Bar Harbor Maine Trip

[big_dummy2013]

On June 1 2014 I will be driving to Cape Girardeau MO. From Fayetteville,AR this is about 332 mile this will get me to the start of my trip.After I get to here it's an all day drive for my self.And I will take a day off to get ready for the very long road trip to Bar Harbor Maine.This trip is about 1500 miles long one way!I have been trying to do this trip to Maine for over 5 years and at last it looks like I will be able to go for it.I have spent a lot of time getting the maps I need from A.C.A. and they are really good maps lots of detail in them.For people that would like to follow my trip keep checking back here and I will try my best to keep it up to date with lots of pictures.My trips start with the Great Rivers South Section 2 and then to Underground Railroad Section 2,3,4,5 and the last two are the Northern Tier Section 10 and 11. I have a few things here on order before I can post a picture of my bicycle I want ever one here to see it as I will be riding it it has lots of Panniers two sets on the rear and a front pair as well. All of them are Carradice Super C Panniers.The total cost my my bicycle well lets just say to much but this is the last bicycle I should ever need.I hope so of you here know what a Surly Big Dummy bicycle looks like mine is the new kind it's a 2013 model and I love it a lot it rides very well all loaded up and I have a mountain drive train on it front chainrings are 22,32,44t with a 11-32 cassette 9 speed all the way friction shifters only I love the way they shift as long as the cable is hook up it will always shift only way to ride I think.I hope to be able to post a picture of my bicycle some time in the next few weeks one of my order may take a while to get here that will hold me up on posting and it's driving me crazy too I so want to show my ride off here and hope to here back form a few of you.Until then have a great day/night.

 

[big_dummy2013]

Well it may take a little longer than I like but I will post a few pictures of my Surly Big Dummy I have a few parts for it still on order and
I want it to all be on it before I post pictures.If all goes well I should have all the stuff for my BD in two or three weeks I hope it will only be a week.
I can't wait until I hear from a few of you here what you think about it.I bet most will think it's to heavy to ride but it's not that bad to me at all.I ride a lot with my last one I built.Think I will show it now this was my Surly Big Dummy 2011 model.The one I have now does not weight as much I don't think anyway.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Looks great. I've wanted to try a cargo bike like that for a while. If my business plans had worked out I'd have been looking at expanding with a Yuba Mondo or its kin the Velonom Prana

What's it like to ride? Stable handling I should imagine with the long wheelbase.

 

[big_dummy2013]

Looks great. I've wanted to try a cargo bike like that for a while. If my business plans had worked out I'd have been looking at expanding with a Yuba Mondo or its kin the Velonom Prana

What's it like to ride? Stable handling I should imagine with the long wheelbase.

My new Big Dummy 2013 model looks almost like this but in grey and different frame bags I made them out of cotton duck to match my Carradice Super C Panniers
the ride is very stable even with a fully loaded cargo bike.I would say if you can get the Big Dummy get it over the Yuba Mondo.But that's my 2 cents lol I know a few people that has the Yuba and they are very happy with them.I can't wait until I can post pictures of my new Big Dummy I have better tires on it and a lot better bags as well.I also have the Delorme PN-60 GPS on my bike and I just got in last night my SPOT Gen3 this way my wife can keep up with where I am on my trip I have to wait on the cradle for the SPOT Gen3 I'm not sure how long it will take but I did go head and mount the other part for it on my BD this morning.If you built it your self and put all new parts on it.It will cost a lot more than if you buy one ready to ride but you also don't get the good parts you like to have on it this way.I have over 5 grand in this bike and still counting.Parts these days sure cost a lot for sure.This is my do all bike.I also have a small bike shop out back it's my man cave! :-)

 

[big_dummy2013]

Well all of my maps and my map case came in today! And so did my two mirrors as well I have a big order coming in some time tomorrow by UPS then all that is left is my kick stand and the mount for my SPOT Gen3.I will start to train in March I hope three months will be enough time to train.Just as soon as I get the last Carradice Super C Panniers mounted I will post pictures of my Big Dummy 2013 model.So if all goes like it should pictures will be this weekend but it's -3 degrees here and ice and snow all over the roads too Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!It's still early but I am counting the days until I start my trip.

