Messages

496

Gear Talk / How to Adjust Your Rear Derailluer

« on: September 23, 2008, 09:13:41 am »

I would agree that a little more is needed about cable housings.  You do need to replace it sometimes, and cutting it is not a trivial task.  For the record, I use a Dremel tool with a metal cutting blade.  It cuts fast, easily, and neatly.

Danno

497

Gear Talk / Ortlieb Dry Bag

« on: September 22, 2008, 09:36:11 am »

If you have a trailer with one bag, your wet tent presents a problem.   I might trash bag what I want to keep dry and not bother with a large waterproof bag.  I would be concerned about UV damage if you carry the tent on top.  Even getting the tent sack damaged by UV can be a pain in the butt.

I use panniers, and I designate one large rear bag as being stuff that I don't care if it gets wet.  Into this bag goes my tent, ground cloth, bike cover, Thermarest pad, and camp sandals.  Once I am in camp, and set up the tent, and the Themarest can be placed somewhere to dry off.  Michigan has morning dew, so your tent will almost always be wet when you pack it up.  And yes, the tent needs to be set up when you get home so you can pack it up dry.

Danno

Danno

498

Gear Talk / mtb shoes

« on: September 22, 2008, 09:14:26 am »

I do not use egg beater pedals.  

There have been semi passionate debates over how much float is really needed.  My position is that if your shoes are done right (proper cleat position, proper foot beds if you need them, cleat wedges if you need one), that you don't need float.  So I would never use an egg beater pedal on a road bike.  I might use them on my mountain bike if clearing mud was an issue.

I run SPD-like mountain pedals on all of my bikes.  I find Shimano's SPD road pedals ill concieved.  I use a single release SPD cleat on my pristine SPD compatible shoes  designated for the road bikes.  I use a multiple release SPD cleat on my grungier shoes designated for the mountain bike.  Someday I will retire the current bike mountain bike shoes and reassign the current road bike shoes to mountain biking.  Then I will buy a new set of SPD shoes for road biking.

That is my system.  Your free to come up with your system.

Danno



Danno

499

Gear Talk / Equipment Qestions For A New Guy

« on: September 09, 2008, 10:16:20 am »

I had a Bianchi Volpe, and I don't think you will have any problems with it.  Depending on how much climbing you expect to do, you might want to get your like bike shop to swap out the crank, derailleurs, and rear cluster for LX.

Since you are looking at a Volpe, you are most of the way to touring with panniers.  On road, I prefer to tour with panniers, off road, I prefer to tour with a trailer.

As I have gotten older, I have become less hard core.  At my most extreme, I did not like to ride in sub 30F weather as my facial hair would freeze and do painful things.  It is your call, but how about doing weight training on those cold days?

You will want booties if it is under 40F.  Get yourself a silk or synthetic balaclava too (fleece is overkill).

Good luck.

Danno

500

Gear Talk / MTB tires

« on: August 12, 2008, 09:35:42 am »

Try visiting your local bike shop and see what they have in inventory.  Any smoother (as opposed to nobbier) tire should meet your need.  

I think a Schwalbe Marathon XR comes in sizes for a 26 inch mountain bike tire.  You would probably have to special order it.

Danno

501

Gear Talk / Clipless w/float and platform please

« on: August 19, 2008, 09:52:19 am »

A foot bed is that insert that goes into your shoes.   Most bike shoes have pretty pathetic foot beds.  Some bike shoes run pretty narrow, so maybe that is the manufacturers way to make volume for bigger feet.

If you live in SE Michigan, I can recommend a good orthotist.  You meet for an examination, they watch how you walk, they take impressions of your feet.  Ultimately they make a foot bed or insert for you.  My orthotist likes to make 3/4 composite inserts.  These won't fit in my bike shoes, which is why I had him modify an off the shelf foot bed.  

Actually you might try an off the shelf foot bed.  Super Feet are pretty good and available from REI.  

You might also look into cleat cants (wedged shims) from Greg Lemond.  Your correction might be very close already, and only need a slight canting of your cleats.  The retailing bike shop is supposed to be able to measure you feet and tell you how much of a cant you need.  Greg Lemond sell the instruments as well as the shims.  You could check out his web site for more information.  I needed 5 layers of shims which is why I looked into foot beds.  

