Rainer rides !

Anthropometrical Data

• born 1962
• 177cm (69 in)
• basic weight: 69-70 kg (152-154 lbs)
• tour weight: 67-68 kg (147-150 lbs)

Physical Condition

• diseases of musculoskeletal and cardiovascular system / metabolism:
  without
• regular training:
  only some cycling in roadtraffic in the plain, with simple trekking bike, instead of car or public transport
  rare efforts to ride into the local mountains (Black Forest, up to 1200 meters - 4000 ft.)
• years total-km: 6000 - 8000
  (4000 - 5000 miles)
• nonsmoker
• limited alcohol intoxication
• fat reduced nutrition (not during longer cycling tours)

Outfit / Auxiliary Material

• without special bike clothing - only simple, preferably short + wide cotton stuff
• for mountain rides (main alps passes approx. 1500 to 2500 meters altitude) light long dressing as well as sweatshirt and gloves are essential also in summer
• sun screen SBF 25 for face and neck always, for rest of skin when required
• excercise sandals let the feet ventilate and are energizing the right step up
  the rim has to be well worn and soft (grease it)
• light allround sneaks with stiff, profiled sole for cold weather, hiking and scrambling
• sufficient clothes to change, 2 further pairs of sandals (hiking / leather)
• helmet with sun shade for heavy traffic roads and for longer descents
• daily lubricating of sitting and genital area (bearing area on saddle) with milking balm (kind of vaseline, but softer), which I carry with me in injection tubes (10ml for 2 weeks) / does not grease after infiltration)

Ingestion

• Self-catering - I avoid gastronomy during the ride
• high-sugar basic nutrition out of the handlebar bag:
  Haribo (German wine gum & licorice sweets), chocolate croissants ('cornetto ciocolatino'), 'torrone' (an italian candy of almonds), very sweet limonades, sugary fruits
• starchy nutrition due to appetite and choice (pastry, biscuits)
• milk and dairy products in the first third of the daily leg
• addition of fat: nut chocolate (in Italy: nougat cream), trail mix
  at the last third of daily leg (afternoon, evening), also for compensation of salt loss: strong salted peanuts, salami / salty ham / chips
• NO strong fatty food during the daily leg (french fries, hot dogs & relatives, cheese sandwiches, 'proper meal' - gastronomy)
• no raw vegetables (but max. 1 kg fruits during the tour)
• at evening for fortification there can be dispensed food containing more fat and a small amount of alcohol, even though digestion work effects condition of the next day
• drinking quantum:
  at strong sun / warm wind or in the mountain approx. 1 liters (approx. 2 pints) per hour riding, else approx. 0,5 liters (approx. 1 pint) - breaks do not count on time;
  so for the purpose of weight reduction beverage eventually has to be purchased during the ride
  (drinking water carried along is also used to wash face and hands, where no water can be obtained else)
• special mineral compounds for competition, mineral supplements:
  are NOT necessery !

Budget, Travel Season - Italia 2009

(for other routes please select [pilot] on the particular pages)

• average 45,- € (67.- USD) daily, victuals / accomodation / travel / misc. for 61 days in 'bassa stagione' (early saison)
• self catering / camping, with 1/4 quota hotel and b&b stays
• For students this tour is practicable with approx. 30,- € (45.- USD) daily - without cost of equipment, no consumption exstacy, without hotel and b&b and not in july/august !
• Because of the standardized vacancies in july / august italian vacancy accomodations are mostly occupied and drastically more expensive.

• Never ever go to Italian coasts in August !

