Author: Tim

Some friends have asked how do we plan where we are going to go, where to stay, and what to do?

The number one goal for us is to be open and flexible. If we love a place or its people, we will stay longer. If we learn about a new place to see, we will make a detour. If we run out of time on our visa or want a change of scenery, we’ll hop on a train and fast forward.

But a secondary goal is to be able to wake up in the morning and not have to make a plan if we don’t want to. Just be in the moment and enjoy the day.

To accomplish that, I’ve made two outlines of our trip. The first is a very general country-by-country list that includes information on the visa rules, climate, and any random notes that we’ve found about things to see, roads to ride, etc.
The second document splits up the entire trip into segments of about 100-300km. Each segment has turn-by-turn directions, specific things to see, lodging options, places to eat, etc. Most of these are empty right now and we will fill them in along the way as we meet locals and get advice.

I chose Google Docs to store these lists because it’s easily editable on my phone or laptop, and I can share it with Steve so he can edit it also. In addition, you can access and edit the docs offline so we can work on the plan even without an internet connection.

I think it’s important not to plan too much! By planning the turn-by-turn directions for the first entire year, we satisfy the second goal of allowing us to just go with the flow when we want to. By leaving the details of each segment empty and by keeping the document editable, we satisfy the first goal of allowing for spontaneous diversions and changes.

Since we don’t know what tomorrow might bring, it’s difficult to plan lodging very far ahead. But since we have camping gear with us, we have lots of options for finding last-minute places to stay, including wild camping if it comes down to it. From what we’ve heard, most campgrounds in Europe will allow cyclists to stay without a reservation, and when we can, we will book WarmShowers guest houses or other accommodations a day or two in advance.

This strategy worked really well on our last tour, so I’m hoping it keeps us happy this time around too!

Huge thanks to our amazing friend, AIDS/LifeCycle teammate, and graphic artist, David Lowe, for helping us design this awesome logo, which perfectly captures our jaunt across the globe.

Everyone asks about the solar panels we have mounted on our backpacks, so I love how it’s featured in the logo! The palm trees and waves remind us of our home in San Diego as well as depict the mostly-coastal route we are planning to ride over the next two years.

We are printing a bunch of these stickers and are looking forward to handing them out to folks we meet along the way!

After 3 full-loaded test runs, we now have a pretty good idea of exactly what we’re bringing with us. I recently posted a video showing all of the gear I’m planning to bring, and I wanted to go into a little more detail for those who are curious.

We enjoyed touring with a very lightweight setup on our last tour, so our aim is to stay as lightweight as possible, but we have made a few exceptions to this rule for comfort, safety, convenience, and appearance. I think it will be interesting to see how we adjust our gear over the next two years, but so far we are pretty happy with this setup.

For comfort and appearance, we added a wider variety of clothing, including Bluffworks travel slacks, a nice polo so we might be able to have a nice dinner at a restaurant from time to time, and a Patagonia jacket to stay warm.

For safety, we added a number of USB-chargable lights and additional reflective material. We also added a lightweight water purification system to make sure we can have access to clean water when we are far away from public water supplies. In addition, we beefed up our first aid kit quite a bit to include better bandages and a few days supply of many medications that we may need (e.g. antibiotics).

For convenience, we switched from ad-hoc Velcro straps to a proper adventure gear system from Specialized, which makes it much easier to load and unload our bikes. We also upgraded to a freestanding tent that takes much less time to setup and doesn’t require stake-able ground.

All of this added some weight, and so far, we think it’s worth the trade-off. Although we love cycling and love the handling of a lightweight bike, this tour is more about smelling the roses versus riding fast.

So here’s my full list:

Cycling clothing

• Bike shoes (820g) – Our Giro cycling shoes will double as our walking shoes.
• Cycling shorts (160g)
• Cycling jersey (195g) – I’m still trying to decide whether to bring a wool jersey or Spandex. The wool one resists odors better and is warmer, but the Spandex is quicker to dry and doesn’t spot up when I sweat a lot.
• Prescription sunglasses + mirror (35g)
• Gloves (45g)
• Helmet (325g)
• Socks (40g)
• Sweatband (10g)
• Road ID (10g)

Cold/wet cycling clothing

• Arm warmers (60g)
• Heavy wool socks (75g)
• Cycling cap (25g)
• Ultralight rain jacket (50g)

