Blog extras #4: The machines that help get us there

It probably goes without saying that there’s a human element to all of this.  But it’s also important for a “chapeau” (the cycling term, coming from the French, that acknowledges a “tip of the hat”) to the machines that help get us from Dronfield to the Algarve…our bikes, our Garmin computers and James’ BMW.  Without those, we’d be hitchhiking our way across Europe.

The bikes

Everyone’s got his/her favorite bike.  Some are on this trip.  I was amazed last night at dinner when some of our crowd were talking about the number of bikes that they own and why they choose that particular bike for this trip. Some own four bikes.  Some more.  I’ve got just my Specialized Roubaix, a lightweight carbon fiber bike. I’ve had it for all of the rides up the Mississippi, across the country and down the Atlantic seaboard.  I used to have a steel Dibernardi as well. Loved that bike.  It was such a comfortable ride but, being a steel-framed bike, was fairly heavy – not the best for climbing up the Rockies.

My horse.  Complete with aerobars (which come in very handy on days with strong headwinds), the Garmin computer (in between the aerobars) two water bottles, a saddle bag with extra inner tube and multi-tool, front and rear flashing lights and gator skin tires (which are slightly thicker and help prevent flats, although I've already gotten two this trip).  The bikes are all very lightweight and handle well on all road surfaces and in all weather conditions.

We handle our bikes with great care.  We’re careful where we store our bikes (preferably in our own rooms each night, although some hotels frown upon that and make us put them in some kind of storage facility), where we put our bikes down (always leaving the derailleur off the ground), and how often we make minor or major adjustments.  This morning was such an example. 

Before we left for our day’s ride, Gene (a trained mechanic) was able to identify a clicking sound coming from Laura’s crank (her large gear assembly).  I had some skipping yesterday when trying to shift from some of my middle gears.  In both cases, Gene was able to diagnose the problem and make an easy adjustment.  We clean our bikes when it rains.  When it’s nice, we might do that once every two-to-three days, applying new lubricants about every other day.

James had a more serious issue with the ball bearings in his crank.  He wound up taking it to a local bike shop here in Badajoz and was able to get a replacement made before they closed for lunch.

Every night, we are checking our tires for any potential problems – a loose piece of glass or wire that might be trying to get into the tire, a crack in the tread, etc.  We charge up our front and tail lights.  We check our shifters and our brakes. Although none of us, other than Gene, are qualified as trained mechanics, over the years we’ve all learned the basics of keeping our bikes in good running shape.

The Garmin computers

An example of the turn-by-turn directions
and graphics on the Garmin

Everyone riding on this trip has one form or another of the Garmin bike computers.  Before the trip, we downloaded the 22 days of riding from a “Ride with GPS” website onto our Garmin’s.  Although we know where we’re heading each day, the Garmin’s are invaluable in giving us the specific turn-by-turn directions.  I’ll get an audible “beep” cue about one-tenth of a mile before the turn.  On my screen will be a map showing me in which direction I should be riding.  One of the interesting things about these turn signals is that, in Europe, we are riding around so many roundabouts, so we actually get two cue “beeps,” one when we are entering the roundabout and the second when we’re advised which exit of the roundabout to take.  And considering that not all our cues include the actual route number or name, seeing the turn cue on the ride map on the computer helps us immensely when we’re entering a roundabout with four or five exits.

The end of ride summary screen.

The Garmin’s aren’t foolproof.  Occasionally, they will want us to take a parallel path, usually to avoid major car traffic.  But, in at least five cases that we’ve dealt with so far, those cues want us to go on unpaved roads.  In those cases, we’ll ignore the “off course” alerts and stay on the paved roads, especially as we can see from the expanded maps on our Garmin’s that we are remaining parallel to the cue and will shortly be back on course.  But even with those infrequent hiccups, we could not get where we need to be without those computers.

The SAG car

This would have been a far more challenging ride if we had to do this unsupported and with touring bikes. Touring bikes are much heavier, slower riding bikes compared to our road bikes.  But, most importantly, a touring bike would have been carrying a series of panniers, those saddle bags that would hold our clothes and our supplies. Those bikes, fully loaded, weigh upwards of three times what our road bikes weigh.

The morning load out.  Luggage goes in the "boot," water, energy bars, first aid, etc. in the back seat along with easy access to everyone's windbreakers or rain jackets, just in case.  Two bike racks on the roof, also just in case.

Having Jesse driving a car that’s filled with our luggage (which meant we could all bring more clothes/supplies than on a self-sustained ride), gallons of water, energy bars, sunscreen, wipes, and first aid kits (which, thank goodness, have rarely been used!) has been invaluable.  In addition to merely carrying all of that stuff, Jesse has been able to ride back and forth to provide support (spare inner tubes and a floor stand tire pump) in cases of roadside flat tires, or just extra water during some really long and hot stretches of the route.