• Typical price for camp-ground accomodation in lower saison (bassa stagione): ca 10,- € (15.- USD) for 1 person / small tent / 1 bici
  regional more expensive, like on Adria north coast. High season prices for equal arrangement up to 30,- € (45.- USD), but highly variable
• Accomodation in hotel single, bassa stagione approx. 40,- - 50,- €.(60.- - 75.- USD)
  Quality sometimes insufficient. From nominal price can be deducted a noteworthy discount when booking spontanious at evening. Ask, if not offered in advance (ONLY low saison).
• Accomodation at bed & breakfast / 'agriturismo' (rural guesthouse at homesteads) single, bassa stagione ca. 25,- - 35,- € (37.- - 50.- USD)
  Usually no discounts - but particularly the public subsidized agriturismo businesses are providing a high standard, which beats many somehow down-and-out hotels, as well as a lovely personal care and boarding.
  Also, in the surrounding of an agriturismo there is always someone, who understands english, so the stay would not suffer from deficient italian language skills.
  Consumption of a small meal minimum is common, the bill counts at the end approx. 10,- to 20,- € (15.- to 30.- USD) over the accomodation price (per person, depends on drinks and number of 'platti' / courses)
• Period:
  first week in may to first week july
• The vacation quarters at the southern italian coasts are often opening not until mid may / beginning of june.
  This effects particularly the large camp grounds in Sicily and Calabria. But also all rest of Italy south of the alps is effected by this circumstance.
• Don't miss to carry an actual camping guide with you providing details to opening season. I.e. 'The genuine italian':
  Touring Club Italiano - Camping Guide Italy. In major book stores of many countries, in a variaty of languages.
  Not all detail is dependable and it also only lists the larger sites, but it is much better than travelling blind without any guidance.
  Copy the region you are travelling in. If you ride all Italy like me, you are bound to carry the whole huge tome. But I tell you: it helps!
  Web-based camping guides for Italy are mostly bad edited, not up to date and often uncomplete / fractional. I can't recommend them for a cycling tour.
• Also many 'alberghi' (simpler hotel which accomodates single nights, too) and 'pensione'/b&b in tourist locations have heavily restricted season opening times. There are tourist villages.which have their season only in july / august or in 2, 3 winter month. Rest of the year it's all closed and down.
  Especially in march or april touristic accomodations in the vacancy regions may be rare, most camp grounds closed - however weather even in southern italy is not stable at this time.
• The sicilian or calabrese founds temperatures even in may too winterly and cold for sea bathing. Indeed, water is fresh, but germans, adapted to the north sea, can't quite realize the coldness therein.
  However, in may it is fairly hot in inner Sicily and Calabria. The southern slopes are baking and in general there's very little shadow, because trees were removed since a time ago.
  For july and august I would suggest not to cycle upcountry southern Italy just of climatic reasons. People consider nuts of the cycling athlete in the glaring afternoon sun, when everybody holds siesta.
  You can get it licked - but to which price?
• Alternative period:
  mid/end august to mid/end october, then reverse direction from north (also from north of the alps) to southern Italy and from there with public transports incl. air and sea back at home.
  Weather risk and severly restricted opening of camp grounds!

Gear

• simple trekking bike purchased at specialized retail, prize below 500,- € (750.- USD)
  total weight fully stuffed without panniers approx. 18 kg (35 lbs)
• fitted with diverse exchange parts, acquired due to wearout or else invalidity
• 24 speed standard gear in 21-speed-mode
  maximum reduction 22:30
• V-brake
• reflex tires rough profile / edge studs with long lasting property and special break down safety (Kevlar inlay), 4 bar
• complete set of reflectors specified for Germany
• clamp LED flashlight for tunnel and night rides
• reduction rearview mirror
• saddle with pressure relief 'bone seat saddle' (has to be well adjusted)
• waterproof rear panniers Mainstream MSX (Germany) (pair ca. 70 € - 100.- USD), above a waterproof lateral bag german 'Tatonka Barrel' (ca.65 € - 100.- USD), which can be also used with shoulder straps
  further waterproof handlebar bag and removable chassis bag (Mainstream MSX ca. 40 € bzw. Decathlon ca. 8 € - 50.- / 15.- USD)
• 2 bottle-cages with aluminium bottles 0,7 l)
• camping equipment , 7,5 kg (approx. 16,5 lbs) total without catering stuff:
  light tent 'Nordisk Norheim' (german, approx. 230 € - 350 USD), 2 persons with large vestibule/apsis, 3,7 kg (incl. light hammer, approx. 8 lbs)
  available also in slightly lighter variaty on a huge surcharge
  PU-groundsheet 1 kg - 2 lbs
  self-inflating mat thick (1,2 kg - 2,5 lbs, ca. 15 € - 23.- USD)
  extra light sleeping bag down (ca. 100 € - 150.- USD) usable down to 2° Celsius - 35° Fahrenheit, 0,8 kg (1,5 lbs)
  
