Messages

1

General Discussion / Re: MB Touring

« on: January 23, 2009, 01:04:37 pm »

Have you seen the new Salsa Fargo? Its a cool bike. I am considering one myself for my Trans-Am 2010. Looks like the Hummer of touring bikes.

Link: http://www.salsacycles.com/fargoComp09.html

2

Gear Talk / STI vs. Bar ends

« on: November 21, 2008, 09:08:20 pm »

I like downtube shifters as well. My road bike and my old touring bike are equipped with them.

I've never ridden with STI therefore have no imput, but I haven't had any real problems with my Shimano "Rapidfire" shifters on my mountain bikes.

3

Gear Talk / Touring Bike

« on: November 21, 2008, 09:18:08 pm »

A friend recently bought a Surly LHT 54cm with the 26" wheels. He really debated whether to go a size up to get the 700c wheels, but ultimately got the 26" wheeled bike. He has no regrets. He loves the bike!

4

Gear Talk / Touring Tires & Brakes

« on: October 02, 2008, 08:03:06 pm »

Just looked at the specs of your Trek. In my opinion it looks fine. The brakes should be okay, and the tires look bomber. No worries until you hit Hoosier and Loveland Passes or Hell's Canyon (guess it depends on the direction you're heading)

Edit: I assume you'll be riding this bike around all year before your tour. I would swap out the tires just before the tour (plus have your LBS give it a tune-up a couple of weeks before). I put some panaracers paselas on my old touring bike for a tour on the Katy Trail in Missouri. I liked them, beefy, rolled fast, and 0 flats!

This message was edited by mimbresman on 10-2-08 @ 8:56 PM

5

Gear Talk / Touring Stove

« on: October 06, 2008, 05:20:35 pm »

With a stove, I've cooked all sorts of things; pasta (spaghetti, mac & cheese, etc.), homemade chicken & vegetable soups, quesadillas, red chile & cheese enchiladas (New Mexico food), canned stuff (chile con carne, hash, etc.), scrambled eggs (in burritos), oatmeal, and of course tea and coffee (get the gourmet stuff).
This summer on my short Katy Trail ride, we did pasta. A bag of salad and bread would have been nice.

 

6

Gear Talk / Touring Stove

« on: October 03, 2008, 09:20:39 pm »

Buying white gas by the gallon is inconvenient, but if traveling with companions, the fuel could be spread out evenly (if each carries a fuel bottle [32oz]). Another downside is it is also very expensive per gallon.

More on stoves: I took my new-ish Peak 1 Coleman (multi-fuel model with an external tank) on the Katy trail this summer. We cooked only one meal on it, but I am glad we had it with us. We were hungry and there were no stores or restaurants nearby and it was very late by the time we reached camp.

I also have a MSR Whisperlite International. It works well, but a bit more finicky. It is an early model without the self-cleaning jet. Need clean the orifice each time its used. I've mostly used this stove when mtn bike touring.

Stoves are cool because there is nothing quiet as luxurious as drinking some good coffee in camp, especially if its raining.  :8|:

7

Gear Talk / Touring Stove

« on: October 02, 2008, 08:18:31 pm »

I like carrying a stove...but I like making coffee in camp. I've used all types of stoves; commercially made alcohol stoves (on a sea kayak expedition) to old Svea(s) to Coleman Peak 1 to MSR's. They all work fine, but the new homemade alcohol stoves are way cool. Very light, simple, and they work! Here a link. I haven't made one yet (I am a science teacher...I like to tinker) but I think I will. On the kayak trip, we made coffee daily, and even made coffee cake and brownies on the thing. I like them because there are no moving parts. Very cool!

8

Routes / Great Divide - Unsupported

« on: October 01, 2008, 11:48:47 pm »

Check out "Biker Bob and the Bloated Mule" blog site. He has a lot of info about the New Mexico part of the route.
http://www.bikerbobonthegdmbr.com/
Of course, as a New Mexican, I am bit biased about the NM sections of the trail. Beautiful!

9

General Discussion / What is the daftest thing you ever carried?

