Bicycle Tour Indianapolis

GAP Tour 2009 Packing List

Front Right Pannier, “Supply Cabinet”

·         Thermarest

·         Book

·         Magazines

·         Swiss Army knife

·         Candle lantern

·         Headlamp

·         FM/weather radio

·         Notebook, pen

·         Basic tools: chain tool, 3 way socket wrench, Leatherman, electrical tape, tubes, spoke wrench, cassette tool, chain whip

·         Phone / GPS charger

·         Small bike lock

·         Bug spray

·         Sunscreen

Front Left Pannier, “Kitchen”

·         Pot

·         Skillet

·         Stove (MSR Whisperlite Internationale)

·         Bag o’ utensils, including lighter, matches, potgrab, etc.

·         Snacks (homemade granola bars)

·         Water Filter

·         Cutting board

·         Coffee

·         Energy gels

·         Campsuds

·         2 day’s food ingredients

Right Rear Pannier, “Riding Clothes”

·         Shorts (6 pair)

·         Jerseys (6)

·         Socks (6 pair)

·         Leg warmers

·         Arm warmers

·         Rain jacket

·         Extra sunglasses lenses

·         Chamois Butter

·         Gatorade Powder

·         Fuel Bottle (outside pocket)

·         Maps/cue sheets not immediately needed

·         Red LED blinker

·         Remainder of food ingredients

Left Rear Pannier, “Off-bike Clothes”

·         Camping pants (with zip off legs)

·         Shorts/swimsuit

·         Socks (2 pair)

·         T-shirts (2)

·         Lightweight fleece jacket

·         Underwear

·         Ball cap

·         Toiletries

·         Packtowel

·         First aid kit

·         Camp Shower

Rack: “Home!”

·         Tent (TNF Bullfrog)

·         Crazy Creek Chair Kit (rolled inside tent sack)

·         Sleeping bag (TNF Cat’s Meow)

·         Fleece bag to serve as pillow (stuffed with sleeping bag inside a dry bag)

·         Keen sandals, bungied to the outside, on top of tent and sleeping bag

Handlebar Bag

·         Current day’s maps and cue sheets

·         Energy gel

·         Wallet

·         Emergency contact info

·         Cell phone

·         Tools: multi tool, tire levers, tube, patch kit

·         Compass

On the bike:

• Two 28 oz water bottles, one 20 oz
• Pump
• Computer, Garmin 705
• Bell (surprisingly useful on a bike tour)
• Extra spokes

On Me:

·         Helmet

·         Jersey

·         Shorts

·         Gloves

·         Socks

·         Shoes

·         Sunglasses (Oakley Half Jackets)

2008 Trek 7.3 Hybrid

·         Aluminum frame, chromoly fork w/ rack, fender, and low-rider eyelets

·         Shimano Deore components, Avid v-brakes

·         Bontrager wheels

·         Continental Tour Ride tires

·         Topeak “Explorer” rear rack

·         Blackburn “lo-rider” front rack

·         Planet Bike fenders

·         3 bottle cages (installed bottle boss under downtube)

·         Ergon “ergo 1” grips

·         Serfas bar ends

I finally feel like real bicycle commuter in Indianapolis for the first time this year. First I rode my bike to meet the crew who came in from Carmel on the Monon Trail.  After a brief stop to say hi to the bike commuting group, I got back on my bike to ride to the Indianapolis Museum of Art for a meeting with a group looking at having a bicycle tour of Indianapolis' northside later this year. 

I love going on bike rides in Indianapolis, especially in the spring. When I got onto the museum grounds there was some flowering tree that gave off the most wonderful scent, something you just don't experience in a car.

Connie Szabo Schmucker
Advocacy Director
Bicycle Garage Indy

One part bicycle tour, One part bicycle race, All fun!

Are you tired of the local Indianapolis bike racing scene? Are you tried of spending money on entry fees? Then take action and plan your very own Gentleman's Race.

All you do is plan a course, agree to rules and have fun!

One race I read about set up several check point along the 135 mile route. The riders had to race along prescribe sections, like a 10% climb up a gravel road. The rest of the route was up to the team, as long as they stopped at each check point. 

The other exciting aspect of the this race was that it was all teams no individuals. Each team was comprised of six members. The teams had to sign in and out at each check point as a team. All six members had to finish together too.


I would love to see several of these gentleman races pop up through out the Indianapolis cycling scene. Seems more fun than your standard road race to me! 




 

Paris Roubaix is often called the Queen of the Classics. Why, because it is the most famous and prestigious of all the spring classics. It is long, rough and as hard as it gets. This bicycle race starts most cyclist's blood flowing. I often find my self dreaming as I ride over Indiana famous chip and seal, that I am riding Roubaix.

I know no bicycle tour in Indianapolis, would compare to Roubaix, but don't let that stop you from getting out on the road. Hit the bike paths in Indianapolis. Put together a urban Roubaix linking Indianapolis Greenways together with rough back roads. Schedule an gentleman's race over the Indianapolis bike paths.

What ever is your speed, take it to the paths.

I think I've done about 5 million hub overhauls in my life here in Indianapolis, and I see a trend. People are wearing out their hub cones unevenly. I may be just a little bit crazy. Or a lot bit. But, I think it has to do with you not rotating your axle. OK, so maybe a lot bit.

Here's the scenario: You ride your 1973 "RRA" Raleigh Record Ace, oh, I'd say about 50 thousand million miles. You get older, get a new bike or twelve, and the old Ace just sits around, weighing you down every time you walk by it in the garage with a new shiny thing that is made to go way faster, or something like that. 

THEN one day you look at that old bike you've been avoiding eye contact with, that has about as many miles on it as every other bike they've owned combined, and decide it was the best one anyways and want to resurrect it. Maybe do a little bike touring, commuting in Indy, impress your buddies on what a sweet bike you used to have, just repair it so keep it around for nostalgia's sake, you know, whatever floats your boat... or bike. 

So far, no problem. I'm all for fixing up your old steed and riding it instead of looking at it. I think that comes from my old farm days were you were always poor and everything had a nice patina of rust. But everything worked, just not well (that's for you, Mark). And you made the most of what you had.

The problem: Before you put the greatest bike you've ever owned in the dark, damp, spider-house corner of your garage, you were still riding it. You were getting sick of replacing the tires, getting flats, whatever, and you put on a super-duper flat-no-more million-mile tire. And rode it about 999,927 miles with that tire on, and no flats. It was awesome.

The technical part: The problem part didn't seem like too much of a problem, but it is. Or at least it can be. What happens when you never have to remove your wheel is that the axle, or more precisely the cone, is always in the same position. All your weight is pressing on the same spot (the top) of your inner bearing races for years on end. The other side (the bottom) of your inner bearing races never get to do any of the heavy lifting. The outer races don't matter... They rotate!

What do you do? Well, THAT'S EASY! Just open up your quick release lever, and turn your axle a little, close your quick release lever (unless you ride with it open or want your wheel to fall off, that's up to you!). 

Thanks!