Messages

1

Gear Talk / Re: Road Shoe vs Touring Shoe?

« on: March 12, 2010, 02:50:14 pm »

Actually, I can't argue with that at all Stay-hip. I've got dominator mt. Sidi's. Not as stiff as I would like, and the more basic roads have the same sole I believe. However, the carbon soled are way stiffer. If i were going to get road shoes, I'd definitely pony up for the the carbon soled shoes.

2

Gear Talk / Re: Road Shoe vs Touring Shoe?

« on: March 12, 2010, 10:38:53 am »

Mr. Driz,

First of all, to really get sound advice to your specific needs, please give more detail as to what you're doing. I agree with what everyone said above (minus the Frogs part as I've never owned any. However, I know several people who own them and love them.) The type of riding you do will factor into what shoes you want.

"Are road shoes stiffer?" Yes. Absolutely. They are also terrible to walk in and damage wooden floors and many spin classes no longer allow them into their building. I think they are a terrible choice for commuters and people on tours. I like a shoe I can walk into a cafe and not have to duck walk around, or to hop off the bike and walk along...say the Black Cliffs of Moher. .....However (lol) if you are on a tour with a group who like to put the pedal to the metal and grind out 100+ miles a day, then I definitely recommend road pedals and shoes.

So give us some more info as to you intended use.

3

General Discussion / Re: 26" vs 700c: What's your experience in finding tires/wheels/spokes worldwide?

« on: January 16, 2010, 08:39:38 pm »

Ok,
Tony T:
err, WOW! you have been some places my friend. I'm astonished and green with envy! Umm, errrr, I'm afraid I don't know what "Imperial sized wheels" mean. Are you recommending 26" or 700c wheels? Any specific examples of your experience with either? (ie: so there I was, south Uganda and croco-stimpy ate my rear wheel. I found a guy who fixed bikes and airplanes in the back of his cantina and ......? By the way, thanks for weighing in. And just WHAT IS IT YOU DO that you can travel so much?

White:
Where have you been and what size tire have you had better experience with? (Very interesting and totally flys in the face of common view on coarbon fiber. Thanks for your imput.)

(is there a thread started called "TIPS" where experienced riders give out great tips such as Tony T's tip about the presta valve dust cap one? I think it would be an excellent source of info. It would almost have to be monitered and trimmed so it only had short tips and not huge/long comments so it is digestable. It would be like ...The 100 tips all touring cyclests should know.)

4

Gear Talk / Re: Will my bike hold up?

« on: January 15, 2010, 07:01:08 am »

Hey Kyle,

Can't agree more with the other posts. You will be on the coast where you are rarely further than  miles from the next coastal town. (Northern Washington being the only exceptions.) I you discover you REALLY need it, you will be able to buy it. And, you will find, there are few things you REALLY need. (Good raincoat!) You ask if your bike will hold up, it should be fine. I always recommend to folks to get their rear wheel re-spoked with quality spokes by a professional bike shop or wheel builder. Most companies use inferior spokes and unless you weigh 140 lbs, sooner or later you will break a spoke or two. Sometimes you have to wait out a weekend for a shop to open ...or longer because of vacations, etc. Also, be sure to lube your cables before the trip. This will reduce housing friction and you will be less likely to break a cable.

5

General Discussion / Re: 26" vs 700c: What's your experience in finding tires/wheels/spokes worldwide?

« on: January 15, 2010, 06:52:26 am »

If anyone else posts in answer to the original question, i think it would be helpful if you mention where you've been for your specific recommendation. I agree with Galloper on his logic. I'm hoping more folks who've really been out in the remotes sound in to give us "the big picture".

(Hello again Galloper) (Interesting...."two pumps". Sounds like a very good idea. I've been using the Topeak Mini-Morph. Absolutely love it!)

So, I'm hearing 26" so far over-all. The reason this interests me is a fellow had question on what touring bike he should get and one recommendation was the Surly Long Haul Trucker. The only prob. with said bike is if you ride a 54cm or smaller, it only comes with 26" wheels. I personally feel this is actually a benefit, but wanted to hear really well and diversely traveled tourers sound off.

(Also, I sell bikes for a living and would like to be able to better advise my customers on what is the most reliable.)

6

General Discussion / Re: Ireland: Tripping to the land of "Eire". All advice welcome. Thanks

« on: January 13, 2010, 11:32:25 am »

Now THAT is great news! I love the Hostel experience the most, but a B&B is a close second. Thanks again!

7

General Discussion / Re: 26" vs 700c: What's your experience in finding tires/wheels/spokes worldwide?

« on: January 13, 2010, 11:30:15 am »

I guess what i'm asking is let's say you're in a reasonably small town in Africa, they don't have a bike shop per se', but there's a guy who does work on bikes and has a pile of old bikes in his back yard; is one more likely than the other? I'm sure it's very "area specific". I'm just curious what people who have been to really remote places have experienced.

