I think I figured out why I saw more people biking west, Albany to Buffalo than vice versa. Between Utica and Albany there's a lot more road and train noise. Once you get close to Rochester (Fairport), the trail is the best out there, so you'll end on more of a high note. Going West, you'll likely face a headwind more, but you're often shielded by trees, and going West only gains 500ft more elevation-wise. Still, either direction is a great ride. I'd gladly do either again.
Speaking of, will I do biketouring/bikepacking again? Absolutely! Had a great time! During the rainiest day, during the worst, coldest weather, the thought that popped into my head is that if I can handle this, I could totally bike cross country.
Anyway, i wanted to review the things I thought went well and what I screwed up.
Mistakes made on/before trip
- my bike seat wasn't comfortable, more on that below.
- I did do a 40 mile test ride the week before, and discovered the friction cups adjusting saddle tilt were stuck. I unstuck them and thought all was fixed, it was not.
- my usb battery charger wouldn't charge anything even though it was saying it was at 100%, should have tested it could actually charge something before going
- should have brought a rag and an old toothbrush to keep my chain clean
- should have replaced my chain before going too, probably.
- never had a comfortable long ride on the bike before going on this trip, bike fit? seatpost issue? make sure you can ride comfortably for 40-50 miles BEFORE you go on a bike tour
Unique things I brought/did that went super well.
- UV leggings and arm sleeves, so much easier than applying sunscreen to everything 2-3x per day.
- i split up the big route in Ride With GPS into 4 smaller route sections. worked so well on my Garmin Edge 1040. No loading lag. Master your navigation app and bike GPS computer before touring!
- brought my portable bidet bottle. A clean butt is a happy butt. I wrote more below about it.
- bringing a folding keyboard for texting/blogging, the iclever bk08 https://a.co/d/1xJligC and the coroplast/signboard I cut for it to make a desk.
- My actual favorite bluetooth keyboard for my phone/tablet is the Logitech K380, but it's too big for bike touring
- iclever puts the apostrophe and question mark in a weird spot and the keys are 80% smaller, but it folds small and fits in a 1 quart ziploc bag
- had a strong, good quality plastic shopping bag to carry my bidet bottle, toiletries and expensive electronics into convenience stores/fast food places when taking a break
- bringing my little ultralight chair (2.25 pounds)
Rants and Raves....
SEATPOST PROBLEMS!!!
I freely admit I'm a much larger than normal rider. Currently at 261 (down from 293 in May), goal of 225. But most biking stuff is made for bicyclists <= 225lbs.
Anyway, the problem I was having with my 2025 Salsa Fargo GRX when I first got it was that every time I hit a bump, the seatpost would get pushed down into the frame (because I'm a big boy). I even stripped the bolt in the seatpost collar trying to get it tight enough to stop slipping. Thankfully it's a steel frame, but i was worried if I tried anything more aggressive with the seat collar I'd break the bike's frame
So, I tried a cheap suspension seat. https://a.co/d/9YEVyjC
Fixed the seatpost slip problem, and it was more comfortable to ride. But the problem with the Aventon seat is that the saddle tilt adjustment is notched. I need the nose of the saddle slightly more down, but the next notch shifts the nose almost an inch down, way too much and I just need it a quarter inch lower. I can't adjust it to be perfect/comfortable, but it's close.
So I got a cane creek thudbuster st, It was the only other suspension post that could deal with my weight at the time and it had an infinite tilt adjustment. But at my weight the darn thing won't hold the tilt position I set in place. For tilt, there's a bolt you tighten, it goes into a receiver with a spring in the middle, and it holds the friction cups in place against the seatpost. I had to stop and readjust the saddle tilt several times a day during the canal ride. Every time I hit a hard bump the saddle would tilt and bring the nose up, squishing my nads. Sometimes I didn't catch the tilt slipping, because it would have only pushed the nose up a little, but it would be enough that the sides of the saddle would be rubbing my inner thighs near the "butt fold" and I got sore down there. Towards the end of the erie canal tour, I'd pedal hard for a minute or two until my butt started yelling at me, then I'd stand on my pedals for a minute to give my butt a break as I coasted. Any downhill coasting, I'd be standing on the pedals. Definitely made me slower on the trail.
https://www.canecreek.com/products/eesilk-1
Bidet bottles
I brought a purple bidet bottle. You can store it with the white neck part inside the purple part, so it fit in my plastic shopping bag well when I went into a Stewart's, McDonald's whatever. It's like a mini shower for your butt after doing your business in the bathroom. Also, when water is critical, it uses less water than the culoclean adapter that you push into the top of a smart water bottle. Also, I'm not going to drink directly from the smart bottle I'm using for the culoclean. I'll bring the culo when backpacking when there are lots of creek crossings to get more water. the culo adapter is smaller and lighter, and I carry one smart bottle for "dirty" unfiltered water. But I didn't want to lug that setup into a store. too bulky, it's more a backpacking thing. Just sharing here in case you think it'd make more sense for you
I think a lot of people bring a pack of wipes, but those are horrible for portapotty and/or plumbing in general. IMHO, they don't clean nearly as well either. I really, really wish people would give the portable bidet bottle a try. they're amazing! At no time does the water go up inside your pooper; it's just a mini shower for your butt crack. Use a little toilet paper to dry off and you're good to go.
Given my sore butt issues. sitting in the chair below was glorious. So much more comfortable than a picnic table bench or on the ground. When I sat in it, I could feel a rush of blood to/from my legs, and it cradled my back. I will always bring a chair like this from now on when bike/backpacking. It was great for sitting under a bridge when waiting out intense rain, or at night watching people walk by on the canal.
a great spot to sit and type in my blog too Sadly this specific kilosgear chair is no longer made, so i'll probably get the https://helinox.com/products/chair-zero-l with the ground cloth when/if it breaks. touch wood, so far so good though.
and I'll stand by my dorky uv arm sleeves and leggings. I only had to apply sunscreen to my face and fingers, so a small squeeze bottle lasted the entire 8 days of my trip. The sleeves add some warmth on cool mornings, but they're weirdly cooler when out in the Sun vs Sun shining directly on sunscreen coated skin. And I like my thin OR sunhat with neck drape (OR = outdoor research). Helps keep the sun off my face, bald spot, and neck when riding.
I did sew some velcro to the leggings and my bike shorts to keep them up. I'll do a youtube short on that at some point. I may also tie dye the sleeves and leggings. My ensemble doesn't hurt the eyes enough yet., lol.
That's it. Again, I had a great time, just wanted to type down what I though worked great and what needs work.