4500+ Miles US Ebike Tour - August 2014

[veloman]

Carry extra water and soak your shirt. That is the best way to combat the heat. Otherwise it's just like riding into a hairdryer, you will dehydrated so fast, and not realize it since the sweat evaporates immediately.

I did that last year when riding in 106 degree here in Austin.

And that saddle - I hope you are wearing bike shorts.

You don't need bike shorts if you use a noseless saddle like on all my ebikes. These are a godsend.
http://www.amazon.com/Ergo-Seat-Ultimate-Bicycle-Saddle/dp/B000AO7MKM

Also, I suggest coasting and not pedaling unless on a climb. Better to keep your energy than add 10 miles to your range over a day.

 

[grindz145]

My old stomping grounds. Played LIberty Hall more than a few times, LOL....

If you wanna go into midtown KC BBQ, classic Aurthur Bryant would be my choice but Gates & Sons or practically any joint will feed you well if you're into that thing.

I would suggest sticking just north of KC, maybe 24Hwy? About 5 miles east of Carrollton, MO along 24Hwy you'll pass my dad & brothers' industrial Diesel shop. Lemme know if that times out for you and I'll let 'em know you might stop by? Especially if you need any welding, tools, repair, or place to crash, etc.

HOT, eh? August can be brutal and it's not just the heat but that HUMIDITY, oh my....

Ride on!

Oh yeah liberty Hall, I'll have to check that out too. I'll take a look at route 24 for sure. I need all the help I can get with navigation, it has been a huge inefficiency. That stupid Anderson power pole block has to go, I originally needed it to charge, but I no longer need it and they're just falling apart on me. Didn't really bring a good soldering iron though just this Butane thing and not enough solder. But maybe I'll pick up some Butane and solder and heartstrings and fix that stupid Anderson block once and for all. About to head through the Tallgrass Prarie right now.

 

[grindz145]

102,, OMG. I was wondering before you started if Kansas in August would be just as bad as further south. Yep. I would have rode to Canada myself.

Just like the TDF riders, you need a rest day. But a rest day still means 40-50 miles. If you actually stop, you'll have to rent a truck after one day of no riding. No shame if you do that the last day just to make it home in time.

Your secret is obvious, youth and testosterone. You are simply badass. The saddle secret is likely that he stands the pedals most of the day, putting only about 10% of his weight on the saddle like real riders do. Bet all your chafing is on the side of the leg, right?

Way to go!!!

Right in dogman, I wear bike shorts and I do indeed put a lot of my weight on the pegs, though never really standing up. This does make a big difference. I would prefer to roll my bike back into my backroom right where I left off from if at all possible, but we'll see there's a long way to go still! Going to stay with some couch surfers in lawr nice to nite hopefull.

 

[grindz145]

Carry extra water and soak your shirt. That is the best way to combat the heat. Otherwise it's just like riding into a hairdryer, you will dehydrated so fast, and not realize it since the sweat evaporates immediately.

I did that last year when riding in 106 degree here in Austin.

And that saddle - I hope you are wearing bike shorts.

You don't need bike shorts if you use a noseless saddle like on all my ebikes. These are a godsend.
http://www.amazon.com/Ergo-Seat-Ultimate-Bicycle-Saddle/dp/B000AO7MKM

Also, I suggest coasting and not pedaling unless on a climb. Better to keep your energy than add 10 miles to your range over a day.

I worry more about the controller than myself with respect to the heat, but damn it's hard on the body too. The probable is that with my controller bag open, in order to let it cool, I don't have any room to pedal. I need to fix that because I do still like pedaling but you're right, it's not worth it sometimes.

 

[Kingfish]

Hang in there Troy! 8)

I had the hardest time dealing with heat in August, and in particular – the day I had the flat tire during a severe scorcher; a 15-hour day outside that began before sunrise and ended in complete darkness after 187 mountainous miles.

