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Messages - atodaso

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Gear Talk / Re: Packs and pack weight for long tours
« on: October 28, 2015, 07:22:52 pm »
Not so, at least when you get east of the Mississipi. I'm a cider drinker too (the good stuff though), and my last two trips were an extended cider/IPA tasting tour. In moderation of course, maybe one or two every couple of nights.  There are a ton of great micro cideries on the eastern seaboard.

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Gear Talk / Re: Packs and pack weight for long tours
« on: October 28, 2015, 05:14:41 pm »
Credit card touring refers to carrying only the most basic necessities needed during the day, mostly clothing:  no camping gear or cooking equipment because you stay in hotels or b&b's and eat out along the way.

Got it... I could afford to do that but it sounds terrible! I grew up really poor though so now that I have money I'm pretty cheap and still live "poor" I guess you'd call it!
I mostly agree, at least with respect to the accododations part. I'd rather camp in a meadow or on a hillside than stay in a hotel any day. But I do love finding a great little independent brew pub at the end of the day and a good cafe for an almond croissant and triple espresso in the morning.

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Gear Talk / Re: Touring bike selection in WashDC area
« on: October 27, 2015, 01:07:27 pm »
Any suggestions for an LBS in the DC/MD/VA area with a good selection of touring bikes? I am having a hard time finding ones that carry more than 2-3 brands of tourers. Thanks!
Do you mind me asking what you're looking for in a touring bike?  I ask because I have a 55cm Van Nicholas made titanium touring bike that I will be selling. It's in perfect condition and looks very similar to this one:  http://www.plsmith.co.uk/van-nicholas-yukon
also:  http://www.vannicholas.com/Touring/5/allbikes.aspx

In terms of size, at 55cm virtual top[ tube, it's probably a perfect fit for a person between 5'-9" and maybe 6' tall. In terms of comfort for long rides it doesn't get any better than titanium. In terms of price, it sells new for roughly $3000 USD and I'm looking for roughly half that.

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Gear Talk / Re: Packs and pack weight for long tours
« on: October 27, 2015, 12:39:06 pm »
Credit card touring refers to carrying only the most basic necessities needed during the day, mostly clothing:  no camping gear or cooking equipment because you stay in hotels or b&b's and eat out along the way.

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General Discussion / Re: Cost of a cross country USA trip?
« on: October 26, 2015, 11:37:31 pm »
I've almost never paid for, except in Oregon where the hiker/biker sites are so good they're almost like bush camping except with showers.  Hearing you talk about farmer's markets and grocery stores etc has me concerned. As soon as you are east of central Oregon you are in desolate country. It can be a good day from one town to the next, and half the towns you'll find are podunk backwaters. Also, if you do intend to cook and carry a lot of food - how will you do this when you're packing so light?

6
I don't know much about hammock camping because the couple of times I've tried my back got chilled and the slumped over position with my feet arced upwards resulted in the worst nights sleep I think I've ever had,
BUT,
I can recommend an excellent sleeping bag for touring. Probably the best, lightest, most versatile and comfortable sleeping bag that I've ever come across: the Western Mountaineering Terralite. Well under 2 lbs, good down to 25 degrees (-4c), and wide enough so you can sleep with your knees completely bent. It's only downside is the price: $475.

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Gear Talk / Re: Packs and pack weight for long tours
« on: October 26, 2015, 11:01:50 pm »
If you're riding in flat dessert the weight is fine, but once you hit the cascades you'll need those granny gears.On my first trip years ago down the west coast from WA to Big Sur my bike was pretty unwieldy - in the 70 lb range probably.  It's so liberating to carry less weight. To feel that sense of self-sufficiency having everything you need with you, and being able ride nimby and hammer up hills, that is freedom.

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Gear Talk / Re: Packs and pack weight for long tours
« on: October 26, 2015, 07:18:03 pm »
So what does this 12lb specimen look like, and who makes it?

