3/24/2022 0 Comments New and Old GearFor this trip, I have bought a considerable amount of gear, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Those starting out in a new sport or picking one up again might feel the societal pressure to get the fastest, lightest, and newest gear.
I’m here to tell you that you don’t need all the newest gear, the gear you have already is probably enough. I grew up camping, backpacking, and being outdoors. Naturally, I have accumulated quite the stash of outdoor gear. And I, just as anyone, cruises online outdoor retailers gazing at the newest sleeping bag/hiking boots/fall coat. Do I sometimes fall for their marketing schemes? Absolutely. Other times I recognize early on that I’m looking at the same exact sleeping bag that’s just slightly lighter and a different color. However, that’s exactly what the materialistic and consumerism based economy and US buying culture wants you to think about (or not think about) - replacing your gear every year to get faster. To get that season PR or FKT. To “fit in” with the others in your sport. Sometimes, buying new gear is essential. Zippers break, holes get burned through bags, out of style parts aren’t built anymore. That’s not the point I’m trying to make here. We live in a unique blend of materialism and capitalism that makes us think that what we have isn’t good enough and that we must buy a newer version to succeed in the world. You might recognize this as the culture we live in everyday, but I believe in close, specialized circles, this is even more evident. The increase of social media and up-close views of elite athletes turned influencers can show a false horizon of quick turnover of gear and promoted posts. I too, have felt like I wasn’t enough in the biking world because I don’t have the newest bike or lightest shirts. Overcoming this feeling hasn’t been easy. As my mountain biking technical skills have improved and I’ve competed in more races, I’ve come to realize that some people who sport fancy kits and new bikes, actually don’t know what they’re doing. In the past few years I’ve gotten more confident on and off my bike, and that has increased my aptitude in sidestepping the current bike culture. (the Radical Adventure Riders is a gr8 organization that is a total sidestep to the mainstream biking culture) This can be seen in other sports circles - last year I saw an ad for downhill skis where their message was ‘we want you to buy less skis,’ creating quality gear to last longer and combat replacing them every year. Much of the gear that I will be bringing with me on the TransAmerica Ride is gear that I already have. I’m not biking across the United States for a new fastest known time, I’m biking to have fun, see the country, and meet new people. The gear I have bought for this trip are items that have multiple uses - lightweight tent, raincoat - and a few bike specific items like front panniers. My outdoor gear philosophy is to buy quality items that will outlast me. Personally, I think I have seen the quality of outdoor gear decrease from historically good quality sites (looking at you, LLBean). There’s a good article by Laura Killingbeck talking about this entire phenomenon of the newest and lightest gear called “Packing Hacks for an Inexpensive Tour.” I’ve read a lot of blog posts from the Adventure Cycling Association and Laura Killingbeck. Her article “In Search of the Wild Reindeer” is an amazing, inspirational read. https://radicaladventureriders.com/ https://www.adventurecycling.org/blog/packing-hacks-for-an-inexpensive-bike-tour/ https://www.bicycling.com/rides/a34466128/search-for-the-wild-reindeer/
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5/7/2020 0 Comments InspirationI haven’t always enjoyed biking. In elementary school, I would have never guessed that I would be dreaming of long-distance bike trips and races. The Ore to Shore mountain bike races are frequently on my birthday weekend, and I remember being asked if I wanted to be in a bike race on my birthday. I replied something along the lines of “why would I want to bike that far on my birthday?” and plans were made to spend the day at Lake Superior instead.
Fast forward a few years, at a family thanksgiving I propose we do a summer bike trip. For the next four summers we have bike trips around Grand Island, Bois Blanc Island, Newberry to Tahquamenon Falls, and Newberry to Muskallonge Lake State Park complete with matching shirts, camping, and s’mores. I also start racing in the Ore to Shore (Soft Rock) each summer, with adding enthusiasm – but lacking a base of inspirational female cyclists to look up to. Then, one Christmas I receive the book This Road I Ride by Juliana Buhring about her Guinness World Record circumnavigation of the world by bicycle. This book singlehandedly changed my life. Our life circumstances were understandably different – she grew up in a tight religious cult, and I in an atheist freethinking household – yet we were the same. I saw myself in Juliana and biking alongside her in her extraordinary journey. Her book gave me the confidence I needed in high school to dream about larger, do-able adventures powered by brute strength and human ingenuity. A friend introduced me to the Dirtbag Diaries podcast, and recommended “Pedal Strokes and Perspectives,” featuring Mary Ann Thomas, a woman who biked solo across the United States than moved her nurse career from New York to Alaska. A few years later, she biked across India with friend Daniel Baylis and wrote an amazing book, Asking for Elephants. After scouring endurance biking blogs, outdoor adventure websites, and female cyclists on YouTube, I learned about Lael Wilcox’s and Kate Harris’ grand biking feats. Lael Wilcox is an Alaska based all-out endurance cyclist who has set records on the Tour Divide and TransAm, to name a few. She also started Anchorage G.R.I.T. (Girls Riding Into Tomorrow), an organization that teaches middle school girls how to bikepack. Kate Harris is a scientist and adventurer who dreamed of Magellan’s adventures in the 16th century across the Silk Road – and then biked across the Silk Road. Kate’s book, Lands of Lost Borders, is an amazing documentation of personal journeys, science, history, and biking. Lastly, in 2018, the overall leader and first place finisher of the Transcontinental self-supported endurance bike race was 24-year-old German graduate student, Fiona Kolbinger. All 5 of these women, through books, podcasts, articles, and YouTube videos have positively impacted by life and cycling career. These are the women who I look up to for cycling tips, tricks, and inspiration. Cycling pages and websites are overwhelmingly written by and for men – although there has been a push for greater diversity in the outdoor industry. And with me being a fervent and adamant feminist, I want to follow and learn from endurance cyclists who look like me. There are benefits to everyone, not only the minority, when diversity is shown and showcased in the outdoor industry. Representation matters! |
Author: Eryn corinthCyclist. Feminist. Outdoor enthusiast. Tree hugger. Archives
October 2022
CategoriesAll College Colorado Gear Goals Illinois Iowa Kentucky Missouri Motivation Nebraska Ore To Shore Pandemic Rides TransAmerica Ride UP Cycle Virginia |