A day in New York - photos

A few photos from yesterday. Blogger android app fails to publish the posts if I add more.

Local Hostel NYC is on this street and appearances are deceiving, it's a really nice place

A day in New York

(photos in next post... don't ask me why, technical reasons :) )

In the morning at 7:30, with the bike reassembled the day before, I grab a coffee & a muffin from the hostel bar to "get me going" for the long day ahead, then I proceed to retrace my steps from yesterday over the Queensboro bridge back into Manhattan with the plan of exploring more of Central Park, and then the area south of it where all the interesting things are located.

When I tried to mount my smart phone holder on the handlebars I discovered I don't have the right Allen key to for it (it's a weird 2,5 size not found on most multitools including mine). So first stop is one of the many bicycle shops in Manhattan, where I get the first sample of American generosity when the guys there give me the exact key I need for free! Plus a NY city map and a good pump to put more pressure in the tires.

In Central Park I join the other cyclists on the what looks like a cycling/running highway that tours around the park. Some are casual cyclists, others look mean and are putting some serious watts. A triathlete in aerobars passes me by, and we chat a little about my adventure and his training. David also gives me some indications where I might want to go next and points me to west Manhattan on a cycle path that takes me south along the Hudson River.

Kilometers of cycling heaven pass by as I approach the financial district and WTC. The place is bustling with people, police every street corner and construction workers.
Battery Park, the southernmost point of Manhattan rewards me with a view of the Statue of Liberty (a bit far, but that's the closest I can get without a ferry) and 12 dollar hotdog&pretzel (price paid for being stupid enough not to ask the price before buying). I eat it while reading the plaque at the Castle Clinton, a fort built around 1810 that had more than 100 canons to defend New York from British forces but never saw any war action and functioned as a beer garden, exhibition hall, theater, public aquarium and finally a national monument. What a destiny!

It naturally comes a time when one has to take a leak. I anticipated this problem, but decided to wait until it occurs, to be forced to come with a more creative solution. Bushes look tempting, but there's no way I can do it without being seen. I spot a public toilet that has a bike stand and of course, some dubious fellows next to it. My bike lock is a joke, the criteria for taking it with me was weight, and I think you can cut it with scissors. Every serious biker in NY has a heavy duty chain. Luckily a guy with a laptop at a table nearby agrees to watch it for me. Thanks guy with laptop!

In West Village I enter the High Line, an old suspended rail road turned into promenade alley. I chill on bench trying to scribble down some notes in my journal and watching the busy street below when I am informed that the "physical presence" of bikes is not allowed, does not matter if somebody is on them or not, and kindly asked to go down and park it. I would but I don't have a NY grade lock and itt was time to move on anyways.

I then spot the Empire State and start navigating the crowded and trendy Chelsea streets towards it. This time I descend the bike, safer this way. I cannot look around and be attentive to erratic pedestrians, cabs, and crazy cyclists at the same time. This is the wildest city cycling I ever saw, the bike & ped stop lights are a waste of money, nobody looks at them. Only german tourists perhaps. I already gave in and started emulating the local behavior after repeatedly being the only one standing still at a red light.

I break my neck gazing up the Empire State building then enter 5th Avenue, the most expensive street in the world. A short break at Madison Square Park is needed to call home using Viber (I use a prepaid SIM with 3GB included and the 3G speed is great).
A  drizzle starts so with the rain jacket on, I proceed through Chinatown and over the Brooklyn Bridge which also has a nice bike path. Since it will get dark soon and I forgot my bike lights at the hostel, a decision is made to choose a bike route from Brooklyn to back to Queens.

Google navigation takes me there switching one bike path after another. I find it weird and cool at the same time that they have well marked bike lanes through industrial areas and neighborhoods that look abandoned with graffiti all over. Many cyclists too, a large number of them women. It's like being in Amsterdam and the Bronx simultaneously.

Back at the hostel I discover a new roommate, Christian from Texas, and that the two germans Martin&Fabian are gone. A shower is in order and a quick chat with Christian so I feel confident to leave the bike and my belongings in the room and go track down some food. I quickly lock down on a greasy but delicious burger which I eat in the hostel kitchen. A visit at a grocery store completes my provisions for the breakfast and the long ride I start in the morning towards Philadelphia: yogurt, granola bars, dried fruit, Cliff bars (my favorites) and a fruit salad.

