Messages

1

Gear Talk / Re: Question about something.

« on: March 05, 2010, 07:55:19 pm »

Thanks all for the info.

2

Gear Talk / Re: cold feet! Recommendations?

« on: March 05, 2010, 12:54:16 pm »

Heat up your feet before putting on the boots and going out, get the blood flowing into them. I used to work in freezing temps and that always worked for me. Use the real wool socks, not the blends. Blends never keep me warm. They may be itchy, but its worth it.

3

Gear Talk / Re: Mitts or Gloves for extreme cold

« on: March 05, 2010, 12:48:29 pm »

I guess it kinda depends on the person. Me, a light pair of polertech gloves inside some thick wool mittens. Always keeps my fingers warm, and if I need to take the mittens off I don't freeze my fingers because of the fleece gloves. I'm not much for brands though, can never remember the names.

4

Gear Talk / Question about something.

« on: March 05, 2010, 12:41:03 pm »

What is the average screw/bolt size for a bike. I bought a rear rack and it came with neither screws, nor clamps. So now I'm kinda stuck wishing I had bought the seat post rack. So, if anybody could give me a rough estimate I'll try and figure out how to attach this thing to my bike. As it didn't come with instructions either. And I'm hardware challenged. This is gonna be interesting. Late '90s Raliegh MTN Bike is what I have btw. Thank you much!

5

Gear Talk / Re: Inexpensive Touring Gear

« on: April 15, 2009, 10:12:52 pm »

You could always DIY. Simple, green, and extremly cheap. Check out this website, www.instructables.com They have a lot of good DIY projects instructing you how to build stuff, some things including panniers, trailers, camping gear, even bikes.

6

General Discussion / Re: Living on my bike

« on: March 04, 2009, 11:55:01 pm »

Mmm, yes. I saw the same thing when I almost moved out to Portland, OR. Very nice city, but I decided that I am going to stay away from big cities. Cities give me this weird vibe.

7

General Discussion / Re: Living on my bike

« on: March 04, 2009, 10:49:05 pm »

Yup, I'm either doing it in May '10 or in May '11, depending on whether or not I continue on with my horrible college experience. I do plan on keeping a journal/travel log, and then uploading it to a blog somewhere. All depends on how often I will be able to access free computers.

8

General Discussion / Re: Living on my bike

« on: March 04, 2009, 09:01:22 pm »

I've really been thinking about this kind of life as well. I guess it just takes a certain person to do it. I'll be living on my bike for about a year or so when I do the my circuit along the US, I'm a slow biker. I don't think I will want to go back to a sedentary lifestyle afterward. It just seems like you can take so much more out of life when you spend it doing the things you truly love, and travel is what I love xD Camping shouldn't bother you, and neither should living on very little if you wanna live that kind of life. People always say to travel light when you bike tour, but I'm not so much worried about that. Cotton may be the devil, but I can't give up my big canvas army overcoat. It's really good in the winter. As to why I would like this? I've taken to reading a lot of travel writings lately, and have been greatly inspired by people like Chris McCandless, John Steinbeck, and Jon Krakauer. Among many others. Yes, I know, I'm young and naive. But I don't care xD My family and friends think I'm off my rocker.

I will be living off savings for the most part. When I run out I guess I'll either find a job or go home and settle down again, rest, and earn more money. When I go it will either be just me or me and a dog.

Seein' how you have a RV, if you switched to a bike or even a car you would sell a hell of a lot of money on gas expenses xD

9

Gear Talk / Re: Should I get a new bike?

« on: March 03, 2009, 09:23:34 pm »

Thanks for all the great info!

10

Gear Talk / Re: Should I get a new bike?

« on: March 03, 2009, 03:11:14 pm »

My bike is pretty light, since its rusty its gotta be steel right? I can easily carry it on my shoulder, have been since I got it at age 9 xD But then again, I've always had good upper body strength. Is carbon fiber a good material for a frame? Does it rust? I'm pretty much mechanically challenged but I plan on stripping the bike this summer and giving it a new paint job with the help of my 16 year old brother, who loves taking things apart. Good or bad idea? I really need to do this, the rust isn't way bad, its just a pain to change the handlebar/seat positions so I wanna fix that. Any good website/book recommendations I could use to help with the 'putting it all back together' part?

11

Gear Talk / Re: Touring Stove

« on: March 03, 2009, 10:17:40 am »

Yea, that is the only problem. It might be good for the days a person stops early or on days off xD Personally, solar cooking is one of my favorite ways to cook. I have an irrational fear of propane bottles, and making a fire isn't always good for the environment or legal.

12

Routes / Re: How much to save to do the TA

« on: March 02, 2009, 02:41:33 pm »

When I go I'm planning on having at least $1-3k in savings. For emergencies. But it really depends on how much you eat and stuff. I've never done it before, but it seems like you should have at least that much in case you get hurt and need to get back home fast. Last min AmTrak tickets are real expensive, I'm guessing plane tickets are the same.

13

Gear Talk / Re: Touring Stove

« on: March 01, 2009, 10:54:38 pm »

You could always try a solar stove, they are super light, no fuel required, and easy to DIY. Only problem is that its a slow cooker, kinda like a crock-pot. Here is a link to the one I'm gonna try out . . .

http://solarcooking.org/plans/windshield-cooker.htm

and a nice article on solar cooking . . .

http://www.thecleanestline.com/2008/09/solar-cookin.html

14

Gear Talk / Re: Should I get a new bike?

« on: March 01, 2009, 10:49:08 pm »

Thanks for the input everybody!

15

Routes / Re: I'm looking for a route . . .

« on: March 01, 2009, 02:04:21 pm »

Ha, yea. We pass bikers walking up hills all the time around here. I used to laugh at 'em. Til I tried to ride up one. Now I don't laugh. I definitely need to get in better shape for the grades. As for camping, I'm an experienced backpacker. Been camping with what I carry for a long, long time.