*Single Speed Simulated Sub-24hour-Overnighter
I've been anxious to get out and do some bike camping. It has been years since I've done any real touring, but I try to get out once or twice a year for what iBob list members call a S24O. It seems that I haven't even done these in the last couple of years. I'm on several internet lists which can give me great reports, but at some point living vicariously through others has to give way to doing something yourself.
Of course, there are always limitations. This week's limitation was named Duncan.
With the rest of my family away for a week, it was my job to take care of him. Not really a tough job, but one that limits the usual riding options I enjoy when I get these short breaks from family responsibilities. Disappearing overnight might bring unwelcome repercussions.
What to do?
Well, the answer for me this weekend was to go through all the motions, but instead of riding to a distant camping spot, I'd ride near home and return there to camp. This way Duncan got to camp as well. It had the added attraction of being an easy bail out if something in my camping technique went horribly wrong.
One of the internet lists I'm on is the Ultra light Biking List, for those who are interested in a lightweight, sort of minimalist type of bike camping. The UL craze has been in hiking for a while now, and is taken to extremes by endurance racers like those in the Great Divide Race, but there are some real advantages to cutting down on the weight and bulk of the gear you bring along.
One of the issues I have trying to accomplish this is that I have gear from back when weight/bulk was not the issue. Combined with a limited budget to get new stuff. My goal on this ride was to see how I could do in reducing the amount of stuff enough that I wouldn't need panniers.
 | The load on the bike. Handling was OK, but it felt very heavy. Storage from left to right - Camelbak (worn on back), sleeping pad and tent poles on toptube, Carradice Nelson Longflap, with tent sticking out, and stuff sack with sleeping system on rear rack. |
 | Rear view. My sleeping system is an old sleeping bag liner to go on top of the pad, and a quilted poncho liner from my army days for warmth. I can also bring along the poncho itself for another layer. |
 | This is a full sized Thermarest mattress. WAY too big and heavy. Replacement options include a partial length Z-Rest (bulky, but lighter), or, many of the UL folks are using Reflectix brand insulation. Maybe not as durable or comfortable, but definitely lighter. The position on the toptube was not great either. My knees/thighs would hit the pad if I wasn't paying attention. |
 | Front end. Cateye EL500 doubles as a camp light. |
 | Drive side. |
 | Dog pic. |
 | Another dog pic. |
After a few photos I put the dog in the house and took my bike over to Urbana, to ride some more roads in the Fixing Frederick project. Did I mention the bike was heavy? It was heavy. I just wanted to get that point across.
 | A nice restored barn along Rt. 355 north of Urbana. |
 | Climbing coming up. |
 | Another barn. |
 | Fields |
 | Farm along Baker Valley Rd. |
 | Another farm along Baker Valley Rd. |
 | The Tenth Vermont Infantry monument on the edge of the Monocacy National Battlefield. |
 | Doubling back Baker Valley took me to Fingerboard Rd, Flint Hill Rd. and Monocacy Bottom Rd., on down to the river. It looked cool and inviting, and lots of folks were on the water or at it's edge. |
 | Monocacy Bottom Rd. had that new, still sort of sticky in the hot sun, asphalt. |
 | My ADC map showed Monocacy Bottom as a through road. They appear to be wrong. |
 | So it was back out to Flint Hill Road again and up. Never trust any road with 'hill' in the name. Have I mentioned my heavy bike? This is a view of the northern face of Sugarloaf Mtn. |
 | Soon I was back in Urbana and entering the 'Villages of Urbana' neo-traditional community, whatever that is. Urbana has the nickname of Montgomery County North. This is not intended as a compliment. |
 | More houses, coming up. |
 | This sidewalk was a nice touch. Must be 'neo-traditional.' |
 | Today's Map. |
 | Today's Profile. |
Once I got home and checked for dog damage (we're slowly letting him go uncrated more while we're out of the house, a long and sometimes painful process), I simulated a store stop by filling my water bottles and grabbing something for dinner. Then it was on down the hill into the secret backyard camp location.
I made a couple of more notes on the experience:
Sleeping was pretty comfortable, but Duncan is an inside dog, and every night noise around had him reacting to it. I had him on a lead attached to a tree where he could lie down at the entrance to the tent, but he woke me up a bunch.
 | Campfire underway. |
 | Tent with bike and fire in background. |
 | Once there were some good coals, it was time to grill some steak. |
 | My bowl wasn't big enough to hold the steak. Fortunately, I had some scrap countertop granite as part of the fire ring. A bit of soap and water, and instant platter. Duncan liked his portion of the steak too. |
 | The pan is kind of small for all the water I needed heated. It took three fills, because I spilled the first one. |
 | The results of poor cleanup. The ants like the steak residue. |
 | Camp shot. |
 | Finally breakfast is ready. It's just the right season for these raspberries, so I took some time while the water was boiling to pick some. Yum! |
It was only a short ride back to the house, but it was all uphill.
