Messages

706

Gear Talk / Re: What is a good weight for a tent?

« on: January 02, 2011, 03:44:16 pm »

A good weight for a tent is zero.

Six pounds for a one-person tent is, in my opinion, very heavy. At $285, this is no bargain either.

There are a lot of one-person tents you can find for around 3 to 4 pounds, and a lot of two-person tents for around 4 to 5 pounds. Many people prefer a two-person tent for solo camping. A one-person tent can get quite claustrophobic.

Do you need a four-season tent? If so, you will have to compromise some on both weight and price over a three-season tent. Most cyclotourists use a three-season tent.

707

General Discussion / Re: need tips for first tour

« on: December 31, 2010, 03:57:46 pm »

Shipping your bike to the motel where you will spend your first night is very common. Be sure to talk with them first, of course. You can also ship your bike to most bike shops for a fee. Also consult Warm Showers to see if there are any hosts at your starting point willing to take delivery and hold it for you. ACA maps also list bike-friendly churches and other bike-friendly businesses who may be willing to take delivery.

Reading forums like this one and forums and journals over at crazyguyonabike.com is an excellent way to know what to expect on tour and how common problems are solved.

708

General Discussion / Re: Serious back/rump problems

« on: December 31, 2010, 03:53:44 pm »

If you have recently begun riding or increased your mileage, there's a pretty good chance this will resolve itself. Most new riders experience these pains for the first few weeks or months.

In addition to stretching, strengthing your core can also help ease the transition. The other important thing to do is to visit a bike shop and have them make sure your bike fits you. They will likely charge for this service, but it's worth it.

If the problem persists, visit a sports medicine clinic in your area for help.

709

Routes / Re: newbie needing advice

« on: December 31, 2010, 12:56:38 pm »

Just a point of ACA terminology to avoid confusion. The "TransAmerica" and the "Northern Tier" are two separate routes. If you are doing part of the "Northern Tier," you are not on the "TransAmerica."

You'll have a blast. There's very little you need to know. Just go.

710

General Discussion / Re: re-entering cycling

« on: December 22, 2010, 10:08:41 pm »

Ride outside as much as possible, including any of the nicer days in the winter. Ride hills if any are available in your area. Slowly build up your weekly mileage through the summer, and then don't lose your conditioning over next winter. Try to ride every day, but don't force it. If you're beat, take a day off. Make sure your bike fits you. If you start having knee or other joint problems, get a professional fitting.

Start collecting your gear. Read touring journals and forums to learn what you need. Start taking your gear along on some of your training rides. Try to take a simple overnight trip sometime this summer, and a week-long trip some other time between now and your big trip.

711

Gear Talk / Re: Biking Shorts/Pants

« on: December 20, 2010, 12:02:18 pm »

Threads wander. You cannot stop it and it's not necessarily bad. Just go with the flow. Once you get to page 2 of a thread, most people don't even remember what the original question was. Use what you can and ignore the rest. No one person owns a thread.

712

General Discussion / Re: West Nile anyone?

« on: December 20, 2010, 10:54:02 am »

There have been 979 reported cases of WNV in the U.S. in 2010, and 43 deaths. These are not big numbers. WNV is fairly easy to prevent with simple precautions (use DEET, don't handle dead birds). 80% of those who contract WNV show no symptoms at all. You should worry about it to the extent that you take precautions, but it shouldn't restrict your activities.

713

General Discussion / Re: Fundraising bike ride

« on: December 17, 2010, 02:22:31 pm »

If I am not mistaken, there was an older forum thread on this topic.

Dozens of them.

714

Cycling Events / Re: Help for training for Paris-Roubaix the 9 april 2010

« on: December 17, 2010, 01:56:05 pm »

The Paris-Roubaix Sportive is on 9 April, 2011. In the words of the immortal Eddy Merckx, ride lots. This race is not recommended for novices. You'll need to be in top form. Start riding today. Work up quickly to at least 200 miles (320 km) per week, and try to include some cobbles. You can do it with less, of course, but you'll want to be in good shape if you want to have fun.

