This years ride ended on a good note. Although it became a solo ride, which I took advantage to recharge the soul. The amount raised was relative I guess. However, look at it this way, any amount of money raised was greatly excepted.
I had the opportunity for many conversations along the way. It is pretty easy to get attention being the white haired guy pulling a trailer on a bicycle through the mountains. Few would attempt doing this, and truth be known there where a couple of times I wondered it I could, but I did it and with little discomfort. I covered approx. 2000km on my tour bike and along with that raised a little awareness about adult epilepsy.
This very small, but very proud gift will go to the Seizure Monitoring Unit, Foothills Hospital in Calgary to help purchase equipment needed to help them help patients.
I will be doing a recap of the ride at a later date.
Thanks everyone who donated in some way.
I'd like to share one thing, The first part of this music mix help me through a few spots. Just wanted to put it out there. Check this motivation mix out... I love it and it's on my smartphone
Talent mix 26 Sander Ghielen Eeloquence 1daytrackcom
The Backstory
Donate to Ride the Rockies for Epilepsy
Sponsors
Friday, 31 July 2015
Monday, 29 June 2015
Very Early on the 6th
Well, I am 90% ready to go. There are a few nutritional things, tires ordered and need to be installed a few personal items, some repairs for the bike and I am ready.
I wonder at times if I'm ready. The past 5 days I ridden over 300 km to get the legs warmed up and over 700 so far this year. My only hope is that there are no difficulties effecting the body because of the geometry difference between the tour bike and the road bike. We will see.
Check this motivation mix out... I love it and it's on my smartphone
Talent mix 26 Sander Ghielen Eeloquence 1daytrackcom
The Backstory
Donate to Ride the Rockies for Epilepsy
Sponsors
I wonder at times if I'm ready. The past 5 days I ridden over 300 km to get the legs warmed up and over 700 so far this year. My only hope is that there are no difficulties effecting the body because of the geometry difference between the tour bike and the road bike. We will see.
Check this motivation mix out... I love it and it's on my smartphone
Talent mix 26 Sander Ghielen Eeloquence 1daytrackcom
The Backstory
Donate to Ride the Rockies for Epilepsy
Sponsors
Tuesday, 16 June 2015
Personal Needs List for 2015
Maybe a little visually dull however, this is most important. I did put a couple of videos up on this subject but with more humor than planning. This is my official Needs list for the ride.
To make Ride the Rockies for Epilepsy happen, I personally need a few things put together. The cost associated is a close extreme and I need your help putting this together.
The ENTIRE list has been donated - I can't say thank-you enough to that person.
Needs List for the Tour Bike 2015
Acquired Item Approx. Cost Total Cost
BIKE
Have Break cables
Have Derailleur cables
Need Patch kits for tube Deluxe $ 3.80
Need Tubes for bike x 2 (26x2 Schnader) $17.00
Need Tubes for Trailer x 2 $ 8.00
Have Basic tools
Have Multi-tool
Have Manual tire pump
Have Red Zeppelin (quick change danger)
Need CO2 canisters (quick change) $11.50
Need Water bottle holder – trailer x2 $ 9.50
Have Spokes x4
Have Spoke wrench
Have Chain tool
Have Links
Have Mnt Peddles
Have Bike Head Lamp
Have Bike Tail Lamp
Have Cog wrench
Have 14mm-17mm wrench
Bike Needs Total $49.80
PERSONAL
Have Tent
Have Ground sheet
Have Over sheet
Have Trailer
Have Panniers
Have Sleeping bag
Have Head lamp
Have Toilet paper
Have Face cloth
Have Small towel
Have USB power cable to 120v