Roads Completed 6/23/2007.
| Road Name | ADC Map Grid | Subdivision | |||
| ABERDEEN | WAY | 39-G-7 | URBANA HIGHLANDS | ||
| BAKER VALLEY | RD | 38-J-3 | N/A | ||
| BELGRAVE | CIR | 39-F-6 | VILLAGES OF URBANA | ||
| BELVEDERE | LN | 39-F-6 | VILLAGES OF URBANA | ||
| BELVEDERE | DR | 39-F-6 | VILLAGES OF URBANA | ||
| BEN NEVIS | PASS | 39-G-6 | URBANA HIGHLANDS | ||
| BENNETT CREEK | BLVD | 39-E-10 | VILLAGES OF URBANA | ||
| BENNETT CREEK | AVE | 39-E-10 | VILLAGES OF URBANA | ||
| BISHOPGATE | DR | 39-F-6 | VILLAGES OF URBANA | ||
| BOWLING GREEN | DR | 39-F-6 | VILLAGES OF URBANA | ||
| BOWLING GREEN | LN | 39-F-6 | VILLAGES OF URBANA | ||
| BRAIDWOOD | DR | 39-H-6 | VILLAGES OF URBANA | ||
| BRAIDWOOD | TER | 39-H-6 | VILLAGES OF URBANA | ||
| BRAVEHEART | LN | 39-H-7 | URBANA HIGHLANDS | ||
| BRAVEHEART | CIR | 39-H-7 | URBANA HIGHLANDS | ||
| BRAVEHEART | WAY | 39-H-7 | URBANA HIGHLANDS | ||
| BRAVEHEART | DR | 39-H-7 | URBANA HIGHLANDS | ||
| BRIGADOON | LN | 39-G-6 | URBANA HIGHLANDS | ||
| BRIGADOON | WAY | 39-G-6 | URBANA HIGHLANDS | ||
| BRIGADOON | PL | 39-G-6 | URBANA HIGHLANDS | ||
| BROADSTONE | CIR | 39-F-6 | VILLAGES OF URBANA | ||
| BROADSTONE | ST | 39-F-6 | VILLAGES OF URBANA | ||
| BRUSHFIELD | CIR | 39-F-6 | VILLAGES OF URBANA | ||
| BRUSHFIELD | DR | 39-F-6 | VILLAGES OF URBANA | ||
| CALEDONIA | DR | 39-G-7 | URBANA HIGHLANDS | ||
| CAMPUS | DR | 39-F-9 | VILLAGES OF URBANA | ||
| CARRIAGE HILL | ALY | 39-F-7 | VILLAGES OF URBANA | ||
| CARRIAGE HILL | DR | 39-F-7 | VILLAGES OF URBANA | ||
| CARRIAGE HILL | ST | 39-F-7 | VILLAGES OF URBANA | ||
| CELTIC | WAY | 39-F-6 | URBANA HIGHLANDS | ||
| CORNWELL MEADOW | ST | 39-F-7 | VILLAGES OF URBANA | ||
| CORNWELL MEADOW | ALY | 39-F-7 | VILLAGES OF URBANA | ||
| DUNRAVEN | ALY | 39-F-7 | VILLAGES OF URBANA | ||
| DUNRAVEN | ST | 39-F-7 | VILLAGES OF URBANA | ||
| ETHAN RIDGE | ALY | 39-G-6 | VILLAGES OF URBANA | ||
| ETHAN RIDGE | DR | 39-G-6 | VILLAGES OF URBANA | ||
| FINGERBOARD | RD | 39-E-9 | N/A | ||
| GLASGOW | WAY | 39-G-7 | URBANA HIGHLANDS | ||
| HOPE MILLS | LN | 38-H-11 | HOPE VALLEY HILLS | ||
| HOPE VALLEY | CT | 38-J-11 | HOPE VALLEY HILLS | ||
| HOPELAND | RD | 38-H-8 | N/A | ||
| LOCH NESS | CT | 39-G-6 | URBANA HIGHLANDS | ||
| LOIS | CT | 38-H-11 | HOPE VALLEY HILLS | ||
| LONGHOPE | LN | 39-H-7 | URBANA HIGHLANDS | ||
| MONOCACY BOTTOM | RD | 38-F-11 | N/A | ||
| MOUNT NEVIS | PASS | 39-G-6 | URBANA HIGHLANDS | ||
| PENROSE | ALY | 39-F-7 | VILLAGES OF URBANA | ||
| PENROSE | ST | 39-F-7 | VILLAGES OF URBANA | ||
| PONTIUS | CT | 39-G-8 | VILLAGES OF URBANA | ||
| RAMSLAND | WAY | 39-C-10 | MARMET | ||
| RAYMONDS | WAY | 39-B-9 | URBANA OVERLOOK | ||
| ROYAL CREST | DR | 39-H-7 | URBANA HIGHLANDS | ||
| ROYAL CREST | CIR | 39-G-7 | URBANA HIGHLANDS | ||
| SHETLAND | CT | 39-H-7 | URBANA HIGHLANDS | ||
| SHILOH | CT | 39-A-7 | STONE BARN STATION | ||
| SINGLETON | DR | 39-G-8 | VILLAGES OF URBANA | ||
| SPENCER | LN | 39-H-7 | |||
| THOMPSON | DR | 39-H-7 | N/A | ||
| TOTTENHAM | CIR | 39-G-6 | VILLAGES OF URBANA | ||
| TOTTENHAM | ST | 39-G-6 | VILLAGES OF URBANA | ||
| URBANA | PKWY | 39-E-10 | VILLAGES OF URBANA | ||
| WARD | PL | 39-F-8 | VILLAGES OF URBANA | ||
| WARD | LN | 39-F-8 | VILLAGES OF URBANA | ||
| WEEDON | RD | 38-G-10 | N/A | ||
| WORTHINGTON MANOR | PL | 38-K-9 | MANOR OVERLOOK |