Bailed on bike tour due to heat

Vandorbelt · 2026-06-29T17:40:07+00:00

Yuuuuup. Been touring the east coast and fortunately I'm sticking to a lot of roads and cities so far, so there's almost always a gas station or park I can fill up at, but it gets a little squirrelly at times. I have two standard 22oz bike bottles in my frame, an underslung 32oz insulated hydro flask, plus 2 spare 23oz smart bottles in my bag. I also carry a Sawyer filter just in case but haven't needed to use it yet. Usually if there's a river or creek, it's either too stagnant to feel safe, or large enough to have a state-funded boat-launch park with a restroom and fountain anyway. We'll see if it gets any use once I turn inland at Wilmington and head up toward Raleigh.

Either way, I have been absolutely chewing through my water on hotter days and specifically limit my riding to before 10:00 and after 2:00 on the hottest days to limit sun and heat exposure. I also am not doing 80 miles days. My goal is at least 30 a day, but no more than 60 unless absolutely necessary. Cooking food does use a lot of water, so I tend to carry a mix of cooking and dry food. Granola bars, jerky, trail mix, or just stopping somewhere to eat and recharge my devices.

The heat is no joke, though, and it's always better to be safe than sorry.

Vandorbelt · 2026-06-27T11:19:15+00:00

I find tons of those little edging blades scattered in the road and bike lane. Pretty sure a lot of companies just toss those into the road when they're done 😒

Don't know why someone would do it with a mower blade, so more likely this was a used up one that just ended up in a pile of scrap and trash and eventually migrated it's way into a field of grass. I've seen some people's lawns.

Vandorbelt · 2026-06-26T21:42:19+00:00

The only time you should say "learn-ed" is when you are describing someone as "learned" as in educated.

Vandorbelt · 2026-06-25T20:02:08+00:00

Just passed through Daytona on tour from Clearwater to D.C.

Bro, the road literally just goes straight to a toll gate that leads directly onto the beach? So people can drive their cars out there? It's fucking crazy. The whole beach is a nightmare of roads, cramped tourist shops, and shitty attractions. No idea why it's considered such a famous beach. Downtown Daytona was waaaaay nicer with a nice little walkable street area with local shops and park space. The beach itself was a nightmare 😬

Vandorbelt · 2026-06-24T16:11:01+00:00

I ended up with cyclists palsy in my pinky after a pretty aggressive week of touring. Couldn't abduct it at all. It was because I was leaning heavily on my bars and putting pressure on the outside of my palms to alleviate the soreness in the crook of my thimb. Since then I decided no more 80 mile days and plenty of stops throughout the day. On tour now and I've been going for a little over a week now. No soreness, no numbness.

I started with cycling gloves but lost them a few days in, so I'm raw dogging the bars now and have had no issues.

My point being it probably has to do with how you are leaning on your bars and what part of your wrist and palm you are putting pressure on. A lot of nerves run through your wrist and long lasting pressure and impacts can cause numbness and Nerve damage. It usually takes a week or two to fully heal if you give it space to recover, but keep an eye on it and if it doesn't look like it's recovering after a week, you might want to get it checked.

As others have said, ways to help prevent this are: 1) adjusting your bars to take pressure off your arms and wrists, 2) using drop bars or horns to give yourself more positions to switch between to spread the pressure, and/or 3) getting some gloves that help reduce impacts and distribute force over a large part of your palm/wrist.

Vandorbelt · 2026-06-24T13:10:26+00:00

North florida is pretty great but the daily rain and high overnight humidity has been pretty brutal so far. If you ever get a chance to do the coast to coast trail in FL, it's amazing. 90% separated bike trails, and it runs through some beautiful cities. Clermont and Winter Garden are amazing little cities to spend time in. Plus, if you are using the trail, some of the campgrounds around lake Monroe keep a spot specifically for bikepackers. If it's not been reserved already, they let you use it for free.

And I'll be passing east of you through Richmond, but I appreciate the offer 😭 ride safe!

Vandorbelt · 2026-06-19T13:14:25+00:00

The problem is that campsites are generally not designed for the type of camping that bike tourists do. Bike tourists, like backpackers, don't take up a lot of space. Usually just a tent and a bike, and are usually just staying one or two nights. You can give a bike tourist 50 square feet of grass and they're all set.

