In this section I will provide answers to questions I have received about my trip. I have attempted to put them into categories for ease of reading. If you have any additional question let me know. I will update regularly as I prepare for my departure and have more details to share.
Equipment
What type of bicycle and equipment are you taking?
I have now finished building my with the help of the great team at Caps. I am riding a Surly Big Dummy with front and back racks. This bike is built for carrying lots of weight and cargo. I’ll have Schwalbe studded tires for the snow and ice and a dynamo hub to power a Trelock light. (the dynamo hub can also charge a battery pack which can be used to charge electronic devices). As for clothing I have Baffin boots rated to -100C, and lots of merino wool layers for body, hands and head. I have two down coats and three sleeping bags all rated for at least -40 degrees. For cooking I’ll have an all-fuel stove and lots of high energy food.
Since most of your travel will be in the dark, what kind of lighting will you need?
As mentioned above, I’ll have a light powered by a dynamo hub plus extra battery powered front and back lights as well as flashlights.
Are you going to take for gear or spare parts to see you through the trek?
I will have spare tires and parts on board but will also be sending parts to Whitehorse and swap out the drivetrain, etc. there.
Environment
How will you keep warm, on and off the cycle?
I will have lots of layers, including Merino wool base layers to wick away the moisture (which is actually the real worry). While on the bike I will be generating lots of heat so will have a number of relatively thin layers, but as soon as I stop, I will throw on a thick down coat. I have three sleeping bags; one for warmer weather, one for cold weather and an extra one that pulls over the other two. The clothing and sleeping bags are all chosen to be rated for at least -40C.
Route:
How many kilometers do you hope to cycle each day and how many hours may that involve?
I have estimated about 3 months to complete the 8,400km trek. However actual kilometers travelled per day will vary based on the conditions. In cold weather I have to travel at a slower pace than I might otherwise, to keep from overheating and sweating. That means I will have to put in longer days than when I bike in the summer.Theoretically I’ll have to bike at least 100km per day, but will do more or less on any given day.
How many calories a day will you burn?
I am estimating a hefty 8,000 calories a day. That’s about 40 baked potatoes or 32 pieces of apple pie. (unfortunately I won’t be carrying either one).
Communication:
Do you have a cell phone? How are you updating your blog and facebook?
I don’t have a cell phone with me. I do find it frustrating (as do those back home) but I figure pretty quickly into the trip I won’t be able to use it anyway. It’s also good to realize you can’t depend on it early on. I have a satellite messenger that I can use to send updates on my GPS location. I am using phones along the way to communicate as well as the internet whenever possible. Together Michelle and I update the site and Facebook.
Do you have a support system further north, in case you have trouble (will people be aware that you are there and be able to respond if you call for help or have some kind of need)?
I have the Spot Satellite Messenger which allows me to send “I’m ok” as well as “SOS” messages that go to a designated list of contacts. I am also be contacting local papers, highway departments and communities to share my trip plans and details.
Do you plan to contact service clubs, businesses and other support in advance and along the way, for your African bike mission?
Cap’s Bicycles in New Westminster is collecting the bikes and Local Rotary clubs are helping to coordinate the logistics for the shipment to Africa. As mentioned above, I will also be contacting local newspapers and talking about my Bikes for Africa project.
Miscellaneous:
What inspirational sayings will you use to keep yourself on track during the long, hard stretches?
It’s easier to act your way to a better mode of thinking than to think your way into a better mode of acting. – Lee Johnson
It’s better to focus on the ground beneath you than to worry about the hill ahead. – Michelle Guise
Hi
We are on a longer cycle tour at the moment and what you are going to be doing actually makes us look quite sensible! Our families think we are mad for aiming on Greece, Turkey and Iran in winter.
Anyhow, my point, have you used the SPOT GPS device before?
We have one and have had some difficulties with it… The most obvious being lithium batteries – we carry 2 spare sets now. We have found that we need to replace them every 2 months when using the device on track cycle (lunch and evening camp). the cold is going to kill those batteries and it requires a lot of power. Once they drop below 30% the device says it is working (green) but the signal does not get through.
The less obvious and somewhat more concerning is that the 1st 10min cycle on the track option rarely gets through and we have to let it run at least 2 or 3 cycles for a signal to make it through – this is a known issue and the support reponse was to change the batteries and leave it running longer… but even that does not always work and in various remote places in the far north of Norway, we were not accounted for via SPOT GPS despite it giving us the green OK lights rather than red lights.
Thankfully families do not now get concerned when it does not work everytime and Norway has an excellent mobile phone network. But it is something you need to be aware of.
We have yet to use the OK or help options, but did remember to top up on the credit for them before we left. We only really use the Track option.
anyhow – best wishes and our thoughts are with you.
Emma
Please consider hiring support when on the Dempster as you might run out of fluids to keep you hydrated. You might also want a vehicle handy to warm you up along the way. It’s a long road with no services for hundreds of kms. That is my only advice, take care. I look forward to hearing you are ok once on the Dempster.