Messages

1

Classifieds / Touring tents for sale

« on: May 27, 2015, 05:10:18 pm »

1. REI single person tent with fly.  Very snug tent that served me well from Oregon to North Dakota and subsequent tours.  Compact and very light packer. Excellent shape.
2. Older North Face 2-3 person tent. Heavier, ideal for backpacking and maybe sharing the load if doing a multi-person tour.  Very good condition.

$50 each.  I'll box and ship, but you pay the UPS charges....

2

Gear Talk / Bike Friday Touring and Travel

« on: January 09, 2013, 08:16:27 am »

I just made the plunge into BF technology.  Before making the total plunge into their travel system, can others with BF experience share ideas on optimal set-up for touring?  Should I go with the trailer and carrying case, deluxe option, or do racks, panniers, and cardboard boxes for transport work better?  I anticipate train and plane transport to where I will start multiple day, primarily camping-based tours.  Thanks in advance.  Incidentally, my most recent tour used a regular bike with a Bob trailer, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

3

Gear Talk / BOB and old steel frames

« on: September 08, 2007, 07:52:45 pm »

I guess I said I would update you on how the ol' Univega did.

I am REALLY glad I did not ride the Roubaix.  I am not certain the problem would have been the frame, the index shifters, the spoke pattern on the wheels, or some other aspect of the bike that makes it really fun to ride on day trips.  The problem would have been in the 2-ring cranks.  This could have been changed before leaving, of course, but whenever you have the option on a tour, the 3-ring cranks are necessary (though I did many tours on a 2-ring crank PX-10 years ago, when I was just a tad bit younger).  I used each and every one of the available gears on the trip from Portland back to North Dakota last month.

Other than that (and the need to buy one of the fine Brooks B-17 saddles from the Rivendell folks before my next trip), the classic steel Univega did a superb job.

And by the way, except for some very hard days across Eastern Montana, it was a real joy to be back on the road on a bike tour.  It had been way too long since I had done the last one....

4

Gear Talk / BOB and old steel frames

« on: July 17, 2007, 09:32:22 am »

Thanks for the good advice.

I also really like the feel and comfort of the Roubaix, but didn't want to be sitting along the side of the road somewhere in Eastern Montana looking at a pile of carbon fibers and fragments.  It shall remain my fun, go-fast bike.

I took the Univega in to our LBS, where they'll cold-forge the rear stays to 130 mm inside clearance.  They also talked me into a new set of wheels with an 8-speed cassette on the rear to replace the original 30 year old wheels with their 7-gear freewheel.

I'll let you know in a month after I complete the Portland-Fargo tour how the set-up worked.

Thanks again.

5

Gear Talk / BOB and old steel frames

« on: July 12, 2007, 10:38:03 am »

I was planning on using an older (mid-1970s) Univega touring bike on a cross-country ride later this summer.  Unfortunately, the inner distance on the rear dropouts is about 123 mm (134 mm outside distance), too close for the BOB trailer (which I've bought and planned to use) skewer.  I talked to the BOB tech people, and they said they have no shorter skewers, and recommended pressing the rear stays of the bike apart to accommodate the standard skewer.

The other option is to ride my carbon-framed Specialized Roubaix, but I'd prefer the old steel standby of the Univega if possible.

Any one out there had experience in making a BOB fit an older frame (or, doing a long tour on a carbon framed bike)?

Thanks.

6

Routes / La Route Verte

« on: December 06, 2008, 10:08:01 am »

So far, so good.  Thanks for the info!  The Veloroute des Bleuets sounds great, as does the Gaspe peninsula, though harder logistically to get there.

The north shore route to start the Veloroute des Bleuets sounds like a great beginning if I want to keep future conversations with my wife to a minimum for the rest of the tour!  Any suggestions on alternatives to get to Chicoutimi?  Trains?  Buses? Rental cars?  Bike routes other than the north shore?

Thanks.

7

Routes / La Route Verte

« on: November 29, 2008, 08:34:05 am »

My wife and I will be doing a 10-12 day tour next summer, and would like to cover part of la Route Verte in Quebec.  We'll do 60-80 km per day, with the occasional rest.  I would prefer camping, but she has more votes than I do so we'll probably mostly do hostels and low-cost BnBs.  We'll probably start in Quebec (City).  I like the looks of the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean portion, but does anyone have suggestions for better parts of the route?   It may be too much to ask, but is there anything equivalent to the Adventure Cycling maps for la Route?

8

General Discussion / Touring on carbon

« on: November 29, 2008, 08:46:16 am »

I've nothing really to add to the question, but thanks for the discussion!  I have a Specialized Roubaix, and love it for day rides.  However, I took the 25 year old, steel-framed Univega (with a Bob) on a multi-week tour last summer.  I had heard too many horror stories of carbon frames.  Although the Univega did great (no surprise that!), I may try the all-carbon Roubaix on some trial tours.

9

General Discussion / Portland's Agony

« on: May 04, 2008, 12:34:52 pm »

As Michael Deme foretold in this month's Adventure Cyclist magazine, John Schubert's column is likely to generate debate.

I agree with Paul Adkins that Portland is a shining, though of course not perfect, example of successfully expanding options for traveling around the city.  I started a tour in Portland last summer, and was really impressed with unboxing my bike at Union Station, safely riding to my downtown hotel, and actually having the concierge, without smirking or raising an eyebrow, store my bike for me while I endured three days of a conference prior to starting my cross-country ride.  From my first impressions, people act as if bikes belong in Portland.

I have been riding for over 40 years, so far without any accidents (involving cars).  I have a very simple set of safe-cycling rules that have served me well:

#1.  Ride as if no driver of a car sees you.  Ever.
#2.  Your personal safety is your personal responsibility.  If that involves riding outside of the lines (literally and figuratively), then by all means ride outside of the lines.

Simple rules, I know, but sometimes common sense is simple.

10

General Discussion / Wondering about Amtrak's rules & handling of bikes

« on: July 01, 2007, 10:30:48 am »

Thanks for the great advice.  I'm Amtraking to Portland from Fargo, ND at the end of the month, and returning (mostly) via the L&C route.  I'll get the Amtrak box.

Now, what do I do about BOB?  I'm assuming he'll go in a box and also be checked.  I imagine BOB and I will get along very well on the bike trip, but I just don't want to deal with him on the 33 hour train trip.  

Suggestions would be much appreciated.  Thanks.

11

General Discussion / BIG touring bike Photo Gallery

« on: December 22, 2006, 10:53:42 am »

WOW.  Thanks for doing this.  Talk about inspirational for planned tours once the ice breaks up!

I'm planning a Portland-Fargo L&C/NT route this coming summer.  I've decided on the trailer option.  The only decision now is my new Specialized all-carbon Roubaix or the old, trusty Peugeot PX-10.  Both bikes are extremely comfortable for distance rides.  Comments to further confuse me would be welcome.