Messages

1

General Discussion / Food storage in the Arctic

« on: October 16, 2016, 08:26:31 pm »

Ursack. 8 ounces. 2 sizes. 5-7 days of food. Available from Ursack, REI, etc. Approved by the Grizzly Bear folks in Montana.
http://www.ursack.com/
Wayne


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2

Temporary ACA Route Road Closures / Re: Atlantic Coast Sec 4 & 5: Potential impact of Hurricane Matthew, Autumn 2016

« on: October 16, 2016, 08:17:46 pm »

No worries. Detour to the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Wayne


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3

Routes / which route in usa

« on: September 13, 2015, 10:17:03 pm »

Yellowstone is nice in July. June is iffy in the mountains.
Moab (Arches NP) to SLC is a pretty lonesome ride.
Yellowstone-Glacier-Banff-Jasper would be epic. July-September is the best weather window.
Enjoy!

Wayne

Edit to add: I toured from SLC to/from Yellowstone. 24-34 was my low gear of choice.



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4

South / Darrow, LA

« on: September 13, 2015, 08:23:21 pm »

Houmas House Plantation. Information online.

http://www.houmashouse.com

Wayne


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5

Routes / Re: Late summer route options Colorado to West

« on: September 02, 2015, 12:13:56 pm »

Not sure how fast you're riding (miles per day), so I'll use my time and guesstimate you'll hit Idaho in a month.  It might take another couple weeks to get to central Oregon.

By the first of October, there's a decent chance the cooler weather and some light showers will have suppressed the worst of the wild fires in the northwest, should you choose to take the TransAm.

OTOH, NPS campgrounds start closing down this week in Yellowstone.  It's an easy two or three day trip from Moran Junction to West Yellowstone, and it's all through national parks.  There's a Forest Service campground just east of Moran Junction if Jackson Lake is closed.  I think the next campground on route is at West Thumb, followed by Old Faithful.  What's the closure schedule for those?

Yellowstone facilities closing schedule:

http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/ocd_locale.htm

The South Entrance remains open until early November. Madison CG is open until October 18. A very long day from the South Entrance.

Grand Teton NP campground closing schedule:

http://www.nps.gov/grte/planyourvisit/camping.htm

Lizard Creek (preferred) closes mid-September & Colter Bay closes late September. I couldn't find any dates for Flagg Ranch/Headwaters Lodge which I would say is the option of last resort.

So, the Tans-Am sounds like it is doable if you get through Yellowstone in the next 2-3 weeks. The Western Express would be most interesting.
Or, you could bypass Teton-Yellowstone parks altogether by heading west from Jackson, WY and then going north through Idaho and picking up the Trans-Am west of West Yellowstone, MT. The back roads just west of Grand Teton NP are lovely. Been there. Liked it.

Wayne


Wayne

6

Routes / Re: Late summer route options Colorado to West

« on: September 01, 2015, 06:42:56 pm »

I haven't encountered snow in southern Colorado as late as the second week in October.
Unless you are going to Pueblo for a specific reason, from La Junta angle SW to Walsenburg, CO and then to Alamosa, Pagosa Springs, Durango & the Western Express. If you have time, visit Great Sand Dunes NP northeast of Alamosa.
Wolf Creek Pass is the highest pass you'll encounter before Durango. Early September will not be a problem. Not saying you won't see any snow, but this time of year it's usually light & gone quickly. Keeps the bugs away!
Southern Utah should be fine through October. No way you'll encounter 10 feet of snow. Again, snow in the fall doesn't stay on the ground long.
Good luck!

Wayne

7

General Discussion / Re: Where next, US?

« on: September 01, 2015, 04:00:29 pm »

Southern Utah. Southern Colorado. Northern New Mexico. National Parks & Monuments, State Parks, Bureau of Land Management Areas, Historical sites abound.
I think the Western Express Connector will get you across Utah and on to Durango, CO. The San Juan Skyway, http://www.coloradodirectory.com/maps/skyway.html, will be lovely with the tourists gone and the aspen trees changing color. September is perfect in The Four Corners. Clear. Dry. Warm days. Cool nights. Santa Fe, Taos, Chama, New Mexico - the list goes on and on.
Arriving by bike allows to camp in self-propelled areas in National Park campgrounds. I think the cost is $5/person/night. They never fill up either.
Just thinking about that area makes me want to go right now! One of my favorite parts of  the world.
Enjoy!

Wayne

8

Gear Talk / Re: Tire recommendation for supported tour

« on: August 14, 2015, 10:57:20 pm »

If I had a Fargo and wanted to go touring I would be on  Specialized Renegade tires set up tubeless and inflated in the 35-40 psi range depending on the total weight of bike, rider and gear. No flats. Lots of cushion. Low rolling resistance. But that's just my idea.

