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- A 5 day gravel adventure.
Welcome to the Bike Bulletin. It’ll make you feel like New Bike Day every Tuesday.
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This is a weekly newsletter about bike adventures, cycling infrastructure, and people who love two-wheeled transit. I share new episodes every Tuesday, gearing you up for the week ahead.
Here’s what we have today.
Pro cycling on $10 a day.
Appalachian Gravel.
Tips on charging.
Some stats for the nerds.
ROUTE ON MY RADAR
Appalachian Gravel Growler
Here’s what you’d be getting yourself into.
230 miles (370 km) point-to-point
58% unpaved
Great for drop-bar gravel bikes
Bikepacking.com guide - bikepacking.com
Some big names at bikepacking.com put together this route in 2018. It takes you through North Carolina’s epic Appalachian Mountains mixing remote gravel with less-than-remote tarmac. You’ll hit the Blue Ridge Parkway which is one of the most scenic and most feared highways. Despite the traffic, the views are stunning. I drove the highway in 2019 and can confirm the fears and the views. Resupply is easy, and the route takes you to several iconic breweries (hence the name Growler).
BIKE TRIP TIP
Charging
People often wonder how I keep my devices charged on bike tours. You have four options.
Portable charger.
Dynamo hub.
Solar charger.
Go analog.
Portable Charger
This is my preferred option. I use the Anker 20100 mAh portable charger and can get about 7 full charges out of it. It takes all night to recharge, but that’s perfect. I typically stay in a bed once per week on longer tours, so all I have to do is remember to plug in when I’m there. There have been times that the charger is dead and my phone is almost dead, then I find outlets whenever I’m eating or on breaks (parks, restaurants, gas stations). They’re heavy and take up space, but the convenience of portable charges is unmatched.
Dynamo Hub
You make a lot of energy biking hundreds of miles. The dynamo hub captures some of that energy. It acts like a windmill. While your wheel spins, the hub converts the movement to energy. This adds a little resistance, but it could be a fair tradeoff. The winner of the 2023 Tour Divide Ulrich Bartholmoes used a dynamo hub to charge his devices. If you’re not planning to stop near an outlet for more than a few hours, this might be the right option for you.
Solar Charger
I’m gonna be a negative Nancy on this one. Solar chargers aren’t that useful. You need direct unobstructed sunlight. If you’re biking and getting the occasional shadow on the solar panel, your phone will go from 31% to 35% with three hours of riding. They don’t charge quickly. They take up a ton of space. Sure, you have unlimited energy, but it becomes a headache trying to capture it. The situation where I would recommend a solar panel is one where you have a lot of downtime during the day in a sunny location, and don’t have access to power outlets.
Go analog.
This sounds terrifying to me. Leave the phone at home. Don’t track with your Garmin. Take a paper map and a compass. I wouldn’t wish this hell on anyone, but I needed to include it for posterity.
WHAT I’M READING
Pro Cycling on $10 a day by Phil Gaimon
This is an autobiography about Phil’s journey to become a professional cyclist. The book shares how Gaimon tackled challenges with limited money, often living on just $10 a day (pro cyclists are not making a killing). Gaimon's story is humorous, honest, and crude, reminding us of the persistence and hard work required to perform at a high level. This book and Phil’s insider knowledge are perfect for someone looking to learn more about the life of a pro.
Find it on Amazon.
Stats for the Nerds
March 5th, 2024. The deadline to apply to become a Bike Friendly Business for Spring 2024. (League of American Bicyclists)
2. The number of new solar cycle bike paths installed in the Netherlands. The solar panel-covered path is an experiment by Wattaway. (electrek.co)
13,000 miles. The length of Dan O’Neill’s bike trip around the perimeter of the United States. It took 7 months. (asu.edu)
$20,000. The amount donated by Bikeflights (a bike shipping company) to cycling non-profits this year. (GCN)
A Note From Sam
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