Upon my return to Norwalk ending a 180-mile test trip of the Trek Dual Sport 2+ I started preparing for the scheduled start of the San Diego trip this coming Thursday May 18th. I plan to dip the rear wheel in the salt water of Long Island Sound hopefully at Todd's Point if I can get in with an expired beach pass and then upon arrival to San Diego dip the front wheel into the water of the Pacific Ocean.
I have been working on a considerable "shake out" list adding to it as I rode on the test trip. Here's the list but probably not all inclusive as some things got done without listing them:
Presta valve pressure gauge
Really good "with cotton" athletic socks
Order dc power inverter - dc to 110 ac - this will allow charging bike batteries with the solar panels while riding or taking breaks while stopped. Only batteries not in use would be connected to the 300 Watt Grecell Power Station. The power station does not allow use of the AC outlet while charging but with an inverter plugged into the Automobile DC outlet power can be supplied while riding and charging with Solar. Need to test. Power Station manual states USB and DC outlets can be used while charging the Power Station. So far as a test I have been able to charge the Power Station to 61% with the solar panels during the course of a sunny morning and afternoon. With the right conditions solar power can make a good contribution to bicycle batter power. This would extend my range between motel stays and potentially make it easier to pick better priced motels over the course of the trip. The greater the distance I can travel between charges give me more options of where to camp or "motel stop". I wish Tesla would add a 120 volt outlet to their charging stations. Then I would have an abundance of locations to conveniently find power without the cost of a motel stay.
Toothbrush & tooth paste
Reflector on front wheel. When Jay at Roulez Cycles in Lynn MA installed the dynamo on the front wheel, he used a new wheel he configured from scratch. The original reflector on the front wheel remains on the original front wheel. I purchased spoke reflectors on Amazon which look bright and noticeable per the video reviews I've seen.
Watch too tight. Thank you Pellegrini Jewelers of Norwalk, CT for adjusting my Samsung Smart Watch, watch band. My wrist circumference seems to have expanded by a link after the adjustment. My sister had the tool needed to add a link and I was able to do it. Watch is an important tool and now the fit works fine.
Set screws. I constructed a "cockpit" for the eBike with a bunch of handle bar extenders purchased on Amazon. Configuration allows me to position the 3rd party headlight well above the handle bar bag and position the Garmin Edge 1040 Bike Computer and my Samsung S20 Ultra cell phone just right. The Mophie 100 watt power station tucked in a side pocket of the handle bar bag is charged by the dynamo on the front wheel the Jay installed. The Mophie power station does a good job of keeping the Garmin Bike computer and Galaxy S20 charged throughout the day with heavy use. The remainder of the devices on the bike are powered by the Grecell T300 Power Station. The 320 Watts capacity of the T300 Power Station powers the Garmin bike radar unit (which is heavy use on power) all day no problem. In addition, the T300 powers the 3rd party headlight, my watch, my Samsung Ear Buds, and Samsung S23 Ultra smart phone. Other devices will be charged as well and will mention as I think of them - like my helmet light, other safety lights and flash light - there may be a few other things. I like electric power... :) So back to the set screws. When I ride over hard bumps in the road the cockpit pitches forward. Sets screws will stop the slippage (I think). I purchased 3 mm bolts and an excellent drill bit set and plan to do the drilling and installation of the bolts through the half inch tubes which the cockpit framing is composed of...
Tripod for cell phone. Got one on Amazon that stands about 6 feet tall, easy to use and light. Made of aluminum, some minor drawbacks in order to position the phone at the exact angle desired, but I found a work around and do not need to order the tripod I saw on Amazon that weighs 2 pounds more and is too big. This one should work fine.
Bring Skechers. My Skechers are a nice light weight and comfortable to walk in when the arthritis in my feet does not act up on rare occasion. I purchase a pair of sneakers at Walmart earlier in the week but they are not as comfortable and weigh more than the Skechers. There will be times I need to walk my bike or walk around when not on the bike. My bike shoes are the type that clip into the pedal clip and have recessed clips on the sole of the shoe that allow for limited walking.
Magnetic Compass - found on Amazon
Bug/mosquito repellant - found a lotion on Amazon
2nd Water Bottle - Amazon - 24 oz BPA free by Camelbak
Eyeglass adjustable straps - very important - to keep my eyeglasses snug in fit on my face and properly aligned. This matters when I need to easily read what's going on in the cockpit, view distance ahead and have no issues to view my helmet rear view mirror. I have a handlebar mirror as well, yet I rely mostly on my helmet mirror. Between the radar and the helmet mirror I have very high reliability in knowing what is behind me and where it is.
