Horace Kephart

"The less a man carries in his pack, the more he must carry in his head."
--Horace Kephart

Kephart was the real deal --living, and writing, in the wildest part of the Great Smoky Mountains of western North Carolina, before it was a park. He helped establish the park, and the Appalachian Trail. You can still buy his book, because while gear and materials have changed quite a bit, mountains, rivers, flora & fauna have not changed much. Don't miss the cycling page with the Balloon Silk Tent, Japanese Rubber air bed, Down Quilt, etc. These have inspired the current ultralight hiking (and often biking ultralight in a funny, to me, way) guru Ray Jardin of the book "Ray Way." Sadly, Mr. Kephart was killed in a horseless-carriage wreck at age 69. Hooch may, or may not, have been involved.

Camping and Woodcraft (1906)
by Horace Kephart
Chapter VII
LIGHT CAMPING EQUIPMENT

The problem of what to take on a trip resolves itself chiefly into a question of transportation. If the party can travel by wagon, and intends to go into fixed camp, then almost anything can be carried along - trunks, chests, big wall tents and poles, cots, mattresses, pots and pans galore, camp stove, kerosene, mackintoshes and rubber boots, plentiful changes of clothing, books, folding bath-tubs - what you will. Such things are right and proper if you do not intend to move often from place to place. But in any case beware of impedimenta that will be forever in the way and seldom or ever used.

It is quite another matter to fit out a man or a party for wilderness travel. First, and above all, be plain in the woods. In a far way you are emulating those grim heroes of the past who made the white man's trails across this continent. We seek the woods to escape civilization for a time, and all that suggests it. Let us sometimes broil our venison on a sharpened stick and serve it on a sheet of bark. It tastes better. It gets us closer to Nature, and closer to the good old times when every American was considered "a man for a' that" if he proved it in a manful way. And there is pleasure in achieving creditable results by the simplest means. When you win your own way through the wilds with axe and rifle you win at the same time the imperturbability of a mind at ease with itself in any emergency by flood or field. Then you feel that you have red blood in your veins, and that it is good to be free and out of doors. It is one of the blessings of wilderness life that it shows us how few things we need in order to be perfectly happy.

Let me not be misunderstood as counseling anybody to "rough it" by sleeping on the bare ground and eating nothing but hardtack and bacon. Only a tenderfoot will parade a scorn of comfort and a taste for useless hardships. As Nessmuk says:

"We do not go to the woods to rough it; we go to smooth it - we get it rough enough in town. But let us live the simple, natural life in the woods, and leave all frills behind."

An old campaigner is known by the simplicity and fitness of his equipment. He carries few "fixings," but every article has been well tested and it is the best that his purse can afford. He has learned by hard experience how steep are the mountain trails and how tangled the undergrowth and downwood in the primitive forest. He has learned, too, how to fashion on the spot many substitutes for "boughten" things that we consider necessary at home.

The art of going "light but right" is hard to learn. I never knew a camper who did not burden himself, at first, with a lot of kickshaws that he did not need in the woods; nor one who, if he learned anthing, did not soon begin to weed them out; not even a veteran who ever quite attained his own ideal of lightness and serviceability."

---

"To equip a pedestrian with shelter, bedding, utensils, food, and other necessities, in a pack so light and small that he can carry it without overstrain, is really a fine art."

Camping and Woodcraft (1906)
by Horace Kephart

Your thoroughbred camper likes not the attentions of a landlord, nor will he suffer himself to be rooted to the soil by cares of ownership or lease. It is not possession of the land, but of the landscape, that enjoys; and as for that, all the wild parts of the earth are his, by a title that carries with it no obligation but that he shall not desecrate nor lay them waste.

Houses, to such a one, in summer are little better than cages; fences and walls are his abomination; plowed fields are only so many patches of torn and tormented earth. The sleek comeliness of pasture it too prim and artificial, domestic cattle have a meek and ignoble bearing, fields of grain are monotonous to his eyes, which turn for relief to abandoned old-field, overgrown with thicket, that still harbors some the shy children of the wild. It is not the clearing but the unfenced wilderness that is the camper’s real home. He is brother to that good old friend of mine who in gentle satire of our formal gardens and close-cropped lawns, was wont to say,

"I love the unimproved works of God."

Ultralite Touring Without a Corkscrew

Courtesy of Jim Foreman, who is pushing the envelope on this subject.

“During one of my treks through Afghanistan, we lost our corkscrew. We were compelled to live for several days on nothing but food and water.”
—W. C. Fields

The C&O Towpath--its Not just for Mules anymore!

We periodically take small groups bike-camping on the C&O. Back in 2002, we made a 3½ day ride along what was the entire length back then, overnighting at the luxurious Red Rooster hostel in Paw Paw WV, tenting on the grounds of a hostel at Harpers Ferry, and finally tenting trailside on our final night. We rode Amtrak between Raleigh and DC.

We mostly rode our regular commute/touring/brevet bikes, e.g. Adrian's Koga-Miyata, Gilbert's Moulton, Sue's retro Raleigh Superbe, Mark's Trek (with oyster bucket panniers), Cheseley's Moulton etc.. Pieter rode his sturdy Dutch Gazelle cruiser.



Henry and Roger arrived at camp ahead of us and biked into town in search of food.

"We found a bar but was too dark inside to see your own hand if you held it up in front of your face! Through the smoke we heard voices making bets on the upcoming shooting competion:
'I'll bet my glock 'gainst yer 9mm…'
Next, we found a lady coming out of a church and asked where we could eat. She looked at us like were crazy and asked, 'Eat? In THIS town?!?'