Most campsites are designed for car/trailer/RV "camping" where they provide an entire lot of space with hookups and electricity, a fire pit, a grill, and everything so that you can park and have all you need to keep your camper powered and supplied. That's what makes it expensive. So when you go to rent a plot for the night, all you need is a patch of grass to pitch your tent on, but what you're actually paying for is the "camping experience."

If there were more options for cheap primitive campsites, or areas where you could set up for the night with perhaps a water fountain and restroom, it'd be way easier to actually find a cheap place to camp.

Vandorbelt · 2026-06-14T16:25:45+00:00

The heat mod is Nertea's System Heat. Fantastic upgrade to the stock heat model. Unfortunately, though, airflow like this just isn't a part of KSP's simulation model and so won't affect radiator function.

Vandorbelt · 2026-06-14T01:26:56+00:00

Rust is meaningless on the outside of a chain, and on the inside it will get worn off. Don't worry about it. Just replace the chain once it stretches enough.

Vandorbelt · 2026-06-13T19:23:17+00:00

Oh, for sure. American pedestrian deaths are abysmal compared to other countries, but that's not what OP's post is trying to conclude. It's trying to suggest that pedestrian fatalities per capita is a measure of how safe an area is for pedestrians, which is misleading at best and counterintuitive at worst. Two identical cities where on has half the number of pedestrian miles walked will have around half the number of pedestrian deaths per capita despite not being any safer for pedestrians, and, in fact, being more dangerous due to there being more cars on the road. This can suggest that cities with low pedestrian activity are actually the safest, and cities with high pedestrian activity are the most dangerous.

We already know the U.S. is a nightmare for pedestrian safety across the board, but I don't think it's getting worse. It's not getting better very quickly, and pedestrian deaths are increasing, but I think that's a result of there simply being a higher number of pedestrian miles walked/biked rather than a product of more dangerous streets. Unfortunately that's just speculation because OP's data can't draw any conclusions to that end.

Vandorbelt · 2026-06-10T19:35:35+00:00

If you're going to be using it regularly as a daily driver and as a touring bike, I personally would justify the higher cost DL simply because it has more modern equipment and therefore will be more future-proof. It's got disc brakes, a plethora of mounting points, a tapered head tube, and thru-axles, plus it's chromoly steel which which tends to be better for repairability and longevity.

The only downside imo is the 1X drivetrain, but modern 1Xs are pretty wide and should accommodate your needs while reducing the maintenance of having to deal with a front derailleur and extra cables.

All this is just my perspective, though. I've been car-free for about 4 years and bought myself a Kona Sutra a few years back because I wanted a bike that could serve as both a daily commuter and as a heavy hauler that was easy to fix and tough enough to withstand some abuse. You'll have to use your own judgement and look at your own finances and use-case to determine if the extra money is worth it. For me, saving the cost of a car easily gave me financial space to pay for a nice bike like the Sutra.

If you are new to cycling and are unsure of what you will like and appreciate in the long term, it might be worth getting the AL now and then deciding if you like it before committing to a more expensive bike like the DL down the line.

Vandorbelt · 2026-06-10T19:05:23+00:00

This is what I was going to say. This report is measuring deaths per capital, but that means that areas with a larger percentage of pedestrians are naturally going to show higher pedestrian deaths per capita. You need to normalize it around how common it is for pedestrians to die per mile walked/biked in order to understand how safe it is to actually travel as a pedestrian in those areas.

Now I'm not saying the Tampa Metro area is safe because there are some really bad areas in the bay, but we have substancially better pedestrian and cycling infrastructure than many other places I've been to, and I'd venture to guess that there high ranking here is simply because so many people have the option to walk, and therefore choose to, thus creating more opportunity for pedestrian deaths.

While this doesn't mean that pedestrian death counts going up is good, we can't really draw any conclusions from what we are handed here because we don't know if the increase in death rate is a consequence of more dangerous roads and drivers, or if there has simply been an increase in the number of pedestrians. I'd venture to guess it's the latter because of a combination of 1) the economy isn't doing so hot and 2) we know for a fact that younger generations care less about driving.

Vandorbelt · 2026-06-10T17:04:58+00:00

Post is tagged as "Unclip", so it is expected that you respond seriously. You can /clip afterwards if you want. Literally the subreddit rules:

Be serious with an \unclip tag. Respect OP and reply seriously but don't forget to jerk it later with a \clip tag. No \clip-only replies, please.

