Launch day is 20 June: touring in the plague year

[Mr. Coffee]

Well, I've decided the time has come to get out on the road. I did some substantial research on how to do so safely and if I stick to my plans I will be as safe as can reasonably be expected. The executive summary of how I am managing that is:

• Social distancing is a non-issue while riding alone.
• Little or no restaurant food. Not so much because of food safety risks but because I'd need to be around more people.
• No camping, especially group hiker-biker campsites (wild camping isn't really an option on this tour).
• No hostels or B&Bs.
• Lots of research on hotel stays. I'm trying to stay at hotels that are aggressively sanitizing rooms between visitors and letting rooms sit idle for 24 hours between visitors. The good news is there are many such hotels. The bad news is that they are on the average pricier than I prefer. The mitigating factor is that because business is still slow room rates are noticeably discounted (but still more than I prefer to spend).
• Carrying extra supplies: masks, surgical gloves, lots of hand sanitizer, cleaning wipes, and soap.

Also, the epicenter of COVID spread in Washington state seems to be amongst agricultural communities in the south-central part of the state, while I plan to be riding in the northwest.

As an added bonus, I am doing a double-blind-butt test of two different saddles this trip:

• Ergon SM Sport Men. I have tried out this saddle the last few days but not on a super-long ride.
• Sella Italia Men's FLX Gel Flow Deluxe. Just in from FedEx last night. I've heard good things about this (now apparently discontinued) saddle and look forward to trying it out.

If one of them works really well (or really poorly) I will ship the one I don't need home in a few days.

 

[dodahman]

I have heard from several well funded folks traveling that the mid tier hotels are empty. They were often the only folks staying. So you should be fine, if a bit poorer, staying in such. Good luck. sounds like a lot of fun.

 

[PatriciaK]

Well, I've decided the time has come to get out on the road. I did some substantial research on how to do so safely and if I stick to my plans I will be as safe as can reasonably be expected. The executive summary of how I am managing that is:

• Social distancing is a non-issue while riding alone.
• Little or no restaurant food. Not so much because of food safety risks but because I'd need to be around more people.
• No camping, especially group hiker-biker campsites (wild camping isn't really an option on this tour).
• No hostels or B&Bs.
• Lots of research on hotel stays. I'm trying to stay at hotels that are aggressively sanitizing rooms between visitors and letting rooms sit idle for 24 hours between visitors. The good news is there are many such hotels. The bad news is that they are on the average pricier than I prefer. The mitigating factor is that because business is still slow room rates are noticeably discounted (but still more than I prefer to spend).
• Carrying extra supplies: masks, surgical gloves, lots of hand sanitizer, cleaning wipes, and soap.

Also, the epicenter of COVID spread in Washington state seems to be amongst agricultural communities in the south-central part of the state, while I plan to be riding in the northwest.

As an added bonus, I am doing a double-blind-butt test of two different saddles this trip:

• Ergon SM Sport Men. I have tried out this saddle the last few days but not on a super-long ride.
• Sella Italia Men's FLX Gel Flow Deluxe. Just in from FedEx last night. I've heard good things about this (now apparently discontinued) saddle and look forward to trying it out.

If one of them works really well (or really poorly) I will ship the one I don't need home in a few days.

We've been out and about on our bikes for short trips in Island and Skagit counties - it's been glorious! We've even eaten out at a few places with socially distanced outdoor seating. We carry, and use, the supplies you mentioned. As long as precautions can be maintained, we're about as safe as we can be.

Happy riding!

 

[vincent]

excited to hear how your trip goes!

be safe and have fun!

 

[Readytoride]

Expecting updates! Good luck on the touring!

 

[Mr. Coffee]

I'm in Everett, WA right now and it is hosing rain.

Only fifty easy miles to La Conner, WA so I think I will wait here a couple hours (the forecast claims it will stop raining soon).

Unfortunately, I forgot my snorkel.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

You could tell your grand kids :
"grand pa was crazy enough to E-bike during the pandemic and the experience was great!"

 

[PatriciaK]

If you get to Whidbey, we could meet for socially distanced coffee. It appears you like that....

 

[Mr. Coffee]

If you get to Whidbey, we could meet for socially distanced coffee. It appears you like that....

The plan (I always plan, but also always plan to ditch the plan) was to be in Anacortes friday night (after four nights and five days in the islands), visit Guemes Island saturday morning, and ride south to stay somewhere between Oak Harbor and Port Townsend saturday night.

I am not looking forward to the scary, shoulder less, and high traffic crossing at Deception Pass,

 

[PatriciaK]

The plan (I always plan, but also always plan to ditch the plan) was to be in Anacortes friday night (after four nights and five days in the islands), visit Guemes Island saturday morning, and ride south to stay somewhere between Oak Harbor and Port Townsend saturday night.

