Messages

1

General Discussion / Re: HELP! Items Checklist. Need advice. (especially from John Nelson)

« on: May 13, 2013, 09:59:04 pm »

I'll take a stab at this, with the caveat that there isn't any one, right approach for packing for a cross country, or any bike trip, and I am sure you will obtain a number of opinions. After digesting all opinions/comments, you need to decide what makes you comfortable. Very few decisions can't be reverses. If you find you have over-packed, or you need something, you can mail the surplus home and you can buy what you need (in most cases) on the road.

I do not use a camelback because my jersey isn't able to breathe when it is sitting on my back so I ride hotter.

I use a NeoAir and I don't care how long it takes me to blow it up. I want to sleep as best I can if I want to be at my best the next day.

Sometimes I have taken a camera; sometimes not. But two to three pounds for a camera...I will not carry that weight. I have purchased a small camera that I also use for backpacking. It weights much, much less.

Like the camera, I have traveled with stuff sacks and without. At this time I like traveling without because what I found is with a stuff sack I am able to generate more room in my panniers, and then I am tempted to add something to carry because I have the room. Without the stuff sacks I pack more efficiently. I do use compression sacks for my tent and sleeping bag.

I do not like going without water. That happened once when I knew a roadside park would have water and then when I arrived there was a notice that it was not potable. So, I carry four water bottles of which I will always have three full of water and the fourth will be full depending on the planned water spots for that day or if I will be dry camping.

I have never taken a lock and I have never regreted that decision. I do take precautions depending on where I am when I stop. Usually those precautions include not stopping when it seems dicey and I try to keep the bike in sight.

I keep my electronics to a minimum because I do not want to carry the weight. I currently have a Galaxy tab (3G and GPS) and a cell phone, and they are off unless I need them so the power lasts a long time. I traveled once with equipment that would allow me to stay in touch and populate a blog. After that trip I decided never again would I carry that surplus weight and never again would I devote time to "entertain" others with my daily musings. It took time away from the purpose of the ride, which is, for me, solitude.

Again, this works for me and is apropo of nothing, so regardless of what you end up doing, enjoy your ride.

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Routes / Re: Looking For Route Recommendations

« on: May 05, 2013, 12:08:12 pm »

My spouse and I recently moved from the Bay Area to Central Oregon for the biking, hiking, and kayaking, and we have not been disappointed. Much less traffic; generally good roads with shoulders; bike friendly and bike aware (very important to us); great topography.

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Routes / Re: Route Suggestions

« on: April 24, 2013, 06:38:19 pm »

To specifically address your question - the coast ride is always nice and living in Portland you know the weather issues you may face in July on the northern and central Oregon coast. East from Portland would be vastly different but I also very much enjoy that ride, particulary through Oregon. I like the high desert side of the Cascades, and there is minimal traffic. Again, in July it will be warm. Whichever direction you take, you might wish to follow the ACA route for those thousand miles. 

Let me add that the California coast, particularly from Fort Bragg south to the Central California coast, can be foggy and cool in that time of year. You know the saying from Mark Twain, the coldest winter I ever spent was the summer I spent in San Francisco. And Route 1 is narrow, very narrow, and twisting in Sonoma county.

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General Discussion / Re: touring without "eating out"

« on: April 11, 2013, 04:41:41 pm »

Dehydrated foods have improved considerably over the years. My spouse and I like Mountain House and we have a number of go-to meals that serve us well when backpacking and on bike trips. I suggest you purchase a meal or two and try at home and make up your own mind on whether they are palatable. And yes, you are able to refuel on such meals without harm.

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Gear Talk / Re: No Stove

« on: March 30, 2013, 10:26:27 am »

Like you, I did not want to be bothered by cooking, nor did I want the extra weight for the "just in case". I generally had a cache of energy bars with me for those instances where food might be skimpy. And for my "just in case", I carried two packets of Mountain House granola with milk and blueberries, which only require cold water to make a filling and nutritious meal (carry this with me when backpacking). I used only one. That said, I did make sure that I always had some food with me. When I bonk it isn't a pretty sight.

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Gear Talk / Re: Selle Anatomica Titanico X

« on: March 19, 2013, 01:44:09 pm »

I acquired a Selle Anatomica Titanico less than a week before my tour last summer. I had been trying a number of different saddles (haven't tried Brooks) and settled on the Titanico because of the zero break-in period. It was easy to dial in and it was (is) a good saddle for me. I had zero issues with the saddle and, at times, can remember thinking, "damn, I am almost comfortable".