Your higher cadence is not at fault. We all pedal at a high enough cadence that we can suffer from repetitive strain injuries.

Danno

502

Gear Talk / Clipless w/float and platform please

« on: August 15, 2008, 10:01:20 am »

I mispoke, but I still have the same conclusion.

No, pidgeon-toed is not what I need, but it's what happens if I have float, and it hurts my knees.  I need to ride the other way (heels in, toes out); and when the cleats hold my feet this way, the pressure I put on the sole of the shoe is rather even left to right, without wedges.

When your feet a properly supported, you should be able to ride a complete power stroke with your feet parallel to the crank.  I will grant you one exception.  

I have flat feet, and my feet never saw a corrected foot bed until my late 30's.  My calves come out from my knees at a funky angle.  So I will concede that environment may produce feet that defy a corrective foot bed.

I used to ride with my heels in (duck?).  Once I hit 40, I had also sorts of orthopedic issues that youth had masked.  When I had knee pain it was due to one of two problems:
[list=1]

• too slow cadence (too much knee strain)
• Poor foot alignment (correctable with foot beds)

For me with my flat feet, I don't need much of an arch, but I do need a canted foot bed.  My full custom foot beds are too big for my bike shoes.  I got the othotist (aka the foot bed guy), to laminate foam rubber onto an off the shelf foot bed and mill it to the proper angle.  He charges me $40, and all I have to do is leave the shoes and foot bed with him for a day or two.

I am sure that you can do something similar in your neighborhood.

Danno

503

Gear Talk / Clipless w/float and platform please

« on: August 14, 2008, 10:24:49 am »

Setting up shoe cleats is not supposed to be that hard.
The cleat is perpendicular to a line running through the ball of foot.  The cleat is also aligned with the center of the shoe.  If you need to ride with pigeon toe then you have a foot bed issue.  Fine tweaks are possible after that with cleat wedges.

Danno

504

Gear Talk / Clipless w/float and platform please

« on: August 07, 2008, 02:28:56 pm »

I think float is generally overrated.  You probably need a superior footbed in your shoes.  When you the foot is properly aligned, your foot will be parallel to the frame, and you won't need any float.

Look into custom footbeds.  I already had them, but they would not fit in my shoes.  My orthotist (AKA the foot bed guy) modified two pairs of SuperFeet off the shelf foot beds ($40 to modify each footbed) and they work pretty good.  Greg Lemond sell thin wedges that you can use to can't your cleats.  Pre footbeds, I had some massive number of wedges stacked up .  Now I only have one thin wedge under the right cleat only.

Danno

505

Gear Talk / Search for new Rain Jacket

« on: August 04, 2008, 10:46:11 am »

The trick in touring, is to make each item you take serve multiple functions.  That said, I think if the temperature range was cold enough, you could justify taking rain pants.  The rain pants could also be your in camp pants you wore after you stopped riding.  

I probably would not bother with coated nylon low end rain pants.  But if I felt I needed pants to wear in camp, why not make them serve double duty as rain pants.

Danno

506

Gear Talk / Search for new Rain Jacket

« on: July 31, 2008, 01:23:14 pm »

I have an MEC Bernouli Gortex Rain Jacket.  It might be two heavy on a 90F day, but have worn it on a rainy 80F day, and a lot cooler.  Looks like it is out of production.  MEC (www.mec.ca), looks to have replaced it with the Woosh Jacket (75-denier polyester laminated to a waterproof-breathable Entrant® EV non-porous membrane with a nylon tricot backer).  It has the same look and ventilation features of my jacket.

MEC makes pretty good stuff.  Yes getting it shipped across the border is a hassle, and the exchange rate used to be better.  I have had good luck with everything that I ever bought from them, including my panniers.

You can get by down to 55F with the jacket and just tights.  Below that and you might need rain pants too.

Danno

507

Gear Talk / Anyone build a bike with two rear wheels?

« on: July 28, 2008, 10:55:36 am »

I took the weekend off, looks like I missed some good content.