So the day ends with me writing this down in the animated hostel lobby where people of all nations watch "the game" projected on a wall, chat at the bar, eat in the small kitchen, or sit at their laptops writing back home just like me.

Departure Day

Late into the night Claudia helped me pack the bike in the cardboard box I got from a bike shop near my house (idea I got from Sorin Boriceanu). I could not have done it without her special ability of locating the things that I had in my hand 5 minutes ago. Or from any other past period.
Things went surprisingly smooth and we were able to pack everything nicely thanks to this guy's detailed instructions: http://iikmisc.blogspot.com/2010/11/packing-bicycle-for-flight.html (although I did not follow them by the book and opened the beer in the middle of the job instead of at the end).

Arriving at the checkin gate a few hours later I have a very pleasant surprise. Because I have no other luggage except my bike box and small backpack I don't have to pay for the bike. It goes in as regular baggage. They don't even care that it is oversize. Their site says otherwise but who am I to contradict them? :)

In Amsterdam the US customs officer looks to me a bit suspicious when he sees my return ticket for two months later from the other coast of the US. Telling him about my plan somehow does not seem to calm his suspicions. After a few questions aimed to determine that I'm not a crazy biker terrorist the atmosphere becomes more relaxed:
Crossfit?
You mean the sport?
Yeah!
No, why?
Points at my shoes and says: Inov8 ... crossfitters wear them.
These guys do have an eye for detail.

Seven hours later after landing at JFK I have to explain my self again, twice, but then I finally exit the airport reunited with my battered bike box. It then becomes clear that I should have done some prior preparation at navigating the maze that is NY metro system because there are hardly any maps on the station's walls. I manage to get near the hostel but I have to go one more km by foot carrying the 18 kg bike box. Lucky that the prepaid SIM card works and google maps helps me navigate the streets of Queens.

To me the area with an industrial aspect empty streets and derelict brick buildings looks like from a bad 2paq movie, but I hear the receptionist explaining to another customer that it is a very safe neighborhood (which was a bit contradicted by a street chase and fight I saw later that night)
After exploring the area a little I find Queensboro Bridge - a huge steel structure filled with cars but that also has a bike and pedestrian path. On which surprisingly are many cyclists and runners. The bridge takes me to where the skyscrapers are, Manhattan, where I spend the rest of the evening, strolling through Central Park (runner heaven), Broadway, Times Square and generally picking streets at random amazed at the scale and vibe of a very impressive city!

I finish the day back at the hostel reassembling the bike and meeting my two german roommates, then writing down these impressions.
Very full day, this city is amazing and I plan to explore it with the bike tomorrow.

Some thoughts before departure

The months since I started planning this trip have been very intense. That's because I have the bad habit of setting too many goals for myself.

One of them was to build the web application to track my whereabouts, aiming to learn some new technologies in the process. It was very fun, but I would not do a hobby coding project with such an immutable deadline ever again. Some guy asked me what kind of hobby project has a deadline. Well, mine has. And it is today, because in two days I am gone, with no access to a PC or laptop. So I'm done, I'm not writing another line of code, it is what it is. I hope it would be helpful for those that want to see where I stand in my adventure (if it works that is).
Thank you Gabi for the initial layout which I completely butchered in the end, and thank you Dragos for the support provided!

Making the arrangements to leave work for two months was also not an easy feat. When you are the owner of a piece of code that proves to be critical for the next huge project just after you decide you want to leave for two months, things become, let's say, a bit "agitated". It had ups and downs, but I enjoyed this process.
I am very grateful to IXIA, the company where I punch the keyboard daily, for allowing me to pursue my dream, again (it is not the first time I ask this favor). Wonder how many companies would do this, I imagine not many.

So when to find time to train? Answer: whenever I found a little bit of time and energy left (which rarely come simultaneously). Running to work, running stairs at work, swinging kettlebells in conference rooms after hours, biking in the office (actually this is a fantasy, I wish I could). I've spent some time on the trainer, and managed to squeeze a few 100+ km outdoor rides. Far for the training regimen I used to have when training for Ironman, but I feel I'm in decent shape for what's coming with regard to pushing pedals. But pushing pedals feels like the easy part here, after all, if I am tired I can just stop for a while.

What are my concerns? There is a very big list: keeping the bike in my possession (at night), stormy weather in east, winter weather in the Rockies, running out of water in desert areas, roads with heavy traffic (though I planned the route to avoid them as much as possible), trespassing the land of some dude with a gun, and... bugs in the web app (very likely given my erratic programming style as the deadline loomed near).

