Messages

1

General Discussion / Re: Motivation: why ride?

« on: October 07, 2013, 08:30:19 am »

Wow I have the same question for all those overweight, unhealthy lifestyle people pulling up to Cracker Barrel restaurant in their SUV, to choke down their lunch so they can barrel down the interstate oblivious to their surroundings. WHY DO THEY DO IT!

2

General Discussion / Re: Help Victoria Island BC

« on: July 09, 2013, 03:43:26 pm »

Cycled that area with my wife last June and loved every minute of it. Took ferry from Vancouver to Salt Spring Island which I believe is a must see location then ferried over to Vancouver Island landing in Crofton. Cycled south to Victoria which is also a must visit city. On the way south to Victoria make sure you stop in Cowichan Bay. Very scenic with a one of a kind bakery which in of itself is worth the trip! Also when you choose your route into Victoria avoid the highway to the west as it involves mountains and is very challenging. If you follow the eastern coastal route it puts you on the Galloping Goose Bike Trail which is a convienent way to approach Victoria. We then ferried across to Port Angeles headed east and ended in Seattle.

3

Gear Talk / Re: Recommended Long-Sleeve Touring Shirts?

« on: July 07, 2013, 11:35:44 pm »

Tb41, from your post I gather you prefer loose fitting shirts over traditional close fitting cycling shirts. If thats correct I respect you opinion. I too resisted wearing traditional cycling shirts but finally gave in. For me they breathe well have a cooling effect and the rear pockets are indispensable. I typically buy them in a short sleeve and wear arm shades. The advantage is, one set can be worn with any shirt of your choosing. As far as their effectiveness; I live and ride in Florida in 98 degree heat, can not stand sunscreen and don't use it. My Pearl Izumi (white) arm protectors are comfortable and do not feel warm and if anything shade my arms and produce a cooling effect by the process of evaporation. When I go into an establishment I forget I'm even wearing them. I have tried the baggy long sleeve fishing type shirts and I feel the sweat running and the shirt feels sticky and miserable. Do I think I look weird with the skin tight arm protectors? Yes, but they ABSOLUTLEY work. Incidentally m wife wears Canari brand and they work well also. Just be sure and get the light weight sun shades and not heavy black winter arm warmers. Sorry for the shift in topic but I though it may help.

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Gear Talk / Re: Chain Maintenance vs Replacement

« on: July 07, 2013, 11:07:43 pm »

This is turning into a fascinating discussion and there are many variables that contribute to chain wear/life. Many are known but there are probably more unknown. When you start thinking about your particular bike, riding conditions, hills, weather, etc. etc. you begin to see why our individual chain life experiences varies so much. I know inspite of my best efforts I don't seem to get the life out of my chains that others are reporting. In addition I have recently just cleaned my last four chains. (wife and I have two bikes each) I will ride them until they reach their wear limit and then toss them out. As far as lube is concerned I will use just enough to keep them from rusting and squeaking. I HAVE CLEANED MY LAST CHAIN. 

PS: thanks Bogiesan, I think you may be on the mark insofar as your chain lube/cleaning/wear theory.

5

Gear Talk / Re: newbie saddle question

« on: June 22, 2013, 10:29:06 am »

To the uninitiated, saddles may seem to be a small issue but one thing we will all agree on is your comfort and ability to stay in the saddle is paramount. As the above contributors have mentioned there are a host of factors that need to be considered in conjunction whith the fact that we all have different needs, fit and tolerance issues when it comes to our back sides. On a personal note I seem to be immune to most saddle problems while my wife is just the opposit. Again we are all different. Unless you are one of the lucky ones getting your saddle dialed in can be a hassle. It will take time, research and effort which will all pay off. Just remember your individual needs must be addressed as there is no such thing a a perfect saddle for everyone.

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Gear Talk / Chain Maintenance vs Replacement

« on: June 22, 2013, 10:08:44 am »

Unless you really enjoy working on your bike, chain maintenance can be a hassle. Although I enjoy tinkering and routine maintenance, I dread cleaning chains. I know that everyone seems to have a formula that works for them, but they are all time consuming and messy. "I would rather be riding my bike".  No matter what I do I seem to get about 3000 miles out of a chain which involves two cleanings. With my next chain I'm thinking about just running it until it reaches the stretch limit and replacing it. At $25 for a decent SRAM chain that seems to make sense to me. I know there are those of you who are more meticulous that may get two to three times the life out of a chain than I do, But... Is my rational that far off. I'm really curious to see if there are others out there with the same thought.