7

Routes / Re: Traffic on the California section of the Pacific Coast Route

« on: February 19, 2013, 10:59:24 am »

I have biked from Seattle to SF using that route seven times, but generally in August and September (once in October).I like the roads in Oregon. Nice shoulders. Traffic is as expected but again, nice shoulders. Be sure to use the bicyclist in tunnel warning lights on the two tunnels on the coast, then pedal quickly. Those tunnels, along with the Astoria Bridge, are not my favorite sections of this route. Once you enter California, it becomes (for me), decidedly less biker friendly. Take the alternate routes whenever possible. From Crescent City to Eureka to the turnoff to 1 - the shoulders can be nonexistent (again, where possible, take the alternatives offered). U.S. 1 can be narrow, and there are minimal shoulders. While I enjoy the ride, I find myself being less comfortable when biking this section. Stay alert. Use your rearview mirror.

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Gear Talk / Re: help choosing a bike

« on: August 07, 2012, 12:46:36 pm »

I disagree with Russ. There are differences between stock and custom bikes just as there are differences between a custom made suit and a suit off the rack; just as there are differences between a Huffy and a Trek. After being happy with my stock bikes, I decided to invest in a custom bike. My last two bikes have been custom (Waterford) and I can tell the difference in the ride and how I feel at the end of the ride. An added benefit is the very noticeable craftsmanship differences. There are some excellent stock bikes and investing in a custom bike is not necessary to enjoy riding, but there are differences, and that is why there is a difference in cost.

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General Discussion / Re: Bike Transportation in Oregon

« on: May 24, 2012, 09:12:11 pm »

Check out Greyhound schedules from Brookings (the most southern city on the Oregon coast) to Portland.

10

Gear Talk / Re: Tire width - 28 too narrow for touring?

« on: May 06, 2012, 08:36:02 am »

I have toured with 25's and with 28's (approximately 85 pounds). On both I have been on gravel, rock, and dirt on some sections of the route. I have never had a problem with handling or with flats (I have had maybe four flats in my touring history). I generally use Continental gatorskin. I like the weight on the 28's and the road feel. Heavier tires, for me, makes it feel like I am peddling through molasses. All of my touring has been in the U.S. If touring in a country where the infrastructure was not as good, then I would likely use larger tires.

11

General Discussion / Re: Touring Across America

« on: April 09, 2012, 09:38:56 am »

I do not believe you will be happy with the available gearing associated with the two bikes you are considering. On a tour you will likely not need the high end that is available and you will most likely want more useable low end gears. As to tires - so long as you are riding on pavement, 25's will work; 28's may provide a better ride ( On my longer tours I have ridden on both, but like the 28s better. I see no need to ride larger tires in the U.S.). You will also want to consider how you will attach any panniers to your bike, assuming you use panniers.

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General Discussion / Re: Method for Bond-Funding Bike Roads

« on: March 14, 2012, 11:50:03 am »

An out-of-the box idea, but I am not able to envision any scenario that would allow this to pencil out. It is difficult enough to have our current roads repaired and maintained, and there is a steady supply of excise taxes. The cost for such an endeavor - land acquisition, legal, construction, maintenance, interest costs on the bonds (a risky venture would require a high interest rate), along with the cash flow that would be required for a bond sinking fund to ensure the bonds could be repaid, would likely overwhelm any expected revenues that could be generated.

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General Discussion / Re: how safe is it to ride in the US?

« on: February 21, 2012, 05:35:08 pm »

In the plus 20 years I have been riding seriously, primarily in the West, I have had maybe six less-than-friendly vehicle encounters, and all but one were, in essence, non-events.

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General Discussion / Re: Which sunscreen?

« on: February 16, 2012, 10:16:12 am »

My dermatologist suggested using Coppertone Sport SPF 50 (he said anything over SPF 30), and using the stick for around the eyes because it doesn't run. I apply once in the morning and reapply once midday. I have never had a problem finding Coppertone when on the road.

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General Discussion / Re: Blatant Anti-Cyclist Comic in Today's Paper

« on: February 09, 2012, 09:09:45 pm »

Just because a community paints a white strip on the side of a road and calls it a bike lane does not mean I will be using that lane. To often that "lane" is the part of the road that has broken and cracked asphalt, unfilled potholes, rocks, broken glass, leaves, and all sorts of stuff that has been pushed to the side of the road into the "bike lane". A car would move over into another lane when faced with a road conditioin that we face, more often than not, in the bike lane. When a communty paints us into a corner, so to speak, and does not keep the condition of the bike lane to the same level of the vehicle lane, forcing the bicyclist into the vehicle lane, then the community is placing the bicyclist at risk from drivers who are angry because we are not in the bike lane. The "cartoon" reflects that anger, and it is a misplaced anger.