Stability Helps

Returning to stability takes time.

Living without adequate income is tough. Returning from the brink takes time, but as stability returns life on the edge becomes less threatening. With the resolution of the unemployment quandary in my favor hope can now spring eternal.

    Hope springs eternal in the human breast; 

    Man never Is, but always To be blest: 
    The soul, uneasy and confin'd from home, 
    Rests and expatiates in a life to come.
– Alexander Pope, An Essay on Man

Too dire. Things are mostly good and I continue to work on leaving a small carbon footprint by investing some of my newly received resources into good tires and fenders, both made of carbon based materials, of course, but very little compared to my past life style.

It’s unpleasant to riding in rain on a bike lacking fenders and my venerable High Sierra, an excellent two wheeled transportation appliance, required that upgrade if it was going to be my daily ride. Almost as important for an urban ride is tires that can handle accumulated detritus found on bike paths and roadsides.

Choosing tires was a simple matter because of my experience with Schwalbe tires on the Safari. I put Marathon Plus (HS 348) on the Safari and have neither complaints nor punctures. Only when one was sliced completely through to the SmartGuard belt during my aborted tour have I had any kind of problem. Even then, the tire lost pressure slowly rather than catastrophically. For around town, everyday use Christian at Bikes and More suggested the updated Original Marathon (HS 420) with its 3 mm GreenGuard layer providing almost the same level of puncture protection. Weighing 730 grams (1.6 pounds) each (versus 940 grams or 2 pounds for HS 348) they are not road racer tires. They’re built to handle what I want; an everyday bicycle lifestyle.

Fenders presented a more complex question; what fenders would fit the High Sierra’s Roller Cam brakes that were popular in the 80s. They are very good brakes with remarkable stopping power, but, as most bike mechanics know, very hard to adjust properly. Adjustability was not the first problem; fitting current-day fenders under the Roller cam mechanism was. Again, Bikes and More took care of the matter.

Paul was able to fit a pair of Planet Bike Cascadia ATB fenders to the bike with a minimum of effort. The only adjustment needed was to the front fender where the spacing between the frame attachment and the fender was greater than normal. Nice fenders! While he was at it also adjusted the Roller Cam brakes. Nice work!

 

Using the High Sierra as everyday transportation is going to be much more pleasant with the ever-present concern about punctures reduced to a minimum. The Marathons are 100 pound tires (currently inflated to 85) that make riding remarkably smooth and noticeably more efficient. It’s no longer a mountain bike by function, but it is a fine bike.

More Life at 12 MPH

There are lots of us out there, people who prefer moving more slowly and with greater deliberation. Whether I would do it in a more challenging climate and geography is something I don’t have to decide or test. I have great respect for the women who blogs about living a bicycle lifestyle in wintery Alaska and the staff at Bicycle Times who do it in Pittsburgh whose snow and hills I experienced five decades ago.

Bicycles as a real transportation mode expose us to interesting people and unusual opportunities and I identify one of each below.

I feel vulnerable aboard a bike without a mirror, much more than when I ride sans helmet. Maybe it is a lingering subconscious fear of rednecks in pickups that was consciously put to rest in August as I safely traversed the secondary and tertiary roads of coastal Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. Irrespectively, I like knowing what’s behind me, so I always don glasses with a mirror attached (Safari) or bike-attached (High Sierra).

The best wearable mirror I have found is the Messenger Mirror, about which I have written previously. It is a winner in price, flexibility, size and practicality and now in customer service. The small mirror is attached to an irregular shaped rubbery pentagon which slides onto the temple piece. When one of the holes split because I had persistently pushed the piece too far onto the wide temple I contacted the manufacturer who happens to be the owner, salesperson, web master and customer service department. He was for some unknown reason off on a bike tour. Maybe he’s into bikes? So, I get a return email saying that he’ll send me the replacement piece when he gets back home.