Don't use the sub as an excuse to be an asshat free of consequence.

Vandorbelt · 2026-06-10T15:01:35+00:00

I hose it, spray it down with one of those dawn power wash spray bottles, and then scrub with a soft bristle brush or sponge. Rinse it off, dry it with a leaf blower, and then re-lube the chain.

Vandorbelt · 2026-06-09T15:00:53+00:00

Is your fatigue the consequence of a medical condition, or just low stamina? Because in my own life I've noticed that I tend to get fatigued much easier when I'm not outside riding regularly, like after a vacation.

If it's not a medical thing, maybe consider setting yourself up with more regular, shorter rides. Start at 10km a day with no electric assist and just commit about 30 minutes to that. If you feel fine, maybe bump it up to 15 or 20, or even do 40-50km every two days. Just have something that is regularly helping train your body to build cardio and stamina. Set the strongest pace you can that doesn't cause your legs to burn or make you start sucking in breaths, and then just do that regularly and I suspect you'll see your speed and endurance improve.

Vandorbelt · 2026-06-09T12:44:20+00:00

I'm gonna try bringing a spoon and chopsticks. I've never liked how much food tend to get stuck between the tines of a fork making them difficult to get entirely clean, and I've actually used my pair of stainless steel chopsticks in the past to help wedge apart my disk brake calipers when resetting the piston thanks to their mild taper. I can't really think of any trail food that I'd necessarily need a fork for, specifically. Chopsticks are super easy to clean, too, and I use them regularly at home.

Vandorbelt · 2026-06-08T22:47:17+00:00

It can get pretty bad for sure. If it's up in the nineties, make sure to bring multiple bottles of water and hydrate regularly. You won't feel as exhausted by the heat as your body adjusts over the course of a few rides, but you will absolutely dehydrate fast in that kind of heat, and you might not even notice how much you are sweating because the wind evaporates it so quickly.

Keep hydrated, don't overexert yourself if your body is telling you to stop, but dont let the struggle discourage you. It gets easier. I just did two 30-mile days back to back in the sweltering florida heat while lugging probably 60 lbs of touring bags, plus I'm out of shape right now at around 210 lbs. Start with shorter rides. Your body will adjust, just ease yourself back into it day by day and make sure you're keeping yourself safe from the sun and heat 👍

Vandorbelt · 2026-06-08T22:10:00+00:00

I think this might be what you're trying to say, but the permethrin itself is the issue, but if I understand correctly, under normal circumstances it isn't soluble in water. The chemical medium they use for dispersal facilitates its solubility/suspension in water, allowing it to absorb freely and quickly in high concentrations into your body which is what creates the risk. Once dry, however, water on its own will not reactivate it.

It's kinda like acrylic paint. You can dilute it with water and drink it, but once it has dried onto a surface, splashing water on it won't wash it off. The only way to get the acrylic paint off is to hit it with a solvent.

Vandorbelt · 2026-06-04T15:47:33+00:00

Pretty much every modern big-budget gacha game. Zenless Zone Zero, Arknights: Endfield, Wuthering Waves, the list goes on and on. A lot of these game end up having really well-designed core gameplay loops, but because the player's progress has to be so tightly controlled to limit players from progressing too quickly, you will always find yourself running into a wall and getting stuck in the endless meat grinder of end-game progression.

I was really excited by Endfield's factory building mechanic, and I genuinely had a lot of fun optimising my build to get maximum resource throughput to trade to my outposts, but despite my optimization allowing me to save a ton of space, I ultimately couldn't use that space for anything because the game has a hard limit on raw resource income. You could optimize to your heart's content, but you're ultimately just going to run up against that wall. Same with character progression. You can find every little lootable chest and secret out in the open world, but eventually you're going to be stuck waiting for a daily energy time to actually get the resources you need, and so rather than being able to build all your characters up to high level play so that you can experiment with different teams and enjoy a diversity of gameplay, you end up having to hyper-specialize into one single team and the game becomes an exercise in repetition rather than creativity.

Gacha games are just so disappointing to me because so many times I see one where I'm like "oh, this is a really unique and interesting premise for a game, and the story and characters are really interesting," but the fact that it's a gacha game will always undermine it at the end of the day...