Off-bike clothing

• Merino wool underwear, 3 pair (165g)
• Lightweight shorts (175g)
• Heavy-duty cargo shorts (385g)
• Bluffworks travel slacks (395g)
• 2 tee-shirts (245g)
• Polo (155g)
• Socks, 2 pair (60g)
• Swim trunks – still need to find a good pair
• Patagonia jacket (335g)
• Cap (35g)
• Sandals, Xero Amuri Z-Trek (405g) – these are great for walking/hiking in warm weather

Shelter

• ZPacks Duplex 2-person tent (605g)
• Stand-alone poles (305g)
• 48″ poles x 2 (100g) – for non-freestanding setup; we may decide to skip these altogether
• Tent stakes x 12 (105g) – for non-freestanding setup
• 40F down sleeping bag (415g)
• Thermarest pad (360g)

Security/safety

• TiGr bike lock (740g)
• Front light (75g)
• Rear light x 2 (140g)
• Reflective straps (65g)

Bags, containers

• Water bottles, 32 oz x 2 (215g)
• Camelbak Lobo 100 oz (640g)
• Specialized Handlebar mounting system (360g)
• Specialized dry bag for handlebar mount (160g)
• Specialized Stabilizer seat bag (530g)
• Top tube bag, front (140g)
• Top tub bag, rear (120g)
• Frame bag (125g)
• Food/extras bag (105g) – this is a lightweight backpack-like canvas bag we can use to carry take-out food and other supplies short distances

Cooking

• Water purification system + tablets (310g)
• Mini lighter (10g)
• Spork (10g)
• Titanium stove (25g)
• Titanium cup (75g)
• Cooking chopsticks (30g) – rated up to 500F, great for use when grilling on a camp fire
• Travel wine bottle opener (20g)

Medical

• Emergency medications and antibiotics (150g) – includes Tylenol, Imodium, Ibuprofen, Colace, Azithromycin, Cipro, Amoxicillin, Zyrtec, Benadryl
• Basic first-aid kit (135g) – includes gloves, bandages, antiseptic wipes, tweezers, antibiotic ointment, steri strips
• Extended first-aid kit (165g) – includes safety pins, gauze pads, antibacterial soap, povidone iodine, irrigation syringe, athletic tape, athletic wrap, transparent wound dressing, tinctures of benzoin
• Salt tablets

Toiletries

• Wet wipes, for “emergencies” (60g)
• Tooth brush (camping), paste, and floss (50g)
• Micro-fiber camp towel (20g)
• Bar soap (120g) – use this for washing body, hair, shaving, etc.
• Sunscreen (30g)
• Lip balm (5g)
• Extra contact lenses (20g)
• Prescription glasses and case (185g)
• Nail clippers (15g)
• Deodorant (30g)
• Deet bug spray (45g)
• Roll of toilet paper (75g) – for India and Asia
• Electric trimmer + USB rechargeable batteries + blades (145g) – The Gilette Fusion Proglide is pretty lightweight and very compact and also has an attachment for razors. Combined with USBCELL MXAA02 AA Rechargable Batteries, we don’t need to carry spare batteries and can simply recharge these as we go.
• Reusable paper towels (15g)

Tools / Repair / Extras

• Mini tool with hex wrenches, chain tool, and spoke wrench (175g)
• Individual longer-handled hex wrenches and screwdriver (45g)
• Pliers/wire cutter (115g) – will try to find a lighter one
• Lots of patch kits (10g)
• Chain lube, 1/4 oz (15g)
• Teflon grease (5g)
• Tire irons (25g)
• Spare tubes x 3 (425g)
• Spare folding tire (270g)
• Extra disc brake pads x 2 (55g)
• Extra cleats and bolts (55g)
• Gorilla tape + electrical tape (20g)
• Super glue (5g)
• Camping knife (20g)
• Frame pump (115g)
• Large binder clips x 4 (95g)
• Extra spokes x 8 (65g)
• Extra chain links and pins (10g)
• CR 2032 batteries x 4 (10g) – for head lamp, watch, etc.
• Presta/Shrader valve adapter x 2 (10g)
• Derailleur hanger x 2 (30g)
• Cuben fiber repair tape (45g) – various sizes, strengths, and sided-ness – this stuff is amazing for patching anything, including sacks, our tent, sleeping pad, etc.
• Extra zip ties, velcro, clothes line, elastic cord, zippers, hooks, etc (180g)
• Safety pins (20g)
• Bicycle shoe cleat covers (15g)
• Extra watch strap (15g)

