Kevin's approach to lighting, visibility, and electricity management

Here's my approach to being seen-I will use the Dinotte Daytime Red taillight. This retina-searing light is said to put out in excess of 400 lumens! It is so bright that the company markets it as a daytime only light, as it is too bright for nighttime use.

I certainly wouldn't want to ride behind this light, especially on a strobe setting, so in consideration of my riding partners, I'll go to the back of the pack if this thing is turned on!  It is powered by a 4 AA lithium battery pack,(I have 2) that requires it to be charged via 110volts AC, which I can get from the Sprinter van

For a headlight, I'm using a Schmidt Edelux II, powered by a Schmidt SON 28 Dynamo Hub.   

This German made combo is quite bright, adds nearly zero drag, and requires no batteries! In fact, with a Busch & Mueller "e-Werk", I can use electricity from the hub to charge my iPhone, GPS, Delorme inReach, and extra battery, or whatever.  It really is a pretty cool setup.

For other sources of visibility, in addition to the slow-moving farm equipment triangle like Alan has, I'll wear a fluorescent green helmet, and the very "fashionable"neon green convertible jacket from Pearl Izumi.  This neon fashion faux paux is standard issue among Pacific Northwest cyclists.  I also have a reflective sash that I plan to wear if riding when dark.

Hopefully these measures will keep us visible, and safe!   In an upcoming post, I'll talk about the DeLorme inReach satellite locator we will carry, so that those who are interested can see where we are, and watch our progress along the Northern Tier.

Overview

In 2008 Kevin Tice and I rode our bikes from his house in Seattle to mine in San Diego. We have always dreamt of riding across country. On August 1, 2016 we will begin our expedition. We'll start in Bay View near Anacortes Washington and, hopefully, end up in Bar Harbor Maine, generally following the Northern Tier route published by Adventure Cycling.
Janet Kautz and Jo Takayama will be driving a Sprinter van in support, accompanied by Bob the Beagle.

Water Bottle Cages for my Compact Frame

Because I have short legs, Kent Eriksen designed my frame with a sloping top tube. As a result, accessing the water bottle mounted on the seat tube has always been a bit tricky. I stumbled upon these Lezyne cages For compact frames. They allow side access. Here they are mounted on my frame in left hand friendly configuration (you can see the short distance from the top tube to the rear bottle):

 

My bottles are stainless because I prefer the taste of the water over plastic ones and I'm willing to pay the weight penalty.

The Riders

Check out the photos in depth

Visibility Part 2: Lighting and Vest

My day glo triangle is a good start to make sure I'm seen on the road, but there's more.

For taillights I'm using two Cygolite Hotshots:

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These are quite bright - one is 30 lumens and one is 50.

My headlight is also a Cygolite, very bright at 350 lumens and light weight:

These lights are all USB rechargeable, and I'll carry a battery allowing me to recharge them along with my Iphone. They have daytime strobe settings, although I'm not sure if I'm going to use them unless conditions warrant.

On foggy days, in twilight, or if I'm not wearing a brightly colored jersey I plan to wear this vest:

PS: To mount the headlight I carved a groove in a dowel then sleeved it with a section of bike tube. I don't have any room on my handlebars since I'm using a handlebar bag. This home made mount allows placement atop my Tubus Tara front rack.