• gaz stove MSR Pocket Rocket with mini cartridge (ca. 25 € - 38.- USD) 0,4 kg (1 lb)
  only for coffee boiling and some soup in case of need
  >>> American gaz cartridges with thread are hard to find in Italy! Depends on region.
  I recommand the less comfortable use of a french camping gaz stove.
  tripod foldable stool (ca. 13 € - 20.- USD) 0,5 kg (1lb)
  ---> the camping equipment with large tent is with nearly 17 lbs to be considered as heavy - think about utilizing a smaller tent - having less comfort.
• hiking;
  simple decent daypack -
  also as cabin luggage when flying
• gadgets:
  For once I took a very simple, extra light cellphone for billeting with me - I never use such thing else :-) It hasn't been useful too much - calls in italian have to be skilled first.
  While it was ever switched off, the 5000-km-transport of the matching charger was fairly needless.
  Musicplayer for inevitable pauses - there weren't too much - needless, too.
  Most important gadget is the camera, which collapsed at Mount Etna (aside, not at top), despite it took over 10.000 photos of my ride, from which approximately 4.000 were instantly deleted. It eated memory cards en masse, cause it only operates 2-GB-cards.
  Hence the gadget even more important, constantly in use, was a TFL power-plug battery charger with 2 sets of each 4 AA batteries 2700 / 2500 mAh as well as 1 set 4x AAA. The charging cycles took place in camping toilets and hotel rooms.
  The amount of rechargeable batteries is necessary, cause the camera (SLR) is fast running out of steam and they couldn't be recharged every day. A charging cycle takes many hours. In contrast quick chargers ruin the batteries quick
  As further batterie consumer a very frugal diode-headlamp for studying maps at night and as redundant cycling headlight. A full battery-set lasts for over 100 light operating hours, though it has to be feared it discharges of permanent running by mistake - then it becomes dark without power charger
  Not in my baggages is a GPS-navi. I do really enjoy maps - see my recommendations in the subindex 'Italia'
  Instead I took a shapely swiss map compass with me, and this has been a great choice for this trip!
  It dangles ready to hand from the handlebar, together with a classical 'Acme Thunderer' whistle for the beasts.
• Total weight for 2 month tour:  55 kg - 120 lbs
  incl. 4-7 kg / 8-15 lbs proviant and water
  
  ---> it is all too heavy -
  don't go that massively packed

Replacement parts

• 1 spare tube
• complete repair kit including spare valves, valve caps as well as extra patches
• 4 pairs brake pads for V-brake
• chain locking link
• chain stud HG
• chain tool
• 2 spare spokes (replacement on your own hand not possible, if break is on sprocket side of the rear wheel)
• 1 brake linkage
• 1 gear linkage
• approx. 50 cable ties in 2 sizes
• 4 spare spoke reflectors
• assortment of 2 dozen screws, nuts and washers - bicyle specific and universal, also a few small dry wall screws (Spax)
• acrylic clue filling, 2 components, half a tube
• small coil fabric tape black, partial amount
• opened small coil Scotch tape (without winder)
• tools:
  folding cycling multi-tool with knife, second multi-tool with pliers, 2 tire levers, small single screwdriver slot, headlamp, cloth, wet pads, small scissors, foldable high pressure air pump with manometer

All replacement parts and tools are packed in plastik bags (freezer bags or sample bags with closure lip, sorted in functional groups; for protection against misery from in- (soap, coke is leaking) and outside (rain, bike tips in lake), also for better packing and handling.
The multi tool of stainless steel is stored in the handle bar bag or in the tool bag, as well as some cable ties.

• Rainer Jehl
  Lange Strasse 28
  D-76530 Baden-Baden
  
  Germany



• rainer@enjoyyourbicycle.de

Please contact me in english.

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