I have purchased several Messenger Mirrors for personal use and to give to other riders because $5.99 and a shipping cost of $0.92 is . . . well . . . cool. Until the manufacturer/owner/salesperson . . . ok . . . until Bruce got back home I simply began using the backup I’d purchased before setting off on my tour. A few days ago the part arrived. The part and note are shown below where he seems to suggest that I am doing him a favor! Now, I have another backup. Whata deal and whata guy. Thanks, Bruce!

On the way home from an errand I had the good fortune to see one of automobilia’s fun vehicles. In the past, while living in metro Atlanta I’d see the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile occasionally, but hadn’t for many years since moving much further south. Apparently this version was headed for Miami as it turned onto I-75 southbound.

Can't Have Too Many Bikes

I love to ride and I love my bikes. This is a convenient blending of affections that makes a bicycle lifestyle more acceptable and maybe even logical. OK . . . not logical.

Most of my comments have been about the Novara Safari I acquired in anticipation of touring. In a year and a half I have made significant changes and additions to make it more suitable for its purpose. The changes and additions have been chronicled here. What I haven’t talked about is the other bike. That bike, a 1986 Schwinn High Sierra, served as the platform which allowed me to appreciate the flat terrain and temperate climate of Florida and presented the reality of commuting by bike.

I acquire the High Sierra as a replacement for the Puch ten speed I totaled when a FedEx truck gave me the opportunity do a face plant on its side. Upon full recovery from assorted fractures, dislocations and abrasions and significant research, I purchased the Schwinn over the more popular (and, at the time, much pricier, Specialized Stumpjumper). It helped that Ned Overend (a great name for a mountain biker) was riding for Schwinn at the time and using stock High Sierras and Paramountains.

After too many years of inactivity I resurrected the Schwinn and slowly enabled its evolution from mountain bike to urban commuter. I took economic shortcuts initially to avoid seeming too frivolous, buying inexpensive street tires at Wal-Mart or from Performance and Nashbar. Even now the rear tire is a 26x1.5 Nashbar Streetwise. Both wheels have been replaced along with the rear derailleur, cassette, left crank (twice), and seat post and saddle. The middle chain ring needs to be replaced but the large and small are still original Biopace.

Cosmetically the bike shows its early heavy usage when I was younger and more inclined to take kamikaze plunges down unfamiliar single tracks, but the original graphite color paint still predominates. As a daily commuter it has the capability to out perform me. Its only shortcoming is a lack of fenders. The worn middle chain ring is a very minor inconvenience.

I added a Blackburn Crossrack soon after I bought the bike for convenience sake and it's as useful now as then. Secondhand handlebar extensions add some comfort for longer rides. My first venture into panniers was to buy a pair of Nashbar Euro Compact Panniers and they are adequate bags, though the integrated rain covers do nothing to keep things dry. Someday I may try their waterproof bags, but as anyone who has read previous entries knows I have an absolute belief in the value and functionality of Ortlieb bags.

One of the nicer additions to the High Sierra was my FrankenBrooks saddle. When one of the rails on the B-17 saddle I was using on the Safari broke it was replaced by my FNBS (friendly neighborhood bike shop), Bikes and More as part of the warranty. I’d broken in the decease saddle for many months and it fit like a Brooks saddle was supposed to fit. <sigh> Some weeks later Paul of Bikes and More called and offered me the resurrected B-17. He’d replaced the broken rail parts and reassembled the saddle using aircraft screws rather than rivets. For the cost of the replacement parts I could have the old saddle, sans warranty, of course. How nice it is to have a commuter bike with a perfectly broken in B17 saddle!

 

Eventually I hope to add fenders, replace the chain ring, and, maybe add Schwalbes. With the Burley hitch on the seat post and a few more upgrades it will be the perfect lifestyle companion, but the Nashbar bags are adequate for typical trips to the grocery store. Yes, the Safari will remain the long ride bike, but the Schwinn will never remain stationary very long.