Electronics

• Phone + case (185g)
• Bike computer/GPS (135g)
• Point-and-shoot digital camera (305g)
• Kindle (185g)
• 16,850 mAh USB battery pack (295g)
• USB-C adapters and cables (45g) – for charging cell phone
• Headlamp (25g)
• International power adapter with USB ports (110g)
• Suntactics 5W (5V x 1A) solar charger
• Ear buds (5g)
• Camera case (95g)
• Extra camera batteries (115g)
• Camera charger (65g)

Miscellaneous

• Waterproof wallet & credit cards (55g)
• Waterproof passport holder (25g)
• Passport (35g)
• Bike lock key (15g)
• Bottle opener (5g)
• Pens and Sharpie (5g)
• Zip lock freezer bags (5g)
• Extra copies of ID, extra passport photos for visas, in waterproof container (70g)
• Sewing kit with thread & needles (25g)
• Tiny camp light (15g)

The total weight for me is somewhere between 13kg and 14kg, plus food and water. Steve’s is closer to 10kg. We will shift more weight to the faster rider as we go to keep us riding about the same speed and keep us together. Currently that means I’m carrying a bit more.

Another overnight test ride to South Carlsbad beach, about 55km each way. Pretty uneventful as far as our gear is concerned, so it looks like we are narrowing in on the ideal setup. We are also starting to feel a bit stronger, though the hills are still tough with the added weight.

Before I left, I spread out all my gear and made a video.

It was great meeting up with our friend Suzi on the way up and then spending the night by the campfire with our friend Darin and his puppy Lucy.

Many of our friends and family are understandably concerned about the risk of us riding our bicycles 25,000 miles around the world, so I took some time to figure out the numbers to describe our actual risk. TLDR: We aren’t worried, and neither should you be; we’re a little more likely than a car driver to be in a fatal crash, but the effect of the exercise on our overall health decreases our risk of dying from other diseases. Most importantly, the chance we’ll have a life-changing adventure is roughly 100%.

(Disclaimer: I’m basing this on US figures; cycling in some parts of the world will be safer than the US, and more dangerous in others, so I think it averages out.)

First, let’s talk about car safety to have a point of reference that most of you are familiar with. According to the US Dept. of Transportation, in 2014, there were 1.08 deaths for every 100 million miles driven in the US. For most of you who drive an average of 15,000 miles per year, that means that in the 2-year period we are gone, you will have a 0.03% chance of dying in a car crash. That’s about 1 chance in 3,000.

Cycling risk is a bit harder to estimate because there are no solid numbers on the number of miles cycled every day. But I found some statistics from 2005 showing somewhere between 3.7 and 12.6 deaths per 100 million miles cycled. It’s important to keep in mind that a sizable percentage of these cyclists were riding unsafely, without helmets, against traffic, without lights at night, etc. I have also read that experienced cyclists who ride with groups that promote safety practices (like AIDS/LifeCycle, which both Steve and I have ridden in) are up to 10 times less likely to be involved in a fatal accident.

Let’s say it’s 5 per 100 million miles, though I’d say Steve and I will be much safer than average. That puts our risk at 0.13% over our planned 25,000 mile route. That’s about 1 chance in 800.

So, cycling is a bit more risky than driving your regular commute. But, regular exercise also dramatically decreases your chance of dying from health-related illnesses such as heart disease. According to these figures from the CDC, about 0.05% per year of people in my age group die from illnesses like heart disease, stroke, etc., all of which are reduced by regular exercise. That’s 0.10% over 2 years, or 1 chance in 1,000. (For Steve it’s actually higher because he’s a bit older.)

So the risk from cycling is comparable to the risk from diseases that are preventable by regularly exercising! We will obviously be taking every reasonable precaution, including lights, mirrors, reflectors, safe riding practices, etc.

I’m a week late posting about this, but I wanted to make a few quick notes.

Last Tuesday/Wednesday, we did our second fully-loaded test ride. On this ride, we rode 100km up the coast to San Clemente and camped overnight at a state campground. This is approximately the distance we expect to cover each day, so it was a good test of our fitness and gear.

It took us a lot longer than expected to get our bags fully setup as we’d made quite a few changes from our last run. Notably, we had an all-new expanded first aid kit based on what we learned at a wilderness training course we took. The kit includes a wider range of bandages, adhesives, an irrigation syringe, several types of antibiotics and other medications like Benadryl to treat any illnesses out allergies we get while too far from a hospital or clinic.

We also had new bike lights that charge on micro USB, a USB powered beard trimmer, and a few other things. To compensate for the added weight, I removed some extra tent stakes and also some tools that I decided we didn’t need, keeping my entire setup at 22kg. Steve’s bike and gear weighed in at 20kg.