If you go, watch out for:

• ticks,
• poison ivy,
• high water,
• sticks through your spokes (sent one in our party to the hospital, to get his head sewn shut), and
• large beaver darting across the trail at night in the rain.

A related anecdote about the Red Rooster proprieters:

Shirley says that J.D. is the only man in town with a city ordinance written specifically against him -- when he was a teenager he used to fly down the mountain and through town on his bicycle and raise the ire of the local "Barney Fife". He had a salvaged Buick steering wheel welded onto the stem of his Sting-Ray and ol' Barney got the town council to pass a regulation against equipping bicycles with automotive steering wheels.
Years later, after J.D.'s old filling station was wrecked by a flood, he hit on the idea to reopen as a hostel, much to the benefit of all users of the C&O towpath.

FYI, Our self-imposed bike-camping rules:

• no complaining.
• no spitting, outside of competitions.
• no cell phones.
• no asking directions.
• no sudden stops.
• no mean drunks.
• no gunfire after sunset.
• always call the pocket before shooting.
• no peeing on the campfire.
• no flossing.
• no billy joel.
• no counting your money while you're sitting at the table.
• no canned sardines.
• no wooden shoes.
• no nitrous.
• no doubling back--we go forward and find a new route.
• no making eye contact with anyone at the battleburger eatery. Particulary the owner.
• no rain gear--skin is waterproof.
• no fighting with the railroad men.
• no blaming your parents (even if they did lock you in the glovebox at age two)
• no salvaging firewood from nearby archaeological digs
• no watering down the whiskey.
• no stiffing the waitress.
• when executing dangerous stunts, no fair peeking.
• no drinking the sterno.
• no baklava without coffee.
• all bets are final on handshake, to be paid in full by sunset.

no rules for ladies.

Lord, preserve us and protect us;
we've been drinking whiskey for breakfast.
—Mike Cross

Yanceyville Velo News

I got busted by twenty-some odd police officers who were cycling through earlier this week. I have been losing weight, but by the mug shot photo below, there is no evidence.



Friday, Jack "Bing" Warman and his Courthouse Tour crew visited. They took Adrian's route; Amtrak to Greensboro, bike to Hanging Rock State Park (camped on a hill), then Bike Route 4 to Yanceyville (Camped on another hill behind the Courthouse); breakfast at Evelyn's then on to Kerr lake on Saturday and then ride home to Durham on Sunday?
Sue and I joined them for dinner at Azariah's Olde Storehouse downtown. Great bunch and many tall tales were shared.

Wayne Clark grew up riding with ancien Dick SeeBode (RUSA No. 0292) in Ohio and was on the trip. Dick is 78 years old and still looks and sounds like Homer Simpson.

Here is the whole group Saturday morning. I was impressed as they all rode full-on Touring bikes though there were only two brands, two models and two sizes. So much for diversity in America.

Around noon, a hundred riders or so came through on the Grove Winery Gears & Cheers Wine Tour. They have a great route marker (Dan Henry) with a wine glass and arrow.

We are a cycling destination! Now, if I can just convert the jail into a Youth Hostel and make book on the T-Shirts; slogan being, "I spent the night at the Caswell County Jail and all I got was this stinkin T-shirt."

Yours in Cycling,
Gilbert Anderson
North Road Bicycle Imports
PO Box 840
166 Court Square
Yanceyville, NC 27379
USA

2006 Brightleaf Hoe Down

September 23 & 24, 2006 in Yanceyville--Street vendors, live music, bike rodeo, crafts, boy scout mischief, wild animals, stray dogs, stray people, free music, it's all at the Hoe Down Rumble!


The Chamber of Commerce says that every September over 30,000 people come to the Historic Town Square in Yanceyville for the Brightleaf Hoedown. In 2006 they were joined by a group of cyclotourists who rode up from Raleigh to enjoy all the excitement of the day long activities at this Annual Caswell County Classic Event. I'd ridden the route two or three times before, made up some cue sheets, sent out the invites, and lashed down the tube tent, 3/4 thermarest and other light camping gear to the back of the bike. We ended up with two groups: one riding up Friday night after work--late September is pretty warm in NC and honestly we were a bit nervous about being spotted by the FBI as our Y-ville contact had been emailing an agent in Paraguay about "sending the arms" and then taken to posting on the touring list about "explosives at the campsite". The other group was to follow on Saturday morning, under the cover of daylightness.

Heeby Jeeby, the Ventriloquist and I met at the NCSU bell tower at 5pm on Friday, as planned. David rode by to tell us he was feeling ill and, not wishing to worsen the situation, would do the prudent thing--join the Saturday morning bunch. We rode into Cary and picked up Byron, then into RTP where Chloe joined us, completing the Friday Night squadron. Derrick advised, "oh and, you guys should know that this will be my longest ride yet, so if I start bitchin', just send me a back hand across me jowls." We stopped on Durham's Ninth Street for a supper break to let the sun thoroughly set, hit the Last-Chance ATM, and then struck out to do the remaining 50mi by dynamo light. ETA--midnight-ish. The first few miles out of Durham on Cole Mill presented hills and traffic. Pleasant Green presented more hills and less traffic. Our lights played nicely across the asphalts where the wind blew the first fallen leaves of autumn before us on Schley Rd.. Riding was good, and we sailed right past Underwood Grocery at New Sharon and into twenty-four miles of quiet darkness with no services, followed by another twenty-four miles of few services (two!). We enjoyed a great tail wind, pleasant temperatures and only one puncture.

As the clock neared midnight, the Leasburg Rd hills grew steeper and the Ninth St Vietnamese supper was running low. Promises of mass quantities of Italian food, salad and icy pitchers of cheap lager at Fratelli's kept us pedaling. Finally we joined NC-86 for the dive into, and the climb out of, the Roanoke River basin and into Yanceyville--where the Fratelli brothers had just flipped the lights and vacated the premises leaving us to watch their "Sorry, we're closed." sign sway back and forth on it's string--cruelly mocking us--behind the glass door.