Simple tricks:

• Always carry plenty of water. I had like maybe one or two liters each day. But after that particular episode I always carried a gallon.
• Get on the road before sunrise to beat the heat. Your body is good for about 5 to 7 hours of pedaling. The last place you want to be is on your bike at 3 PM when the heat is coming on strongest.
• Early start also beats headwinds. I don’t know why this is, but I had headwinds going south. I had headwinds going north. The worst of it though picked up between Noon and 2 PM. Eventually I got smart enough to head out before the crack of dawn.
• Take frequent breaks. For me – it was about every 20 miles. Water-up, snork down a snack, leave a pee, stretch, splash my face, inspect the gear, get back on and go some more.
• One last time: Heatstroke is nothing to mess with. Be willing to throw in the towel for the day if you become too lightheaded! I always had a backup plan in case I had to bail, and did so twice on my trip.

Safe travels and Godspeed, KF

 

[GCinDC]

+1 for the wet shirt. excellent AC! i do that all the time when outdoors in 100F heat.

 

[veloman]

At 10amp limit, I would think your controller would be totally fine, even in this hot weather. Getting airflow on it would be a good idea.
Maybe get a thick plastic bag, fill with ice and put it under the controller.

 

[amberwolf]

frocking 102 degree heat is brutal though, I'm not programmed for this crap.

Shoulda come down thru Phoenix...it's only been in the high 80s - mid/high 90s F here (and cloudy to partly cloudy, with some rain, not much wind most of the time). :lol:

Dunno about eastern AZ or NM or Texas, though, which is where you'd've ended up passing thru from there. Might've sucked worse than where you are now.


As for the heat: If you feel a headache even a little one, stop. Cool off. Sip water all the time. (don't gulp it down you migh tjust puke it all up).

 

[mlt34]

• Always carry plenty of water.

+1, I just finished my service in the IDF and among many things it taught me that water in the desert is as valuable as, well, water in the desert. Always bring more than you think you need.

The wet shirt idea is also great. I used to do that in my apartment that didn't have AC. I bet it works much better at 25 mph than sitting on the couch.

 

[grindz145]

Hang in there Troy! 8)

I had the hardest time dealing with heat in August, and in particular – the day I had the flat tire during a severe scorcher; a 15-hour day outside that began before sunrise and ended in complete darkness after 187 mountainous miles.

Simple tricks:

• Always carry plenty of water. I had like maybe one or two liters each day. But after that particular episode I always carried a gallon.
• Get on the road before sunrise to beat the heat. Your body is good for about 5 to 7 hours of pedaling. The last place you want to be is on your bike at 3 PM when the heat is coming on strongest.
• Early start also beats headwinds. I don’t know why this is, but I had headwinds going south. I had headwinds going north. The worst of it though picked up between Noon and 2 PM. Eventually I got smart enough to head out before the crack of dawn.
• Take frequent breaks. For me – it was about every 20 miles. Water-up, snork down a snack, leave a pee, stretch, splash my face, inspect the gear, get back on and go some more.
• One last time: Heatstroke is nothing to mess with. Be willing to throw in the towel for the day if you become too lightheaded! I always had a backup plan in case I had to bail, and did so twice on my trip.

Safe travels and Godspeed, KF

Thanks kf. You're name certainly comes to mind when I think hard-core ebike tourer. What's the longest day that you've done? i

 

[grindz145]

In Lawrence KS now. I love this town. Got to stopat tthe replay lounge. I could definitely hang here for a while. Everyone knows my favorite bands

 

[Kingfish]

Thanks kf. You're name certainly comes to mind when I think hard-core ebike tourer. What's the longest day that you've done? i

Longest day on the 2nd California Trip:
MAP: Tuesday, August 9th, 2011 Pioneer-Fresno

By the end of the day I was definitely suffering from effects of both dehydration and heatstroke. Upon reflection, where I broke down was close to 1,000 ft. elevation, and separated from the Valley behind a tall ridge of foothills; a natural barrier from the worst effects of Valley heat. In the middle of this epic and awesome day, the bike was broke down for about 4 hours, passing high Noon, and I burned through most of my water during the repair while still 40 mountain miles from Mariposa, the next viable town. It took 2 hours to get there with only 1/2 liter of Gatorade in reserve. Arriving in Mariposa, I chugged down a liter of ice water, and packed two more with me. By the time I entered the Valley - the heat had already dropped about 10°F so I was perhaps spared the very worst of it, and yet I still felt like sautéed chicken fricassee. My mind was total pudding at the end: I remember arriving at my brother's place in Fresno and sitting on the couch with a cold tumbler of Gatorade, though didn't recognize that's what I was drinking (even though I'd been drinking it all day). I don't remember anything else from that evening or part of the next day either.