« on: December 01, 2008, 12:27:31 am »

Bob,
On my Bikecentennial trip, our finish was Jasper, AB. We planned a big shindig and did more than one bicycle shuttle to the Canadian beer store to buy long 12 packs. I don't remember how many 12 packs we bought but I think we did more than one trip each, and it was at least 3 of us doing the beer run. It was about 5 miles into town from the campground. So for being the end of trip with zero miles to go, we still put in about 20 miles each just going back and forth to the beer store. Nuts!
MM

10

General Discussion / What is the daftest thing you ever carried?

« on: November 29, 2008, 06:33:18 pm »

Bet you can't beat this...

Riding to Canada from Albuquerque back in 1981 (GPO 619), I carried a Styrofoam cooler from Durango, CO, all the way to Jasper, AB, on to Vancouver Island, the San Juans, and to Everett, WA to Deming NM via Greyhound bus. I pedaled back to Silver City with the cooler where it eventually broke several years later (I was sad when that happened). We bought the cooler in Durango to keep our milk cool during a rest day. We found it so handy, we decided to keep it. First carried over my sleeping bag, eventually it evolved into a trunk, where I could carry bread and stuff inside it. I also carried a AM/FM radio in my handlebar bag. I left NM with a 70 lbs bike, and returned with a bike that weighed 105 lbs. ??

Our Bikecentennial group (GPO 619) found a full-sized shovel somewhere in Colorado, and the group leader, Beaver, carried it all the way to Jasper. He was seen getting on the train with the shovel, taking it back home to Michigan.

This message was edited by mimbresman on 11-30-08 @ 7:39 AM

11

General Discussion / Trans-America 2010

« on: November 21, 2008, 09:23:19 pm »

Bought some new wheels for my Litespeed mountain bike. Starting to lean towards using it.

12

General Discussion / Trans-America 2010

« on: October 15, 2008, 07:24:33 pm »

I am still planning this.

Right now I am thinking about using my original touring bike (depends on my route). An old veteran of several tours in the 1980's. It is obsolete by today's standards, but I put about $300 into it this past summer (wider bars, new rear hub, BB, freewheel, etc.) and used it for a 3-day tour on the Katy Trail (rear panniers and handlebar bag) and as a townie. It was the perfect bike on the Katy. It performed way better then the other bikes on the trip.

Right now I am thinking of combining the TA with the GDMBR through northern Colorado/Wyoming/Idaho/Montana. If that is the case, I'd probably use a different bike.

I know what you mean about the small town camping. Experienced that in Hermann, MO last summer.

Thanks for the input.

More to come later.

13

General Discussion / Trans-America 2010

« on: October 02, 2008, 12:02:21 am »

Howdy! New here to the forums, but not to cycle touring.
Wanting to do the Trans-Am route in 2010. This post is mainly a statement of commitment to the touring community.
For the past 20 years, I've been into mtn biking, but have done some multi-day offroad solo touring (fun) during this period. I did a short tour this summer on my vintage (1981) Univega touring bike (I still love that bike! Total old school!) and it got me fired up about finally doing the Trans-Am.
I did a Bikecentennial tour, "The Great Parks Odyssey", way back in 1981, including a solo extension from Mexico before meeting the GPO group in Albuquerque, and more riding in British Columbia and the San Juan Islands afterwards.
I'll be turning 50 in 2010 and I want to finally do my Trans-Am! Seems appropriate!
Yeeha!

14

General Discussion / Transcontinental touring.

« on: October 02, 2008, 10:06:59 am »

I agree that there is no need for a trans-con bicycle path.
I did the Katy this past summer and it was fun and all. Not much in topography, but it was okay. It by-passed a lot of small towns that might have been interesting to see. I did meet some locals. They were fun to talk too. Of course there were a few locals that thought we (me and my companions) were nuts.  
There are tons of rural roads out there, that are perfect for cycle touring, plus there is the whole new element of dirt touring. I'll seriously be considering combining the Colorado/Wyoming/Idaho/Montana sections of the GDMBR with the Trans-America when I do the Trans-Am. It'll depend on the bike I'll be riding...either my 26" wheeled Litespeed mtn bike, or my old 27" wheeled Univega touring bike, or a new new bike yet to be purchased...a 29" Coconino? mmmmm!

This message was edited by mimbresman on 10-2-08 @ 7:09 AM

15

General Discussion / Favorite book

« on: October 02, 2008, 12:22:41 am »

I am currently re-reading Lonesome Dove. Excellent! It'd be great on a long tour. You could be part of the outfit...a hand!