 

[big_dummy2013]

All my Carradice Super C Panniers are now on my Big Dummy and they look super to my eyes I know some will not like them but that's what makes bicycle special to each of us we build them to what we like to have on them.If it was not so late in the night here I would take a few pictures of my bike and post but it's 10:15 pm here.1/7/2014 Will post pictures this weekend if it's not raining they say it's going to be heavy rain I sure hope not I need to ride my setup and post pictures of it.

 

[big_dummy2013]

Picture time I took these in my small bike shop it's still raining here But none the less here are just a few of how my Big Dummy setup looks like I will add better
pictures as soon as the weather will let me.My last two items for my bike should be here sometime tomorrow if the weather will hold out.

 

[big_dummy2013]

I had order a sidestand from Yuba and they did send me one but it was a use part I let them know it too.They wanted to see pictures of it and they got it and said we are sorry we will send out a brand one in the morning the one they sent was sliver and they don't even make the silver one any longer and you could tell it had been use a lot the picture save me.Just be warn just because to order a new part you may not get new very bad I think I'll let ever one know what happens here they said it will take about a week to get me a new one we will see.Here is a look at the use part of the bottom.I hope they do send out a new one and it better be black like I order this time around.This should have never happen at all.

 

[big_dummy2013]

Picture time this is how it looks for the most part it's fully loaded.Still have to add my MSR water bags and bottles to it but that's about it.And as I go on my trip I will add a lot of pictures as I can.

 

[big_dummy2013]

Well my trip is starting to work out ever thing I need for the bike is now in and mounted on it.I learn how to read the maps from A..C.A. and there is a bunch of them for this trip.I'm not sure if I can update my trip as I go because I am not sure if I will take my computer or not.So I hope my post here does not get deleted because I don't post for a while.This trip could take me any where from 60 to 90+ days to do it.It all depends if I do the whole trip or just part of it there is so much to see along the way until I'm just not sure as of yet what I will do the trip is longer than I thought it would be going with the A.C.A.I am married so I have to keep on track and not leave my wife to long she is disable and needs a little help form me to get a few thing done.I hope her daughter will come up here while I am gone if not she will just have to do the best she can until I return home.It will be hard on the both of us this will be the longest will be away from each other so far 17 years with her.But like I told her I got to do this trip no matter what at 57 I am not getting any younger.I'm still looking for people to join me here in the USA but I'm not going to hold my breath.lolI have a ride to the start so that part is took care of.And I think I have safe way back as well I'm about 100% on this too.If no one see any update for a while I hope ever one here will understand why.I want this to be a great read and lots of pictures when I get back home if I don't get to do it while on tour.Later my friends until then have a great day.

 

[big_dummy2013]

At this time my trip is not looking good at all a lot has went wrong with what I was going to get to do but today turn it all around.I keep ever one posted on what when I can but I am still trying to set things up so I can still do at lease some of my trip the cost has just went real crazy to much for me. It sucks too.

 

[big_dummy2013]

I really do hate to say but this trip has been called off due to the cost has just went way to high to get to the start point and the return trip is way more than I can shell out.So I am looking to do a shorter trip from my house.But this is not what I wanted to do I really did want to do this trip it seems like ever time I get ready to do this trip something always stops me and this time it was the cost of getting to the start and the return.I hope to do some kind of trip and I'll post only if I get to do it this time around I am very sorry I had to say all of this.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

I'm sorry to hear the tour is off.

Supposing you did a circular tour from home instead, what interesting places are within reach?

 

[big_dummy2013]

I hate to tell this but my wife of 17 + years pass away this morning.So I will say I will no longer be on here.I'm just don't know what to do at this time.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

I'm so sorry. I don't know what to say other than offer my deepest condolences.