The Bon Ton Roulet – A Festival on Wheels Through the Finger Lakes – #2 in a series

by Dr. Kurt Grabfelder on December 13, 2013 in Adventure Cycling, Dr. Kurt Grabfelder

I registered for last July’s week-long bike trip in and around New York’s Finger Lakes region, called The Bon Ton Roulet. As I camped each night at that day’s particular stop I realized quickly that, with my recent residential downsizing, I’d need to gear up if I was going to spend a week out under the stars.

My first stop was Derek, my son, who had a four man tent that was too big. My second stop was Karla, my daughter, who had a kid’s tent that was too small. Finally, Lloyd, my bike buddy, who had a two man tent that was just right. Dave, my son-in-law, provided the military duffel bag. I also acquired a ground cloth, sleeping bag, blow up pillow, and sleeping pad, so I was pretty much set and ready to go. Two bags were allowed for this event, one for camping equipment and one for clothes.

The Bon Ton’s organizers did a good job keeping the riders informed about the event and emailed a ride manual with a list of what to bring. This proved to be invaluable. Space in a bag is limited, so it is important to pack carefully and not bring unnecessary items, while remembering all of the essentials.

Here are three useful pieces of packing advice that I collected from friends and the event organizers:

Pack in one bag, this way you only have to look for one bag at that night’s stop, among the thousand that will be on the truck.

Lay out all of the gear and clothing you think you need to pack and then only take half of it.

Pack each day’s clothes in a sealable, waterproof, gallon size freezer bag (this is a camping trip after all) to help organize your clothes.

Let’s not forget about the bike, which is going to be used for seven days and 400 miles. I’m not a bike mechanic, but there are some things that I did to get the bike ready.

Clean the gunk off the chain with a solvent and a rag

Spray a light lubricant on the chain and wipe off any excess

If necessary, consider switching from a race type tire to a tougher tire to ward off any punctures

Do a visual check to make sure that there are no nicks or slices or threads showing

Give the wheels a spin to see if they rub anywhere

If your gears aren’t shifting smoothly, have a local bike shop check the chain, chain rings, rear cogs and shifter cables. They do wear and need to be replaced from time to time. (I keep track of my odometer readings when I replace a part, so I knew I had logged a ton of miles on my rear cog. I wasn’t surprised when that needed replacement.)

Once my bag was packed, the bike was cleaned, the chain was lubed, and the gears shifted smoothly, all that was left was to pack the car and head on up to the beautiful Finger Lakes region for the big event.