The Cyclesportive is shorter than the pro race and is run the day before. The Sportive covers a little over half of the pro course (147 km vs. 259 km). The Sportive has 32 km of cobbles in 18 sections.

715

Gear Talk / Re: Panniers

« on: December 12, 2010, 09:18:45 pm »

Arkels and Ortliebs are generally the best regarded panniers. But there are many other fine panniers that will serve. It depends on what your needs are, and what your preferences are. Almost every pannier on the market is the right one for somebody. Some people like pockets. Some like totally waterproof. Some like value and will trade off a few things to get it. Everybody has different preferences, but nobody can make the decision for you.

I have Ortliebs and like them, but they may or may not be right for you. It sounds like you're a value man, so you'll probably be happier with something else. As is true with much gear, you have to pay twice as much to get something 25% better, so the value proposition at the high end isn't quite as good. If you're going to use something a few times, the middle-range gear is usually best, but if you're going to be using something a few hundred times, the high-end gear may be better.

716

Routes / Re: Wyoming and Colorado routing?

« on: December 08, 2010, 09:30:42 am »

You can do it (i.e., take the 14/40 route from Walden to Kremmling), and I've done it, but the traffic gets heavier every year there. The other route (125/40) is 20 miles longer, but has more services (although still not plentiful), more campgrounds, is prettier, has less traffic, and is safer.

717

Routes / Re: Wyoming and Colorado routing?

« on: December 06, 2010, 11:04:15 am »

Oh, and I agree with Valygrl that, once you get to Frisco, take the bike path to Copper Mountain, and then over Fremont Pass to Leadville, then down to Buena Vista, over Cottonwood Pass and on to Gunnison. If you want some more mountains and a longer route, and maybe you want to visit Vail, then, from Copper Mountain, take Vail Pass to Vail and then Tennessee Pass to Leadville. That's the other two legs of the "Copper Triangle" instead of the third leg over Fremont Pass. You can go almost all the way from Frisco to Vail without ever getting on a road that permits cars.

This route misses Hoosier Pass, but it also avoids the okay-but-not-great route from Fairplay to Buena Vista.

The dirt part of Cottonwood Pass, in the direction you're going, will be on the downhill side (right after you summit the pass). It's usually in pretty good shape, but you're going to want to take it easy going down (I prefer dirt to be on my uphills). I don't know when you're going, but check to see that it's open. It often doesn't open until late June.

718

Routes / Re: Wyoming and Colorado routing?

« on: December 06, 2010, 10:43:32 am »

Do not take 14 to 40 between Walden and Kremmling (your #1). That was previously on the TransAm, but they changed the route (and the ACA does not change the TA lightly) to use 125 instead. The new route using 125, over Willow Creek Pass, is 20 miles longer (to Kremmling on your #3), but well worth it. ACA abandoned the old route using 40 north of Kremmling because increasing traffic had made it dangerous (even though highway 14 is nice, but open grassland as previously mentioned). The new route to Kremmling goes through Hot Sulphur Springs which has a free campground next to the (not-free) hot springs (which are really nice).

So I'd vote for #3, with #2 my second choice, and I'd avoid #1.

719

Routes / Re: Wyoming and Colorado routing?

« on: December 05, 2010, 06:18:51 pm »

One good way to pick routes in Colorado is to look at the routes used by Ride The Rockies for the past 25 years. They've pretty much used every safe and scenic cycling road in the state.

http://www.ridetherockies.com/about-us/history/

They've stopped in Salida 12 times in those years, and they've never ridden between Salida and Fairplay. That does tend to tell you something. Buf you can ride from Fairplay to Buena Vista and over Cottonwood Pass (15 miles of dirt, but pretty-good dirt) and on to Gunnison.

You'll see quite a few routes using Carbondale to Hotchkill to Gunnison. RTR doesn't go through Lake City much.

720

General Discussion / Re: Funny......but not so much fun.

« on: December 03, 2010, 10:12:12 pm »

Wind makes your eyes water. The fluid is drained away by your tear ducts into your sinuses. Hence, your sinuses run when riding.