We found the Paraguayan "arms" dealer plodding the alleys--taking his (bomb sniffing?) dog for a midnight stroll. He showed us where the boy-scouts had commandeered the fire station camping space next to the Anderson dry-dock and Merrit organic gardens. We kept it quiet, so as to let the scouts sleep--anticipating a full day tomorrow of helping them earn their demerit badges in skidding, wheelies and misadventures. Then down the hill, behind the jail and deep into the Yanceyville arboretum, where Gilbert had built up a camp with lean-tos, running water and refreshments. Demonstrating the benefits of cycling events for the local economy, he'd also rented us a Porta-Loo Deluxe. After we took turns showering with the parrot and toasted the evening's adventures, and toasted those joining us tomorrow, and toasted the crafting of the crafts and downing of the hoes, we settled in for a well deserved night's rest under the stars.

Up at the crack of dawn on Saturday (well, it was dawn SOMEWHERE) we broke fast with country biscuits and fixings while plotting revenge on those dastardly Fratelli brothers. We telephoned the reinforcements to advise them to take the time to get a good breakfast before riding instead of rushing out and it was dutifully reported back that there was little risk of a hasty launch as a couple members of their party where out stocking up on cigars for the road! Strolling the Craft booths and selecting four varieties from the home-made goat's milk cheeses (the selections offered presented far more variety than any city bagel shop's cream cheeses!) must have had a calming effect, as we lunched at the now forgiven Fratelli's. I had warned everybody that healthy organic vegan food would be hard to come by at the Caswell County Hoe Down, but healthy anything seemed in short supply. I felt pretty weak that afternoon--the miles? the al-fresco sleeping? too much cheap lager? too much vegetarian cracklin's? A good afternoon nap in the arboretum restored my constitution and I ventured back to the 4-H tent for an education on Turkey Hunting.


What would you expect to happen if, during turkey season, you dress in full camo, find a spot where everyone knows there's likely to be Turkeys, make yourself invisible in the bushes, and start making sounds like a turkey and otherwise pretending to be a turkey--that one species of fauna all those other hunters are out there determined to shoot? "It's the most dangerous hunting there is," the man at the 4-H tent told me.

"Don't you wear hunter's orange", I asked?

"Heck no--a deer's color-blind, but not a turkey", he admonished! "I had a friend who was sitting in the bushes about to shoot a gobbler. The gobbler took off suddenly and got away. Disappointed, my friend sat back, reached in his shirt pocket and pulled out a pack of Marlboros. Another hunter saw the red & white pack and BLAM! I've got one less friend. You don't bring anything red when you're hunting turkey."

Made me feel safer cycling.


Next to the million-dollar restored courthouse, the bright-eyed nonagenarian, Ms Andersen, showed us around a very grim jail complete with a bona-fied gallows. "Never used," lamented our frail guide, "After we built it the legislature decreed that all executions be in Raleigh." They steal all the fun.

Gilbert gave us the walking tour of town. Brown's Seafood is operated by Commodore Kim of the Farmer Lake Yacht Club. He pointed out the dungeon beneath the boarded-up movie theatre where a refugee from by-gone days is holed-up pecking his memoirs from serving in Johannesburg for the Helms administration on an old manual Remington typewriter.


Glenn brought by his family plus a child he'd kidnapped from Macedonia. Kelly Doug Hans & David moseyed in around late afternoon. David set up, then disappeared inside a high-tech stealth tent suspended several feet above the briers.

In the morning we watched inmates cleaning up half-finished beers and encouraged them to pocket their more interesting finds among the flotsam and jetsam of a big Caswell Co Saturday Night. We broke fast at the convenience store, foregoing the traditional eggs-and-brains, minded the snakes in the resroom, saw Person County with daylight on it, reverse chased bikefest yellow darts to Pleasant Green, and made it home in time to boast!

Keys to Winter survival, in style!

It has been said that nobody can drive you crazy unless you give them the keys. That's probably true, but if ol' man winter is working away at your wits, you won't be the first the first cyclist to seek sanity cycling south to the Florida Keys.

I recommend it highly. I did two January trips from Raleigh, North Carolina to Key West, Florida years ago, with a buddy. We had the luxury of nice touring bikes with full fenders, lights etc.. We carried No Panniers whatsoever. On the first trip, days one and two saw us through a sleet storm, and I don't believe the temperature ever got above freeing until day three. Not my favorite conditions, but with head-to-toe raingear and stylish gallon-sized zip-lock bags duct taped over both feet and hands, we more than doubled our first days mileage--from 65 to 140 miles--even with the short winter days.

I must admit I have done lightly loaded trips before in remote areas without camping gear where I was pressing for an overnight hotel--in retrospect, I feel like that was a mistake. Often the Inn would be out of easy reach at the end of the day (very good and redundant lights are always a good idea when you ride with me) or simply full. Even back then, I would rarely consider a long trip like this without some emergency camping gear, yet this was one of those times. The weather was horrible for camping, as the rain never stopped until the day we reached Florida proper.

While we did not stay in a tent on these trips, we did carry one and were prepared to use it. Because we were changing climates as we rode south, and we intended on exploring Key West for a few days upon arrival, we shipped season-appropriate clothing and some supplies to the Homestead, FL bus station. We arrived at the station after they had closed for the day, and made the pleasure of their acquaintance when they unlocked the door the next morning. We exchanged longs for shorts, winter for summer, and sent the winter clothes homeward-bound in the same box via Greyhound.

