Kennett Square to Nemaska

At 7:21 I'm taking pictures in the driveway. I've been packing and preparing for my bicycle trip throughout the day. I'm leaving tomorrow, probably before noon. This blog is going to temporarily transform into the bicycle trip blog, possibly without much 7:21 pretense.





The Plan:
My plan is to leave from Kennett Square, and connect to the East Coast Greenway, meandering all the way up through Maine. The ECGW is a work in progress. The goal is to connect all of the major cities on the east coast between Calais Maine and Key West Florida with a multi-use car-free trail. Projects like this one fill me with hope and excitement. The greenway is far from finished, and has many gaps - but cue sheets (bicycle directions) have recently been released, and that's what I'm following all the way up through Maine.

After Maine, I'm going to cross into New Brunswick at Madawaska. I'm using cue sheets which I made by scrolling around on Google Maps to get over to Quebec. Once in Quebec, I have some more cue sheets and maps and shit. I'll be traveling across Quebec toward Val D'or, where I ended my bicycle trip last June, arriving from a different route. After Val D'or, I will go to Matagami, which is at the beginning of the James Bay Road, an intensely sparse highway that was built for large trucks and equipment to get to the far reaches of northern Quebec where there are enormous hydroelectric power plants. At this point, I will be 3-4 days from towns and supplies. Time to meditate or something. There are some emergency phones, but not much else. It's plain wilderness, no people. From the James Bay Road, I will take the Route du Nord, a gravel road, the remainder of the way to a Cree village of about 700. Nemaska. There's a hotel, gas station, and some normal stuff there. Internet, electricity, stuff like that. I did a somewhat shoddy job of mapping all this out, but I believe that I'll be fine, and I can work shit out as I go.

Why Nemaska?
I discovered the existence of a place called Nemaska about a year and a half ago. I was scrolling around on Google Maps trying to see what existed if you scrolled and scrolled and scrolled as far north as roads went. Roads go a little bit further north than Nemaska - but not much. Much further, and you'll be needing a plane. After researching some of these places that are as far north as possible, I got interested in Nemaska specifically. What's it like there? I want to witness this first hand, and I want to roll into town on a bicycle. I want to experience at least a little bit of the way of life there. I want to be blown away that I actually got there on a bicycle. Consider: people have had crazier adventures, and the mileage is less than half of a trans-USA cycle trip.

The Bicycle:
I'm using my City Bike, turned Touring Bicycle. This is an 80's Diamondback mountain bicycle rebuilt from the frame up. The frame uses cheap hi-tensile tubes that are extra fat. It's a cheap frame, and plenty of snobs would love to put it down. It cost me $20 in it's original incarnation as a complete bicycle. I've ridden it as my main bicycle in Philadelphia, and Key West - and it accompanied me on my longest one-day ride ever: 120 miles. This bicycle is tested and ready. I rode it fully loaded, and the fat over-built tubes don't flex or flop one bit even with all that weight on the back. The tires absorb plenty of shock. It's strong and smooth. I am thoroughly comfortable with this bicycle, and excited to finally tour with something I believe in. If you look at bicycle touring books and websites and forums, there is a lot of talk about the bicycle and equipment that you need to tour. Take the bullshit with a grain of salt. Notable features of this version of the City Bike include high northroad handlebars with bar end shifters. I want to sit up and look where I'm going. I always use friction shifting. I want to be ultra-comfortable. Boom. I want to cover about 60ish miles per day. This setup is perfect. The wheels are new. Zac19 rims laced to very basic Shimano Parallax hubs - 8spd cassette on the rear. Don't think for a second that you need better hubs than these cheapys. I'm using 26x1.50 (37-559) Panaracer Pasela Tourguard tires. The saddle is a Brooks sprung Flyer, always with the rain cover - turned inside out so it doesn't look very sexy. I'm using Ortlieb waterproof panniers that I spent too much money on years ago, but now I still have'em. I have a Nashbar trunk bag. Let me express my love for this bicycle. Done.

