from the vault - best of the reno rambler

This was a short tour but perhaps the best of my cycling adventures because of the company and the many things I learned along the way about the joys of touring.   It doesn't hurt that I learned that Brooks saddles are totally capable, and actually excel, at opening beer bottles.  Kind of hard to top that after a long day in the saddle.

A friend and I were able to join a couple of other friends already on tour from Portland to SF in Crescent City and ride into Fort Bragg together before we went our separate ways to meet family and friends.  Here is a gallery of photos and thoughts about what I learned along the way.  It's not as if this was my first loaded tour having done NV on highway 50 a few years back and part of the Sierra Cascades route two years ago.

1. One way rental cars are a stellar way to drop into many places - A one way rental from Reno to Crescent City allowed us to join to tour in the middle of the trip from Portland to SF.  Coastal towns seem to have a lot more services and the price of a one way rental isn't too bad and gets you and your gear where you want to go.

2. Neon is your friend.  I don't exactly go ninja when I ride normally but on rides where the tree canopy can suddenly take you into nighttime conditions on winding mountain roads, a neon vest and pannier rain covers make for good visibility for cyclists.

You never know where you might find a small bike shop.

Nice view.

 3. In spite of reducing my touring gear to about 20-25 pounds I realized that once you add that camelback with water, and fill that handlebar bag and pockets, you're never as light as you think you are.  In this case the Rivendell Allrounder proved again that it was the way to go on a tour.

4. Fenders and the weather...in spite of the forecast for sunny and no rain before I left (which prompted me to not bother mounting fenders) I paid the price a bit with surprise rain the first two days of riding.  Lesson learned...unless you are riding through Nevada in the summer, mount fenders.

The text is worth reading.

5. Sometimes Less is More.  Shorter days in the saddle (in this case about 50 miles) made for more opportunities to enjoy an afternoon beer with friends.  That's a good thing.

Ice cream sandwiches on a hot day!

Feeling small and insignificant.

A river at the end of the day makes for a good bath and good fishing.

6. Showers vs. a Beautiful River.   I was so relieved to roll into a hike/bike camp one night when they had hot showers.  But the next day was spent washing off in a cool river and that proved to be even better than a shower even without soap.

Self Portrait with Dryer.

The Riv taking a rest.

7.  BBQd oysters may be one of the best post ride eats I've ever had.  I spent the rest of the trip craving these.

Darn...forgot my bottle opener at the camp.  Luckily we had a substitute.

8. Brooks Saddles...one of the wonders of the world.  I have to say my Imperial proved more comfortable then I imagined it could be.  And pretty.  And the previously mentioned ability to open a beer...that's a win, win, win situation.

Descent!

No comment.

Nope...

9. Moustache Bars work fine on long rides.  Ok maybe not my first choice.  I had to do a quick bike change the day before and the Rivendell had mbars already mounted.  I figured I'd suffer through some discomfort which I did to a certain extent.  But in reality I think riding 50-80 miles in a day is going to stress your hands and wrists a bit no matter what bar you use.  All in all, moustache bars are not my first choice for touring but they turned out to be totally fine.

10.  Wool!  I've had the experience of riding along the coast in northern California before and am continually surprised how it is possible to feel both warm and cold at the same time because of the dampness in the air.  Wool makes the discomfort bearable.  Not sure what it is about it but it works.  That photo above is a mixture of wool baselayer from Rivendell and a wool short sleeved jersey from Rapha...ha...take that fashion police!

11.  It's still possible to get a decent draft when going 14 mph when the bike(s) ahead of you are shaped like tow trucks.  We did a bit of pacelining during certain stretches of coastal headwinds and it was a nice reprieve from the slog.

 12.  Unicorns exist in Fort Bragg!

If you follow the yellow brick road it leads to a bathroom.

Last day...emerging from the forest onto the coast north of Fort Bragg.