Need Solar charger-Powermonkey extreme $160.00
Have earplugs
Have Cloth pins
Have Candle Lantern
Have Body soap
Have Boots
Have Small Dia. Rope
Have Cold weather coat
Personal Needs Total $160.00
FOOD NUTRITION
Have Camp Stove
Have Camp fuel
Have Cooking pot set
Have Baker knife
Have Knife / fork
Need Fry pan
Have Camp Stove fuel
Have Water purification tablets
Have Flour
Have Salt
Have Salt/pepper
Have Baking powder
Have Peanut Butter
Need Raisins $ 5.00
Need Huts $15.00
Need Hummus $ 4.00
Need veggies $ 8.00
Donated Infinit Custom mix
Need Tea (bagged) $12.00
Need Oat meal (instant 32 pck) $20.00
Need oat meal $ 6.00
Need Canned food $25.00
Need Couscous $ 4.00
Need Coffee $20.00
Have Rice (instant, possibly)
Have Chop Sticks
Food Needs Total $87.00
EMERGENCY
Have Small sewing kit
Have Duck tape
Have Hydrogen peroxide
Have Band-aids
Have Kleenex
Have Paper Matched
Have Cotton Balls
Have Flint stick
Have Whistle
Have Compass
Have Cable saw
Have Fire Sticks
Have Dryer lint
Have Extra Glasses / reading
Have Contacts
Have Contract solution
Have 2-way radio/phone
Emergency Needs Total $0.00
Grand total $296.80
To make Ride the Rockies for Epilepsy happen, I personally need a few things put together. The cost associated is a close extreme and I need your help putting this together.
The ENTIRE list has been donated - I can't say thank-you enough to that person.
Needs List for the Tour Bike 2015
Acquired Item Approx. Cost Total Cost
BIKE
Have Break cables
Have Derailleur cables
Need Patch kits for tube Deluxe $ 3.80
Need Tubes for bike x 2 (26x2 Schnader) $17.00
Need Tubes for Trailer x 2 $ 8.00
Have Basic tools
Have Multi-tool
Have Manual tire pump
Have Red Zeppelin (quick change danger)
Need CO2 canisters (quick change) $11.50
Need Water bottle holder – trailer x2 $ 9.50
Have Spokes x4
Have Spoke wrench
Have Chain tool
Have Links
Have Mnt Peddles
Have Bike Head Lamp
Have Bike Tail Lamp
Have Cog wrench
Have 14mm-17mm wrench
Bike Needs Total $49.80
PERSONAL
Have Tent
Have Ground sheet
Have Over sheet
Have Trailer
Have Panniers
Have Sleeping bag
Have Head lamp
Have Toilet paper
Have Face cloth
Have Small towel
Have USB power cable to 120v
Need Solar charger-Powermonkey extreme $160.00
Have earplugs
Have Cloth pins
Have Candle Lantern
Have Body soap
Have Boots
Have Small Dia. Rope
Have Cold weather coat
Personal Needs Total $160.00
FOOD NUTRITION
Have Camp Stove
Have Camp fuel
Have Cooking pot set
Have Baker knife
Have Knife / fork
Need Fry pan
Have Camp Stove fuel
Have Water purification tablets
Have Flour
Have Salt
Have Salt/pepper
Have Baking powder
Have Peanut Butter
Need Raisins $ 5.00
Need Huts $15.00
Need Hummus $ 4.00
Need veggies $ 8.00
Donated Infinit Custom mix
Need Tea (bagged) $12.00
Need Oat meal (instant 32 pck) $20.00
Need oat meal $ 6.00
Need Canned food $25.00
Need Couscous $ 4.00
Need Coffee $20.00
Have Rice (instant, possibly)
Have Chop Sticks
Food Needs Total $87.00
EMERGENCY
Have Small sewing kit
Have Duck tape
Have Hydrogen peroxide
Have Band-aids
Have Kleenex
Have Paper Matched
Have Cotton Balls
Have Flint stick
Have Whistle
Have Compass
Have Cable saw
Have Fire Sticks
Have Dryer lint
Have Extra Glasses / reading
Have Contacts
Have Contract solution
Have 2-way radio/phone
Emergency Needs Total $0.00
Grand total $296.80
Tuesday, 9 June 2015
Four week and counting down
We are just under four weeks until Ride
the Rockies for Epilepsy starts, on July 6th. WOW – time
is flying. The tour begins in Calgary South to HWY 3 West to Kamloops
(and possible Hope then North to Kamloops). Then back along HWY 1
through Lake Louise, Banff and on home to Calgary. The route is dependent on road conditions and elevation change through the weeks.