Wayne


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9

Gear Talk / Re: Touring without fenders - big mistake?

« on: August 13, 2015, 06:17:27 pm »

Jand my pump ended up getting filled with water and some grit.
- Tim

I have fenders but water still gets into my Topeak Road Morph pump on the down tube. I've thought of putting something over the top of the pump to prevent this. There are latex devices sold in drug stores and supermarkets that would do the job but...

Can you not move it to the top tube? Every one I have seen was mounted there.

Wayne

10

General Discussion / Re: Should I pack an Air Pillow

« on: August 05, 2015, 08:04:35 am »

In the past year I completely replaced my sleep system. Sleeping bag, air mattress and pillow. The pillow is an Exped RED air pillow. 3 ounces of all night sleep comfort. The only thing I would do differently: get the medium size instead of the large.

Wayne


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11

Routes / Re: Great Divide: Tour Divide's 2015 reroute around the Great Basin

« on: July 26, 2015, 07:18:44 pm »

If not permanent, then an approved alternate. Limited reviews from TD 2015 riders said that Wamsutter had everything one needed and several hours shorter than Rawlins.
Thanks for confirming that the Lodge is still on the route.

Wayne


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12

Routes / Re: Great Divide: Tour Divide's 2015 reroute around the Great Basin

« on: July 25, 2015, 07:45:17 pm »

Visual confirmation of the solar powered cattle & cyclists watering hole 38 miles north of Wamsutter.

https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=tS&page_id=427630&v=7C

Does this reroute bypass the Brush Mountain Lodge? It seems like I saw photos of this year's TD riders at the lodge, I wanted to be sure.
One more question. Is this reroute going to be permanent? It makes sense.

Wayne


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13

General Discussion / Credit Card or Self-contained touring and my budget

« on: July 21, 2015, 11:10:26 pm »

Nyimbo,
In addition to the $5/day savings fund, find backpacking forums for a wealth of information about lightweight gear. People today hike for months on the long distance trails with 10 pounds, or much less, gear excluding food & water. A sub-2 pound tent & 1 pound quilt are common in the used gear forums. Educate yourself. Shop wisely. Your current bike and 20 pounds in your panniers could take you from coast to coast.
Instead of a new bike, think about a few inexpensive changes to your current bike might be all you need for the tour. A 34 tooth cog would be #1 on my list of upgrades. In fact I did just that for my first tour in the Rockies. I had a decent bike. I swapped out the crank & freewheel to get a 26-34 low gear. You can spend a small fortune on a new bike and not get that low gear combination.
Good luck.

Wayne

PS: Put the largest tires you can fit on your bike. What size do you have now?
Contrary to the builder's specs (700-35 max) I am currently running 700-40 tires. I weigh 150 pounds in the saddle and ride with 30 psi front & 35 psi rear on gravel roads unloaded. I reckon that I can tour with 40 F - 45 R max. The minimum inflation on the tire sidewall is 55 psi. I've learned to ignore those numbers.

Wayne


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14

Gear Talk / Re: Touring Bike Selection

« on: July 16, 2015, 08:34:02 am »

It does make sense. I've been prowling the internet to educate myself about tubeless tires and how to manage the system. I'll be careful not to use silly low pressure in the tires. I won't be racing. 
The main thing that I have learned recently is to avoid running too much air pressure in tires. I was a confirmed "5 pounds over the max pressure makes you go faster" person. No more. Plus I reduced my bike weight by 30+ pounds. No, I didn't buy a carbon bike. I lost 30+ pounds of rider weight. I am now aiming for a touring gear target of 30-35 pounds. Hopefully less except on days when I need more water and food. That translates into an all up touring load approximately equal to my old unloaded bike riding weight. If it all works out, I'll be touring with bigger tires than used to and running about half the tire pressure. 40-50 psi instead of 80-90 psi. I am totally ignoring the 55-90 psi numbers on the sidewalls of the Clement X'PLOR MSO 40 x 700 tires. Or any other tires I may have in the future.
Personal weight loss, new tires and lower tire pressure has been like buying a whole new bike and super ultralight camping gear. A whole lot cheaper too.

Wayne

15

Gear Talk / Re: Touring Bike Selection

« on: July 15, 2015, 09:17:01 pm »

Thanks for the plug for Stan's. I appreciate real world feedback.
As for the fenders, I'm going to give it a try. I'll buy from a shop with a liberal return policy in case they don't work.

Wayne