Bike theft is a problem anywhere, and bikes priced well into four digits USD are not unusual nowadays. Locking it where you can keep and eye on it, and asking shopkeepers, waitstaff and others to "please keep an eye on it" while you attend to bodily functions will go a long way (It's nice to travel with a pal sometimes). I have found when exploring a new place that a local bike shop will typically be glad to store your bike for a few hours. I always buy supplies when visiting a local shop, as a practical token of good-will.

The biggest threat to your bike in the Keys is salt air and salty/sandy soil. Keep your bike clean, and wash it with soap, fresh water and a "brush" often--maybe a couple of times per week, with an immediate (do not wait) disassembly and thorough cleaning upon your return. UV rays can damage exposed carbon fiber clear epoxy resin causing it to flake off exposing the structure to moisture and eventual delamination. Before departure, clean the frame well and touch up any gaps in the epoxy coating (some are painted). After drying for a couple of days, wax the frame very well and enjoy!

Carrying your Gear: I usually toe-strap bagged tent poles (and pegs) to the frame. It allows much flexibility in placement of the tent. I will that say that, while people do this all the time, tying gear to the bars really can interfere with hand placement (i.e.: comfort), and STI gear levers usually get in the way. Much better to use a good bar bag for this. Sometime using longer cables on the STI brifters will allow room for a bigger bag.

Actual frame size matters. A small frame has little room for big bags, front or rear, sadly. Some people think it is too big, but I use (and sell in our shop) the Carradice Camper saddle-rear mounted bag. A big bag like this is easier to load, and saves lots of time when setting up and breaking camp. Some of their other seatpost bags are also generously sized and remove quickly as well. Bring a good sleeping pad for the Keys; the campsites I found are on coral rock and very firm.

Our website has links and articles on ultralight touring and camping that might be helpful in your planning. Enjoy your trip, and I hope the wind and weather are favorable.

Never explore the final frontier blanket-less!

Charles Lindbergh rejoiced flying alone at night above a forgotten cloud bank, feeling as though lost "in the solitude of interstellar space," yet confessed to

"know that down below, beneath that heavenly blanket is the earth, factual and hard."

Flying closer to our factual and hard earth, the cycletourist seeks a more literal blanket at night. Spaceblankets are great! Waterproof, windproof and light, they pack small; I put them in thick zip-lock bags and squeeze the air to an interstellar thinness before sealing.

While I never go on an overnight ride without a space blanket (small, weightless, waterproof, effective) they do make a space bag that would be drier (from the outside) and much warmer. My buddy uses a breathable one that has two layers and is perforated with some quilted insulation for almost all his camping year-round. He is tough, but we are in the south and he wears a lot of clothes in the winter.

On a long brevet, you might try a time honored ultra-light backup to a space blanket by doing what 90% of the Randonneurs do: Travel light, ride briskly and sleep indoors at the checkpoints that the organizers provide.

There are actually four distinct styles of space blanket products, though all do not use the same name or trademark:

1. NASA Style: Silver with red or gold back, with or without corner grommets. Solid, stiff and built like your life depended on it. Stiff enough to serve as an emergency sleeping bag, does not cling, and works as a tarp, etc., for years.
2. Foil Type: Silver with gold or silver back. Mylar ultra thin and ultra light film. Fits in your pocket but is delicate. Maybe 1/20th the weight and a 1/8 the size of the NASA style.
3. Plastic Coated Mylar Style: 1/2 to 1/3 the Weight of the NASA style. This is a mylar blanket coated on both sides with clear plastic. Fairly durable. These are hard to find.
4. Space Blanket and Space Sleeping bag Style: These are perforated for ventilation and has a very thin synthetic loft—insulation layer in a mylar or foil sandwich. Both styles are very light and easy to find in our area. The compacted size is 4 x 8-9 inches or so and very light for a sleeping bag, but I like a little more softness.

Some clever bike-packing rugged individualists get dual-use from good space blankets by pressing them into service as pannier covers, also making good use of their high light reflective property—Ingenious! But we recommend using aluminized coated nylon for pannier covers—this material weighs similar (heavier 1.1 - 1.4 oz per yard) and will pack smaller as it will not puff up like the space blanket. Four pannier covers could wad into your fist. Stephenson's Warmlight and my neighbor (Treklite) who used to work for Stephenson used this fabric in tents that start in the sub two pound range for real three-person tents. At the Warmlite website this material was recommended to resist sun damage. It has a high tech Lost in Space/NASA look. Stephensons sells the fabric too.

Combining the water protection of plastic with the lightweightedness of Tyvek, the space blanket also sees use as a ground cloth or tent floor protector. While they can puncture more easily than Tyvek, they can be easily patched. Really if you are worried about punctures of a floor protector, you are pitching in the wrong place as far as your tent is concerned.

I have also used the space blanket as a space blanket.

Yours in Cycling,
Gilbert Anderson

North Road Bicycle Imports
P.O. Box 840
166 Courthouse Square
Yanceyville, NC 27379
USA
toll free: 800-321-5511
local: 919-828-8999
e-mail: cyclestore@aol.com

Just how Loaded is "Fully"?

Camping on the Castle grounds
at the 2006 Moulton Rally,
Bradford-on-Avon, Somerset, England

J. P. Sartre says that words are loaded pistols, but his were usually fully loaded. The great visionary Bucky Fuller, who mesmerized students at Black Mountain in North Carolina, complained that the educational process tended to overload people until they lost their innate capabilities. Retaining what innate capabilities I still posses, I load up and go to a rally for Alex Moulton bicycles in southwest Angleterre every year or two. Lots of rides in the country-side and along the lovely English canal paths. Many people ride some distance self-supported to the long weekend rally and camp at Dr. Moulton's lovely home (we Americans often describe it as a castle).