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General Discussion / Re: How much is this bike worth?
« on: October 26, 2015, 07:13:21 pm »

What do I think it's worth?  If the woman I loved was that short and I wanted to treat her to a magnificent high-end touring bike, I'd probably offer $3-4,000.  I'm cheap though, maybe someone else might offer another couple thousand.
This is funny stuff

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General Discussion / Re: How much is this bike worth?
« on: October 26, 2015, 06:59:31 pm »
If someone walked into a bike boutique and ordered a bespoke bike, custom-built and custom-painted, decked out with all the trimmings and at no discount, it might hit 9 grand. But realistically if I saw this posted on ebay in pristine unridden condition for $4500 I think it might eventually sell.  It's worth at least 3500 and not more that 5500 as a second hand new bike.

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Gear Talk / Re: Packs and pack weight for long tours
« on: October 26, 2015, 06:30:42 pm »
To be able to achieve the light, nimble,  easy to climb feel of a fast road bike while touring would be a beautiful thing. I could probably get my setup down to 40 lbs without food or water and still be able to camp comfortably on multi-week tours, but I'm not sure I'd be able to widdle it down much further.  At +/-30lbs are you able to camp comfortably and do long tours? 
BTW, I agree about the clunky 'touring' bike. Mine is a titanium litespeed blueridge with campy record 9 speed, carbon bars, ti seat post, so not your average long-haul trucker.

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Gear Talk / Re: Packs and pack weight for long tours
« on: October 26, 2015, 06:06:52 pm »
12lb touring bike? Wow, at 16 lbs I thought my Merlin was light, and that's my fast bike. My touring bike, which is light, weighs about 19lbs including fenders and racks.

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Gear Talk / Re: Packs and pack weight for long tours
« on: September 29, 2015, 08:22:52 pm »
There can be a pretty wide range depending on individual choices.
 for my first tour... I had weight ranging from 45-55 pounds of bags and gear on a 30 pound bike.
.. subsequent(ly... I got the gear and bags below 20 pounds...Then I went with 14 pounds of gear and bags on a 24 pound bike for the Southern Tier in Feb-Mar...After that I carried 11.3 pounds of gear and bags on a 22 pound bike for a 9 day dirt road tour in Colorado.
In all cases I was camping and cooking comfortably.

Well done. Were these differences partly the result of packing for different seasons of regions? Or just refining needs and getting better gear?

 I'm down to a bike weight (including racks) of about 22lbs plus loaded panniers at +/-25lbs.  So under 50lbs total, including bike, gear, food and water.  This doesn't include cooking equipment as I relied on stopping for food. It does however include a fairly luxurious camping arrangement. (tent/sleeping bag/ thermarest)

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Gear Talk / Re: Touring without fenders - big mistake?
« on: September 29, 2015, 07:58:25 pm »
The pros and cons of fenders from my experience.

My most recent experience being two 2500 km trips throughout the Northeast and New England: fall of 2014 and summer of 2015.  Plus cycling through two Toronto winters using my Litespeed Blueridge touring bike as my all-weather workhorse.
My fenders are SKS Longboards mounted over 28mm Continental 4 seasons. The longboards were shortboards before long as the rubber flaps and part of the plastic fender itself up to the clamping point shattered and broke off within the first few weeks, mostly from riding up and down curbs. I don't mind that they broke (feels like a design improvement.)

Pros:
 - Getting caught in heavy rain is no big deal, for the first 15mins. (beyond that you'll be soaked regardless)
 - Spring/summer riding in light rain for long distances is no problem. You'll stay relatively clean, grit free, and dry.
 - In winter, when it's cold and roads stay wet, fenders are a must. Nothing takes the pleasure out of a damp fall or winter ride like a constant stream of grit in the eye, and up your back, and thighs, and neck.  With fenders though, there is nothing more delightful than being protected from these annoyances and enjoying a brisk fall ride more or less impervious to the elements.
 
Cons:
 - If you're flying with your bike, fenders can make your bike just a bit too large to fit into a standard cardboard bike box.
 - fenders are finicky to install, especially at an airport.
 - Fenders add some weight.
 - Fenders can rub, and rattle, and loosen..., unless they are properly installed and not warped or otherwise mangled.
 - Fenders can detract from the feeling of oneness with the road - because they obstruct the tire, and the road, from view.
 - Fenders make it harder to keep tabs of the condition of the tire, because you have to make a point of examining the rubber. (I had a bald patch from an incident that I had been riding on unnoticed for days until I finally got a flat from the inner tube pushing through like a hernia.)

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