Easier route prevails of course.
No other riders have signed up to ride
with me at this time. There are a couple of people going to join in
for day trips, which is great. Not everyone has this amount of time.
Given that I will be a solo long hauler, I will be making the trip a
little quicker, with luck. It is planned to stop along the way just
to take in the beauty of the scenery, take some photos and update
everyone via Facebook and twitter.
Support is growing, just yesterday a
gentleman by the name of Mr. Pat Cuthbert of Edmonton, asked if he could provide new
tires for my road bike so I can continue training. This man knows
highways and the importance of having the right tire, he is a
semi-truck driver who travels North America continuously. Incredible people! I
still have a few smaller items to get together and with time will be
acquired.
The main and most important focus is to
pack light and small. At most I will take the BoB trailer and two
rear panniers. I am working on my needs list this week and hope
everything fits in the trailer to take advantage of its aerodynamics.
Certainly, I hope more people help me thank the SMU (seizure
monitoring unit) with a small donation at the ride's GoFundMe
account. That account is not setup to fund me cycling down the
highways. It is to thank the SMU in it's entity with some funds.
Funds to purchase what they may need to make their lives a little
better.
Follow along with me during the Ride:
Donate to the SMU here:
http://www.gofundme.com/RideTheRockies2015
Adult epilepsy in the third
highest disease after Cancer and Stroke to hit adults over the age of
60. I am so fortunate in that I only have Partial Seizures currently
being controlled by medication. It is in the plans to have a
procedure later in the year to deal with the AVM in my left temporal
lobe. Lastly, I want to thank my family, for getting behind me with
their time and support, incredible!
Wednesday, 13 May 2015
Tools and Tires for the Road
There are a small number of tools one should take on any tour. I think it goes without saying that the bike has to be in top shape prior to any ride. It is impossible to know if a component is going to fail while on the road in the middle of nowhere, however, for a tour you also need to check every component for wear and tear. I had to ride two days without a full functioning rear derailleur on my last trip. It didn't show sign of too much wear yet it failed. That was a tough two days!
I've put a quick short list together so your can see what is on board when I travel. The photos also show minimal essentials that you may like. I should mention here also that I took far too much photography equipment on the last trip. The extra equipment was just far to heavy. I find myself taking in the sights and making road distance rather than stopping to record the moment. I will be taking far else on the 2015 trip. Today there are maybe who take a video recorder on board filming the days events. If I had the option I would take one, first for the adventure and secondly in case there was an accident, it would be recorded
Storage:
First everything goes in water tight containers. I use old plastic coffee cans for most, with labels the contents. These are a good fit for my panniers and keep things sorted. The BoB Trailer bag is water proof. So let me take you through this list. Below is a photo showing most.
First (not shown) are tires. this is my choice
You want the lest rolling resistance as possible yet have good strength and durability. As I am using the trailer and rear panniers plus my body weight I need a wider tire on the back to take the load.
Now to the photo.Clockwise:
1. Bike lock, you will need an additional one if using a trailer. BoB Trailer do have a wire mesh type
cover that locks also if the extra security is needed.
2. Tire tubes and patch kit.
3. Red Zeppelin and extra CO2 cartridges (Not shown, manual tire pump). I DO NOT recommend the Air Kiss CO2 inflator, they fail to easy. Happened to me in the middle of HWY 8... Not fun!
4. Chain lube (Not shown, chain tool)
5. Break and shifting cables
6. Bike Wrench
7. Tape, electrical or Duct tape.
8. Align key that is needed and not on the tri-set\
9. Tire levers
10. Extra spokes for both front and back. 3-5 should be ok. I broke 4 hitting a bridge on my last trip.
11. Spoke wrench
12. Tri-align key set
13. Tri-socket set
14. multi-tool
15. Head lamp
16. Cog wrench, pictured just above the spokes and out of the shot. In the event you break spokes on the cog side of the rear you will need this to get the job done.
