Topics

1

Food Talk / Gluten Free

« on: April 13, 2018, 12:24:31 am »

Anyone else notice how easy/difficult it is to find restaurants and grocers along the GDMBR that offer GF choices? Wife has Celiac's - avoiding gluten is not a fad diet choice.

2

Gear Talk / Liners for riding shorts.

« on: August 08, 2017, 10:45:48 pm »

I'm looking for brand/model recommenations for biking pants liners. I'm fed up with padded liners - they prevent airflow and retain perspiration.  I would like a pants liner that simply provides no seams in the nether regions. No bulk that blocks airflow.  No sorry excuse for padding that traps moisture.  Just a smooth seamless fabric against my skin. Anyone able to recommend a brand and model of liner like that? Thanks

3

Great Lakes / Michigan U.P. Pictured Rocks

« on: January 25, 2017, 07:30:06 am »

With the Bicycle overlay on GoogleMaps a trail appears along Pictured Rocks region between Grand Marais and Munising.  I thought the park service website indicated that the trail is hiker only. Is it another GoogleMaps error or is there a dirt bike path along the shore between those towns?

 We're doing a self supported ride from Newberry, to Whitefish Point, to Grand Marais, to Munising, and back to Newberry in July of 2017. We'll be on mountain bikes and off pavement routes are preferred.

4

Gear Talk / Bike to Bike Intercom

« on: January 08, 2017, 11:58:35 am »

Looking for comments on any experiences with electronic communications between bikes. We'd like to have helmet to helmet audio communication for better social experience and improved safety. Really not willing to give in to bulkiness, wire messes, or excessive battery maintenance to achieve this. Has anyone seen or used a set that is compact, light, and reliable?

5

Routes / Pictured Rocks, Michigan Upper Peninsula

« on: December 07, 2016, 08:01:12 am »

With the Bicycle overlay on GoogleMaps a trail appears along Pictured Rocks region between Grand Marais and Munising.  I thought the park service website indicated that the trail is hiker only. Is it another GoogleMaps error or is there a dirt bike path along the shore between those towns?
 I'm thinking about a self supported ride from Newberry, to Whitefish Point, to Grand Marais, to Munising, and back to Newberry in summer of 2017. We'll be on mountain bikes and off pavement routes are preferred.

6

Gear Talk / (not so) Low gear on Bikepacking bikes

« on: December 01, 2016, 06:18:17 pm »

I'm trying to select a pair of bikes for multiple extended, self supported, off road, bikepacking trips including the Great Divide.

I was looking for bikes with 27.5+ size tires to get the foot print and compliance we need but I am finding the fixed forks and frame geometry that makes mission sense are built around 29+ tires. That's fine since it would gives us the 3" width I want with even better rollover. However, I am noticing that these tall wheeled bikes don't come with very low gearing.

With the 1x11 or 1x12 drive trains first gear is in the high 20s but even with the 2x_ drive trains 22" is common for first gear. I understand that the + size tires are a problem for 3x_ drive trains.

Since I'm pulling a BoB Ibex with most of the gear weight for two people I'd like first gear around 18" or less so I can stay on pedals for the steep grades. I am looking at bikes that are marketed for bikepacking so why aren't the gears lower?     

Input? Discussion? Clarification questions? I'm looking forwarded to finding out what's in everyone else's head on the topic.

Thanks, Gary

7

General Discussion / Bike Insurance

« on: March 28, 2016, 02:30:37 pm »

I'm looking for recommendations on bike insurers. There seems to be a few companies in this business now but I don't know anyone who has used any yet. Relying on homeowners insurance has at least two major problems for me. 1) The amount of coverage allowed in the policy leaves a lot of exposure. 2) We're planning to get rid of everything to cycle around north America for a couple of years. During that time we won't have a home to have homeowners insurance. So, the bike specific insurance sounds like a great idea but who has built a good reputation in this market? Thanks.