But then I think of Radu, who is on the road for two months and having a blast, and all these just fade away.
I feel like... I am taking a very deep plunge! But it feels good.

I am so impressed of the number of people that encouraged me to do this, sending me messages or by donating for the project that I want to support through this adventure.
You give me wings a little engine!

Carrying stuff

The most common way to carry luggage for multi-day adventures seems to be panniers on top of a rear rack.

I used them in the only long bike trip I did across Romania several years ago. Mine were heavy because I didn't know anything about bike travelling at the time and chose the first thing that got in my hand.  I am sure there are lighter versions, but even the lightest float around 1.5 kg which is enormous.
It would be blasphemy to ride a 8 kg carbon race bike with one of these - I imagine my Trek bike like a pure-breed horse trying to shake its heavy load off. :)
They offer plenty of space, which is like a double-edged sword - it makes you take a lot of stuff.
I remember them getting into my spokes in a 64 kph descent on the Transfagarasan. Fortunately the only consequence was that the pannier was ruptured and the spokes held, so I stayed in one piece.

I was happy to learn there are other alternatives to panniers. Mr. Iik does a good analysis on them so there's no point in doing that here. I'll just summarize my choices instead.

After narrowing down the options, the choice was to be made between these:

Rear rack + dry stuff sack

This is the Tubus Fly, one of the lightest out there at 330g for an 18kg load. 

Combine it with one of these to obtain a very versatile carrying solution:

Ultra-Sil Dry Daypack - 90g, 22L

Viscacha bag

Revelate Designs is one really interesting company. They make very cool, functional, well-thought bike bags which can be places allover the bike.

The Viscacha is a seat-mounted bag, so no is rack required.

Viscacha - 391g, 6-14L

Terrapin

The Terrapin (also by Revelate) seems similar to the Viscacha, only that you can come with your own dry sack and stuff it in.

Terrapin - 368g, 14L

It was a tough choice but I will go with the Tubus Fly + Ultra-sil dry daypack as I find it to be the most versatile solution. The sack can also be used for hiking (which I intend to do in my days off the bike). On top of the sack there is place for hanging clothes to dry. On the rack rails I can attach more stuff (like the GoPro camera for some interesting filming angle - might work). And most importantly it can carry a lot of weight in case I need to carry extra water bottles with me (like in Death Valley or Grand Canyon area for example).

For shorter tours I would have definitely chosen one of the Revelate bags since they don't require a rack. In those cases it's also worth considering the other options from Revelate, like the frame bags, really cool stuff.

Front carriers

The main carrier matter now settled, let's move to the front area.

Seeing how light, spacious and adaptive they are, I now have love affair with dry stuff sacks. 

So I'll use two more small ones like the one in the image.

A 2L dry sack will go under the handlebars, attached with some nylon straps. What it will hold I haven't decided yet (it may not even be required if I manage to squeeze most of the things in the 22L rear one).

I have to see how to attach the straps without ruining the waterproof bag.

Another 1L one will go in one of the bottle cages and it will hold the rain gear, warmers, and other stuff I want to access quickly in case of weather turning nasty.

Mr. Iik uses a 1L plastic bottle (cut in the middle to insert things in it) to hold his rain gear on the seat-tube and I loved the idea, so I thought I do it in the same spirit, only a bit more elegant.

On the top tube, near the stem I may use a small bag for storing snacks, money, maybe tools. I'm not sure though about storing tools (which I hope to use very rarely) in such an easily accessible place.

This will be my setup which I will update in this post once I get to experiment with it. There are many other options worth considering and there is really no one-fit-all solution.

One of my criteria was also how easy I can obtain this equipment here in Romania. Some of the cool small companies that make ultra-light niche products are somewhere like in Wyoming, don't ship here, or it takes too long, or it's too expensive.

So I am glad there are European online stores like Bike24, and there are innovative European manufacturers like Cumulus, Rab, Inov8 so we have easy access to the good stuff that was previously accessible only from America.

What to eat and where to sleep?

I will eat whatever I can get - great plan, isn't it?
No cooking equipment with me so just cold food and occasionally hot meals at diners and BB inns. Of course, if I meet Carl's Jr I will always trade in the frugal lifestyle for one of these.
Beef jerky is also something I look forward to for supplementing my protein intake.

I love Cliff bars so I hope to get these for bike snacks. Energy gels... only if I really have to. 

