Topics

1

Gear Talk / pants or lycra?

« on: May 28, 2018, 11:02:31 am »

I prefer non-cargo hiking pants that arent floppy at the cuff to avoid catching in the chain.  Lately, I've been trying to find convertible hiking pants, so far though most of them have large floppy cuffs. My thought for this is the same as for hiking in that with limited pack space you get multiple options from the same item. they can be pants, they can be shorts, you can swim in them and they dry quickly. pack 3: wear one; wash one; have 1 dry spare. or thought about another way: one on me, one in each pannier

However, I've never tried cycling jerseys nor lycra. Is Lycra one of those things like SPD pedals, where once I try it, I won't ever imagine going back?

what about other options?

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2

Gear Talk / Has anyone found a source for Titanium bike tools?

« on: May 21, 2017, 09:44:08 am »

While I've found some website sources for Titanium tools, they're designed for and sold to MRI mechanics  (search "non-magnetic tools"), which means the price is seriously inflated, like any specialized medical tools. I could probably put together a set over time from one of these websites, but really these tools wouldn't necessarily be optimal for cycling. For instance, some cycling applications require a wrench that is thinner than standard wrench widths, while other tools are completely specialized. 

I'd think if they were going to be found anywhere, Park Tools would be right on that, but a search of their site was fruitless. Looks like they're primary focus is on shop tools, which don't need to be light weight. They make a Premium Rescue Multitool that looks good in the video, but having used numerous Multitool sets over the years, I think it's better to list out the specific tools needed and make a kit of full sized tools... For instance my bike only uses 3 sizes of hex wrench, while the Multitool has all the sizes  and while the ones on my multitool are adequate for many things, they aren't long enough to provide enough leverage in some cases, and too bulky to use in tight spaces like when adjusting the caliper on the rear wheel.

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3

General Discussion / Ultimate cycling device?

« on: April 15, 2017, 06:23:11 pm »

I've seen a lot of questions since I joined about what devices would be good to bring on a tour... Laptop, tablet, cellphone... This laptop might be the answer if you want the power of a laptop but want to save on weight and space. The only downside I see is that it doesn't have built in 4G, and the keyboard is really compact but you can bring a keyboard, mouse, and 4G transmitter separately, which most people already do anyway (I do)

Laptops are usually way too big and heavy to bring on a tour, and tablets are trending larger and larger as well. But many of us still want to use desktop software on the daily... But you can't use the desktop version of Windows 10 on a tablet... You have to use the mobile version... But THIS is a 7" Windows 10 laptop... when most everyone else wants the next best and biggest, hikers and cyclist want to go the other way.

https://youtu.be/CjFiJb6TERw

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4

General Discussion / Buffalo to Albany NY

« on: December 09, 2016, 07:47:39 pm »

Some friends of mine rode and filmed this last year. Thought others might like to see... enjoy!
https://youtu.be/s3WjVk6pam8

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5

General Discussion / Touring/commuting with a gravel grinder...Ye? Or Ne?

« on: November 15, 2016, 11:10:49 am »

I'm currently riding a Windsor Wellington 2.0 but I ride long distance and 4-season, and during my commute I ride enough trails, and would like to use rail access road as shortcuts, that I'd like wider tires and this frame barely accommodates a 32c on the rear.
The front won't accept more than a 28c. Long distance, you don't know what you might encounter, certainly not all smooth brand new pavement, especially if your just winging it, being explorative. I don't race, and I'm not a gram-counter, though weight is a consideration after my other criteria are met

I figure a gravel grinder should cover my needs, a road-style frame, but accepts wider tires, but I'm wondering if there's cons to this train of thought that I'm missing.

Looking on Nashbar I'm considering:
Mongoose Selous Sporthttp://www.nashbar.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10053_10052_595059_-1___204687

It looks like it has rack mounts in the photo, though the specs do not specify. Cons to this build? Would I have difficulty getting tires on a tour? Would I want to swap out the tires for something less aggressive?

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6

Gear Talk / Touring with hammocks: any other Pros & cons?

« on: February 20, 2016, 08:30:46 pm »

I see surprising few hammocks mentioned on this forum.  In my experience, a hammock & hammock-tarp is the perfect ultra-light sleeping solution for cycling, so long as there are trees.  It's possible when no trees are available, or where using the trees is prohibited, to go to ground and use all the same gear, but it's not ideal, however as I consider this statement, I realize that it wouldn't be any different than a tent at that point. 

As reference for those that don't know, a proper hammock camping kit includes the following:
Hammock, Bug net, tarp, insulation, tree straps, tie-outs, stakes, Ridge-line of some sort

There is an ultralight hammock stand you can get in case there are no trees
Most hammockers who go the ultra-light route (weight weenies, affectionately) buy their gear from other hammockers who have started cottage industry businesses, or, they modify the stock equpment they buy to get the weight down to acceptable levels.
ultra-light tarps come in all shapes and sizes, hammock tarps are made FOR hammocks, but can be used for other uses too, some are fuly enclosed while others only offer enough coverage to keep you dry.
Hammock insulation can be a sleeping pad and a sleeping bag, or it can be an under quilt, with a top quilt, 850 down or synthetic or hybrid of the two.

Currently, I use a cottage-vendor-made top and bottom 850 down quiltset.  I have a 0 degree set for winter, and a 45 degree set for summer, a 12' Silnylon tarp with side-pulls that can be rigged wide-open and roomy in nice weather, or close-in and cozy with doors that close against the wind for winter weather.

I've been hammock camping for local overnights for several years now, but I havn't been able to do a cross country tour yet, nor have I had to test the ground-dwelling abilities of it yet. This winter was the first that I had proper gear for 4-season overnights.  but previous years I did 3-season camping down to 10 degrees with nested sleeping bags and heat reflective padding

heres the pros and cons as I know them so far:

Pros:
light weight
pack small
best most restful sleep ever
no need for a pad
deploys quickly
never wake up in a puddle ever again
no rods

Cons:
If not set up properly, you can get very wet from water running down your suspension system
lack of trees is no fun
I'm told many state parks prohibit tying things to trees for fear of damage
Winter wind can ruin your day if your tarp is too small to protect you from it

So, obviously, I'm a fan of hammock camping, so my question is, what percentage of ground sleeping could I expect on a cross country tour, I feel like finding places suitable for hanging might be rough in the desert and the plains. In the north east and down the east coast I'm pretty confident that I could find places to hang each night.

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7

Gear Talk / Good winter SPD shoes?

« on: January 23, 2016, 12:55:52 pm »

Ideally I'd like shoes that can also wear at work so I don't have to bring a set to change into. The ones I have for summer riding are a little constricting but now that they're broken in I'm OK wearing them for 4 hours off the bike, but they're also extremely breathable, so not good for subzero temps with breeze. I just bought a $260 pair of Shimano SPD which are very comfortable on the bike, and warmer, but walking in them is really weird in dry conditions and even treacherous because they're very slippery in wet conditions. The thought of needing to walk any serious distance in them because of a mechanical issue is prohibitive.

P.S. this was also the most I've ever spent on any pair of shoes... Ever
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8

Gear Talk / Packs and pack weight for long tours

« on: September 19, 2015, 01:49:16 pm »

Curious about what others average pack weights are, both with and without the bike weight included.

Obviously it's understood that this will change by season and vary as supplies are consumed, so let's say 3-season, full packs. If you feel the need to break it into general categories (food,clothes, tools, camping), that's cool too

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