7

General Discussion / Re: Shipping bike box to final destination

« on: June 14, 2013, 03:16:52 pm »

Nefydog your approach is very practical an inexpensive. I bought cases that are luggage type with built in handles/wheels so I could wheel bikes to and from the airport and assemble/disassemble wherever and at my convience. Also my cases meet the maximum size allowable as checked luggage with no additional charge. My problem and the problem I want others to hopefully avoid is my mistake of thinking you can cheaply ship the cases to your next destination. In the future I probably will only use my cases if my trip begins/ends at the same location, which in and of itself can be very limiting.

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General Discussion / Re: Do I ship stuff to my starting point or buy it there?

« on: June 13, 2013, 03:13:40 pm »

Be very careful using FedEx and UPS. The size of the box can drive up costs as much or more than weight. I had an experience last year when I shipped two bikes from Florida to California via FedEx. They both weighed the same but my LBS gave me one box that was noticably bigger than the other one. That box costs twice as much as the smaller one. I shipped both back to Florida at the end of my tour as freight on Amtrak (while we flew home) and it cost a third of what FedEx cost going over. Transit with Amtrak was a little longer though. What ever you do check and recheck your plan. I personally seem to have a habit of making costly shipping mistakes.

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General Discussion / Re: Shipping bike box to final destination

« on: June 12, 2013, 05:11:51 pm »

Wanted to update interested parties on my unforeseen expenses to ship bike cases to my final destination: Upon delivering my cases, the UPS driver presented an invoice for 87.00 due in reference to import tax. I had no choice but to pay. It seems when my friend shipped the cases from Switzerland to Scotland he failed to check the proper box indicating  the cases were not a commodity subject to an import tax. As an individual who had never shipped anything from one country to another and who was doing a one time favor, it is an understandable oversight. Bottom line; It has now cost me a total of 319.00 dollars to have my cases shipped to the final destination of my tour. AN EXPENSIVE LESSON HAS BEEN LEARNED.

10

General Discussion / Re: Shipping bike box to final destination

« on: June 02, 2013, 03:33:35 am »

Thanks for your response John, in doing further research I have found the following. It will cost about 232.00 US Dollars to ship my 2 boxes. Actually quite a bit of money. There is a cost to pay for leaving expensive bike luggage behind then having it shipped to your final destination.

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General Discussion / Shipping bike box to final destination

« on: June 01, 2013, 02:50:49 am »

I started my tour in Zurich, Switzerland and have drifted north along the Rhine and crossed into UK, I am now in Scotland. I have deciced to fly out of Glasgow to my home in the USA. Having left my bike luggage cases in Zurich I have requested a friend to ship them to another friend in Glasgow. Does anyone know of any potential problems with this shipping scenario. Anyone have firsthand knowledge on best and cost effective shipping.

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Gear Talk / Re: How much does a sleeping bag liner increase warmth?

« on: October 13, 2012, 12:06:35 pm »

Opinions and personal experience vary. As winter is approaching you will have plenty of cool weather to experiment in your back yard with a liner, layering clothing etc. Your personal experience will teach you the most. Don' forget to use your tent as this will add a few degrees warmth. In any event a bag liner is worth the expense as it will not only add warmth but protect your bag from dirt/grime.

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Routes / Re: Outter Banks direction of travel

« on: September 17, 2012, 12:15:20 pm »

Thanks all for the input, looks like I will be going north to south.

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Routes / Outter Banks direction of travel

« on: September 12, 2012, 10:03:17 pm »

Will be doing the section of the Outter Banks between Wilmington and Newport News during the second week of October. As I have family in the area it wil be possible to start from either the north or south. Based on previous experience does anyone have any experience with prevailing wind direction?

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Gear Talk / MKS EZY Peddles

« on: August 19, 2012, 03:46:56 pm »

Looking for comments/recommendations from anyone who has used MKS EZY Peddles. I am interested in using them on my touring bike to ease the process of removing/reinstalling peddles when shipping my bike.