Equipment:
I've learned from past bicycle trips how to pack way too much. I started to get the hang of packing on my Quebec odyssey last June. I sent a lot of stuff home, and acquired some cool replacement shit like my bivy sack, and a more packable sleeping bag. Living in a van taught me about a good basic camping stove. The $20 one burner Coleman propane one. It's way too big, and way to heavy, but I like cooking on it - so it's coming with me. I plan to cook a lot. You can get the 16.4oz propane cylinders anywhere. Ease of mind is a big deal for me. So, I'm bringing this (scroll down when bored):
Outdoor Research Deluxe Bivy Sack (<2lb tent!)
Lafuma 40 degree sleeping bag (<2lbs)
Backpacking air mattress, 1.5" thick (<2lbs)
XO Laptop (OLPC)
Digital Camera
iPod
Passport
Coleman 1 burner propane stove
Small cooking pot - random thrift store cheap shit
Small plastic colander - for noodle straining
Spoon - taken from Cheesecake Factory
Toothbrush, deodorant (rarely worn), TP...
Bicycle Toolz - & chain lube!
Croc knockoffs
Victory Brewing cap
Bathing suit
Sunglasses
Boxers (4)
Wool socks (3pr)
2 sporty shirts, 1 thin wool blend shirt
Sporty shorts
U-lock
Northface fleecy pullover
Winterish jacket
Winter warm hat
Mosquito netting suit
Rain pants
Rain PVC jacket - clear, shitty, bulky
Secret all-spice (spicy spices)
Chargers for electronics
Maps and cue sheets

Brain:
I don't know how to describe this part, and it's the part that I want to describe the most accurately and thoroughly. I just rode my fully loaded bicycle uptown in Kennett to return a book and a CD to Hailey, who lives up there. The test ride was pure success. Everything is very secure, and the weight doesn't even approach a sketchy or unreasonable level - as I've experienced, and witnessed many times on loaded touring cycles. I've tried several times to describe my feelings about setting off, and I'm not sure I can nail it all down. There is apprehension, and a knowledge that once I'm out there I might not be in the mood to continue. I bailed out on my first two tours after one day. After getting to Montreal last June - when Nat's bicycle was stolen and I continued - I experienced similar feelings. Being all on my own gave me anxiety. It made me sad and lonely and I wanted to quit. But I was so invested, I continued. I saw beautiful things. But ultimately, I bailed out after another week. I pushed myself with too many miles, and didn't take nearly enough time to sit around doing nothing. I got to Val D'or, and my legs were whipped. My ass was killing me. I felt isolated, exhausted, and not at all ready to continue. I hopped on a bus that day, and fucked around in Burlington Vermont with friends before eventually getting a ride home with my friend's visiting girlfriend. It was a pseudo successful solo cycle stint. It taught me a lot. I learned to pack less stuff, and slow the pace to a crawl. Also: Brooks saddles.

This time it's another super grand adventure attempt. It's kinda like I'm personally incapable of biting off something that I can definitely chew. All my ideas seem to be over-blown and over-romanticized. Still, I'm a realistic person. I know how I've felt on past bicycle tours, and I can't help but think this one could make me freak out a little bit too.

All of that shit said, I'm also optimistic. I want to focus on how I want this trip to turn out. So: optimism. I love this bicycle more than any other. I have learned from past tours and tour attempts. I have learned from my experience of living in a van in Key West and being a lone soldier, fish out of water. I don't really know what else to do right now. I'm a little nervous - but I think I'm ready to smash into one hell of an adventure. I sincerely hope - and realize the possibility - that I am building this all up way too much.

Perkins, personal cycles DONE.

