I brought my faithful camelback hydration system. I wear this like a backpack. It has a flexible straw that allows me to easily drink while riding, and has a couple pouches and a zippered pocket for snacks, ID, etc. We have to carry all the water we need from morning until we are done riding for the day, so I have this and a couple water bottles on my bike — as well as a “lifestraw” water filtration system if I really got in a bad way and needed to get water from a stream or puddle.
I kind of wanted to get a new camelback but nothing fit as well as this one and there was nothing wrong with except that it had some wear and tear, and some of the stitching was coming out. Thanks to my sewing-wiz neighbor Brook for reinforcing everything for me. So thankful for that!
I love these orange running gators. I added velcro to my bike shoes so they stay in place. They keep me from getting gravel and pestersome items into my bike shoes while I’m on the trail - and perhaps add a bit of bug/tick protection.
I shopped and shopped for the right bike shoes. They needed enough flex to be able to hike-a-bike up some rocky mountain stretches and they needed enough stability and a firm base to give me support while riding. These seem to be working well. I’m also glad I brought along a pair of flipflops, and an old pair of running shoes for around camp and when going into a town. Some of my fellow bikers only have their bike shoes.
And yes, I tried to be very safe on the amtrak for the nearly 30 hours on there — and wore that black N95 mask for most of the trip. (I had to eat!)
You might also notice the reflective green band on the camelback. That’s my roadID. It has Cami and Chet’s emergency contact info. If you think it all looks a bit ragged…well…just wait for another month or two!
