A QUESTION OF LUGGAGE

SPRING AUDAX RIDE: Sunday, 24 May

CHEAHA TWO DAY TOUR: Saturday and Sunday, July 18 and 19

WAYNESVILLE, NC ADVENTURE: Thursday through Sunday, Oct 1, 2, 3, and 4

Other rides and tune ups: TBA

Notice the events posted above. Each is a different kind of tour, and each requires a slightly different kind of preparation. This post focuses on the issues attendant on carrying stuff. For a tourist, this really bears some thinking. Some of the choices are controlled by what kind of rider you are, and what kind of tour you are doing.

First Principle of touring packing: Get the load off of the rider and onto the bike.

Here’s the deal. You have to pull everything you are carrying, and lift it up and over every hill along the way. You provide the effort for this. You should not have to support that load too!

The first axiom of tour packing: No matter how much stuff you pack, and how carefully you plan, you will leave something vital at home.

Corollary: No matter how carefully and efficiently you pack, and how light you manage to make your load, you will still be too heavy, and you will still carry something completely useless the whole way.

However: It won’t matter. You’ll figure it out. Help will show up in the least expected places. You are more resourceful than you know.

I’m choosing this topic now, as I want to give potential riders the max amount of time to think about, select, install, test, and debug some cargo carrying rigs.

The Cheaha Two Day Tour will actually require a bit more cargo capacity than the later Waynesville NC Adventure. This is due to the self supported nature of the Cheaha trip. For Cheah, you will need to carry the following:

• Spare riding clothes for the second day
• Some “off bike clothing” for the middle evening
• Toiletries
• Two lunches
• Rain gear and minimal emergency clothing
• Other equipment, spares, tools, etc.

I promise, Ill get into explanations for all this in the near future. For now, if you look at the above short list, you will conclude that you are going to need some kind of luggage system. This might be a rack and a capacious rack top trunk. It could be a rack and a pannier or two. It might be one of the redoubtable high volume seat packs such as Carradice, of England, make. It could be a trailer and dry bag. (I don’t necessarily recommend that last one for this trip.)

Hopefully this provides some food for thought.