The English as a whole, whether by accident or design, seem to travel with much less weight and bulk than the riders from most other countries. We were cycling in a popular tourist area and loaded vacationing cyclists were common. You could always pick out the Americans—with enough gear to make any outfitter proud. I think 80-100 lbs would be a common American load—without the bike—on overseas trips. The British that I observed often camped with 20-30 lbs of gear for a week, plus food and any carry-along liquids.

F-Frames at the 2006 Moulton Rally,
Bradford-on-Avon, Somerset, England

Now the heaviest loaded tourists that I have seen are from Japan. Though small in stature they often transport their own body-weight in luggage and gear. The Japanese often carried extensive electronic gear and scores of music collections. This can certainly be reduced from the old cassette tapes to CD, then DVD and now MP3 players but I assume these cyclists would now drag along full satellite communications and televisions, laptops, video cameras so their loads may have gone up! In Japan I feel getting back to nature may often include headphones.

While I consider myself one that carries few extras when camping, I carry plenty to be self-contained and comfortable. While some people would consider my camping load ultra-light, my summer travel companions often travel great distances camping with only one small partially-filled pannier, and one plans two weeks in Europe without even that. These fellows are very quick to pack-up in the morning.

Yours in Cycling,
Gilbert Anderson

North Road Bicycle Imports
P.O. Box 840
166 Courthouse Square
Yanceyville, NC 27379
USA
toll free: 800-321-5511
local: 919-828-8999
e-mail: cyclestore@aol.com

Have stove mounts, WTB: One hub sniffing Afghan Hound.

The Lost Hub

A Swedish postal stamp
celebrating the Primus Stove

Many British touring bikes famously included a braze-on designed to stow a Primus stove. Colin Martin's 4-speed 'round the world Moulton Marathon was equipped with a carrier sporting a mess kit braze-on underneath. The stove was nested behind the head-tube between the panniers. This is a true retro ride—canvas bags, steel carriers and Corol bottles all around.

As a side note I was told by one of my Moulton customers that the Moulton Day Bag was designed to carry a "Primus" and whole tea set for a roadside cuppa on chilly (or not so) mornings. The Weekend Bag is very similar and will hold three Primus stoves (without stacking them) for a real Brew Up!

Long before becoming a popular destination for British and American soldiers, Afghanistan was a wild place, where W.C. Fields claims to have lost his corkscrew and survived for weeks on nothing but food and water. Colin, unsure that his two-speed kick-back Sachs hub would last the journey, carried a spare hub. Over time, many cyclists tend to shed gear, for simplicity. Likewise, in 1970, Colin buried his spare hub somewhere along the road to Kabul. At a recent Moulton gathering, Dr. Moulton speculated that the US Marines might have discovered this artifact while searching for landmines. In better times a casual search for the wayward hub and corkscrew might be a good excuse for a bike ride.

Colin incidentally was sidelined on his 'round the world journey when his bike was stolen in Australia. He was diligent and did manage to complete his circumnavigation in 2002. Thirty-two years is a long trip!

P.S.: The truly stove-obsessed will be interested in perusing Classic Camp Stoves at SpiritBurner.com, an online venue for collectors & users of vintage camp stoves such as those made by Primus, Optimus, Radius, Svea & many others. I've got half a dozen stoves I'll bet, and that website makes me want to buy 10 more!

Yours in Cycling,
Gilbert Anderson

North Road Bicycle Imports
P.O. Box 840
166 Courthouse Square
Yanceyville, NC 27379
USA
toll free: 800-321-5511
local: 919-828-8999
e-mail: cyclestore@aol.com

Don't be gram-wise, and gear foolish!

While we at NRBC are all for rationally lightening the load to better one's bike-packing enjoyment, we do feel this can be carried too far.

Signs that you may have carried the lightening to excessive extremes include rationalizations along the lines of:

• "I'll carry a cell phone, instead of tools and repair parts." (No!)
• "I'll stay in hotels, and not need to carry a tent and sleeping bag." (No!)
• "I'll eat in restaurants, and not bring cooking gear." (No!)
• "I won't ride in the rain, so I can leave my rain gear at home." (No!)
• "I won't ride in the cold, so I won't need cold weather gear." (No!)
• "My wife will follow me in the car, so I don't need to carry anything except our TDF two-way radios." (No!)

The above examples are not self-supported touring efforts.

The chaps in England who wrote about "ultralight bicycle camping" way back in 1906 used 12 LB Kits, as noted in Horace Kephart's book Camping and Woodcraft. These keen cyclists were masters of the Utralight Touring, carrying a minimalist tent, sleeping and cooking gear in a small lightweight bundle that was easily packed and carried across great distances with reasonable comfort.

Now, Credit card touring is nothing new. It was done before credit cards were invented, by Thomas Stevens. But proper ultra-light touring, to our minds, is exemplified by leaving the salad fork at home, and packing the tube tent.

Igor finds bike parking beside a Yurt in Mongolia.
One of many outstanding photos on Igor's site.

Our international cycle-touring, and ultra-light extremist, friend Igor, in the Republic of Slovenia advocates no stove and no cooking/eating utensils. He freely admits the weight savings decreases off-bike comfort and have no proven benefits, but his obsession is interesting. We rather like our way of doing things, and we try to make up for carrying less utensils by packing an extra fifth of brandy, a jar of olive tapenade and an assortment of fine cheeses.

Yet, Igor's slides & photos are awesome!

