Here is a halfway report on my equipment:
I thought the headset was shot. It seemed as though the steering was stuck in a groove. On Saturday 7/6 before I left Jasper, I took it in to Freewheel Bicycles where it was determined that they'd merely over tightened it a couple of days earlier. Everything is fine now.
Several of the tent pole sections (connected by shock cord) have started to split for about 1/2 inch (I think it is 3 years old). I've taped them up and will try to order replacements. I love the tent. It is perfect for this trip.
Frankly, despite the fact that Casio is a sponsor, I don't like the Casio QV30 half as much as the Kodak DC50. Though the Casio stores 95 pictures and you can view them on an LCD monitor, the Kodak pictures are twice the resolution and, as several of you have reported to me via e-mail, the Kodak pictures are better looking on the web. I'm trying to get one ASAP.
Working just fine. No sign of wear, but I just started using them at Dawson Creek--a few hundred miles ago.
The front panniers were rattling so much (due to use of an upper rack instead of stiffener loop), that I had to purchase a couple of bungees to hold them in place.
The water bottle cages and other bolts loosen up on the washboard roads.
I am real pleased with the performance of my computer. I am certain in retrospect that the keyboard trouble I experienced at Kluane Lake was due to faulty power. I like the new BTI power supply far better than Apple's original (it is smaller, lighter and doesn't need a 3 prong outlet or extension cord).
I am real pleased with the modem. I have been getting dropped frequently (typically every 5 minutes) by my Canadian internet service provider (WebNet) and often can't connect to their 800 number (I typically take 4-5 tries to get connected), but don't attribute the drops or access difficulty to the modem or computer, because I do just fine when I get fed up with WebNet and dial long-distance to Voyager in Michigan.
Very dissatisfied (see paragraph above).
Fully satisfied.
This is one of my favorite products. Instead of the usual plastic bag groove closure, these bags (sold only east of the Mississippi) have zippers. I tried to get Tenneco Oil Co (manufacturer) to sponsor me, but they declined due to their limited market.
I didn't yet get version 2.0 , but I must say I couldn't have done all this without PageMill. It is a great product. Please realize there are limitations on my programming in this Beta version of PageMill: there is no spelling checker; I'm not much of a typist; and, I make a lot of transpositions and misspellings.
This is another great product I couldn't live without. I hear some of the photos are coming out too dark. They look fine on Macs (I think that is due to the richer graphic capabilities of the Mac), but PC's and some other monitors tend to show colors darker. I'm saturating less to try to accommodate PC users. In my opinion, if you want to see this or any other website at its best, use Netscape Navigator, a Macintosh and an Internet Service Provider (not AOL or CompuServe).
I am using several OR waterproof bags to protect my gear (sleeping bag, computer) from rain, dust, dirt, etc. I am real impressed with them.
There is no doubt at all, these are the best tires made. From Delta to Dawson Creek, 7 of the 10 of us used Conti's and didn't have a single flat with them. That's approximately 10,500 miles on one of the worst roads imaginable--I'm impressed. I won't ever use any other brand. I've noticed that almost all the serious bicycle tourists I've seen on this trip use Conti's. My thanks go to Al and Dave at Central Park Bicycles (sponsor) for suggesting them.
The road shock hasn't bothered my torn rotator cuff at all thanks, I believe, to my Girvin Flex Stem. It adds a bit of weight, but has made some washboard roads tolerable to my shoulder.
On those cold wet days riding (or walking with my Teva sandals--the only street shoes I have) I've been wearing Ultimax socks. They keep my feet toasty warm (but not hot) even though they're wet. I didn't bring any neoprene booties (I'd recommend taking booties on a trip in these temperatures).
I love my little (1 lb) AA battery powered wood burner blast furnace. It truly does boil water in 4 minutes without having to haul fuel. I've used bark, twigs, little pieces of wood left over from wood-chopping and charcoal--all work real well. An excellent choice thanks to Cartwright & Danewell (sponsor). I notice Sierra has a website, but doubt I'll be able to program a link to it til I get home.
I bought a big bell (like Santa has on his sleigh) with a velcro fastener to warn bears of my approach. They are sold in all the bike stores here in Jasper (for $4.50-$8.00). It seems like a good idea. Whistling works to keep the elephants away too--how do I know--there aren't any elephants around me are there?
High quality sunglasses are essential to bicycle touring. The cheap ones I bought at Delta wore out by Ft. Nelson (the coating was worn through by use). I took a healthy rock (about 1"-2" diameter) in the chest one day from a semi traveling in the opposite direction. The bullet-proof nature of Oakleys might have protected me if it had hit me in the eye. Also, the Oakleys do a better job of channeling the airflow to keep the glasses from steaming up. They're expensive, but they're guaranteed (I'm sending my broken Oakley frame in for a replacement when I get home).
Well, after more than a month without cellular access at all, I decided the cellular phone just wasn't worth its weight, so I sent it home today.
The Clam computer case performed its job flawlessly--protecting my computer from vibrations, dust and moisture for the past month on the unpaved roads. Now that I'll be on paved roads from this point on, I sent the Clam home today, saving about 3 lbs. I also sent home a spare tube (I still have 2 spare tubes and a spare Conti tire--which I don't need yet because there is little evidence of wear on my tires after over 2,500 miles (trip plus training miles in Michigan) and a bunch of literature.
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© Ed Noonan 1996, 1997
