Messages

1

Gear Talk / Re: Bike box / carrier

« on: January 15, 2013, 07:09:25 pm »

I don't think so. When I flew to the UK I had a rear rack and I simply undid the rack at the drop outs and pivoted it so that it laid along the seat stays. There's lots of room in the Tardis (duh) so you could easily pack any racks inside the center triangle. I use all my gear and bags for padding around the bike and just carry on my handlebar bag.

2

Gear Talk / Re: Bike box / carrier

« on: January 14, 2013, 03:09:02 pm »

BikeProUSA makes several different travel cases, both hard shell and soft cover.  I've used their tandem case with good results.  Noticed several other manufacturers with a quick interweb search.  None are cheap and you do have the mentioned problem of storing your case (if it's not a disposable) until your return.

With a non padded bag like the Tardis it's easy to fold the bag up and strap it to the back rack, put it in a luggage locker, leave it at your hotel or mail it to yourself at your final destination. You have to use your other gear as padding or improvise with locally sourced cardboard, but you don't have the hassle of dealing with the extra bulk once you're done with the bag.

3

Gear Talk / Re: Bike box / carrier

« on: January 14, 2013, 06:02:03 am »

I've crossed the pond a couple of times with my bike packed into a Ground Effect Tardis

http://www.groundeffect.co.nz/product-detail-tar-bag.htm

How you will be assessed for your baggage will depend on the airline you fly, but I was not charged extra by either IcelandAir or VirginAir. I don't even think they realized I was carrying a bike, just a large bag. You have to do a fair amount of bike disassembly to use the Tardis and because it's soft sided it's best to pack some of your other stuff around it. But it's light and packs down to the size of a big phone book so it's easy to carry, store in a locker or even mail ahead.

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Gear Talk / Re: '13 Trek Madone 2.1

« on: January 13, 2013, 08:37:58 pm »

I was in the same boat with my Specialized Sequoia Elite, front forks are carbon and wheelset not meant to pack that much extra weight (I am doing a week fully self supported).  For my planned summer tour of the Oregon coast I picked up a used BOB trailer on Craigslist, might want to think about this and not have to go so light or carry a backpack.

I don't like the idea of a trailer as they are heavy in themselves, encourage over packing, and can dramatically affect bike handling. The OP is looking to do some credit card touring so frame bags, saddlebags and handle bar bag combinations will probably work without the need for racks or a backpack. The one thing I'd really change on a road bike for lightweight touring would be to get a new 32 spoke wheel set.

5

Gear Talk / Re: '13 Trek Madone 2.1

« on: January 12, 2013, 02:27:24 pm »

Wow i love that rear and front bag options. You gave me hope. Thanks

You might need a seatpost or saddle mounted support if your bike is smaller than 56cm, but there are plenty of those. It's easy to do credit card touring with such a setup and with careful gear choices you can do fully loaded touring too. If you are doing a credit card tour a smaller saddlebag than the Carradice Camper will work just fine.

6

Gear Talk / Re: '13 Trek Madone 2.1

« on: January 11, 2013, 09:14:12 pm »

A seatpost rack and bag will work fine for light touring where you stay in motels.  Or a Carradice bag on the back of the saddle.  Looking at the Trek website, your bike comes with either a compact 34x30 or triple 30x30 low gear.  Good enough for light touring.

If you have sufficient saddle to rear wheel clearance you don't necessarily need a rear rack for a large Carradice saddlebag. I hang a Camper longflap off my saddle and buckle the third strap around the seat post. Combine that with a handlebar bag and you can do fully loaded touring for 20lbs or less, and there is no need for racks at all. And of course there is the bikepacking approach.

http://wheelsofchance.org/2012/12/25/gear-list/

7

Gear Talk / Re: Bike Friday Touring and Travel

« on: January 09, 2013, 09:03:20 am »

Personally I'd give the trailer option a miss. I thing you give up a lot of the convenience of a folding bike if you have to pack it into a hard sided case when you use other transportation. See if you can lighten your load and fit it into a couple of bags on the BF and just pack the BF in a light weight nylon or plastic bag for transit. If you have the convenience of a folding bike, your luggage should also be convenient and as easy to carry as the bike.

8

General Discussion / Re: 2007 Trek Madone 5.0 for touring across the states

« on: January 04, 2013, 09:11:46 pm »

I do feel my bike would be extremely fast on the flats though.

Towing a full load, probably not.

If that "full load" is less than 20lbs you'll go plenty fast. Dont be constrained by the weighty dogma of touring. You can do fully unsupported touring with under 20lbs of gear if you try.

9

General Discussion / Re: 2007 Trek Madone 5.0 for touring across the states

« on: January 04, 2013, 03:48:21 pm »

If you weigh yourself down pulling a trailer you'll definitely want lower than stock Trek Madone gearing, but if you have a compact crank 50/34 (although I'd probably swap the 50 out for something like a 46) and a 12-25 or 12-28 rear cassette and you pack lightly you'll be fine.

Triple cranks and super low gears or trailers are NOT necessary to tour.

staehpj1 has some very detailed posts about how to successfully tour on a road bike, and here is my take on how to do it on a Cervelo RS. Ditch the trailer idea they are heavy and encourage you to take more than you really need. Get a gear list together, carry everything on the bike and pack efficiently.

http://wheelsofchance.org/2012/12/25/gear-list/

10

Gear Talk / Re: Recommend a road, touring bag setup?

« on: January 02, 2013, 11:01:47 pm »

It isn't the only lack of luggage capacity that makes his current bike unsuitable, it's the gearing.  Correcting that will be quite expensive.

I've found that with a lightweight bike and gear load low gearing and eyelets become increasingly unnecessary. The dogma of needing a heavy bike with 20" gearing to carry a heavy load on a tour should be questioned more often.

I currently tour on a Cervelo RS with gearing of 113" to 37", for $200 for a new derailleur and 12/36 cassette I could change that to 104" to 25". It's relatively easy to get gear weight below 20lbs and under 15lbs can be achieved with a bit of effort and the use of unconventional bags like dry sacks. This type of setup is not for everyone, but it is achievable with a little though and careful choice of gear. For full disclosure I'm 51, 190lbs, and an average cyclist and this setup has worked well touring in Western Massachusetts and New Hampshire where there are some reasonable climbs. The total weight of bike and gear is 38lbs and I have everything for 3 season loaded touring on reasonable roads. Here is a detailed list of my gear choices and setup

http://wheelsofchance.org/2012/12/25/gear-list/