I'm sitting at Perkins across from my parents. This is my second meal today, and both were at a diner with egg-based meals and coffee. I ordered an omlette with "lots and lots of broccoli." It turned out great. There was lots and lots of broccoli, and the primary flavor was best case scenario. A whole lot of broccoli spilling all over the omlette, and packing a fat tight tube of gossamer scrambled egg around even more broccoli. Well, now the omlette is done and me and my folks are talking while I continue to drink a carafe of coffee.

Before getting to Perkins I finished my road bicycle. A few things might change or get tweaked, but the KHS Professional is ready to roll. It has Rivendell "Silver" friction shifters mounted on Kelly Take-offs that I purchased a couple years ago when I was living in Boca Raton for 8 months. These takeoffs first graced my custom (used / eBay-bought) Hollands 531-tubing lugged racing bicycle. I talked to Chris Kelly himself on the phone to order them, and we chatted, and he's really nice. Now - after not selling them, and holding onto them for this long, they are on my new 531-tubing lugged racing bicycle. Appropriate to the core. I can't say anything nice enough about these Silver shifters. If you need some good friction shifters for anything - splurge, go for it. They're worth it for a bicycle you care about.

And YO - I finally finished up all the changes I wanted to make to my Diamondback "City Bike" (ride everywhere, do everything bicycle). Right now this bicycle is at it's finest. I'm relieved about this, because I'm probably going to ride it really far relatively soon. Quebec again. I swapped the handlebars for cheap 'Pyramid' brand steel northroad handlebars. These cheap steel handlebars can fit bar end shifters. That's more awesome than anything else I can think of right now. To get the bar end shifters to fit, you have to line up the internal wedge section so that the space between the wedge-pieces lines up with the internal seam that sticks up along the inside of the handle bars. You also need to lubricate the inside of the handlebars with grease and smack the whole deal in with a rubber mallet. It isn't too complicated, but it required some fooling around. Running cable housing under the grips wasn't the easiest thing either. There's a trick for that too, which I'll briefly describe: use a 4th hand tool to squinch the housing into place. So my City Bike (touring, conquering bicycle) now has bar end shifters. I also swapped out the bottom bracket and cranks, replacing them with the same BB and cranks that I used on my (and Nat's till Montreal) tour to Quebec last June (Philly to Val D'or for me). The cranks are Sugino XD-300 (like the XD-600, but with cheaper steel chainrings vs. alloy - same forging). And the crowning jewel, if that's a real term?: A double kickstand by Plescher. These are expensive, but you probably only need to buy one to last your whole life. If you decide to plunk down for it, you probably won't cry about it too much. When both legs of the kickstand are flipped down, the bicycle is held straight up at a 90 degree angle to the ground. No leaning - the front of the bicycle is lifted off the ground, and the support is super strong with no hairy leaning that can get a bicycle knocked over when you even think about breeze as a general concept. This is a sturdy kickstand. Try using a normal kickstand with a loaded bicycle. I don't want to, because falling bicycles are boring and I'm a busy man.

I'll try to post some pictures when I change the basics of who I am and how I typically operate.

Talking with Ralph / Windsor Mixte

I'm at the shop talking with Ralph who just got finished serving time and now hangs around the bike shop. I don't try to talk to him very much. He called the bike shop from prison quite a few times. Rob knows him. He knows that I know about Sturmey Archer and building wheels somehow. Someone told him this? He's painting the floor on Sunday. It's 7:21, and Steve and Matt are standing around outside the fence with me talking to Ralph about a guy who stole his waist pack. Old people are going by constantly with tiny dogs.