Duh Moments and Brief Pettiness

With age comes the ability to add to life’s “duh moments”  and I have managed to create and collect an abundant supply. Rather than deny them it is helpful to reflect and review increasing the possibility of not repeating and replicating any. Some of my favorite and recent ones are listed below.

“What do they need your MOS (military occupation specialty) in Vietnam for?” That’s what the recruiter said when I inquired as a callow nineteen year old in October of 1965. By July of 1966 I knew well what the need was and what the likelihood was of returning. One bit of justice and perhaps a duh moment for the recruiter was his receipt of orders to Vietnam soon after I returned Stateside in July of ’67. How fortunate was he to get to be there in time for the Tet Offensive launched on January 30, 1968? Anyone curious about that time should read Nelson DeMille’s outstanding novel Up Country, a detective novel which touches dramatically on his experience with the 1^st Cavalry Divison (Airmobile).

Why would I expect someone proud of never having to pay for unemployment to treat me differently from anyone else? “Duh” on me for thinking that her statement “Do what you need to do” was encouragement rather than a challenge.

OK . . . maybe I am being petty . . . Nah!

I had a duh moment while cycling today and that stirred thoughts about other moments when I should have known better or anticipated the result. The above have little to do directly with cycling, but the following comment about Messenger Mirror does. Thanks for bearing with my tangents.

I have used Messenger Mirror exclusively when riding my Touring bike and I do so because the little thing works. My single criticism was that it vibrated significantly on rough roads. Still, I observed, that did not prevent me from knowing something was behind me, only that I could not determine the make and model of what was following.

On my ride this summer I had less vibration, even on South Carolina’s sometimes corduroy-like roads, because the way I wore my helmet caused the metal arm to touch its underside. This contact point reduced the vibration significantly. Back home, where I frequently ride the Touring bike sans helmet in open defiance of common sense, the vibration returned. Apparently I was also wearing my helmet differently. I didn’t make the obvious connection until I was adjusting the Messenger Mirror’s positioning on my Opticnerve sunglasses. Now I have no criticism. Helmeted or not MM works just fine! Below is an image of my current use of this neat thing.

I also have failed to include enough comments about Aero Tech Designs, a maker of bicycle clothing and accessories. Located in Coraopolis, PA, their stuff is American made and fully competitive in price and quality with any brand of cycling gear. Before my summer tour I purchase three of their Tech Cargo Short - Padded for Bicycling, two in black and one in charcoal. The fit is fine. They are comfortable and utilitarian, allowing me to enter convenience stores without attracting stares and even to go into restaurants and look almost like other customers. The padding in the tight undergarment is more than adequate.

I also acquired a set of Aero Tech’s Stretch Fleece, Double Layer Knee, Leg Warmers because sometimes it actually gets cold in this part of Florida. Since many days start in the 40s then warm into the 60s and 70s, tights seemed like overkill. I prefer wearing shorts as often as possible and leg warmers looked like a viable option even if I choose to wear ordinary shorts when I am commuting or just going to the grocery store.

Standing six feet four inches I figured I needed to order XL Tall which have a non-stretch length of 32 ¾ inches. My inseam is a bit longer than that. After getting and using them I guess I could have managed with L Tall, but the length is not at all a negative as I like the way the length allows the warmers to fit. As far as cold functionality, they are ideal. I cannot imagine it getting cold enough here (20s, being the usual lowest temperatures and then only for a matter of a few days) to warrant wearing anything else. They fit well enough and tight enough to work under jeans without causing constriction and bunching.

Another of the products like Messenger Mirror that just do what they are supposed to do. Both Messenger Mirror and Aero Tech’s clothing are worth having and using.

Honor and Betrayal

I spent weeks contemplating my bike tour then more time preparing. Among the things that made preparation pleasant was the support of people who knew me personally and people with whom and for whom I worked. The general manager’s expressions of concern for my safety included good natured cautions that I was not permitted to die on the bumper of a pickup truck because I was expected to return and help continue the efforts to grow the business of my employer.