The ride up the coast went very well, perfect weather and no mechanical issues, but we’d started too late in the day. I didn’t have time to stop at REI to get camp stove fuel, and we didn’t have any time to take a break. By the time we stopped for dinner in San Clemente, it was dusk. We quickly ordered take out sandwiches and rushed to the campground, where we setup in the dark using our bike lights to illuminate the ground.

Although we didn’t expect it to be cold, we had packed all of our gear, including cold weather stuff, and we were glad we did! The temperate was not supposed to get lower than 10°C (about 50° F), but around 2AM, it was 6° C inside the tent and probably around 3° C outside (37° F). So it was a good test of our gear, as we are planning to be able to be comfortable down to 5° C. For me, it took two pair of wool socks, wool shorts and tee-shirt, Patagonia jacket, a cycling cap, all tucked inside my 40°F sleeping bag zipped up over my head, to be completely cozy. Steve had trouble getting warm enough and is going to look into warmer long johns for the trip as well as full fingered gloves.

The ride home the next morning was uneventful, but it’s clear that we are not in the same shape physically as when we returned from our last tour. The last 50km was grueling for both of us. We plan to increase our training over the next several weeks to be more prepared. The nice thing about a long bike tour, though, is you can easily train your way into it by simply starting with shorter distances.

It’s coming down to the wire now, less than a month left, and our downsizing is in full swing. Below is a picture of me with everything I’m keeping!

It’s a strange but satisfying feeling, being able to see all of your possessions in one photo. It’s also lead me to mull on the real meaning of “ownership”; when do we own a thing, when does it own you, and the societal structures that back that all up.

It’s been a long process to get to here, involving Craigslist, eBay, OfferUp, donations to local charities and friends, scanning documents and photos, sorting through decades-old keepsakes and albums, and on and on.

Some items have been emotionally difficult to part with, but what I’ve learned is that those emotions fade immediately once the item is gone and I have never felt a sense of regret once it is gone. It is more like a weight has been lifted.

Steve is planning to post some more about the decision process of downsizing, stay tuned!

The single most important lesson I learned in 2016 was taught to me by a Buddhist monk in Bellingham, Washington.
It was our first day camping on Steve’s and my Pacific Coast ride from Vancouver to Tijauna. We’d just crossed into the USA from Canada on our bikes and were setting up camp at Larrabee State Park, just south of the friendly and endearing city of Bellingham.

I’d been meditating at the Zen Center in San Francisco, and I was doing a poor job keeping up with my meditation practice, but that day I spent some time meditating after we’d setup our tents. To my surprise, Steve came by after I’d finished and said that he’d met a Buddhist monk who was camping next to us, and he was going to stop by and speak with us in a few minutes.
We told the monk about our trip that we were just beginning, and he told us about his trip that he had taken several years ago. His teacher had instructed him to go out to a hard-off neighborhood in rural USA and spend some time with the people there and travel around. But one of his rules was he could not use money in any way.

This made his trip much more memorable and meaningful due to the connections he was forced to make with those in the local communities. But more importantly, he started hearing the same thing over and over again.

When he asked for help from someone, whether it be water, shelter, or food, he would very often receive that aid along with a warning. “The people in this neighborhood will be very happy to help someone in need, but be wary when you travel to the next neighborhood, the one on the other side of the tracks. Those people are not like us; they are not nice people and will not help you.”

The next neighborhood lay in the way of the monk’s travel, so when he arrived, he was worried. But when he asked for help, many of those other people gladly welcomed him and gave him help. He was perplexed, and he told these new folks what the others had said. Their response was interesting. “You have been tricked! Those people are not like us at all; they are horrible people and would never help someone in need! Do not trust them!”

These people, who had nothing at all different between themselves except for a railroad track that ran between their neighborhoods believed that the people on the other side of the tracks were somehow fundamentally flawed, different from themselves in a way that made every single one of them not to be trusted. But yet, they were all gracious, welcoming, and compassionate people. How is that possible?

This story has stuck with me ever since, and one of the reasons I am taking this trip with Steve around the world is to show myself and my friends that this holds true everywhere.
Yes there are some bad apples, and there are some communities bent on nothing but violence, but much more, there is goodness in every community, despite all differences, and we should be wary of anyone in our communities who would try to convince us otherwise. Those folks across the track (or on the other side of the wall) have the same needs and compassion as we do.