Yours in Cycling,
Gilbert Anderson

North Road Bicycle Imports
P.O. Box 840
166 Courthouse Square
Yanceyville, NC 27379
USA
Our newest direct local Yanceyville Area phone is 336-421-4054
Toll Free Research Triangle Area, NC area 919-828-8999
Toll free Nationwide 800-321-5511
e-mail: cyclestore@aol.com

Eric Newby CBE MC on the Moulton

Eric Newby CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) MC (Military Cross) (1919-2006) author of A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush (1958) and arguably finest British travel writer of the 20^th century, in his final publication, Departures and Arrivals (1999), tells us:

(page 66) "In 1970 I acquired a Moulton, the only successful breakaway from the conventional conception since the invention of the Safety Bicycle. … On the Moulton I cycled From the Wash to Wimbledon by way of the Vale of Gloucester using nothing but unclassified roads and footpaths, passing through twelve counties in four days. The present version of the Moulton looks as if it was indeed designed by Fabergé and is, in my opinion, the most beautiful bicycle in the world."

Newby, Eric. Departures & Arrivals. New York: The Lyons Press, 1999.

Yours in Cycling,
Gilbert Anderson

North Road Bicycle Imports
P.O. Box 840
166 Courthouse Square
Yanceyville, NC 27379
USA
toll free: 800-321-5511
local: 919-828-8999
e-mail: cyclestore@aol.com

Cycle Tourism on "the Beeb"

Audio-feed from the BBC Radio 4's "Excess Baggage" show on Cycle Tourism http or rtsp ("Real" audio)--do give a listen!

South India—Kerala & Tamil Nadu

Hercules bikes are commonly converted to three-wheel cargo haulers for delivering produce.

Philippe Varichon has some great photos of south India (Kerala and Tamil Nadu), including cargo bikes, on CircumVista.com

Checkout:

• The produce-hauling/vending Made-in-India Hercules bikes—lots of those.
• Note the TaTa trucks and buses. The trucks are mostly school-bus yellow with lots of yellow/green/pink/blue decoration, garlands draped and eyes painted on the front. There's a gadget under the dash that makes the horn warble when you blow it (which is quite often).
• Those old-fashioned looking cars are Hindustan Ambassadors, usually painted white, a few black. When you rent one, the driver is included. They're generally operated with the side mirrors folded in, to keep them safe.
• The van that looks like a VW-bus is an Indian "Matador".
• Those "STD/ISD" signs are for telephones.
• Some good pictures of "auto-rickshaws" (usually called simply "auto"), they're painted mostly black in Kerala, yellow in Tamil Nadu. They're made with the side mirrors INSIDE the cab, to keep them safe.
• Some one-man fishing boats. They're well worn, rough hewn vessels. Over in Tamil Nadu they're mixed with brand new boats—Tsunami/Tidal wave relief donations. Those are painted bright colors and bear sponsor logos from international banks, making them look like NASCAR.

I think Kerala has the highest literacy in India. Also, most religious diversity and is especially peaceful. They also resist big-box stores, over development and capitalism—they have TWO competing communist parties, though neither is currently in power. They're making news for banning Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Probably not big pepsi drinkers anyway, though I imagine pepsico has designs on converting the heathens. Lot's of lush greenery, though much of it is in the form of tea plantations. Temperatures usually in the 70s and 80s (°F). Good place for a bike ride! Sridhar has plans to grill fresh fish there. Also known for massages, yoga and Ayurvedic medicine.

Note also the "Safe motherhood bicycle rally" from Goa to Kochi:
"The message we want to disseminate is simple:
Eyes are for seeing, ears for listening and haemoglobin is for intelligence." (Article from The Hindu)

If you're inspired to go, Mr. Pumpy has tips and Tim Gilbert has his South India bike-trip travelogue online too.

Foggy Bottom, the Federal City: Washington DC

Washington DC (DC stands for "Delightful Cycling")

The ADC Washington
Street Map
Don't visit our
nation's capitol
without it.

The ADC Washington Street Map—don't visit our nation's capitol without it.

"But," you ask, "where do you get the ADC map? What is it?"

The ADC Regional Bike Map is the best map (not just for cycling) of the DC metro area and will be of great help should the C&O towpath be muddy—as there are many additional routes off of the path illustrated. Almost any DC bike store should have them and they may also be available inside Amtrak's Union Station (Map)—get one at a newsstand while you wait for your bike and gear to be unloaded (You will have time!) at the baggage-claim.

Otherwise, grab a cabbie or policeman out in front of the station and inquire as to the closest bike store. If all else fails, head for the river a few blocks away and then turn right, there is a shared use path along the river which will take you past a bike shop (if your eyes are sharp) or directly to the towpath (along the river).

The route between Union station and the C&O.

Ask a local cyclist were the shop is and the shop can direct you to the HI-Washington DC hostel. The hostel is just a few blocks from "M Street" (Map) which parallels the towpath and river bike trail in the Georgetown area. Make reservations now for the hostel, it is nearly always fully booked for walk-ins.

Adrian recommends the Hilltop Hostel over the HI-AYH facility: Fun place; friendly and helpful staff; convenient location; Very bike friendly, hammocks out back, relaxed atmosphere, major transit station just outside, min. age 18—no grade-school field-trip groups, laundry.

You will have a good time. By the way, we used to sell the maps but I have run out.

P.S.: The Lonely Planet advises, "Bring your own wiretap."

Yours in Cycling,
Gilbert Anderson

North Road Bicycle Imports
PO Box 840
166 Court Square
Yanceyville, NC 27379
USA
Yanceyville: 336-421-4054
Raleigh: 919-828-8999
Toll-free: 800-321-5511
E-mail: cyclestore@aol.com

Caswell County

Often voted one of the Top Twelve Moulton Importers of Caswell County.
Irrefutably, not the worst shop in town.