I went for tandem wheels for two reasons.  

[list=1]

• I wanted a non-dished rear wheel for strenth
• I wanted the beefer (stronger) tandem wheels as I am commited to panniers.

I suppose that would have made me a candidate for a Co-Motion, but I wanted a lugged frame.  You always hear, buy a steel bike as you can find a tig welder anywhere.  There might be tig welders everywhere, but how many of them are experienced at welding thin walled  exotic tubing?  I felt I might be more likely to find someone who could braise.  But if truth be told, I got a lugged frame for the beauty of the frame.

My dealer wanted to build the bike up with Shimano hubs.  I have had a good personal history with Shimano hubs, but a friend of mine has had a terrible time with the little rubber booties (they use to protect the cones) rotting with UV exposure.  Shimano is not real good at providing spare parts for anything more than a year old.  I would have like to get Phil Wood hubs, they were too expensive, and that is how I settled for White hubs.

If you are bound and determined to use a trailer, I think there is an argument for standardizing on one common tire for everything.  Having interchangeable wheels seems like overkill.  But having to carry extra tubes and tires because you trailer uses a different wheel size, is a burden.


Danno

508

Gear Talk / Anyone build a bike with two rear wheels?

« on: July 24, 2008, 10:41:32 am »

I just finished having my adventure bike built by Waterford.  I had my bike built to accept a tandem wheel set, which meant 140mm rear spacing.  Like you, I did not want any dishing on the rear wheel.  I have to confess that I did not think you could make a rear wheel, non-dished, with 130mm spacing.

I have to carry spare spokes for the front and the rear as the lengths are slightly different, but spokes do not take much room.

I like panniers for on road, and trailer for off road as pannier would make the bike too wide.  

I don't know much about American Classic hubs.  It looks like they have loose bearings.  I chose a White Industries Daisy hub as the cartridge bearing are pretty bomb proof and low maintenance.  My wheel set is pretty rugged, so I don't worry about reliability.  I am OK with the fact that I can't ride with a spare wheel because I can't image how I would taco a wheel.

It sounds like you are concerned about ruggedness.  Maybe mountain bike hubs and 26" wheels would make more sense?

Where are you going that you need that kind of ruggedness?

Danno

509

Gear Talk / Trailer or panniers

« on: July 10, 2008, 04:11:47 pm »

I have done both.  I prefer a trailer off road and panniers on road.  BOB trailers tend to bounce, and this can be a little scary at the higher speeds found on a road tour.  I would expect any other trailer based on a small wheel to behave similarly.  BOB trailers may also use your rear derailler as lever to bend the lug your derailler is screwed into.  It is managable if you know that it can happen and are careful.  Just look at the clearances.

For me, the burden of pulling a trailer versus a heavier bike was a wash.  I suppose that the extra weight could cause your frame to flex, but that is something that you would have to check personally.

I cannot speak for your trike would behave.

I once did a road tour where we averaged 80 miles a day.  I felt that I missed out on enjoying the ride and that a shorter daily target would have been better.  Your decision though.  You will ride a lot slower loaded than unloaded.  

Danno

510

Gear Talk / Communications on tour

« on: June 24, 2008, 10:27:51 am »

My experience is with mountain biking and cross country skiing.  FRS is in theory 2 miles, but besides hills, some vegetation will dampen your signal.  Most of the time, you can count on a mile.  I also moved up to GMRS, which is a lot of the same frequencies, only you can run with more power and a more efficient antenna.  This was a nominal improvement for me.  

I stopped pursuing this when cell phones became cheap and reliable.  All you need is good line of site to the tower.  Have you considered using cell phones?  They work most of the time.  

I did part of the continental divide in Colorado, and there was no meaningful cell phone coverage there.  So yes, a cell phone is not a universal solution.  Maybe a combination of cell phones and FRS radios would work for you.

I ran experiments on other frequency radios.  Don't waste you time on the CB band as you cannot carry a long enough antenna.  I also thought about short wave, but again you need an FCC license and are dependent on  whatever repeaters are available.  So GMRS is the way to go if you want a step up from FRS.

Danno