Month: July 2021

July 29, 2021

The Pedalshift Project 251: Meal and Snack Planning Strategies

I used to do it all wrong, now I do it better. On this episode, comparing how I used to handle snack and meal planning on bike tour, and how I do it better now.

The Pedalshift Project 251: Meal and Snack Planning Strategies

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Snack and Meal Planning

Oregon Coast ride

About a week

Many towns, never a day without resupply options

But many long stretches with nothing

The old way

Buy a lot of snacks in advance

Have several meals on me

Have little to no space and very full bags at the beginning of the tour

Despite having “meals” on me, carrying at least one or two of them the ENTIRE length of the trip because I eat in the towns or grab better/fresher grocery items in the towns

Make fun of myself for the smashed boxes of mac and cheese I discover in my panniers when I unpack later

The modified way

No pre-purchasing

Buying what looks good in the first town rather than buying something I think I’ll want in advance

Being realistic about cooking – I’ll do it, just not as often as I want/think

Knowing where resupply options are before campsites is big – can carry a lot less over the miles, and carry the meals for a shorter duration

Frozen peas trick

What do I tend to like?

Coffee – probably going to do pour-over (less stuff to bring)

Pop-tarts – great calorie to weight ratio, excellent for breakfast or snacks

Nuts – a savory option

Cheese – stays ok without chilling for a few days

50/50 water and sports drink – grape is the only flavor

Sugary caffeinated drinks for hills and second half of days – don’t underestimate the need for simple carbs when cycling, if that helps you

Big sandwiches – Subway footlong keeps pretty well

Occasionally, chips/crisps to mix things up and Snickers

Beer?

I don’t like drinking until the end of my riding day – YMMV

I’ll often get beer at the last town’s store and keep it cold with some frozen food item

Vegetables?

I love me a bagged salad mix for dinner.

Easy to prepare, can eat out of the bag

Vegetables are very helpful to eat on the road to mix in with all the junk calories we often eat!

Eating out

I’ll frequently grab lunch “out”

I’ll usually do dinner with freshly purchased food from grocery stores, with some exceptions

As always we like to close out the show with a special shoutout to the Pedalshift Society! Because of support from listeners like you, Pedalshift is a weekly bicycle touring podcast with a global community, expanding into live shows and covering new tours like this summer’s upcoming bike tour! If you like what you hear, you can support the show for 5 bucks, 2 bucks or even a buck a month. And there’s one-shot and annual options if you’re not into the small monthly thing. Check it all out at pedalshift.net/society.

Kimberly Wilson
Caleb Jenkinson
Cameron Lien
Andrew MacGregor
Michael Hart
Keith Nagel
Brock Dittus
Thomas Skadow
Marco Lo
Terrance Manson
Harry Telgadas
Chris Barron
Mark Van Raam
Brad Hipwell
Mr. T
Nathan Poulton
Stephen Dickerson
Vince LoGreco
Cody Floerchinger
Tom Benenati
Greg Braithwaite
Sandy Pizzio
Jeff Muster
Seth Pollack
Joseph Quinn
Drue Porter
Byron Paterson
Joachim Raber
Ray Jackson
Jeff Frey
Kenny Mikey
Lisa Hart
John Denkler
Steve Hankel
Miguel Quinones
Alejandro Avilés-Reyes
Keith Spangler
Greg Towner
Dan Gebhart, RIP
Jody Dzuranin
Lucas Barwick
Michael Baker
Brian Bechtol
Reinhart Bigl
Greg Middlemis
Connie Moore
William Gothmann
Brian Benton
Joan Churchill
Mike Bender
Rick Weinberg
Billy Crafton
Gary Matushak
Greg L’Etoile-Lopes
James Sloan
Jonathan Dillard
John Funk
Tom Bilcze
Ronald Piroli
Dave Roll
Brian Hafner
Misha LeBlanc
Ari Messinger
David Gratke
Todd Groesbeck
Wally Estrella
Sue Reinert
John Leko
Stephen Granata
Phillip Mueller
Robert Lackey
Dominic Carol
Jacqi McCulloch
John Hickman
Carl Presseault
David Neves
Patty Louise
Terry Fitzgerald
Peter Steinmetz
Timothy Fitzpatrick
Michael Liszewski
Hank O’Donnell
David Zanoni
David Weil
Matthew Sponseller
Chad Reno
Spartan Dale
Carolyn Ferguson
Peggy Littlefield
Lauren Allansmith
Eric Burns

Music

You’ve been hearing about Jason Kent and his music for many fine episodes. Sunfields has a new album available NOW, AND Jason has a new solo album coming this year, AND his first solo album is now streaming on Spotify, including America, the Pedalshift theme. Go listen!

The post The Pedalshift Project 251: Meal and Snack Planning Strategies appeared first on Pedalshift.

July 22, 2021

The Pedalshift Project 250: The Green Goblin Retirement Tour

For the sestercentennial edition of the pod, it’s the summer 2021 tour reveal: the Green Goblin retires its west coast life with one last time on the Oregon coast. Learn all about it right here!

