The Pedalshift Project 028: Transit-aided bicycle touring

Aug 20, 2015

On the eve of the transit-aided bicycle touring trip for the ages (or should it be the bicycle-aided transit tour?) here's an overview of the trip, the segments, the schedule and the very unforgiving weather forecast. All that, some gear talk on how to rig up a tarp and stay dry!

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The tour

DC to Boston in under 24 hours by bike and transit

 

Rules

• Only forms of transportations allowed are bicycle and transit
• No Amtrak, no Bolt Bus
• Regional commuter transit (rail and bus) is allowed
• One night of self-supported wild camping is required

 

Route

• DC
• Perryville, MD
• Newark, DE
• Philadelphia
• Trenton, NJ
• NYC
• Waterbury, CT
• Hartford
• Enfield, CT
• Springfield, MA
• Boston

 

• 11 segments
• 2 by bike (Perryville to Newark; NYC - about 22 miles total)
• 5 by rail (front loaded)
• 4 by bus (back loaded)

 

Overnight

• Last train from DC north
• Camping between Perryville and Newark
• Have a few spots in mind using Google Maps
• Limiting the night riding as much as possible but will be lit up well
• Stealth camping… likely in the rain

 

Friday sprint to Boston

• The key to making this work is maximizing the inbound commuter routes, timing them with the first NYC outbound commuting routes
• Like catching a wave while surfing
• The bike is necessary to connect the northern terminus of Baltimore/DC with the southern terminus of the Philadelphia system… also helpful in making the transfer in NYC between Penn and Grand Central Stations.
• Tightest transfer point is 13 minutes in Enfield, CT - missing that could really suck, but the transfer is designed by the two systems to meet.
• Arrive in Boston with plenty of time for the 9:30pm Amtrak that will bring me back to DC overnight

Ok, why?

• Because it’s there
• Making the challenge mode limitations rather than distance
• Wild camping element
• Folding bike element
• Lessons from this will likely help with some tour planning for 2016
• #notcheating

 

Follow along

Pedalshift Tour Journals Volume 4 will bring you along for the adventure!

 

Gear Talk

 

 

 

Gear unfurled

 

Snug and waterproof

 

 

With the likelihood of rain Thursday night, I need to be able to rig up a rain tarp quickly. Here’s how with a hat tip to The Ultimate Hang:

• Paracord
• Tarp
• Create a ridgeline and tighten with a taut-line hitch
• I’ve pre-tied one end of a 50’ line of paracord on the middle ring and will loop and tie around two trees to create a quick shelter that can cover my hammock and bike for the night.
• The trick is to keep your gear in its dry sack and get the shelter up first, then setup underneath.
• Drying off with a pack towel before hopping in the hammock

H/T theultimatehang.com

Music

The Pedalshift Project theme is America courtesy of Jason Kent off his self-titled solo album. Check out his band Sunfields' new release, Habitat, wherever cool music resides.