An hour, or less, away from the Triangle is a land of friendly people and quiet shaded roads that delight with long sections of smooth flat stretches punctuated by scenic hills and turns that remind many of the mountains—yet three hours closer to the Triangle. A cyclist's dream—in his August 14^th 2005 article, Free wheeling, Joe Miller extols the virtues of the safe, serene and lonesome roads of Caswell County for cycling.

While tending to my family's farmland up there, I told the economic development guy that I was moving my shop.

"Where to," he asked?

"Well, I'm looking for something in Danville…"

"Danville? You don't want to go to Danville—that's in…Virginia!"

Finally the guy drops into my store few weeks ago. "I would like for you to open a bike store in Yanceyville," he says.

I reply, "I would like to open a bike store in Yanceyville."

"I've got a building…but…I can't pay you to move in there…"

"You trying to make me hold out for a better deal?"

On the move, and two-steps ahead of Cornwallis—in our "High Mobility" operating facility. Bring it on, your lordship, bring it on!

Yanceyville is about four hard days cycling to the Blue-Ridge Parkway. The County wants to host and promote bike events, and setup camping in town—It sounds like the perfect spot to locate an eclectic business, especially one with a cycling museum upstairs.

Caswell County is rich in American Revolution and Civil War History. Lord Cornwallis* unsuccessfully pursued General Nathaniel Greene through Yanceyville in the famous "Race to the Dan" (River). I also read that they hanged a guy (not legally) in the courthouse in Yanceyville, starting a war there and overthrew the governor; it's all over now, but we could revive it for a Halloween bike ride.

---

Back in the earlier days of Old Time Yanceyville—men were men, guns were guns, cars ran on rails and automobiles had real fenders.
Caswell County Historical Association, Inc.

Related links:

• Caswell County, NC
• Bike route map: Narrative and Map (375kb suboptimal map resolution)
• Bike route map: JPEG Map (1.3 MB) better resolution, with no narratives.
• Discovering the Dan by Joe Miller

* 1^st Marquess Cornwallis, Member of Parliament was Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief of India, Justice in Eyre, Lord (Viceroy) Lieutenant of Ireland and Baron (Earl) Cornwallis.
(But, he couldn't beat Greene in a race.)

Yours in Cycling,
Gilbert Anderson

North Road Bicycle Imports
P.O. Box 840
166 Courthouse Square
Yanceyville, NC 27379
USA
toll free: 800-321-5511
local: 919-828-8999
e-mail: cyclestore@aol.com

BikePacking: Lighten the load, and enjoy!

Compared to the backpackers I see traveling hostel to hostel here and abroad, bicycle camping is a liberating experience. Not only can you cover distances in a day that might require a week of more hiking, but moving the load off your body and on to the bike makes the traveling a fraction as tiring—not that you can't find a way to get tired cycling with a load.

Traveling light can open the door to possibilities

I am always fascinated by English tourists that I see at rallies who seem to have everything they need, yet carry very little on the bike (Camping with 25 LB of gear). I remember at a Moulton rally in England I was riding with a group along a tow-path and we saw a number of overloaded cyclists with large panniers (front and rear) and a rack piled high with perhaps 80-100 lbs of gear, all riding suspended ATB style bikes. As it turned out they were all Americans and their gear and gadgets looked like they were purchased late the day before the ride. They were only managing 40 miles per day (nothing wrong with that) after being on the road all day with break downs etc, though their goal was 75.

The Hostel backpackers, despite taking buses and trains to Hostels, were loaded heavier than Marines on re-con duty without packing of weapons and ammo or before technology lightened the need for one guy to transport the lead-based radio batteries for a weeks use.

They universally carried a fully loaded expedition pack on the back, a belt pack, a large day-pack (worn reverse front) and most had a smaller duffel attached in front of that. They were loaded for an overseas move rather than traveling. I suppose a gal or guy backpacking or cycling on a budget will carry everything that they might need rather than what they need, to avoid the expense of an on the trip purchase. If they left the CD player (and CDs) at home, or would fore go the iPod purchase, they could easily buy a souvenir sweatshirt or sweater if it got chilly on the trip. Many had a stove, but after 2 weeks had yet to cook water on their trip.

Look forward to cycling; indeed you should, rather than take one step with a load like I saw on these burdened backs.

Yours in Cycling,
Gilbert Anderson

North Road Bicycle Imports
P.O. Box 840
166 Courthouse Square
Yanceyville, NC 27379
USA
toll free: 800-321-5511
local: 919-828-8999
e-mail: cyclestore@aol.com

It's hard to beat a tube-tent for weight, cost and simplicity.
On all other counts, you can beat tube-tents handily,
but they sure are simple.

For want of a pole, the Tent was lost…

Update: Topeak Bikamper!

A broken pole is hard to fix in a storm at night, which is where poles would ideally prefer to fail. A local ultra-lightweight tent designer tells me that aluminum poles are both lighter and stronger than fiberglass poles, but cost a good-deal more. Strength is usually not an issue with poles used for cycling tents, as these tents are small, weigh little, and can be pitched easily away from weather. Poles are not weight-bearing in a classic sense, but strong winds and storms can flatten a tent pitched improperly—from either flapping or being aimed such that the structure catches wind rather than plowing through it.

Love thy Bike

Freestanding tents: Over time, I have purchased several large and small freestanding tents—back when, I like to think, they were still somewhat of a new idea, though they had been around for many years. While not universal with every design, most took took a very long time to pitch and pack-up, cutting into riding and rest time. They really should be staked down, unless you are inside, and even then wind gusts will send a tent and gear tumbling away and, unless it is small, it will lift up and potentially tear or break poles with a person inside. It is the flexing and flapping that tears fabric and breaks poles—staking down prevents this.