Over the years I developed an understanding of the business and the marketplace and became good at talking to customers and prospective customers. Returning to market the company’s products was appealing, but returning to typical daily responsibilities was satisfactory.

Now, after months of delays and excuses by the company, I am faced with appealing my denial of unemployment compensation because the general manager claims that I retired. After a half century of working entering retirement would be appealing except for the economic reality that I cannot afford to be without gainful employment. Perhaps I should have anticipated this because of the general manager’s boasts that the company had never had to pay for unemployment.

I accept people at face value and presume that my honorable efforts will not be confronted by deceit and deception. It’s just another lesson learned. We can define honor anyway we choose, but like right and wrong, honor has an intrinsic meaning. Some people have it and live it. Others do not and perhaps never will.

What do you do?

“So how’re you doing now that you are retired?”

“Uh . . . I’m not retired. I don’t have a job.”

“Oh.”

Innocent question with a curious reaction. Instead of being a respectable older man I became someone on the dole. Funny how point of view changes depending upon point of view.

What do you do when you have more free time than you have had for forty or fifty years? Figuring that out is critical to avoiding the depths of depression that can accompany after losing one of life’s anchors. Well, I ride a lot and explore the north central Florida countryside. Aside from riding, I look for work. But riding and work looking takes up only a small portion of the hours I used to give over to helping employers make money. You have to find other things to fill the void. One thing you can do, well, that I do, is to bake things. Here are a couple of recipes relevant to the season.

The first recipe is one I have carried around for five or six years. I wanted something that I could make into a mildly festive shape like Gingerbread Men, but I had never had a homemade gingerbread cookie I liked. Instead, I went with Molasses Cookies which can be cut out in any shape you want. After making many batches using a gingerbread man shape I concluded that the bother and time involved did not improve the flavor, so why bother. Now, I roll the dough into numerous same-size balls, press them between my palms until they are about a 1/4 inch thick and place ‘em on a cookie sheet. The result is a soft, substantial cookie that matches any I ever had from a farmers’ market when I was growing up.

Molasses Cookies

1 cup butter softened                                    1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup molasses                                                             (I use unbleached)

1/2 cup sour cream                                       1 tablespoon baking soda

1 cup brown sugar                                        1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon white vinegar                              1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees (165 degrees Celsius)
2. Prepare cookie sheets. I don’t grease mine and have no problem removing the cookies.
3. In a large bowl stir butter, molasses, sour cream, brown sugar and vinegar until smooth and well blended. Works best to combine butter and sugar until well blended then add other ingredients one at a time.
4. Sift flour and baking soda then add salt, ginger and cinnamon. Combine well.
5. Stir flour mixture into wet ingredients until fully blended. Dough will be quite stiff when complete.
6. On lightly floured board roll dough to approximately 1/4 inch thickness and cut in desired shapes with cookie cutter. Place on cookies sheets spaced about 1 to 1 1/2 inches apart.

or

6. Roll pieces of dough into equal sized balls approximately 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Press balls between palms until approximately 1/4 inch in thickness. Place on cookie sheets spaced about 1 inch apart.
7. Bake in preheated over for 8 to 10 minutes. I commonly rotate the pan about half way through and bake them about 11 to 12 minutes.
8. Allow cookies to cool briefly on cookies sheet then remove to wire rack to finish cooling. Makes lots.

The other thing that is seasonal is Fruit Cake. “I don’t care for Fruit Cake,” people always say. Fact is, most people know it as a dark, heavy thing sent to them by some distant relative in  lieu of an actual gift. Johnny Carson put forth the idea that there was only one fruitcake and it was sent by one distant relative in perpetuity. Following is a recipe for a White Fruit Cake that lacks the ingredient which I think makes most of them unappealing; citron. It is labor intensive to get started making, but the outcome will please most people . . . really!