The Pedalshift Project 250: The Green Goblin Retirement Tour

Hey it’s the direct download link for The Pedalshift Project 250: The Green Goblin Retirement Tour (mp3).

Subscribe/Follow The Pedalshift Project:
RSS – iTunes – Overcast – Android – Google Podcasts – Stitcher – TuneIn – IHeartRadio – Spotify

Reach out to the show via email, Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to join the newsletter too.

Summer Tour 2021 Revealed: The Green Goblin Oregon Coast Retirement Tour

After 3 weeks back on the east coast, I’m ready to go back to Oregon to do the Oregon Coast with my trusty vintage touring bike… the Green Goblin.

And it’s probably the last time it’s doing the Oregon coast after several rides through the years, living in Portland. It’s time to come to the east coast, wear black socks with shorts, play shuffleboard in the humidity and get mounted in a place of honor at the cabin. No, really, seroiusly thinking about doing that. Like on a wall or something.

The trip

Basic Oregon coast ride, with a border run. This is the classic ride that I’ve CRAVED all through COVID. Tillamook to the border and then…

The curveball

A new way to conclude the trip! Following the border run in Brookings, I discovered there is a (kludgy) 3-part bus ride from Brookings to Medford. From there I’ll fly home.

Fly?

Yes, fly! Alaska Airlines has an excellent bike flying policy

One of the reasons for the Goblin’s retirement is there’s less of a reason to keep a bike in Portland, particularly one that seems to need extra maintenance between trips

ALSO! I finally bit the bullet on FOTS Maggie Lonergan’s suggestion of the super cool Ground Effect Dogsbody bike bag, out of New Zealand (shouts to my Kiwi listeners!)

Allows me to carry a bike bag, scrounge for some rando cardboard in Medford and roll right to the airport. And maybe roll home too (although that will be a little late)

Being able to ride to and from an airport has always been a bit of a missing link and this bag is making this ride easier than scrounging/begging for a bike box in Medford with a few hours to spare.

Details!

Fully loaded ride

Bringing both panniers and two dry bags in my trusty duffel

Duffel and bike bag placement is TBD, depending on the rest of my gear. May be in one pannier each.

Going very limited on clothing this trip…. relying heavily on wool and puffy vest. Probably going with just the rain jacket and crossing my fingers on rain pants. TBD depending on weather forecasts.

Hey I have a new ALPS Zephyr 2 tent! First trip for it… kind of excited for it/

New “warm weather” down bag rated to 41 degrees, which is rectangular, not mummy… should be excellent.

All Oregon state park campsites. May consider wild camping one night (TBD) to avoid one particular site, but honestly being the worst of a great series of campsites doesn’t mean it’s a must skip. Also… shower.

Anything new?

A few things, but not a lot. I’m more interested to see if the route is getting any use… seemed very light traffic by bikes in CA last month.

Found a few new breweries to hit

Mostly this is a nostalgia run… probably the last tour, very likely the last west coast tour, for the Goblin.

Podcast?

Society folks, I’m going to be doing an exclusive dispatch for you – details to come. Want to get that bonus episode? Sign up for the Pedalshift Society by July 24th… that is the Saturday after this episode drops, so get on it!

Pod will be covering this tour basically the remainder of the summer after next week’s show and the best of in August.

Music

The post The Pedalshift Project 250: The Green Goblin Retirement Tour appeared first on Pedalshift.

July 15, 2021

The Pedalshift Project 249: Solo Touring Women and How to be an Ally

A chat with Sylva Florence, an experienced bicycle tourist and author of many things (including her blog The Sylva Lining) on touring as a solo woman, how people who want to be allies to solo women touring can do that without being creepy, and some of her favorite adventures.

The Pedalshift Project 249: Solo Touring Women and How to be an Ally

Hey it’s the direct download link for The Pedalshift Project 249: Solo Touring Women and How to be an Ally (mp3).

Subscribe/Follow The Pedalshift Project:
RSS – iTunes – Overcast – Android – Google Podcasts – Stitcher – TuneIn – IHeartRadio – Spotify

Reach out to the show via email, Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to join the newsletter too.

Sylva Florence and Solo Touring

Check out Sylva at The Sylva Lining and definitely read her post, Me Myself and My Tent for her tips on solo touring for women (but I also think those tips are good for everyone!)

Next episode – 250!

A SUMMER TOUR ANNOUNCEMENT. (I am all caps excited)

Music

The post The Pedalshift Project 249: Solo Touring Women and How to be an Ally appeared first on Pedalshift.

July 8, 2021

The Pedalshift Project 248: Microcamper Takeaways and Bicycling Highway 1

Back from my west coast adventure with 6 takeaways on the microcamper, including how I can see using it for bike touring and how bike touring helped me handle some of the things this trip threw at me. PLUS… a bonus unedited ride with me on California Highway 1!