8

General Discussion / 26" vs 700c: What's your experience in finding tires/wheels/spokes worldwide?

« on: January 12, 2010, 01:10:57 pm »

Just a general question to the travelers out there who have really traveled to out of the way place like Mongolia, Siberia, Africa, Middle China: Do you think it is easier to find parts for a 26" wheeled bike or a 700c bike?

9

General Discussion / Re: Ireland: Tripping to the land of "Eire". All advice welcome. Thanks

« on: January 12, 2010, 01:08:02 pm »

Thanks so much Dan. I've heard it was pretty expensive these day. I really love to stay at hostels and hope they've maintained a reasonable price. I'm sure we'll stay at a few B&B's, but only if they aren't outrageous.

A couple of questions:

A: How many miles a day did you ride?
B: What time of year were you there?
C: What type of lodging  did you use?
D: How long did the rain usually last. (I know this can be super Variable, but just curious what your experience was.)

I read a book recently that said early June was better than July and August for finding lodging. In all my travels, I've rarely called ahead to reserve my night's lodging more than a day ahead of time. I want to avoid frustrating my lady because we have to search for a place to stay after a day's ride. (Remember, the goal is to convert her to a bike traveler.)

10

General Discussion / Re: Ireland: Tripping to the land of "Eire". All advice welcome. Thanks

« on: December 28, 2009, 10:16:38 pm »

Thanks again Peter! I'm bouncing up and down in my chair! Can't wait to go!

11

General Discussion / Re: HELP! WHAT BIKE SHOULD I GET???

« on: December 18, 2009, 01:05:18 am »

    From my experience, i really like the Surly and the Sojourn. They are both tanks, but I'd feel confident on either to take me around the world. Over-all I love the spec on the Surly. They use high-quality DT spokes and Shimano XT hubs. I personally think it is a must to have quality spokes and hubs on my wheels. If you buy any bike that has generic spokes, pay the extra to have your shop re-lace at least the rear wheel with either DT or Wheel-Smith spokes.
    I've looked at the 2010 Sutra, they've ironed out the disc mount design flaw they had in 2009 and used the same form of drop-out configuration that the Sutra has. (I've ridden the Sojourn a lot and really love the ride.)
    The Surly has 1 hitch I can think of ...if you ride a 54cm or smaller, they only offer a 26" wheel. 56cm and larger are 700c wheels. Now, I personally think that a 26" wheel is really a great choice for people who do plan on traversing in ......out of the normal places. It is stronger than a 700c wheel and there are far more places that will have a 26" tire than a 700c (28").
 ....And now that I've said that, I realize i'm talking out of my @#&^%. I've traveled a lot, but only in Western cultures.
So, what say the rest of you?  What are the easiest to find tires? 26" or 700c?

12

General Discussion / Re: Ireland: Tripping to the land of "Eire". All advice welcome. Thanks

« on: December 18, 2009, 12:49:58 am »

Ok, if the hills aren't too bad we'll shoot for that route.
So, did anyone have any other suggestions for cycling specific travel books? I'm not finding too many.

13

General Discussion / Re: Ireland: Tripping to the land of "Eire". All advice welcome. Thanks

« on: December 06, 2009, 04:00:41 pm »

Thanks a lot Galloper and Westy! It's especially nice to get advise from someone born and raised there. I had a few questions Galloper: The National park of the Wicklow Mountains; are they pretty steep? I love to tour through mountains for the dramatic view, but my lady is not much of a cyclist and REALLLLLYYYYY hates long steep climbs. So i'm shooting for a trip as pleasurable and comfortable for her as possible. I hope to convert her into a traveler who prefers to explore by bike so I really want to win her over on this trip. Over-all, i guess i'm asking for a route that shows the best scenery possibe w/the least amount of climbing.
I've got a map that I'm highlighting the areas people are recommending.

Thanks again everyone!

14

General Discussion / Re: Ireland: Tripping to the land of "Eire". All advice welcome. Thanks

« on: December 04, 2009, 12:47:01 pm »

Oh, and to TonyT, yeah, i agree. I really love to hostel. I figured that's how we'd do it and I'd prefer not to have a tour group. Thanks for your input. I'm ok to use one if a bunce of folks recommend it, but love the freedom of going it on our own.

15

General Discussion / Re: Ireland: Tripping to the land of "Eire". All advice welcome. Thanks

« on: December 04, 2009, 12:43:24 pm »

Thanks all for the replies. I looked at the terrain map on Google maps and figured the North was probably too hilly for what we're looking for but perhaps we'll try it after your advice to follow the coastal routes; thanks Geeg. I love riding in the mountain areas because the scenery is sooooo dramatic. Do any of you have advice on a tour book to recommend for both cycleing or for hostels and camping?