White Fruit Cake

1 cup butter or margarine                                 1 cup sugar

            (I use a stick of each)                           5 large eggs

1 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour                      1/2 pound candied pineapple and cherries

1 cup (more or less) chopped pecans                          (Original recipe called for 1 pound

1/2 teaspoon baking powder                                     of each, but I prefer a higher cake to

1 tablespoon vanilla                                                   fruit ratio.)

            (real vanilla extract, please!)                   1 tablespoon lemon extract

Parchment paper or paper grocery bags                       (Added this once and once only as the result did not please me.)

1. DO NOT PREHEAT OVEN!!!!
2. Cut paper to fit two 9” x 5” x 3 “ loaf pans. I have four half size pans that I use Good size, but more labor.
3. Grease paper with butter or margarine.
4. Cream butter well then add sugar (amount can be reduced slightly because of sweetness of candied fruit) and beat until light and fluffy. This is a necessary step and works best of the butter/margarine is at room temperature.
5. Beat eggs then blend into butter and sugar mixture.
6. Mix fruit and nuts in a separate bowl with a small amount of flour, probably less than 1/4 cup, until well coated. This helps to keep the fruit and nuts from settling to the bottom.
7. Sift the rest of the flour and baking soda together.
8. Fold flour into butter and egg mixture. Add vanilla. Mix well.
9. Fold in fruit and nut mixture. The only lumps in resulting mixture should be the fruit.
10. Spoon equal amounts of mixture into prepared pans.
11. Place pans in cold oven and bake at 250 degrees (120 degrees Celsius) for approximately 2 ½ hours. Longer baking will not do much ore than darken the bottom of the loaves.
12. Cool in pans on wire rack then wrap (leaving paper on) in foil. Will handle 4 to 8 weeks storage f kept relatively cool and dry.
13. If you wish to “adjust” the flavor carefully pierce the top of the loaf in numerous places using a thin skewer or very sharp knife then carefully pour 2 to 4 ounces of spiced rum over the top. Paper and foil should keep  it fro leaking. Rewrap with foil and store, eat or give away.
14. You can also make this in a single springform tube pan. Baking time would be increased by 30 minutes or so.

So . . . that’s what I do to fill up time while looking for work

This morning I was thinking

Some days are more difficult. There doesn’t seem to be a specific cause. They just happen. I figure it’s part of my mind’s effort to fill in the void left by not having a job. Working becomes a habit after fifty years of doing something gainful. At least the process, the ritual becomes a habit, since the actual work changes. Getting ready for work is one of those defining activities. When it goes away the void needs a replacement or alternative.

I did not anticipate being jobless when I chose to be absent from work for two months. My return was expected, the continuing need for me expressed emphatically. Circumstances and needs change and it simply reaffirms what Roseanne Roseannadanna used to say to Jane Curtain on Saturday Night Live's Weekend Updates, "Well, Jane, it just goes to show you, it's always something--if it ain't one thing, it's another."

There are things with which I can fill the hours formerly devoted to paid employment —laundry, baking cookies, vacuuming, dusting, making the bed, and other life stuff — but that only eliminates them from the usual weekend or evening list of “to dos.” So, what do I do?

A lot of time is spent wrestling with depression created by the thought that I’ve passed the point where I am able to contribute anything to anyone. It grows to include feelings that there is no hope . . . ever. Pragmatically, both of these ideas have more than a grain of truth. Age becomes a handicap whether we legislate against it or not.

It’s ironic that at a tine when you need it less you want it more, food that is. With a limited income I choose more carefully what I can and will purchase, then I lament that I can’t have things around just to satisfy my sweet-, sour-, salty-, or bitter-tooth. Well, I guess I could, but then I’d not be able to afford the things that actually keep me alive. I reflect on one of the relevant and sage lines from Firesign Theater:

“How does an old man like you stay alive?”

“I don't eat anything. But, it doesn't affect my appetite!”