I'm only here for one good reason. I was getting a beer at CVS - mission accomplished - and headed toward the ocean somewhere - mission interrupted. Behind that CVS and Papa John's and whatnot on Simonton, there was an abandoned Windsor mixte frame bicycle. It has the same colors as the Windsor that I built as a 3 speed for my annual 3 speed tour to the beach. Cool! However: this mixte version is pretty rusty. There is some major surface rust, and it needs a whole lot of work. I almost left it there. However, leaving it wasn't possible. The handlebars are nice old alloy Nittos, and the cranks are decent. If I ever get anything powdercoated (kinda expensive) then maybe I can get a discount with two frames getting the same color. I'm considering this: getting several frames with crummy paint powdercoated, and building them with bike-respect as mechanically perfect upright bicycles. This is what I would truly like to do. If I could build a business around fixing every single detail of old abused bicycles and selling them as perfect comfortable simple machines: that'd be cool. But the investment in each bike is large, and selling for a profit could prove difficult. Many people do not want to spend several hundreds on a bicycle even if it is the best one in the world. Proving bestness can also be difficult. Test rides help. In any case, I think the Windsor was a cool find and I hope something decent comes of it. Yesterday I found a red Trek 730 frame with 700c wheels. Small size. The brakes, derailers, and cranks were all there. So were some wheels that might not be too bad. It's over at Eddie's, suspended figuratively in the zone between project and respectable hunk of metal. I know what you're thinking: two awesome finds, two days in a row. For real. I ghost rode the Windsor fast alongside my City Bike. That was my first ghost ride since a crash in Philly when I was just getting started with my basement bicycle business. It went fine and easy. I carried the Trek 730 on my shoulder while riding the City Bike. The shoulder method feels more sturdy, but it hurts after awhile. Either shoulder or ghostride are equally fantastic, because a man with two bicycles is a formidable force, often ecstatic.

I love bicycles

I'm slapping the u-lock around my City Bike frame and front wheel. The front wheel is a little bit of a formality, because the quick release skewers have been replaced with ones that require a 5mm allen wrench. That's one mundane little detail of a thought in my head as I lock up the bike with my watch beeping. Another little thought is anticipatory bliss about taking this exact bike on a long trip in a couple or few months.

Bicycle fix-it w/ Chris

Nobody is teaching these guys how to fix bikes - which sucks, because they want to learn. Dave and Bill work in the rental department, and they both want a good bike. Dave and Bill and I each have a bike in the stand. Each is a separate project that needs attention. I'm spending too much time working on my bike, but I'm still making perpetual rounds helping with all three projects at once.

Bill has a road bike project. The frame is a lugged steel Bianchi of less than incredible quality. It's getting built up from the frame. Before tonight we've installed a sealed bottom bracket, and the original Sugino cranks. It has a new too-nice Shimano 105 headset, and some way-too-race-y wheels that Bill might have to spend too much for. But moving on: we're setting up the brakes. The calipers are the new super-long reach Tektros that can put a pad on a braking surface 73mm below the brake bolt - and they're dual pivot calipers at that. A new and exciting concept only recently available, and very reasonably priced! Well, the reach is maybe too long for this bike. The pads sit on the braking surface, but they're clumsily jacked all the way to the very top of the slots on the calipers. The Shimano aero levers are nice and pretty though, and the combination will work well. I show Bill how to measure and cut the housing, and how to run the cables, seat the housing, and set up the brakes. Then tape the housing to the groove on the inside of the bars. That's where we left it.

Dave has a goofy Kona frame with track ends, made for intensely fat tires and single speed. There's a braze-on (TIG weld-on) for a coaster brake arm to be bolted. Dave has one gear, and he could really use at least three. Eaton Bikes has a goofup-ordered 26" Zac19 rimmed Shimano Nexus 3spd coaster brake hubbed wheel. Perfect. We installed the new wheel, which required springing out the stays by about two millimeters. Somehow this made the right crank touch the chain stay. I swear we only spread it a miniscule amount. But the crank was close. It's a 113 width bottom bracket with a road-ish crank arm that does not stick out enough to clear the stays, which appear to be designed to clear tires at least a foot or two wide. So I showed Dave how to pull the cranks and bottom bracket, and install a wider BB - then how to put the chainring on the inside of the spider - then how to remove all that stuff again to put a couple little spacers on the right hand side of the BB so the chainring doesn't touch the stay. The spacers were Dave's idea. Genius which should have come from my mind first. I forgot about BB spacers.

