Messages

1

Gear Talk / Re: Efficient Lightweight Stove

« on: December 27, 2012, 01:37:04 pm »

i'll cast a vote for the coleman 442. perhaps a bit bulkier than others, but the multi-fuel feature really does come in handy; you can get unleaded gas ANYWHERE.  the stove plus a refill bottle always kept me in my morning coffee and eve dinner.

2

Routes / Re: USA Corner to Corner

« on: December 27, 2012, 01:28:34 pm »

greetings:
i did a corner-to-corner in 2010, from naples, FL to astoria OR. rode the southern tier to the underground RR, then connected to the TA, and finally the lewis and clark from missoula to astoria.  from april 1 to jun 24.  winds from all directions, but very nasty in the face in wyoming and along the columbia river gorge in WA.  encounterd NO bugs along this route during this time period.  4600 miles in 78 riding days. about 60 /day avg.

3

Connecting ACA Routes / Re: Starting the Southern Tier in Daytona Beach

« on: March 21, 2011, 09:33:30 am »

i started cross country from cape canaveral last april after the shuttle launch. my plan was to track north to gainsville, and connect with the ST there.  while stopping over in disneyworld, my brother in law and i mapped out an alternate route: i continued west closer to the gulf coast to and hugged the coast till i reached pensacaola, and conncted thr ST there. but only as far as gulf shores, AL, where i connected with the underground railroad north.   really enjoyed the gulf coast route; quiet, nice roads close to the coast.  consider that as an option to connect to the ST....

4

Gear Talk / Re: 2002 Trek 520 - NEW

« on: March 16, 2010, 11:19:07 am »

I just looked at it on Trek's website and I see they're still using 9-speed, which I like because 9-speed chains and cassettes are far cheaper and last longer than than 10-speed.

They are probably using 9-speed because the largest cog Shimano offers on their 10-speed cassettes is a 28T.  To get the more common touring large cog of 32 or 34T you have to use an MTB cassette and they are only available in 9-speed.   

this info is not correct.  my 09 cannondale T1 has a 10 speed setup: 50/39/30, 11x32.  now, i did find that the 10-speed setup does NOT allow for gear down-sizing; in order to get lower gears, i would have had to replace the entire drive-train.  ended up just going for another bike, the trek 520 !!  9-speed, 48/36/26, 11X32 MTB setup.

5

General Discussion / Re: Recovering from Cervical Disc surgery

« on: March 16, 2010, 08:37:01 am »

I recently had surgery to repair a herniated disc in my neck (C5-6) and am wondering about other cyclists' recovery experiences with such a procedure.  How long before you were back on your bike, how long did it take you to recovery and feel 100%.  Do you have any tips or advice for getting back on and in solid riding form?  Certainly there are a lot of variables, I'm just looking for broad strokes.  Thanks.

interesting. i had the same issue a year ago. ruptured disc at C5-C6. had a cervical laminectomy on 3/12/09. walking only for 6 weeks after.  added easy cycling (mostly on the trainer, but some gentle outdoor stuff) for another 6 weeks.  also added walking LOTS of stairs during the 2nd 6 weeks. at 12 weeks, was 100% and cleared to begin my ironman training program. been 100% since, never looked back. was the nastiest, most painful inujury i ever had.

my advice would be to follow a similar recovery plan. LOTS of walking, working up to speed walking and stair climbing to begin with. the problem with cycling too soon is that when you are in the drops or aerobars, your head will be tilted up and this is a no-no for your injury recovery. start out easy and by 12 weeks, you ought to be feeling pretty good. everyone is different. but that's how it went for me.  good luck !!

6

Gear Talk / Ortlieb Dry Bag

« on: December 31, 2008, 09:45:34 am »

here's one:

i just ordered/received an Ortlieb duffle (medium size) with the intention of packing my sleeping bag (big agnes encampment 15 - synthetic), pad (thermarest) and tent (rei lightning).  what i had hoped to do was keep the pad and bag integrated so that i could expedite setting up/ breaking camp.  in looking to see how the tent, bag and pad would fit into the ortlieb duffle, it was clear that i could not compress the bag/pad small enough to fit with the tent; matter of fact, the bag/pad were a good fit alone in the ortlieb.

i suppose before swapping the ortlieb medium for a large, i was wondering if anyone had any practical thoughts on how to conveniently pack the bag and pad.  i see some of the posts on here suggest (and logically so) to pack the tent separately from the sleeping bag.  this may be my option, but other thoughts are welcome.  thanks.