I am not looking forward to the scary, shoulder less, and high traffic crossing at Deception Pass,

I was just going to say I wouldn't envy the ride along Rt 20!

They're cleaning/painting the bridge now, so lane closures at night and lots of scaffolding and paraphernalia in the area at all times.

Traffic seems to be rapidly approaching normal summer volume along the highways, which is no fun!

 

[PatriciaK]

On Guemes, check out my previous post regarding the backtrack due to flooded road - Eden's Road East. Go straight on Guemes Island Road from the ferry to the north shore and circle back on the West Shore Road loop.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

Currently in Eastsound, WA.

Interesting, they are very big on wearing masks here and I saw nearly 100 percent compliance indoors. That is nice to see.

$250 per night and no on-site laundry is a downer. So I did laundry in the very nice jetted tub included with my room.

One observation I'd make is even though many, if not most, restaurants are open every restaurant I looked into or picked up takeout from was one hundred percent empty.

The saddles. I've been having a problem with both of them where the saddle is slipping forwards or backwards. I put a bit of tape on the Ergon's saddle rails and things are much better. So far no butt problems with the Ergon.

 

[PatriciaK]

Currently in Eastsound, WA.

Interesting, they are very big on wearing masks here and I saw nearly 100 percent compliance indoors. That is nice to see.

$250 per night and no on-site laundry is a downer. So I did laundry in the very nice jetted tub included with my room.

One observation I'd make is even though many, if not most, restaurants are open every restaurant I looked into or picked up takeout from was one hundred percent empty.

The saddles. I've been having a problem with both of them where the saddle is slipping forwards or backwards. I put a bit of tape on the Ergon's saddle rails and things are much better. So far no butt problems with the Ergon.

We ventured out for Thai the other day, and were the only ones in the entire place. Lots of takeout going on, though. Staff was masked and gloved (I always worry about glove changing protocol in restaurants, because it's usually slap-dash), and we were masked except for eating.

 

[vincent]

how is your ride going? i hope great!

 

[Mr. Coffee]

how is your ride going? i hope great!

Pretty well. Had a flat tire yesterday afternoon and more hassle and drama fixing the problem (a broken-off staple had worked its way into the tire) than was really necessary. Meeting with people this morning and then riding on...

 

[vincent]

Sorry about the flat, yuck

be safe

 

[6zfshdb]

Since late May, I've stayed a total of 16 nights in hotels while riding trails in PA. and MD. using many of your ideas. I chose hotels in areas with a relatively low virus case count that were not under lockdown restrictions. The only people I came in contact with were the desk clerks when checking in and checking out. All wore masks as did I. I requested rooms that had not been used for at least 48 hours which was standard policy at the hotels I chose. I used alcohol wipes on faucets, door knobs, TV remote controls and any other commonly touched surfaces. When staying more than one night in the same hotel, I specifically asked that housekeeping not enter my room. I bought food in stores that were not crowded and prepared meals in my room. I used the sink and tub to do laundry when necessary.

By avoiding all common areas in hotels, along roads and the trails I rode, I actually came in contact with fewer people than I would have if I stayed home.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

By avoiding all common areas in hotels, along roads and the trails I rode, I actually came in contact with fewer people than I would have if I stayed home.

Generally that has been a close approximation to my experiences as well.

Actually, the only restaurant I've visited that wasn't one hundred percent empty was the Whidbey Coffee in Oak Harbor where I visited with @PatriciaK . And even then all but one party was outside. Takeout food or food from grocery stores has been very easy to arrange.

When I looked at the hiker-biker camps in Moran State Park and others I am glad I gave camping a miss. Basically there is one large-ish site where all of the cyclists and kayakers and hikers camp, so social distancing is likely hopeless.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

The trip is done. Given how things are going this will likely be my long bike tour for the year.

A few important lessons were learned over the course of the trip:

• Social distancing isn't that hard on a bike tour, even if you are staying in hotels.
• Keeping masks clean, day in and day out, under field conditions is a bit of a challenge.
• The Schwalbe Hurricane tires are awesome, but are a very tight fit on my rims. This makes it challenging to break the bead when you are fixing a flat and it is even tougher to reset the bead with a little pump.
• Dutch style flat repair is a mandatory skill for the e-biker. Although hearing the escaping air and figuring out where the hole is can be a huge fight on the shoulder of a noisy highway.
• Both saddles worked once I put some tape on the saddle rails to keep them from sliding out of place. The Ergon saddle was slightly better.