My City Bike is in the stand getting those damn drop bars off. It's a good bike, but it doesn't work for me at all with those handlebars. It feels like I'm riding a tiny frame, even with the bars jacked way up on the Technomic stem. Clearly a bad idea in hindsight, but I'm happy to have tried and failed, just to get that out of my system. I'm putting the Tall Cool stem back on with some alloy northroad handlebars made by J&B (Sunlite). The clamp diameter works, and the bars are very similar to the ones from the Raleigh Sports that I used in the first place. For good measure - and to always be changing stuff - I'm installing some Avid single digit 5 v-brakes, and some similar matching Avid brake levers. I put on the alloy seat post I was looking at, and finished it all off with some very handsome khaki colored OURY grips that look fantastic with the frame. I'm not the first person to fawn over aesthetics, but the City Bike is looking like an attractive simple machine. I think an overhaul of the original cup and cone bottom bracket is kinda in order though... geez, self. I overhauled it once, but it's been a long time and now it's been cared for by criminals. Time for some new grease.

Rehab the snabbed cycle

I'm at Eaton bikes after hours. I want to swap around parts on my Diamondback and my Diamond Back. The Diamondback (compound word) is the younger bicycle of the two, and the bike that I call my City Bike even though it does everything. It's a cheaper super-beefy hi-ten frame, but I love it more. I'm here at the shop after work so I can clog up two work stands and the entire workbench with no interruptions. Steve came over, so we're each drinking two tall Budweisers and listening to music from my iPod while I work on my bike. Silver Sun Pickups, My Morning Jacket, Nirvana, Iron and Wine, other artists.. I'm experimenting in the spirit of trying out everything possible, and goofing with bikes. I'm putting drop bars on my Diamondback - reclaiming my recovered City Bike. I have a Technomic quill stem by Nitto with a shorter than average extension. This stem is paired to some cheap anatomically bent black drop bars by Dimension with some new Shimano aero levers. I'm using the original cantilever brakes - cheap as hell, work good. City Bike is getting new wheels. I'm using the double-walled eyeletted Zac19 Weinmann rimmed, stainless steel 2.0 gauge straight spoked, Shimano RM60 cassette hubbed wheels that were intended as my temporary wheels for the Diamond Back. The City Bike's original rear wheel was thoroughly goosed for weeks before it was stolen. I hit a curb pretty hard when I first got to Key West - by the Home Depot. That was when I was still sleeping in Truck House. I kept riding on that wheel in the spirit of riding whatever still works. Now I'm upgrading. Previous to theft, I installed a J&B 'Tall Cool' (their name) stem. It does not mate properly with the Raleigh Sports-born northroad bars I was using - requiring beer can shimming. This worked worse than mediocre. This situation was going to be amended before it was stolen, but then theft got in the way. Now I can finally address the handlebar setup. Additionally, I'm installing a rear rack by Delta: tubular aluminum, black, rated to 60lbs, holds a u-lock perfectly. This rack replaces the uniquely substantial steel rack made by who-knows-who. The steel rack has no bolted or movable hardware - the struts that attach to the seat stays are a welded integral part of the rack. It just so happened that mated to the City Bike it leaned back to the precise angle necessary to allow for a hose-clamped milk crate to clear the back of the saddle. But now I'm changing it for this Delta rack. Dunno... just am. I also have my eye on a new alloy seatpost to replace the obviously functional steel beast-post. Dunno... just do. So we'll see if this bicycle is acceptable with drop bars. Of course it will work, but will it be fun and comfortable for me? That's the name of the game. That's the purpose of this evening. As Dave from West Chester said: "So, I guess you're all wondering why I've called you here this evening." I got a kick out of him saying that.

