Messages

1

Gear Talk / Re: Saddle bags versus trailer in tow: Which is better for a cross country trip?

« on: March 31, 2013, 03:07:39 am »

Hi  We use either panniers or Burley Nomad two wheel trailers. To determine the difference if any between the two fully loaded, we decided to test the two with a  mapped out a 32 mile route with hills and level roads. All conditions the same we did not find a any difference between the two modes of load hauling with speeds and times.
We personally met a Aussie woman who was thrown off her bike into a side road ditch and laid there unconscious for several hours until somebody diving by spotted her, her Bob one wheel trailer lost control downhill and whipped her right off her bike.
Two wheel trailers can provide table space with the optional rack attached and conjuring up a plastic sign board to place on top.
Cara

2

Gear Talk / Re: Frame Saver or T-9?

« on: September 15, 2012, 08:33:24 pm »

   I use LPS on my steel frames. I think any of the above products are better than nothing at all.
Cara

3

Gear Talk / Re: Surly and Jeff Jones H-Bars

« on: September 15, 2012, 08:23:37 pm »

Hi
My spouse and I did the TA with the H-Bars and loved them. We didn't use the actual Jones bar instead we used the HiTek
version. Jones licensed them to use, so they were much cheaper. I've been looking for another pair but unable to find the Hi-Tek's anywhere I'm wondering whether they are still making them. I'm sure JJ is still fabricating them .
   We paired the bars with Ergon grips which really helped with the occasional numb hands problem.
Cara

4

Routes / Re: Pittsburgh to Washington, DC

« on: March 20, 2012, 02:09:33 am »

They just opened up a new trail extension from Pittsburgh Airport to the main trail.

5

Gear Talk / Re: cargo trailers

« on: November 27, 2011, 11:39:35 pm »

The women who crashed in the ditch unconscious for two hours was probably 130 pounds. On her second attempt she put loaded front panniers on and that seemed to correct the problem. Bike geometry in relation to the weght is critical.


One if the delights of touring with our Nomads is using the extra rack for luggage as a table top for preparing foods Ususally we can find abandoned coraplast signs ready to be
to be repurposed into a table for for food prep and cooking.
James2u

6

Gear Talk / Re: cargo trailers

« on: October 15, 2011, 03:56:09 pm »

Please be very careful if you decide on a one wheel Bob. If they are not loaded correctly they can cause your bike to completely lose control
at the most inopportune time, downhill.
On our last TA tour we met an Aussie gal that had that very thing happen to her on a downhill. She was unconscious for two hours down in a drainage ditch until someone found her. She had to fly home to convalesce for two months before she could continue her tour. She was East to West and the accident happened the first week or so of her trip.
     
   I have over 10,000 miles on my Burley Nomad two wheel trailer and never any control or tipping issues and never once concerned myself with weight distribution. Having said that if I was ever to to do off road single track touring I wouldn't hesitate to use a Bob Yak.
James

7

Gear Talk / Re: 9 Speed barcon indexing issues with XT/XTR rear derailleurs?

« on: April 08, 2011, 02:06:04 am »

If you contact Shimano Tech Support they will tell you that Durace barcon index shifters are only compatible with
road derailleurs such as Ultegra and Durace.  They advise converting to non-indexing. I have successfully dialed in Durace barcons on XT derailleurs, i guess I was lucky!
James

8

Routes / Re: Good news about CA coast!

« on: March 30, 2011, 08:59:42 pm »

  In 2006 we took detour around Devils Slide, a fire road/singletrack through the hills and back onto HWY.1. The route was popular with the locals and much preferred than the alternate at the time. The local bike shop directed us to the trail head. http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=RrzKj&page_id=34028&v=4F
James

9

General Discussion / Re: Cross Country Trip: Money, What To Do?

« on: March 30, 2011, 01:17:08 pm »

   On our most recent cross country trip we tried travelers checks instead of the ATM card. The rationale was we could better discipline ourselves to stay inside of our budget and know when we were exceeding it. It pretty much worked
most of the time as long as we planned a little ahead and got cash when it was available. The only real headache using travelers checks was getting through the learning curve with younger cashiers about this archaic means of payment, more times than not a manager had to be called over to determine whether they could be accepted.
     Unless you free camp and eat Ramen and oatmeal everyday then you'll need more than 10 to 15$ a day. We noticed a big spike in food prices from our '08 and '10 tours, and they are still on the increase. On our '10 Trans Am tour we budgeted $40 a day for the two of us and that was almost exclusively using grocery stores and mini marts. If we were going this summer I'm afraid we would have raise it to $45 or more.
James

     

     

10

Gear Talk / Re: How accessible is propane on the TA Trail/good stove?

« on: January 24, 2011, 07:43:38 am »

Since our original TA trip in 2005 and our most recent TA in 2010 we've noticed a notable increase in propane availability. Preferring the quick cooking of propane we carried along a backup Whisperlite in case we ran out of propane but we never had to use it. With a little planning and back up the small propane canisters on the TA are doable.
James

11

Gear Talk / Re: Bike w/panniers Or BOB IBEX Trailer

« on: January 23, 2011, 03:05:52 pm »

Sorry, about the missing link, here it is:http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=RrzKj&page_id=164475&v=7phttp://

12

Gear Talk / Re: Bike w/panniers Or BOB IBEX Trailer

« on: January 11, 2011, 04:39:35 pm »

O.K.  Here's a link of someone we met on our last tour who laid unconscious for two hours in a ditch because her BOB trailer whipped her bike out of control. Fortunately a passerby found her. Her Trans Am trip was way-laid for months.
James

13

General Discussion / Re: Brooks saddle: keeping it dry

« on: January 11, 2011, 04:29:46 pm »

   We always carry our saddle covers on tour and stop to cover them up when the slightest rain commences. On my last tour my Brooks brand saddle cover had a small hole in it which allowed rain water to leak through during an overnight storm. Without realizing the saddle was soaked I got on and rode for forty miles before I noticed my saddle had stretched out to the point where it was ruined. After that experience I now use after market covers instead.
James

14

General Discussion / Re: need tips for first tour

« on: January 09, 2011, 12:30:36 pm »

Get a Fedex account and receive a discount on your shipping costs, also you can have your freight shipped to a Fedex store where you can take delivery, saves having to book a motel room. Some Fedex locations do not do this so check with the individual stores to make sure.

In addition with a Fedex account you can leave a parcel you want to ship home and leave it at a business, call Fedex and request a pickup from that location.
James

15

Gear Talk / Re: Bike w/panniers Or BOB IBEX Trailer

« on: January 09, 2011, 12:20:35 pm »

Bob trailers can be very dangerous if not correctly loaded. I have read and met people who came close to getting killed when there Bob's became uncontrollable going down fast hills. This issue is usually left out of the great pannier vs. trailer debate.

Have toured extensively with Burley two wheel and panniers. If you compare four loaded panniers to a trailer the physics are the same when it comes to getting up a hill. The disadvantage to trailers is the possibility of mechanical problems. The advantages are easier to pack in the morning and quick detachment of the load from the bike.
James