Time will start flying now. In the first four weeks we’ve crossed four states (Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming and South Dakota). In the next three weeks we’ll touch seven states (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, Vermont, Main and New Hampshire) and Ontario, Canada.
So how do you navigate across the country? In the old days, you’d get maps and a compass. With today’s technology there are a lot of options. If you use Adventure Cycling maps (best in the business), they provide GPS data along with their maps. So it’s almost as easy as using the GPS in your car. ABB doesn’t supply GPS data but each night we get route sheets, a map and an elevation profile for the next day’s ride. The last two of these are not very useful but the route sheets are dead-on accurate, maybe even better than mine! In 4 weeks and 2,000+ miles, only once have I been unsure where to go – that was on a bike path coming out of Astoria on the first day. So I have the route sheet in the map holder on the handlebar bag and my GPS (Garmin Etrix Vista HCx) and bike computer (VDO MC1.0+) close by. I use the GPS as my prime computer because it is the most accurate. But it has been giving me problems (turning itself off, losing sing data) so the bike computer is primarily a backup. I also use the bike computer on climbs to tell me the percent grade. Incidentally, I prefer this computer over others because of the amount of information displayed on a single screen (speed, trip distance, elevation, grade and temperature).
The amount of technology I’m carrying is maybe excessive; it surely adds to my allowable weight (35 pounds + a carry-on, which in my case is my laptop). In addition to the bike computer and GPS, I have a voice recorder to make notes during the ride, a cell phone of course, lap top and digital camera. And the accessories to all this: cords and chargers and batteries.
On a journey of a hundred miles, ninety is but half way. - Chinese proverb
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