Diamond Back on Duval

I'm cruising down Duval after visiting the Truman Annex to visit my former favorite parking spot by the cruise ships. I'm on the phone with Steve. I'm riding my new Diamond Back. This bike is a good machine. It's a replacement for my recently stolen (and very much loved) Diamond Back city bike. Maybe this one doesn't give me the same feeling of bicycle love. The old one was a kinda green metalic hi-ten(sile) steel frame with bulky too-fat tubing. I bought it for $20 when I was running my basement based bike business in Philly. I changed the cables and housing, took off the front derailer, put on some northroad handlebars from a Raleigh 3 speed, put on a big yellow milk crate on a super bulky old steel rack, and called that bike mine. I locked it outside and rode it everywhere. I had better bikes, but liked this one best. When Nat's bike got stolen in Montreal on our way north, I almost wanted to get my city bike shipped up there and give Nat my bike. I rode the city bike 120 miles from Kennett Square to Lewes, DE along bicycle route 1. Now it is gone: stolen.

I'm riding my new Diamond Back now. This is the new puppy. My old trusted labrador has passed on. This is a great bike, but maybe nothing can replace what I had. This is a Diamond Back too. It's an old mountain bike of approximately the same vintage. This one is taller: a 23 inch frame because maybe the other one was small. This one has a chromoly frame and fork because that is an upgrade to the hi-ten fatty tubes of the city bike. This bicycle started from an eBay purchased frame. The parts had to be bought: a mix of basic Tektro stuff, and J&B flotsam and Eaton Bikes jetsam. The city bike's parts were logistically easy. I rode it how it was and upgraded nothing. I built it for cheap utility. With this new Diamond Back I've already sunk money into parts for an old less-than-beautiful frame. I question myself on gear selection. I go between wanting less and wanting more. Free, garbage, swap meet parts, or Paul Components? I've met this bike, respected it, spaced the frame. We've met, but we're not partners. I'm planning to ride this machine for months across the country or thousands of miles somewhere. We'll be acquainted. I think we'll become friends. First we have to get to know each other. It needs to be housebroken.

I'm cruising down Duval, talking on the phone. My bike has pink grips and a pink "I [heart] my bike" bell. It has J&B brand "Origin 8" handlebars in a matte black finish bent slightly like northroad handlebars. It has no front derailer, but a triple crank. Shift with a foot or a finger. It has a white basket on front. It has a dent in the top tube. It's pretty big.

Kevin / stolen bike / new job? / soup

I'm always slacking off when 7:21 hits. I'm at Angela and Duval talking to Kevin at his info booth again. I'm apprehensive. Someone stole my City Bike. I'm going to drive up to Lantana, FL tonight to sell Truck House. Kevin said I might be able to park in front of his house. It'd be nice to add a sanctioned spot to my bag of parking spots. He said I could even plug in... but no need. I don't really need electricity. I haven't missed it very much, surprisingly. I'd rather just have a spot to kick open the side doors and cook. My new $19.99 propane camp stove is great.

My anxiety is keeping me from having the will to work. I know I'll be quitting very early. The anxiety isn't very bad though. It's mild, and it's aimed at my stolen bike and the impending road trip. I'll be calm once I'm rolling. I'm looking into a mechanic job at a shop to substitute for some of my pedicab days. If it's good, I'll get $15/hr cash, and work on customer repairs. I'll do pedicab just on weekends. Pretty sweet setup if it works.

I'm sorta sharing Kevin's soup. Like potato soup with shrimp. Good.

AIDS memorial, bicycle, booze

It's my first night in Key West. I've spent hours - hours - walking around and exploring. I stopped back at Truck House to lay down for a minute. It was hot as hell and smells like cheap wood and paint. I got up, got my jacket with my weed in it, the rest of my Old Crow, and my city bike. I headed down the street to the AIDS memorial, where there's a long pier. I only spent a minute, while my watch beeped, because my heart wasn't into this plan.