I was thinking about the tech that some cyclists either do or don't rely on. Again, some of these things that I ponder when I am on the road rolling for hours at a time. A few things came up on this particular tour that really got my mind going and even wondered how things were done back when I did my first tour in 1986 (37 years ago this very month).

1. Touring Bike

I suppose this is the obvious one, so I'll start with my thoughts on this one. Just before coming on this tour I tuned up my gears and brakes to make sure they just work. You can kind of get away with not quite perfect but it just isn't fun. I have the tools and some of the know-how to get things to work so I make sure they do. 

The tires are an important part of the bike, too. Years ago I switched to Schwalbe tires with their very high protection rating that means I don't get flats. Yes, I know how to repair or replace the tube, but it never happens at a good time.

2. GPS

This was a biggie on this tour. For about a decade I have used my Garmin etrex 30 cycling GPS for my tours. Over time I have figured out more and more about the features it has. In my opinion, Garmin is notorious for having poor operation manuals and not very intuitive controls. This means you have to look all over the internet for information and have to remember where to find what you need. Once you do, the unit is amazing. It takes normal AA batteries so a built-in won't need replacing, and the unit is small and has an SD card for flipping maps and routes onto it.

The issue I had last week and after reading online that it is a common issue, was that the power button stopped working. Initially, I didn't even know what this meant. Was an internal contact switch broken? Was the main board fried? Not having my mini electronics tools with me I was stuck and almost bought a new unit in Madrid for the joyous price of 300€! I ended up pausing because they didn't have the unit that was a simple upgrade from mine.

Like everything else in our lives these days, youtube and Google were my friend. I was able to figure out a temporary fix and have had use of the unit every day. I cannot imagine the nightmare of trying to figure out my route without a GPS or by having to pull out my tablet at every intersection. My routes are always so convoluted that I am looking down at the GPS every time I pass another path or road. I likely would have drawn the straightest line from town to town and missed out on all of the countryside I have been enjoying.

In summary, my GPS is essential for the type of touring I like to do.

3. Tablet

The latest tech issue I had was yesterday with my tablet. There was a system update available but once it was installed, my tablet would freeze when it booted up. Oh, no, I thought, not this gadget now!

Somehow I ended up unsticking it, and have it again for all of its uses. What might these be?

- It is my book while I am away having loaded quite a library of Jeffrey Archer, Stephen King and Wilbur Smith for this tour. When I just want to relax, I read. I used to bring a book or two, but the tablet IS my book.

- It is my mode of journaling. Yes, I could put pen to paper but these days I find that after a few paragraphs my hand gets all numb - I'm just so out of the habit of writing much more than a sentence or two. Additionally, if you know my writing you know my journals would be in code so nobody would be able to read them.

- It is my mode of communicating with friends and family whilst on the road. In fact, just yesterday I chatted on whatsapp with our daughter who is vacationing in Cuba. If I need to contact family back home, or places along my route, I use my tablet. It is, in effect, my phone.

- It is my means of booking, keeping track, and contacting any of my accommodations. They often pass along information prior to my stay. I get it here.

- It is my entertainment. I have loaded a number of tv programmes and movies onto the unit, but I also have access to my PLEX server back home in Canada where I have more to watch.

- As I mentioned already about my GPS, it is my research tool. Just like at home, whilst on the road situations on the road arise when I need to learn something - what is wrong with the gps, how should I alter my route tomorrow, what are the best restaurants near me? 

4. Arkel panniers.

Solid, well-built and don't move while touring even on rough terrain. Excellent gear.

Summary

These are the things that came to mind over those many hours. If I think of anything else. I'll be sure to ponder it for at least five hours, then update this page!