Messages

31

General Discussion / Re: Parking Your Car while Touring

« on: September 28, 2010, 12:52:50 pm »

Thanks for all the great suggestions everyone. A friend of mine had actually recently done the route we're about to do and suggested the QFC (upscale Wal-Mart) right in the town I was hoping to start/finish in. I called the manager and he said that it would be fine, to just let the mgr on weekend duty know so he doesn't have it towed.

Now let's just hope the weather holds... route tops out around 6000 feet.

32

General Discussion / Re: Newbie has pannier capacity question

« on: September 23, 2010, 12:34:48 am »

Just throw my .02 in here, but for quick trips like this (which is what our limited experience entails) my wife and I have been pretty fond of the Tokpeak rack and Trunk bag w/fold out panniers. The rack and bag came to about $135 total and for trips that are just 2-3 days and don't require lots of gear, they're perfect.

We're not going to take them on a Northern Tier or anything like that, but I expect to use it paired with my Burly Nomad for a 9-day tour next spring as well as our 2 nighters this fall.

33

General Discussion / Parking Your Car while Touring

« on: August 06, 2010, 09:10:46 am »

Wife and I are headed out for a few days to do a loop around Mount Rainier. I did the RAMROD ride in 2008 (Ride Around Mt. Rainier in One Day) but the 150 miles and 11,000 feet of elevation gain are too much for my wife to handle (and for me to enjoy at current fitness level) in one day so we're going to take our time and do it over three days.

Question to the group: Where do you leave your car when touring? Responses specific to the Enumclaw, WA area would be wonderful, but general responses are great too. We've only done one mutli-day trip so far and it was easy -- we left our car at a ferry terminal then went island hopping in the San Juans -- but now I'm curious about other ideas. Any suggestions are appreciative.

Oh, and I'll save the inevitable "leave your car at home" reply the trouble and say we definitely plan to do that on a future trip, but we're pressed for time and can't afford the extra day it would require on each end right now. But thanks anyway. 

34

General Discussion / Re: Bike shops in Seattle - the good, the bad and the ugly?

« on: August 03, 2010, 07:26:29 pm »

Sanuk, there has been ample discussion about Seattle area bikeshops on the Evergreen Mtn Bike Alliance (formerly BBTC) listserve and also on the Washington forum page at MTBR.com.

http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/bbtcmembers/

35

Gear Talk / Re: Salsa Fargo - Lemon of the year!

« on: July 08, 2010, 10:29:22 am »

For what it's worth, I bought a 2009 Fargo frame/fork yesterday at an unbeatable price ($375 brand new!). It's very easy to allow a couple of negative accounts convince you to steer clear of a purchase. IThe internet has given us nothing if not the ability to cast doubt into every decision we make in life. Though I appreciate the head's up by the original poster in this thread, I decided to trust the overwhelming positivity expressed in this thread on MTBR.

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=467422&highlight=Salsa+fargo

I intend to take my time building it up over the fall and winter and look forward to using it on a 9-day Olympic Peninsula road/fireroad tour next summer. The speed-wobbles will surely be on my mind when I take it on the first loaded spin down a nearby hill, but I'm going to assume the problem isn't terribly common or won't rear its head for me.

And if it does... buyer beware. At least I know Tim @ salsa will likely be there to help me get it straightened out.

36

General Discussion / Re: How Realistic is 125 miles daily mileage?

« on: May 27, 2010, 07:36:59 am »

You can do it. If you just take your time and don't try to race it, you'll be fine. Spend 7 to 10 hours on the road, unloaded, with your fitness, and you probably can't help but hit at least 110 miles per day, and probably closer to 125 like you're shooting for.

Enjoy!

37

General Discussion / Re: mountain v. road clipless shoes/pedals

« on: May 27, 2010, 07:33:40 am »

Another vote for mountain. I've been running SPD-like cleats (Time ATACs to be exact) for over a decade and can unclip and get my foot down just as fast as as anyone riding platform pedals or toe-clips. Not that I need to often, being able to track-stand for a few seconds buys you some extra time.

There were some really good points made about traction, comfort, and being able to walk around in stores (or on ferries) without looking like a duck. I have the newer Shimano Look-style pedals on one of my bikes and though the shoes are super stiff and really comfortable when pedaling, I wouldn't even consider taking them on a tour.

Just picked up a pair of the Pearl Izumi clipless sneakers and really like them so far. When touring, I don't want to look like I'm part of the spandex mafia or that I'm out for a "workout" and I really liked the blend of casual styling with moderate stiffness in the sole.

38

Gear Talk / Re: Kickstands?

« on: May 07, 2010, 04:02:53 pm »

Thanks everyone. That Click-stand looks like a fine solution, especially since I would otherwise be taking the kickstand on/off depending on usage and that would lead to greater chance of damage to the frame. Think we'll just go without for our trip next week and order up some click-stands when we get back.

39

Gear Talk / Kickstands?

« on: May 07, 2010, 09:57:28 am »

I haven't owned a bike with a kickstand in several decades but my wife and I are setting out for our first multi-day tour around the San Juans next week and I'm starting to think a kickstand might come in handy, especially since my bike will be hooked to a Burly Nomad cargo trailer and I'd rather not have to detach it everytime I want to lay the bike down. Nor do I want to always have to lean it against something, especially if we stop at a cafe for lunch and have to leave it on the sidewalk.

