Messages

1

Gear Talk / BOB tire

« on: March 17, 2004, 11:37:10 am »

I've used my BOB for close to 7 years and I have purchased a generic spare tires and tubes for it but have never had a flat yet over those years. But I have some friends that encountered flats in their first year with their BOBs and unfortunately in one case one friend had to scramble to find a spare tire and ended up getting a pink tire from some roadside girls bike. They still have that same tire now for 4 years. If there is more of problem I have is the bearings in the BOB hub wearing out before I get a flat. ;p

2

Gear Talk / Lighting Systems

« on: January 30, 2004, 12:47:21 am »

I have a choice of four light systems I use. Three systems are battery operated , some have large water bottle size batteries and must be recharged at least 8 hours before hand, others use only AA batteries. One light system attaches to my helmet and has three intensties plus other flashing versions, the other two battery systems fit on my handle bar. Both have a fairly intense beam that can last up to 2-3.5 hours of continous use. The third system I use when touring is my generator system, it too is a high intensity light and works as long as I peddle. I found in Europe there are lots of differnt generator driven lights as most bikes are sold with these already installed on them.

3

Gear Talk / tires, chains, etc., how long things last

« on: January 30, 2004, 12:57:05 am »

On recumbents I've found that I must replace my chain about every 7000-9000 km. It depends on the type of terain I've cycled in, if its very hilly and dirty the chain gets strained and very dirty by the end of a 1000+ km tour and recumbents have a tendency to but more strain on a chain than regular bikes. As for tires if I use roadslicks I'll be lucky if I get more than 3000km out of them, stronger tires last longer (7000km) but they seem to create more drag also. Also a big factor is how much weight I'm carrying while riding. :p

4

Gear Talk / tires

« on: January 31, 2004, 05:28:07 pm »

I've used Vredeseien Road Slicks on my recumbent. This is the only company I know make a 1.3" x 26" road slick that is foldable. It's a Dutch company and they use them on racing recumbents as well. They travel very well on pavement but they wear very quickly which is probably a major draw back. I use another slightly heavier,non-foldable(Kenda's)tire as my main tires and use the roadslicks as emergency spares as they take less space in the bags when touring. My problem on a 26" wheel is finding good touring tires as most tour bikes seem to be 700cc size.

5

Gear Talk / panniers vs. BOB-like trailers??

« on: January 30, 2004, 12:33:59 am »

In a manner of speaking I use both (panniers bags & BOB Trailer)on my recumbent. I have two side bags rated at 72 liter, plus a 40 liter rear bag than I had a BOB loaded with approximately 60lb of gear. The BOB handles better on recumbents when touring but for regular bikes I think the panniers are the way to go. One big problem is carrying an extra spare tire and tube for those small BOB wheels. BOB's do make good picnic tables and for hauling fire wood to a camp site. I find in busy city traffic cars don't seem to see them very well even when a flag is attched to them.

6

Routes / Bicycling Nova Scotia

« on: March 17, 2004, 12:19:01 pm »

I live and ride in Nova Scotia and am a member of a Local bicycle club that you may find someone that might like to tag along with you for your ride;
http://www.velohalifax.ca/
I've done the Cabot Trail 4 times myself and there are others that have done it at least 20 or more times. Good ride and I prefer going clockwise, expect grades of 9-12%.
As for an hotel there is the Airport hotel about 1km from airport with shuttle service available you might be able to get them to hold the bike box for a fee.
60 Bell Blvd
Enfield, NS B2T 1K3 CA
1-877-997-9600
When do you plan to start your tour?

7

General Discussion / shipping BOB

« on: March 17, 2004, 12:29:29 pm »

I've taken my BOB to Europe and made a small chloroplast box for it. The restrictions on total weight one can take when flying bikes differs with each airline and if you exceed these weights one can get tagged whopping big charges. I had the bike in a box, BOB trailer in a box, plus one large bag for the gear and it cost me only $100 in 2000 by Air Canada. I had them placed as luggage on same flight I went on.

There is also the possibility if travelling only in US ship by train or by US ground mail and hold for pickup, I've heard some cyclists have tried this at a cost saving.They sometimes handle it better than airlines do.

I hope this helps you.

This message was edited by bentrider on 3-17-04 @ 9:30 AM

8

General Discussion / picking yer brains

« on: March 17, 2004, 12:52:51 pm »

I do primarily touring on my bicycle and found that my everyday eating habits don't work while I'm cycling.

For instance, I can consume alot of coffee or tea when at work but I've found this stuff acts as a diuretic and can make cycling very uncomfortable so I reduce this coffee consumption down to 1-2 a day. No ice cream while cycling, reduce the amount of red meat also as it takes a long time to break down that form of protein.

I eat more salads, rice, pasta, whole grain foods, bread, certain fruits. I also eat on occasion tofu, or dryed soya protein and beans to replace the reduced red meat consumption. This stuff can be metabolized faster than meat protein.

On long extended tours where I have a planned rest day I would probably use that day to take in some extra protein in the form of a steak, chicken, fish as I have the time to break it down comfortably.

It is important also to make sure you have regular bran in the course of a day as eating alot of pasta and cheese can really plug up the personal plumbing!

9

General Discussion / Recumbent Bike Touring

« on: March 17, 2004, 01:11:39 pm »

I ride recumbents (I have 2) though the longest tour I've ever done is only 1200km at any one time. I average over 4000km a year on just short trips.I do have hopes of doing a across Canada tour in the next 5 years.

My bikes are both SWB bents and though sturdy little beasts I don't think they have it in them to do a across country tour. I may get me a Tour Easy-Expedition for that type of trip. Breaking up a x-country tour into smaller sections enables one to spend more time in sight seeing and enjoy local hospitality.