Except for the flat and heat, it was really an awesome riding experience that I shall never forget. The funny thing was, at 6:40 AM when I left Pioneer (about 3,000 ft. elevation), I was wearing a fleece for the first hour cos I was cold!

The 2nd longest day was the very first from the same trip - mentally speaking :lol:
I left Redmond at like 11:15 AM and was expecting to arrive in Portland by around 6 or 7 PM. No way Jose! By the time I got to Tenino after 78 miles I was ready to through in the towel after riding 6 hours in heavy metro traffic. Cramping, I stretched and stretched, watered up and ate a Cliff Bar, then decided to push on for another 30 miles to Centralia, finishing up at 108.1 miles for the first day.

The other longest day worth mentioning is from the 1st trip to California:
Monday July 12th, 2010 <-- begins here.
Left Johnsville (approximately; 5,500 ft. elevation) at 8:03 AM and arrived at Sacramento (almost sealevel) at 11:10 PM after 173.3 miles. That includes breaking 5 spokes, having the rear wheel replaced, and oh - no headlights!. I never planed to ride at night.

Don't we have a thread around here about the Longest Day on an ebike? If not, we should start one. We could all be members of The Longest Day Club (TLDC).

Too funny; easier to laugh than remember the pain. I still remember the pain though.

Have you any blisters yet? Can't be an epic ride without blisters ya know :wink:

To your swift return! KF

 

[dogman dan]

So far between faucets around here, I carry a two full gallons of water on a tour.

IDF knows how to hydrate, I learned from them and felt a lot better when framing houses in 110f, for a 10 hour day. If you stop peeing, you blew it 2 hours ago. Chug a quart every hour, if not more. That two gallons lasts me 8 hours if I need it.

Wet shirt really helps. I worked a job where the temps were 150F, inside the bowl of a stadium that was like a solar cooker. Guys were going off in ambulances. Every 10 min we had to re wet the shirt or die.

strip off those dead andersons, and just twist the wires up with wire nuts if you must. They are in any car parts store.

 

[Ykick]

Yeah man, Lawrence KS is an amazing little Oasis of art & education stuck in the middle of greeen grass and fat cows. Take a day or two and enjoy yourself!

Although I've been out of that area for nearly 20 years having grown up in area living into my mid 30's 'have a pretty decent idea of roadways and routes. Toss a couple itineraries you're thinking about and 'can likely elaborate on any road and potential pros/cons?

I'm also 100% certain there's probably some lycras in Lawrence who've ridden to KC and maybe St Louis so they might have some good route suggestions? Just a matter of finding them.

KC is about about 50 miles from Lawrence. Columbia MO is another 130 beyond while being the Missouri version of KU/Lawrence although more conservative politically. Well known school of journalism however. Out of KC you basically have 3 choices crossing the state IMO - 24Hwy to the north, I-70 (can't ride on interstate but maybe service roads although river crossings might complicate?) or Hwy 50 to the south.

As I said before, if you use 24Hwy my dad & brother dig my eBikes and operate an industrial shop 5 miles east of Carrollton, MO. I'll chat with 'em today and see if they're gonna be around the next couple of days? They probably don't have APP stuff but they build diesel power plants and control panel equipment so I'm sure they would help with just about any needed mechanical/electrical rework.

Street view 24Hwy and you will see many 2 lane stretches have narrow crowned gravel shoulders. Probably similar to 2 lane roads in Iowa although much more traffic (KC is a transit hub, btw) and the hills along Missouri river valley make it much more treacherous IMO. Plus drinking is a common past-time in and around those parts. Although early in the day's much less chance of dealing with drunk drivers.

Clear skies for several days so you can probably pack rain gear down low. Forecast mid-upper 90's with mild humidity across the area - it could be a lot worse. Ride early and break late afternoon would be good strategy IMO.

