Looking Back & Debugging

I’ve been home a few weeks. Hobbes went to the shop – no major issues, just needed a cleaning and some regular maintenance. The dragging brakes just needed to be adjusted. A replacement bike computer mount has been ordered. My other bike, The Pink ‘Rona, also went to the shop for a tune up. Both are ready to ride again.

Yesterday I was finally motivated to dig through my gear, reorganize everything into lidded plastic bins, and put it all away. Getting ready to go was so much easier than putting things away after the trip.

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about my trip. What went well, what didn’t go well, and what I would change next time. Here’s some of my thoughts, in no particular order.

What went well? What would I do again?

First, I maintained a spreadsheet of all of my gear, where it was being packed, and how much I needed (e.g. “16 advil, packed in a mini ziplock, inside the first aid kit”). The spreadsheet really helped me think through all of my needs and ensure I didn’t forget to pack anything. If anything, I overpacked (see below).

Second, I have always been obsessed with maps. If you’ve ever been on a video call with me, my office has a huge wooden map on the wall behind me. I pin everyplace I’ve been. So I had obsessed over the maps of the routes. I knew where to expect water (and still found it where I didn’t expect it), where different options were if I needed to bail out for any reason. Everything was mapped in Gaia and RideWithGPS and available online or offline on my phone. This was a source of comfort and provided options when needed.

Third, speaking Spanish wasn’t an absolute necessity, but it did make things easier. Knowing the local language helped me speak with people I met along the way, learn about the road ahead, find a place to sleep, etc.

Finally, I packed and unpacked my bike multiple times before the trip. That gave me a lot of comfort that it wouldn’t be a problem in Mexico.

What went wrong? Why was I unable to complete the loop?

There were a couple of things I didn’t do well that made my ride more difficult than it needed to be. 

I chose gearing that worked on shorter climbs near home, without considering how I might feel after a day or more of riding. This might have been OK, if I had ridden more in the months leading up to the trip, especially on a fully loaded bike on back to back days.

A slightly lower gear ratio with closer spaced gearing at the low end would have been incredibly useful. There were a number of climbs where I needed gears in the middle of the ratios I had available. A SRAM 1x 30T with 10-52 12 speed cassette has a really low granny gear, but the SRAM cassette has wide gear spacing at the low end. Changing the front chainring to a 28T chainring and a Garbaruk 10-50 cassette will allow for a slightly lower low end with closer gear ratios in the places where it counts.

I’ve never been one to choose the lightest bikes and components. There are areas on my bike where I could cut weight and make a significant difference in the base weight of my bike. Wheels and tires are the two biggest areas where significant weight savings is possible. Upgrades will happen over time, there are cheaper and easier areas to save weight in the immediate future (below).

The bigger issue I faced was simply carrying too much stuff. First up, food: I need to carry enough food to get to the next resupply with a little extra, just in case. Instead, I carried extra food from home – packets of tuna and chicken, an extra pack of ramen, individual packs of peanut butter and hazelnut chocolate spread, and a lot of electrolyte pouches – that I planned to consume over the entire ride (~10 days). I could have bought what I needed every other day, saved a lot of weight, and made my ride easier. When shopping, I need to ensure I only buy what I will actually eat and not much more. An avocado might survive a day bouncing around in a pannier, definitely not two.

Electronics are another area where I can save weight. I brought too many GoPro batteries and a GoPro charger that didn’t need. I could have brought two batteries instead of four and left the charger at home. I’m not sure that I needed the second 10,000 mAH battery pack. Both the Wahoo Bolt cycling computer and Garmin inReach Mini can go for 2 days (or more) between charges, as can my headlamp. I didn’t use my headlight, so it didn’t need to be charged. I need to play with this more and see how far I can go with one battery pack to recharge and run my tent lights.

I’m not sure if I brought the right cooking kit, but I was only camping two nights, so it’s a bit hard to say. The Firebox Nano stove didn’t get used for a fire as I had hoped. I only used the Trangia inside the Firebox Nano once to heat up water for coffee. I didn’t use the titanium fork, knife, or tongs. I carried ~300 mL of stove fuel that was never used. Clearly I have some space to optimize for both space and weight.

I started riding too late almost every day. Packing up took longer than planned, my pump needed to be taken apart to lube the o-rings before pumping up the tires, Lupe’s tour was longer than expected, etc. Leaving late ensured that I was riding through the hottest part of the day almost every day. I need to pack more efficiently, cold soak breakfast, and generally get moving earlier in the morning. An early departure allows me the time to get off the bike in the hottest part of the day. I can use this time to sit in the shade, drink water, and eat a filling lunch.

I’m not sure why, but I slept terribly on this entire trip, even when I was in a bed. The nights I spent camping were uncomfortable with a new, untested pillow. The Nemo Fillo didn’t work for me – it was too small and thin, and too bulky when packed. I’ve replaced it with a Sea to Summit Aeros Down Deluxe which I hope works better for me on future trips.

My sleeping kit was ok… I don’t find the Kammok Bobcat quilt to be very warm, especially for it’s weight. I’d like to replace it with a lighter, warmer, more compressible quilt. A warmer quilt will allow me to leave behind the Appalachian Gear Company sleeping bag liner, saving a lot of space and about a pound of weight.

Will I do the Cape Loop again? Time will tell. I have other things I want to try to ride, or to ride again. Plus, there are other parts of Mexico and the world I want to explore. In the next few weeks I’ll be traveling, minimizing my cycling time. In the meantime, I’m looking for a route for early April within driving distance of home… I learned a lot on this trip that will make the next trip easier.