The Background Story
How to Donate
I've put a quick short list together so your can see what is on board when I travel. The photos also show minimal essentials that you may like. I should mention here also that I took far too much photography equipment on the last trip. The extra equipment was just far to heavy. I find myself taking in the sights and making road distance rather than stopping to record the moment. I will be taking far else on the 2015 trip. Today there are maybe who take a video recorder on board filming the days events. If I had the option I would take one, first for the adventure and secondly in case there was an accident, it would be recorded
Storage:
First everything goes in water tight containers. I use old plastic coffee cans for most, with labels the contents. These are a good fit for my panniers and keep things sorted. The BoB Trailer bag is water proof. So let me take you through this list. Below is a photo showing most.
First (not shown) are tires. this is my choice
You want the lest rolling resistance as possible yet have good strength and durability. As I am using the trailer and rear panniers plus my body weight I need a wider tire on the back to take the load.
Rear: Schwalbe Marathon plus with Smartguard. (The blue strip of extra rubber) 2.0
Front: Schwalbe Marathon Racer 1.5. This is a slightly lighter duty tire, but as a front it would
be a good way to keep rotational weight down.
Also, (not shown) is the rear axle. BoB trailer has a quick release and solid axle end. I will use a solid axle for the extra material to help prevent breakage. There is no need to use a quick release.
Now to the photo.Clockwise:
1. Bike lock, you will need an additional one if using a trailer. BoB Trailer do have a wire mesh type
cover that locks also if the extra security is needed.
2. Tire tubes and patch kit.
3. Red Zeppelin and extra CO2 cartridges (Not shown, manual tire pump). I DO NOT recommend the Air Kiss CO2 inflator, they fail to easy. Happened to me in the middle of HWY 8... Not fun!
4. Chain lube (Not shown, chain tool)
5. Break and shifting cables
6. Bike Wrench
7. Tape, electrical or Duct tape.
8. Align key that is needed and not on the tri-set\
9. Tire levers
10. Extra spokes for both front and back. 3-5 should be ok. I broke 4 hitting a bridge on my last trip.
11. Spoke wrench
12. Tri-align key set
13. Tri-socket set
14. multi-tool
15. Head lamp
16. Cog wrench, pictured just above the spokes and out of the shot. In the event you break spokes on the cog side of the rear you will need this to get the job done.
The Background Story
How to Donate
Tuesday, 5 May 2015
Long Slow Rides
To get the body prepared for long hauls you need to build endurance on the bike. If you are feeling pain during the ride or after, it is pointing out adjustments that should be looked after. You should be comfortable on your ride all day. If you have pain of some sort either adjust the fitting your self, if minor or get a pro to fit the bike for you.
I did have a little pain in the triceps and neck that I will address prior to heading out today. Google Tricep pain on bike or knee pain on bike for example.
I shot this image about 75km into my 100km ride yesterday on HWY 8 East bound. Check out the mountains along the horizon.
I can still use lots of help with Ride the 'Rockies for Epilepsy' at. Please help, even a small amount makes a big difference.. Thank-you Gofundme.com/RideTheRockies2015
The Background Story
How to Donate
I did have a little pain in the triceps and neck that I will address prior to heading out today. Google Tricep pain on bike or knee pain on bike for example.
I shot this image about 75km into my 100km ride yesterday on HWY 8 East bound. Check out the mountains along the horizon.
I can still use lots of help with Ride the 'Rockies for Epilepsy' at. Please help, even a small amount makes a big difference.. Thank-you Gofundme.com/RideTheRockies2015
The Background Story
How to Donate
Sunday, 19 April 2015
Well I finally have a short video out on the ride, forgive the wind it doesn't know any better and I had to get this done on that day. Also please help me and donate on my GoFundMe page and drop a coin or two to help out.
Cheers
The Background Story
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