Things I Bike About

Gear and COVID

January 5th, 2020
Location: Cocoa Beach, Florida - Cocoa Beach Public Library

The first half of this post will be for gear and the second will be my statements on COVID. Okay, here goes…on to the gear:

It's a lot of gear... so let me break it down into two pictures and name things left to right. Here is the bottom half, trying to go up and then down:

Sea to Summit eVent Compression bag (for clothes)

2 - Columbia Kettle Ridge Shirts

Icebreaker 200 Oasis Crew Top

Smartwool Merino 150 Base Layer T-Shirt

Smartwool Merino 250 Base Layer Bottoms

(Above the clothes) - ShowersPass “waterproof” gloves and socks

Mac in a Sac Waterproof bottoms

InBike Bib (Chinese eBay special)

InBike Bike Shorts (Chinese eBay special)

Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Travel Day Pack

Asics Shoes

Thorlos Socks

eBay White Arm Sleeves

2 eBay White Buffs

eBay RockBros Sunglasses

InBike eBay Super Cush Bike Gloves

Ortilieb Frame Pack

eBay Resistance Bands (picture

Platypus 3 Liter Water Sack

(Cut off at the top) Yellow Sea to Summit Dry Bag

Ear Plugs

Emergency Towel

Can Opener

Dr. Bronner's Hippy Soap

Forehead Thermometer

Nail Clippers

Life Straw

Sawyer Jungle Juice 100 Pump Spray Insect Repellent - 98 Percent DEET - 2 fl. Oz.

Raw Elements SPF 30 Sunscreen Face Stick - 0.6 oz.

Essential Oil

Wallet

Towel

Laptop and Charger

Top half:

ShowerPass Rain Shell

Amazon Puffy Jacket

MSR Hubba Bubba 2 person Tent

Polycro footprint and inside tub for tent

BOB Yak Trailer with Suspension

Blue Sea to Summit Dry Bag

Extra AAA batteries

Zip ties

Bic Lighter

Trash bag

Finish Line Dry Chain Lube

LeatherMan Multi-Tool

CrankBros Allen Key multi-tool

Benchmade Pocket Knife

Adventure Medical Kits Adventure First-Aid 0.5 Survival Tin

Pro Bike Tool High Pressure Pump

Spare Tube

Bear Spray

Chamois Buttr

Body Cycle Chamois Stick

Tascam Audio Recorder

Anker 10000mAh External Battery Portable Charger Power Bank

Mini Tripod

Phone Charger

(Last three items sitting on): Sea to Summit Dry Bag - Green

Lavalier

Wind buff for Tascam Recorder

Knockoff Beats Wireless Headphones

Phone Mount for Tripod

(Cutoff) Headlamp

Trekology Aluft 1.0 - Compact Inflating Travel Camping Air Pillow (Green)

Thermarest Inflatable Air Mattress

Mountain Gear Sleeping Bag

(Not Pictured) - Motorola G Power Phone - 3 Day Battery Life

(Not Pictured) - Trek 7.3 FX Hybrid Bicycle

Whew...that’s a lot of stuff. At least it feels like it when you sit down and list it all out. I’m hoping to wean things as I go along but I did try to plan for the whole year, for multiple climates. It may turn out I'll send stuff to a friend and then have them send it back when it's time to use it. But as for now, I do want to be prepared for everything.

Here is everything packed up and ready to go:

Here is a link to my bike. I've upgraded the following from stock: Brooks B-17 Saddle, Race Face Chester Pedals, Altair lock on ergo grips and Schwalbe Marathon Tires. I always make the joke that my bike is the Honda Civics of bikes. Like a Civic, it's a great reliable bike that has cheap parts and is very maintenance. But I'd say with these add-ons it's at least one that has power windows, locks and the larger engine option.

With everything packed correctly, it feels good. I know trailers are losing the bike touring debate these days, especially with the rise of bike packing, but I’ve been using this thing for years and I’m very comfortable with it. One of the reasons I wanted to start in Florida is that it’s flat and the roads are good, so I’ll have plenty of time to adjust things.

So, let’s talk about COVID.

I’ve had a few people tell me that I’m foolish to start the trip amidst all this. I agree with all of them. I really don’t feel I have a defense, nor an explanation that wouldn’t have holes shot through it faster than Bonnie and Clyde (and I’d be the first to shoot!). I’m being selfish. The same way I’m being selfish when I don’t wear a helmet. You may have noticed it’s absence in the gear load out, but I just can’t bring myself to wear one. I grew up in a small town, riding with abandon and I did the same after years of commuting in Florida. Here is a great video explaining both sides of the debate on those. That’s a whole other post for another time.

Let me clarify what I mean by being selfish: I’m choosing to do something risky that could directly impact my liked and loved ones emotionally, and, of course, myself physically. It isn’t about the freedom or the right to do what I'm doing, those, to me, are obvious things. Just like with any law or rule, you’re free to break it, but you’re rarely free of the consequences. With COVID, those consequences could be deadly. I'm not proud of this selfishness. It comes along with shame because I typically don't want to think of my self as a wholly selfish person, or at least selfishness beyond what is normal for autonomy. But it's there and if I'm going to stay at this trip, I have to deal with it.

I’m doing what I can to take precautions. I’m masking wherever I go, I wash and hani sani everything I can, I have a digital thermometer to check temperatures if need be and I’m on the lookout for any rapid COVID tests in any area I’m in. Any CouchSurfer or WarmShower person I stay with I question about their COVID experience. I’ll gladly get a vaccine if I’m in a town or city that is offering them. Of course, that could be tricky, given that you have to wait long for the other dose, but it would be worth the wait to have this thing out of my life for good.

COVID has always been about mitigation. Making things less risky, less harmful. I don’t want to get into numbers because they keep seeming to get twisted, misrepresented or politicized. But unless you’re dealing with someone who flat out denies COVID’s existence, I’d say that even the most ardent COVID naysayers can agree that there is a tangible impact, even if they haven’t felt it directly (one could argue they're only making those naysaying arguments because they haven't it felt it personally, financially, etc). Those who have felt it directly know what the deal is, know how real this thing really is.

So what is worth all this risk? To be on the open road, to fulfill a lifelong goal and to connect with people. I’m lucky and privileged enough to do so, so I am doing so. I’m afraid if I don’t do this now, I may never do it. I wish I had better reasons, nobler, more worthy reasons, but I don’t. I just hope that the vaccine keeps getting distributed and that in another years time some sort of herd immunity can be reached and we can get back to some semblance of normal.