Hiya gang,
For those of you that are new to the NEC (And certain veteran riders with rocks on their mantles, desks, bookcases and the like) Here’s a guide for what you’ll want to make sure you have. As both a rider and volunteer, I’ve been doing this ride since Bill Clinton’s first term- I’ve tweaked the original list, and run it by dozens of riders over the years- All agreed it was pretty comprehensive. If it isn’t on this list, you probably don’t need it. REMEMBER: We only have to deal with your luggage on and off the truck- YOU have to get it on the truck in the mornings, and to your room in the afternoons- In some cases this will involve multiple stairs, and sprawling campuses.
Here’s what you’ll need to bring:
- A trained body.
- A tuned bike. Get it into the shop for a checkup less than two weeks before the NEC. Really.
- A helmet- You can’t ride without one.
- Cycling shorts- (Same deal, OUCH!)
- If your bike has wheels with special spokes- Bring a few spares… They can be hard to find in the middle of nowhere. (Leave them with the Mechanics- You can’t get to your luggage during the day, neither can they, and neither can I!!)
- Cycling gloves 1 pr for 150 riders, 2 pr for 550 riders
- Cycling jerseys 1 for 150 riders, 2 or 3 for 550 riders- Remember- We’re going to GIVE you one at registration
- Cycling shoes, and shoes to wear around when you’re NOT on the bike. Flip-flops are Heaven on Earth after a day in cycling shoes
- Cycling socks- Or anything you find comfy
- Under-britches- You shouldn’t wear then under your cycling shorts, but I just really like saying “Under-Britches”.
- Two water bottles or 1 water bottle and a camel-back (In this case, more is GOOD!)
- Rain gear- We ride rain or shine
- Sunscreen- Because it NEVER rains on the NEC! Bertha WHO???
- Prescription meds/glasses/meter/strips
- Cash/credit/debit card- Lunch is YOUR responsibility, as well as souvenirs, Ice-cream, Post-cards for sponsors, water-slides, more Ice-cream, and any parts needed for repairs on your bike- Our mechanics donate their time and skill, not the parts
- Toiletries- Extra deodorant please!
- Bug spray- To repel the Maine state bird- the Mosquito, and it’s bastard cousin, the Green-head.
- ** SPECIAL NOTE** As it typically happens to ONE unlucky person a year- Your toiletry bag, shampoo, or any liquid, pump, or aerosol should be inside a SEALED zip-lock bag, in the case of leakage.
- Long pants/jeans- Likely unnecessary for 150 riders, 1 pair for 550 riders
- Shorts-1 pair for 150 riders, 2 pair for 550 riders
- Swim suit- NOT cutoffs
- T-shirt- 1 for 150 riders, 3 for 550 riders. I’m going to be throwing T-Shirts at you on a nightly basis, and again, we’re going to GIVE you one at registration.
- Sweater/sweatshirt/light jacket- in the event of a cool evening (Pick only one!)
- Sleeves/leggings- Mainly for the 7 day riders, while we’re in the mountains
- Camera- You’re going to want take lots of (REAL, not cell-phone) pics of the scenic vistas and Historic sites you’ll see
- Cell phone and Charger- Your cell phone isn’t any good if you forget the charger
- Laundry detergent/dryer sheets- Our overnight locations have laundry facilities on site, or nearby. I recommend powdered detergent, separated into a few single-load size sandwich bags.
- A trash bag and “Twist-tie“- So that your clean clothes won’t smell like your dirty clothes, and 2 or 3 “Gallon size” Ziploc bags for wet bathing suits, etc. if they didn’t fully dry overnight.
- A SMALL fan for the 3 nights we’ll spend in college dorms without A/C (Write your name on it, don’t put it in your luggage- That way, we won’t off-load them when they’re not needed… We won’t have to handle them, you won’t have to worry about them, and they’ll be safely stored in the truck.)
Whenever possible, it’s practical to select gear that does “Double-duty“… A pair of swim trunks that might also be worn as a pair of shorts… A rain jacket that is also good for a cool morning or evening… Another great tip for cool morning riding is a piece of plastic sheeting, roughly 1’x2’ that you can place on your chest, under your jersey, to help protect your core from the cool morning wind. or a pair of “Surgical gloves“ for cold hands- These are admittedly leaning towards the weather extremes, but they‘re functional, practical, lightweight, compact, able to fit in your seat bag, and great in a pinch.
If you are one of those people that absolutely HAS to tinker with your bike, maybe change cassettes for flat days vs hilly days, or would absolutely DIE if you didn’t clean your bike, lube your chain, etc. after 75 miles in the saddle- Bring a SMALL tool-bag (An old “Clutch” purse for the ladies, smaller than your wife’s purse for the guys) and those will be stored separately in the Gear-Truck, and only be off-loaded by request.
If you play an instrument, PLEASE BRING IT! (No Drums, Sousaphones, Harps, Contrabassoons, Tympanis, or Pianos please) It’s always fun to kick around in the evenings with some music, and a jam session is ALWAYS fun! (Again, only off-loaded by request.) SPECIAL NOTE: a “Hard-case” is better than a “Gig-bag”.
Your NAME should be on your luggage to prevent confusion. We all learned this at the airport- “Many bags look alike”… You might know the little yellow string on your “Medium-sized, black American Tourister model #7714203” means it’s yours, but the OTHER person that also has a “Medium-sized, black American Tourister model #7714203” might not see the little yellow string.
We (Including you) do this because it’s a worthwhile cause, a recognized charitable event with responsible returns, a beautiful tour, likely the biggest challenge of it’s kind you can find, and FUN!
Not having what you need isn’t fun.
Lumping gear you don’t need isn’t fun either.
GET IT?
See you in July,
PACK LIGHT!
GearMan
Join us
re: Gallon bags: the ziploc gallon freezer bags work best. They have double zips and are very secure. But get the “double zip” ones, not the “smart zip” ones. And bring extras. 1001 uses!
re: clothing: There are laundry facilities available just about every other day. (IIRC, there is laundry in Biddeford, Montpelier, Killington, and Rindge). And bring a roll of quarters.
re: laundry: IMO, if you can find the pellet type of laundry soap, that works best. Powder and (especially) liquid tend to be messy. You can also bring a small bottle of something like Woolite or Dr. Bronner’s and do laundry in the sink. There’s a technique to wringing out jerseys and shorts that guarantees they’ll be dry by morning.
re: rain: Bring one small newspaper (like a Phoenix or a couple Metros). Balled up newspaper stuffed into wet shoes will make sure they’re dry by morning. Make sure it’s newsprint and not heavy paper. It will draw the water out of your shoes. Once it rains, newspapers (made of newsprint) can be remarkably hard to find. Glossy paper (like magazines) won’t work, it has to be newsprint.
re: rain II : you probably know this, but bring a few sandwich bags for your cell phone, camera, cue sheets, and other things that don’t like to get wet in your jersey pocket. Cue sheets that have turned into pulp from getting wet are very hard to read, and cell phones don’t like to get wet at all (trust me on that one).
re: maintenance: put a couple pairs of latex or nitrile gloves in your saddle bag with your spare tube and patch kit. They’re wonderful for changing tires without spending the rest of the day wiping your nose with greasy and gritty hands.
Good tips, Todd!
I was thinking about the luggage end, and you covered the riding end…
Teamwork!
beer money!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please put your name and rider number on parts you leave with the mechanic vehicles. Bring 1′s and 5′s with you to pay the mechanics. Hopefully you won’t need the 50′s but it has happened.
As Gearman said, bring some spokes and any oddball tires/tubes. Our goal is to keep you in the saddle.
Right Kevin, Lots of beer money!