Topeak Bikamper

Many times you cannot drive a stake into ground, especially with: (1) the cheesy stakes that are OEM with most tents, and (2) the packed-down commercial camping pad style sites. Ditto for the concrete pads, which I find to be be universally bad for stake insertion. Flexibility in placement, and designing for a reduced number of anchor points needed for secure tent setup, can really help avoid the requirement for a free-standing tent. Two of the tents which I use utilize two poles each, and just three anchor points. The anchor points must be secure, but the tents are the aerodynamic tunnel / hoop style with pointed ends that can be oriented into the wind for extra ventilation and to reduce stress on the fabric and poles. The three anchor points are ½-inch long web-loops that attach to different upper and lower attachment points on the tent. The anchor points can be vectored quite a bit without moving the tent an inch—to find soft ground for stake placement as anchor guy lines plant about 3 feet from the tent proper and, being essentially web loops, can be looped or tied around large rocks, picnic tables, trees or—something I always bring on a bike trip—a bicycle. Once, at a stealthy camp site, I tied my tent off to my bike and tossed the bike down a small incline into a dry creek bed which did double duty as the many reflective surfaces of the bike were obscured from cars passing on a nearby roadway.

Good stakes do make a difference. Some OEM aluminum stakes fail with normal use right away. Titanium, tempered spiral steel, the oversized plastic style and Jim Foreman's patented eight-inch aluminum Gutterspikes work well for stakes and rarely fail, but usually I carry a spare, in case of loss or breakage. [Mr. Foreman carries at least three extras, from which he constructs his camp-stove -ed]

When I ordered my current tents (over 20 years ago) it was a lot like ordering a custom made-to-measure bicycle which lots of discussion of on use and travel size. I had wanted a freestanding tent (as that was what my friends and I had been using) but, after lifting his finished tents, and seeing how quickly they could be erected, I was sold. It was then down to colors and weights of the various fabrics of the various sections and waiting several months, Obviously, these were not store bought items.

Anyway, a little extra para-cord is always handy when camping.

Nothing that I have noted means you shouldn't buy a free-standing tent but the free standing feature often adds significant weight, complexity, setup and take down time. The tents I have can be set up by one person easily in 30 seconds with practice. The maker of those tents can setup his tents in less than 10 seconds, and will be sitting cross-legged inside the tent in that time. It is like a magic-trick to me.

These tents also use sleeves for the poles which speeds setup and take-down. I'm not sure why some have a preference for clips-to-pole attachments over pole-in-sleeves, unless they've had bad experiences with poles separating inside the sleeves. This can be easily remedied with a little practice and proper technique, though some designs may be prone to pole separation anyway. Sleeves are harder to make properly, with little room for error, but clips can break, and setup time is increased when using them.

One thing to add: All of the tents which I've had built were made locally by Treklite and, sadly, they no longer produce these products (though I hope I can get them to revive them one day). These tents were all single-wall designs, and extremely well ventilated. On the hottest most humid nights I have never had a problem with condensation. Eliminating a fly saves lots of setup time and reduces weight enormously. My small 1.5 person tent (2 adults fit if friendly) weighs about 2 lbs. with poles and stakes.

The Treklite fellow used to work for Stephenson's Warmlite, which also makes unbelievable lightweight single-wall tents nowadays. As for my potential recommendation, I would certainly replace my very old tents with these or something similar.

Other than Warmlite, I'd look at Tarptent (with floor), the GoLite Den and others.

All these designs are very light, quick setup, single-wall tunnel designs—similar in style and function to my favorites. The Stephenson costs a good bit more, but can have custom choice of fabrics, colors and many other features. Might be worth a look.

Yours in Cycling,
Gilbert Anderson

North Road Bicycle Imports
P.O. Box 840
166 Courthouse Square
Yanceyville, NC 27379
USA
toll free: 800-321-5511
local: 919-828-8999
e-mail: cyclestore@aol.com

Beat the heat? Not a chance!

Even on the Northern Tier (USA) route don't expect to escape the summer heat. In 2002, there was a heat-wave up there and a Moultoneer fellow that I know finished the last stage of his 'round-the-world travels through there. Over 100°F every day, for quite a while. The roads melted, tires and tubes melted and just fell apart. He rode a small wheel on his Moulton and I feel that these do not dissipate heat as well in extreme conditions. You can travel a long way in North Dakota in the summertime without shade on the road and the days are amazingly long up Nawth for a Carolina boy.

While these temps are not typical, even in the central USA—like Iowa and Wisconsin—I've ridden through summer temps over 100°F several times, though the nights were usually much more pleasant.

Always carry plenty of refreshments

Also, be aware of your personal level of vulnerability in the heat. Some people seem to be immune to heat—with enough water—while others seem like they can dehydrate in a swimming pool with cold drinks in their hands. I have customers that are afraid of heat in the high 70°Fs, and I've seen them nearly pass out. Me, I prefer the modest temps, but can take the heat OK. If the heat is an issue where you roam: shorten your mileage, start early, or light-up your bike and ride at night in sensible areas.
Enjoy your trip.

That C&O tow-path is shady and Ohio has a lot of Youth Hostels that might be good layover spots. (See also: HI-USA.)

Yours in Cycling,
Gilbert Anderson

North Road Bicycle Imports
P.O. Box 840
166 Courthouse Square
Yanceyville, NC 27379
USA
toll free: 800-321-5511
local: 919-828-8999
e-mail: cyclestore@aol.com

Why carry shovel AND griddle?

No Panniers!

Putting the Panniers-vs-Trailer debate to bed!