You're an inspiration! Stay safe....

 

[mateusleo]

This trip is amazing, certainly in the list of things to do before I die. You are meeting lots of different places, cultures and the "slow" speed, and by slow I mean you can enjoy every place of the trip, not like an airplane trip that you only enjoy the final destination. And in a ebike, simply amazing! When you finish, please give us a review about the status of the motor, battery, bike, etc... You got a amazing history to tell yours grand sons now. Good luck on the remaining miles!

 

[grindz145]

Today was so rough. Started out with only a few hours sleep this morning after an awesome courchsurfing host, ended up with a party in my sleeping area at 2:30 am. Haha. gotta love LFK. Anyway, I really enjoyed my time in lawrence, but the mileage I have to maintain is killing me. The heat is technically lower now, but it's much worse. SOOO humid. I couldn't take it today. Broke down and started screaming several times. In an air conditioned motel now with the bike in the room. only 117 miles today.

However, I did get the opportunity to have breakfast with Harry Mallin from BrammoFan blog fame. Super cool guy. I just don't have the time to savor anything. The timeframe is obviously way too brutal.

I hate the frocking roads in Missouri It's more like misery. I'm taking 36 pretty much all day tomorrow, in Cameron MO now. Hopefully it gets better. The heat is not predicted to get any better, So i may have to splurge for a few more hotel rooms. This saves me about 2 hours every day that can get me another 30-50 miles depending. I ordered some more tires to be sent to my friends place in Kokomo IN, I'm going to stop there on my way back hopefully.

The thought honestly crossed my mind about giving up today. I thought about renting a car, throwing my bike in the back, and getting the frock out of this miserable state and heading home. But I'm going to trudge on for now to see if the state gets any better as I head east.

Hopefully going to head out at about 4 or 5 am tomorrow. It's the only way I'm going to beat the sun/heat.

 

[grindz145]

https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&so...h&dirflg=ht&mra=dpe&mrsp=1&sz=9&via=1&ie=UTF8

rest of the way home?

 

[drew12345]

Don't give up. Your almost there. Every mile ridden is a mile closer to home. Try to setup several short goals each day. Don't think how long you have left. Just concentrate on the goals. Take a long break if needed. See if that helps.

 

[veloman]

Keep going. You will be much happier with yourself 2 weeks from now and you have biked the whole way. Comfort is temporary.

 

[Ykick]

Hwy 36 is actually a pretty good choice. Mostly divided (maybe all of it now?) and fairly wide flat shoulders however that also means big trucks hauling ass. Lovely state, eh? LOL....

 

[arkmundi]

1++ for

Hang in there Troy! 8) .... Simple tricks...

Heading to New York City from Worcester, ~200 miles, for the really big People's Climate March in conjunction with the United Nations Climate Summit. May not sound like much but it'll be the first longish trip on my eBike. Most I've done to-date is 30 miles. Then if I build some confidence in bike, gear & ability, I'll do more and more touring. Thanks for all the great suggestions and the inspiring story!

... only 117 miles today.....

I'd be very happy to make that distance in one day ... its all relative.

Kingfish's Back in the Saddle: Going to California: 2011

I must down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

Cheers!

 

[JennyB]

Voice of experience: there's no shame in deciding to give up - but do first take as long as you need to get fed and rested, and only then consider whether you can make it to the next stop. Otherwise you'll end up with a case of "coulda-shoulda."

 

[grindz145]

Thank you all for the words of encouragement. That and a good night a sleep leave me ready to fight another day. I enjoy riding, I enjoy every minute of it, but I don't necessarily enjoy some of the other consequence, like the heat tO'Day! 66 miles in so far today at 10am after a 5am start, fingers crossed for no flats. Picked up some Butane for my soldering iron in preparation to eliminate the Anderson connector block hopefully within with I The next few days. It's starting to be a real pain and I'm relatively confident that I don't need it anymore.

 

[grindz145]

If anyone is along the way on the route home let me know I would love to meet up with more people if possible.

 

[grindz145]

If anyone is along the way on the route home let me know I would love to meet up with more people if possible.