Ultimately, my present and future are fully my responsibility. We are after all, the sum of the decisions we make. I could lament my current circumstances, but doing this would only diminish the immense value of my work hiatus. The truth of the assertions that we get what we give, that doing the right thing is always the right thing to do and that negative begets negative were proven to me everyday of that adventure.

As convenient and inviting as it is to take the mock-Latin aphorism “Illegitimi non carborundum” as the way to confront life’s injustice and unfairness, I hold true to the belief that if it’s going to be a good day it’s up to me to make it so.

Life at 12 mph

Life sometimes imitates life.

There are people who approve of my obsession for bicycling; “Good for your health.” You know, someone my age and all. It is good for my health and even people who are not my age. Their approval of bicycling follows a different route when it comes to bike paths.

Locally, the conflict appears regarding two separate paths. City planners have put forth the idea of maintaining a current in-town street as configured or eliminating the curbside lane and making it a bicycle lane. Opposition to creating a dedicated bike lane has taken many forms and arguments. One assertion is that drivers pay large sums of money to build and maintain roads and should therefore be given the most suitable design. Another argument says that people are too attached to their cars and having more bike paths isn’t going to get people on bikes.

The tax on gasoline in Florida ranges from $0.274 to $0.0355 per gallon. My contribution, there fore is zero. I paid nothing for the same trip. Of course, I do manage to save a gallon of gasoline at the current cost of $3 something each.

My oft faulty logic tells me that I have a net positive in the equation. Perhaps non-recreational riders could offer the fuel we save to specific drivers. <shrug> Might be a few details needing to be worked out first.

Just a silly rambling . . .

The other place where a conflict has arisen is in the planning and construction of a bike path using the existing right of way through a tony neighborhood. Resistance has come from the residents who seem to believe that a bike path will open their community to an influx of bands of bad people on Huffy and Roadmaster, fully suspended, mountain bikes and dedicated to defacing and vandalizing their tranquil Village.

It is their position that a bike path already exists and an additional or replacement path is unneeded or redundant. There is an inconsistency in this assertion. The existing bike path is clearly designated as being for the use of the community’s residents and their guests.  

I’m just sayin’ . . .

What worked, part 2

Before adding too the list of accessories that worked I should say something about my bike. When I allowed the idea of touring to become closer to reality the Novara Safari was one which fit my  sub-$1000 price limit. Research exposed the limitations and weaknesses as well as the much longer list of advantages. When REI made the all steel 2011 version available to members at a 20% discount and free shipping it was impossible for me to resist taking the giant step.

A saddle, raised handlebars, fenders and different tires accounted for the most significant additions and modifications. Its frame size (XL), long wheel base and 29er wheels make it a very large vehicle that suits me well. Concerns I had about sufficient low gearing were unfounded. Fully loaded it was very obedient and quite forgiving. Its natural flex when loaded smooth any but the worst road surfaces. Fitted with Shimano Deore throughout (except for the SRAM Attack twist shifters) it should be a durable bike.

Two significant parts on the Safari did fail. After having two broken spokes on the OEM Novara Long Haul Touring rear wheel in a matter of a month or so it was evident that a replacement was necessary. The replacement was built by my Friendly Neighborhood Bike Shop (Bikes and More) using the Deore hub and a Salsa cyclocross rim. There’s more to say about that wheel later. Five days into my tour one of the bolts holding the rear rack in place sheered off. I was able to use two zip-ties to take the bolt’s place and had no further problems with it. Upon my return Brian and Paul at Bikes and More removed the offending bolt and replace both with stronger stainless steel.

Obviously, the bike you ride should feel right and work well and, except for the above issues there have been no significant problems. Of course, part of this arises from having competent people add things like the fenders, raise the handlebars, install the front rack and do general maintenance. As part of their competent work is the professional manner in which they attend to minor issues or adjustments.

