face from ear to ear.  Not only is it so enjoyable to ride, but it is truly the Ambassador of all bikes.  I can go anywhere, and I do mean anywhere, and meet people that are interested in the bike.  Shouts from street corners and cars crash down on my ears: "Hey where did you get that bike?"; "How Fat are those Tires?"; "How much does something like that cost?"; "Where can you ride with that?"... And so it goes.  ​

Cars pull over to speak with me.  The man at Starbucks anxiously waits for me to come outside so he and his girlfriend can take a look.  The garbage truck driver yells out to me, all the while slowing down on a busy street, "Hey, you think that would hold me?". The implication is clear :-)​  A car pulls to a stop and two boys anxiously pick my brain about the bike and where to get it.  A group of urban locals, huddled in one of the larger overhanging bus stops, hail me down and chat me up.  All walks of life, young and old, black, white, hispanic, and asian -- all with the same smile on their faces and the same overwhelming curiosity. 

​It happens so frequently now, not only in the states, but across the world, that it is clear it is not me, but the bike.  If you don't have one, you need to get one.  If you get one, you will have more fun on the mukluk than on any other bike you have ever owned.  You will have a smile from ear to ear and you will become one of the many new ambassadors spreading the word about the fattest bike in town. 

Now, Go Ride