October 2, 2020
My touring rig configuration
My bags are packed and ready to go
Just like John Denver, my bags are packed. I'm ready to go. I have packing for bike tours down to a science. I have built tour gear lists for different variations of touring. The lists are starting points. I refine them based on the tour duration, season, weather forecast, and location. Touring this time of year involves planning for varying temps from late summer to fall.
A packing list is a good way to assure that the right stuff is packed and nothing overlooked. This tour is a self-supported credit card tour where I am carrying my gear and overnighting in hotels and B&Bs. Below is the list of what I am carrying.
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My touring bike is a 2013 Kona Sutra with the factory installed front and rear racks. The front panniers are Axiom Stormfront Panniers. The rear panniers are Axiom Seymour Oceanweave P35+ Panniers. My handlebar bag is the Ortlieb Ultimate Six Compact Free. All are waterproof, a high priority for me.
My goal is to keep the weight of my touring gear under 50 pounds, preferably 40 pounds. I am packing 42 pounds on this tour. This is a very comfortable, doable touring weight.
Tomorrow I head to Pittsburgh to overnight and board the Amtrak Capitol Limited in the wee hours of Sunday morning. This train provides a roll-on, roll off bike service. It's an economical way to get to Washington D.C. My ticket was $50 and the bike an additional $20.
Today's GAP & C&O Trivia
The Great Allegheny Passage is built on the abandoned rails of the Western Maryland Railway from Cumberland to Connellsville and the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad from Connellsville to Pittsburgh.
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