Some vitamins may compensate for what will most likely be a poor diet sometimes.

It's stupid to worry about food in America, right?

Sleeping happens in a bivouac tent. Motels now and then for a shower & relaxation in a real bed, and if the weather is too nasty.

Meet the Vaude bivi tent:

It weighs less than a 1L bottle of water. In doing my research I haven't found other complete tents under 1kg and in the 200 euro price range out there. There are tarps (basically a single tent sheet) which are lighter, but I have to carry some other nylon sheet for ground cover, and also some mosquito net. And I still won't get the same weather protection so I prefer the all-in-one tent for this trip.

This is the feather-light sleeping bag:

At 415g for a comfort temperature of 3°C it is indeed a marvel of technology. The zip-less version is 370g, the lightest in the world rated at this temperature. No zip would mean one less point of failure, but I need to be able to use it as a blanket for warmer nights. How tough it is built - remains to be seen.

For ground insulation I am thinking of using either a foam pad ( ro: "izopren") or just a sheet of bubble wrap. 

I was looking at a light self-inflating map (Thermarest makes these) but the lightest one has 350g, and costs 150E.

Foam pad I have used many times, I know I can sleep well on it. It's under 200g and very cheap, but the issue is with packing it - I have to ride with that big roll of foam pad.

Bubble wrap is a more radical idea that I got from one ultra-light biker (a special post on this guy and others that inspire me will follow). I think it weighs 20-30g and costs, well, nothing I guess, but doesn't look too comfy, or providing much insulation.

All of these will get tested next week in the Balkan Challenge, so I'll have more material for a good review.

Clothing

Here are all the clothes I plan to take either on me or in the rear rack, or in a bag somewhere on the bike frame:

• rain & wind jacket
• polar fleece
• rain pants
• bike shorts (the ones without shoulder straps)
• light running shoes
• leg & arm warmers
• thin gloves
• fleece gloves
• plastic gloves (the ones used for house cleaning)
• bandanna
• cycling jersey
• overshoes
• long city pants that convert to short pants
• 2 extra pair of socks, one warm

Each item will have to go trough my kitchen scale test. After tent and sleeping bag, clothes are on the top of my best-bang-for-the-buck weight-saving list. Each piece of clothing may not weigh much, but if you add them together then the weight becomes significant.

It may seem not much stuff for 40+ days on the road, but it is enough to keep me going even at temperatures around -5 Celsius, or in heavy rain.

This is no fashion show. Each piece is functional and some even have multiple uses. For example the bandanna can be used as a wiping cloth for tent condensation. While I wash and dry the bike pants, I can wear the city pants or the rain pants.

Same with the cycling jersey - I can use the polar fleece while it is drying.

This is a moderate version of the list that is used by more "extreme"  ultra light travelers.

Some guys use women nylon stockings as leg and arm warmers. These keep warm and are lighter than regular warmers. 

I don't dismiss the idea, I will try it, but there's a limit to how ridiculous I can allow myself to look, don't feel like crossing it.

After much deliberation I chose to go with my winter overshoes instead of using plastic bags to cover my feet in rain. At just 190 grams they keep me very warm and are fully waterproof. Never had numb feet even in cold winters. And if some nights get really cold I could even wear them while sleeping.

I have a very light pair of long pants that turn into short pants. It's a good idea to have something to wear other than the regular bike tights to look less conspicuous and blend in some rural areas.

So no cycling shoes?

Nope. Only one pair of footwear. And I need to be able to walk with it and be as comfortable as possible. None of my bike shoes fit this description. So I'll go with light running shoes with a tougher out-sole for more efficient pedaling.

The combination of flat pedals & regular footwear also weighs less than clipless pedals & cycling shoes.

Ok, I won't be as efficient as I could be in the hills, because I cannot pull the pedal, I can only push. But the thing that actually matters more for efficiency is removing the weight of the non-pushing leg off the pedal.

Gloves, like the pants and the upper layers, are meant to be combined depending on the weather conditions.
For dry moderate cold I'll use thin gloves (the stretchy silk-like kind). These are amazingly warm considering their light-weight. In 3 degrees Celsius I don't have any problem with them. They can be found cheap at Decathlon store.
Fleece gloves get over the thin gloves if things go below freezing (also found at Decathlon).
Plastic gloves are for rain. I chose these over some other Gore-Tex cover gloves because it's obviously the lightest&cheapest choice, and are 100% water proof.