The original equipment Continental TownRIDE tires (700c x 42) were satisfactory, but many tourists touted Schwalbe Marathon Plus as the tire of choice (700c x 38). I departed on my ride with more than 2000 miles on the Marathons and had no fear that they would fail before completing my ride. A misplaced, knife-edged shard of shell was about the only thing that was going to compromise these sturdy tires. My sense of security has not been damaged by this unlikely failure.

My rear wheel replacement was a Salsa Delgado Cross. It was this rim that failed and ended my tour. As disappointing as this was I have to credit both wheel builder and rim manufacturer. “Never saw a rim fail like that,” was the paraphrased but identical observation of both. Salsa replaced the rim and Bikes and More built a new wheel.

I have only one negative thing to say about the Topeak Morph G pump. It’s damn hard for old eyes to see the little pressure gauge numbers. OK . . . put the glasses on! Other than that minor thing, it was a perfect companion. Both my Messenger Mirror and Click-Stand did their jobs perfectly. They have been discussed previously. A last minute, impulse purchase of a Walmart branded Genesis helmet also proved its value. With more vents the Bell Genesis I had been wearing it was cooler and was as comfortable as any helmet has been.

Water bottles have always been something I have but seldom think about beyond their obvious use, until I purchased a Camelbak Insulated bottle. How much insulating can be done with a plastic bottle? Much more than I anticipated. Several hours under an August sun turned cold water to cool. Remarkable!

I am fully confident that without a broken rim I would have been successful In making my round trip. Being on the road that long was uplifting, but did take me out of touch of those who mattered and with whom I would have preferred having more than text message contact. As with most of life, adjustments will have to be made if I tour in the future.

What worked, part 1

I was asked, “Are you really planning another trip?” and the answer is a definitive, “Yes!” How can you put aside something that offers so much? But what about the problems like broken equipment, rain and money? Few things cannot be resolved if you’re willing to make adjustments and, especially, if you learn from your mistakes. So, what did I learn?

One of the best decisions I made was to purchase “Cargo Short - Padded for Bicycling” from Aero Tech Designs (aerotechdesigns.com). By incorporating typical padded, skin-tight cycling shorts as an inner liner to ordinary-looking outer shorts, you have both the supportive feeling and practical advantages. Being able to enter a convenience store without attractive unnecessary stares and carry essential items in useable pockets was a really good thing. I am aware that Aero Tech is not the only manufacturer of such cycling garments, but they are made in the USA, their customer service is very good and their price is extremely competitive. After wearing one set frequently for several months I purchased two additional shorts. I have no reason to believe they will not give me a long service life.

Of equal value to Aero Tech’s shorts is Chamois Glide (bodyglide.com), which I originally purchased as Body Glide. No matter what name, the stuff works, eliminating any concern about chaffing. It even worked on hot spots on my feet. You really don’t want to leave home without it.

Ortlieb (ortliebusa.com). As far as I am concerned the name says it all. Back Roller Plus, Front Roller Plus, Ultimate 5 Plus and Dry Bag all performed as advertised and as expected. Nothing got wet despite several encounters with heavy weather. The panniers and handlebar bag installed and removed efficiently and with their locking capability provided a measure of security (false or real) that I appreciated. Some tourists complain about the lack of pockets in Ortlieb’s bags, but I found this to be a non-issue. Not having to manage pannier covers before, during or in anticipation of rain was its own reward.

Adventure Cycling’s (adventurecycling.com) route maps are durable and accurate. They are not always the easiest to decipher in metropolitan areas and where signage is lacking, inadequate or different, but 95% of the time you where you are and where you need to go. Sometimes it is useful to have a broader view of an area for basic orientation, but most modern cell phones can deliver those as necessary.

Big Agnes (bigagnes.com) also performed as advertised. Their Lynx Pass 3, three-person backbacking tent was large enough to easily accommodate me and all my bags. During the several heavy rains, I remained dry. Any issues with tenting were related to the quality of the campgrounds and my own limitations. Lynx Pass 3 went up quickly and stowed easily.

No, this is not the end of this list nor of the one that will identify what did not work or serve me well.