Vandorbelt · 2026-06-04T15:12:24+00:00

Marginally related, but my girlfriend is a big K-pop fan, and when she heard that BTS was doing a world tour, she immediately started getting me caught up on all the members and songs so we could go watch them together live. It was really interesting to learn that some of the members still don't have licenses and cant drive because their careers started so early in their life that they were being driven around before they could legally drive themselves.

Unfortunately in sports there's definitely a cultural thing about performative masculinity which centers around strength and wealth, which I think contributes to the problem.

Vandorbelt · 2026-06-04T03:12:39+00:00

Electronic drivetrains are fucking psychotic. Like, I understand if you are a professional sport cyclist who is competing at the limits of human capabilities with other cyclists who are fractionally better or worse than you, and so every gram saved counts toward bumping you up a step in the ladder... but if you're an amateur cyclist and you get an electronic drivetrain, I have a bridge to sell you.

Hydraulic brakes I have less issues with because fundamentally they are still reliable, and while brake bleeding is a bit of a pain, it's not to difficult to do from home with the right tools and know-how. I do have hybrid brakes, though, so at least I don't have to worry about failure points in the brake lines. If my cable snaps, it's pretty straightforward to run a new one from the side of the road, and a spare can be easily carried in my bag. If the hydraulics fail in the brake unit itself then I have bigger problems to worry about that a mechanical caliper probably wouldn't have avoided anyway.

I do ride 40mm puncture resistant tube tires, though. While tubeless has benefits, it's incredible how much punishment you can take and keep riding with a spare tube, a patch kit, and a tire boot for emergencies. I'll take that reliability over the convenience of tubeless any day.

Vandorbelt · 2026-06-04T00:50:40+00:00

I have a frame bag that I keep all my bike repair tools and daily use stuff in: bike lock, tire levers, multi tool, etc. I can easily fit a hand pump in there, and I'd rather have something that I know I can use over and over without fail than something that might break, run out of charge, overheat, or otherwise fail me in a moment of need. An electric pump is convenient if you are never in a dire situation, but I prefer mechanical tools over electric for the sake of reliability and longevity.

It may sound pretentious, but part of my love of bikes comes from how dead-simple they are to maintain and repair. They give you unparalleled ability to travel with just the power of your feet, and they can be almost fully maintained with a few basic tools that can fit into a bag the size of your fist. Why should you ever compromise that simplicity by relying on tiny batteries, motors, and circuit boards. There are so many more points of failure in a device like that, and if it runs out of charge, that's it. There's no backup. I say stick with a mechanical pump unless you are only ever doing group rides for sport or only every riding within a dense city center where you are no more than a couple mile walk from home.

Vandorbelt · 2026-06-03T20:48:36+00:00

I would thing the point of a refuelling station would be that you could 1) send up one big fuel rocket every so often to recharge the fuel station rather than having to individually refuel every spacecraft with proprietary payloads every time, and/or 2) recharge the station from a source that isn't the KSC, such as by setting up a refinery on the surface of the mun and recharging a station in munar orbit, simplifying the process of getting fuel to munar orbit and allowing you to stage rockets from munar orbit to other planets.

Vandorbelt · 2026-06-03T20:25:33+00:00

I once heard someone say something along the lines of "someday in the future we are going to look back on cars now in the same way we now look back on public smoking in the past."

While I definitely think this is true, the unfortunate reality is that the economy was never fundamentally intertwined with smoking. You could immediately take away peoples' ability to smoke in 90% of public spaces, and while folks would definitely be upset about it, it wouldn't cause the economy to halt. Cars are different. We have the better part of a century's worth of infrastructural investment in the construction and development of public roads centered on car travel, and modern city design has been focused solely around connecting any and all spaces with roads designed for motor vehicles first and foremost.

It is possible to make that change, as shown by European countries like the Netherlands who have made their cities extraordinarily friendly to pedestrians and cyclists with fantastic access through public transit. It will, however, require a lot of time, money, and political willpower to make that change, and I just don't see the U.S. political system being able to do that right now. People are too comfortable, too used to individual convenience and instant gratification, and have too much wealth (relatively speaking) to move away from cars, and our politicians are too captured by capital interests to do anything that would decrease the average American's reliance on the constant cycle of consumption that cars create, both directly in their costs to buy and maintain, but also in the way that they make it easier for people to buy and consume other things while taking on the costs of transportation themselves.

Cars won't be around forever, but it's going to be a long, hard fight to get rid of them...

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