Do most people tour with kickstands? If you installed one after-market, which one? Did it go on well? I'm particularly interested in those that will not mar up the surface of the frame and also be compatible with disc brakes. She's riding a 26" bike and I'm on a 29er (700c). Both mountain bikes with 1.5" touring tires.

Thanks in advance.

40

Gear Talk / Re: Bicycles for off-road riding

« on: April 06, 2010, 11:22:59 am »

Regarding 700c wheels off-road... I've been riding the bigger wheels for mountain biking for 4 years now, including a 7 day 350-mile off-road tour through the Canadian Rockies in BC and a 3-day crossing of the Kokopelli Trail in CO/UT and numerous lengthy day-trips on very rugged singletrack in the Cascades and have not had a single problem with the wheels. In fact, after the first year riding the 29" wheels, I tried to go back to the 26" and just didn't feel safe anymore (mental, I know, but it is what it is). And I love how they maintain momentum through the rollers and on pavement or forest road.

If you get them built good and solid (I have Bontrager Mustang OSB rims) the chance of tacoing one is very slight. I have another 29er with a set of DT swiss wheels that I've been hitting even burlier terrain and doing some 3 to 4 foot drops and big rocky singletrack rides with and the wheels are staying as true as the day I bought the bike. My point is: don't worry about the incredibly slight chance of tacoing a wheel out there. It can happen, sure, but after thousands of miles on singletrack and unpaved roads of all conditions, I can safely say it's not even something I worry about for a split-second.

I currently ride a Moots Mooto-X YBB (1" soft-tail 29er), a Kona Unit-29 (singlespeed 29er), and a Specialized Stumpjumper 29er (full-suspension 29er). In the process of converting the Moots into a touring bike by switching from hydro disc brakes to mechanicals, getting rack eyelets installed, and swapping out the fancy XTR components for something a bit less fragile.

41

Gear Talk / Re: 700/29er tire & tube availability?

« on: March 29, 2010, 11:05:51 am »

Thanks velo. I figure if worse came to worse, I could coach a family member via skype on what to buy and where to ship it from the US if I happened to crack a rim.

42

Gear Talk / 700/29er tire & tube availability?

« on: March 22, 2010, 11:48:06 am »

Forgive me if this question should be on another forum since it's more about international touring than American touring but I know there's a wealth of experience on this board and well...

I've seen a lot of anecdotal information about how much harder it is to find tires/tubes/rims for the larger diameter wheels in the less developed parts of the world and it's really throwing a wrench in my bike-buying decision. I've been an avid mountain biker for over a decade and switched several years ago to the 29er wheels and have no intention of going back to 26-inch wheels for mountain biking, but my wife and I are also planning a lengthy cycling tour through Morocco and over to Turkey. I'm planning on using fully-rigid mountain bikes (the Novarra Safari most likely) but I'm concerned about the 29er tires that come with the larger sizes. On the one hand, that's what I prefer and I don't mind taking a chance and risking having to have something shipped in while I wait for a repair if the odds are 50/50 of finding a shop with something usable on hand, but are the odds even that high?

For those who have had to deal with repairs in Morocco and/or Turkey (or nearby Greece for that matter), have you ever noticed 29er tires or tubes available?

Most touring bikes seem to come with 700 tires -- are people only using these in first-world countries like USA/Canada and western Europe? Has anyone taken a 700/29er (sometimes called a 28") to the less-developed countries with success?

Thanks for any help you can offer.

43

Routes / Re: Planning my first bike tour

« on: March 21, 2010, 11:04:26 pm »

Just as any FYI: the Snoqualmie Pass Tunnel that the Ironhorse Trail goes through on your way from Cle Elum down towards North Bend, WA is currently closed indefinitely due to maintenance concerns. It may be open this summer, but we're not counting on it. You will want to exit the Ironhorse Trail at Hyak (you'll see Lake Keecheelus on your right just before the tunnel) then you can head down the frontage roads past the ski resort (on your left) and cross under I-90 to the north side of the highway and descend the Forest Service road past Franklin Falls and campgrounds. You'll need to take some forest roads down on either side of I-90 to the McClellan Butte trailhead and join back up with the Ironhorse Trail at that point. Check your maps for details.

44

Routes / Re: Crooked Road route

« on: March 17, 2010, 05:44:00 pm »

Depending on what kind of bike you're riding, might be worth slapping on a little wider tire and connecting this route with the Virginia Creeper Trail. It's just a 35 mile rail-trail, but it goes through some beautiful scenery. I'm sure the local roads do too, but this might get you even closer to nature.

http://vacreepertrail.com/

45

Gear Talk / Re: suspension seat post...

« on: March 17, 2010, 03:44:28 pm »

I'm quite late to this thread, but I've got some experience in long days on the mtn bike. Years ago I had success softening the ride of an old Klein aluminum hardtail with the Cane Creek Thudbuster seatpost. It's a bit heavier than the other options at that time (about 9 years ago) but I found it really made a difference.

Nowadays, for long off-road rides, I absolutely love having a 29er softail. Specifically, the Mooto-X YBB. I think you'll find that just moving to the 29er tires will add some cushion and ease things up, but that 1" of flex afforded by the YBB really helps ward off the back ache. Now, I'm not that old (YET!) but this bike helped keep me feeling pretty loose all the way through a 24-hour solo event mostly on singletrack.

Salsa also makes a 29er softail as well, but I've heard some guys in the 190+ weight range comment that it didn't feel as solid as they would have liked YMMV. Good luck!