Velcro straps to cut to length to batten down anything I don't want to move. I use bungie cords as well.
Light weight pair of casual walking around pants. I found a pair of wrangler cargo pants at Walmart that fit well, are light weight, will dry quickly and look normal. I don't want to always look like a bicycle alien. There will be times I need to look normal.
Poncho: Can double as a bicycle cover and be helpful if I get caught in a down pour or need to setup camp while it is raining.
Small white plastic grocery sized bags. Provided by my sister gratis.
Duct tape. Purchase 2 small flat pads of duct tape on Amazon. Will bring 1.
To get at The Bicycle Cellar: 1 more spare rearview mirror like the one they provided if they have it. I really like the one they provided and want a spare in case it is damaged. They are made of plastic, not metal like the one I had 42 years ago. Plan to pickup another range extender Trek eBike battery. This will give me traveling capacity of 1000 watts. The bike is heavy and I want the batter power to compensate for added difficulty due to weight. Special thanks to the good folk at The Bicycle Cellar working with me.
2 more eyeglass pouches to protect glasses from getting scratched. The ones I have are thin and made of cloth and do not take up space.
Possibly a sewing kit - I have a tiny sewing kit somewhere. If I find it I'll grab it.
Pliers - I purchased a Swiss Army Knife on Amazon. It has pliers. It is called the Victorinox. The box shows I can look up this item at http://www.swissarmy.com/ It includes a can opener and all kinds of attachments - this will supplement my bike tool kit well.
Sweatshirt. Lightweight sweatshirt with pockets ordered on Amazon - will receive tonight with about 5 other items.
2 helmet lights. Rechargeable and I keep one charging while the other is in use. Bright white light points forward and bright red light points 180 degrees behind me. Can be used day or night in addition to the bike headlight and tail light - both which are extremely bright. I also have a runner light that straps around my torso - rechargeable and extremely bright - good for day or night.
Flashlight - I have one I purchase on Amazon years ago. It has an adjustable light lens to focus the beam wide or pinpoint, is powered by 3 AAA batteries and is durable. I don't plan to bring rechargeable batteries for this flashlight. I plan to by Duracell batteries as I need them.
Finger nail clippers.
Portable rechargeable electric travel shaver purchased on Amazon. Keeps me from looking too scruffy. I have disposable double edge razor blades I can use without shaving cream after I shave with the electric if I want a close shave. I want to be seen as a tourist and look presentable. Sometimes that can work against me depending on the people encountered. I'm opting to look presentable to law enforcement as I do have experience with being asked to search my backpack when I walked from San Diego to Texas while raising money for the Church Annex at St Andrew's. I attended service there while living in California.
So the above list indicates matters I have been addressing since my return from the test trip 5 days ago. I have been eating well thanks to my brother-in-law who is a great chef and getting lots of sleep. As time allows I do Lyft driving and spend some time making my see you later visits with friends and family. Today the goal is to get the cockpit bracket stabilized and possibly sleep in the tent which I set up yesterday for practice. I like the design of the tent. It can stand without tent stakes and is well ventilated with a rain fly to keep me from getting too wet. This can avoid exposure and help ensure a good night's sleep. Today I ordered on Amazon an inflatable sleeping back ground cushion which is light, compact and looks easy to use based on the video reviews I've seen.
I think this brings us up to date since last Monday the 8th when I returned from the trip up to Simsbury, CT and back to Norwalk, CT. Google maps was great and located a few really nice bike trails. Today is Saturday, May 13. Tomorrow is Mother's Day. I delayed the trip to spend time with mom and family. Everyone is supportive and understands why this adventure appeals to me. I will be sharing my location with Google Maps and communicating via this blog as well as the usual, cell phone and computer. I do plan to bring my laptop as writing on a full size keyboard I find to be more fluid. When I'm feeling fluid... :)
If you are reading this, I thank you for the visit. Feel free to get a free membership with Wix.com which is the service supporting this blog. If you create a user ID then you will be able to comment on the blog. I have it setup for non-members to comment but I have been advised by Wix.com tech support I my want to change to members only to avoid spam. Thus fare Wix.com tech support has been very good. I like them a lot. I can focus on writing and sharing photos and videos and not struggle with formatting or administering the website/blog.
At this juncture I have all the clothing and gear I need for all weather conditions and am ready to travel as a Self Contained (even Under rain water) Bicycle Unit: SCUBA. Being a SCUBA diver I imagine other divers (or anyone for that matter) would get the drift I'm ready to pull the trigger and go!
I have attached to this post a few clippings from my original 1981 Trip.
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