Messages

1

General Discussion / Re: camera choice

« on: December 05, 2023, 02:30:51 pm »

Sounds AI-generated.

What's even more interesting is that Alessa3322 keeps on digging up long-dead threads, then rayed responds shortly thereafter, generally with a link to a commercial website. (Or in at least one instance, it's rayed first, then Alessa3322.) Go check their post history. They both have about the same amount of posts, and registered a little over a week from each other in March of this year.

If these two are what they think they are, I find it fascinating that someone/thing finds this a good forum to do that on. But I guess with bots/AI, it doesn't really matter.

I did notice the necro thread revival and even mentioned it in another comment somewhere, but I did not notice the connection to rayed.  Good catch. 

2

General Discussion / Re: camera choice

« on: November 30, 2023, 11:02:42 am »

When it comes to cameras, their applications have expanded well beyond just capturing memorable moments. In today's world, they play a significant role in various aspects of our lives, including security and workplace monitoring. Workplace monitoring, in particular, has become increasingly important for organizations to ensure safety, productivity, and compliance with policies. Cameras can help in maintaining a secure work environment, preventing theft or unauthorized access, and even enhancing employee accountability. However, it's important to strike the right balance between using cameras for workplace monitoring and respecting the privacy and rights of employees. Open communication and clear policies are essential to address any concerns and ensure that surveillance is conducted ethically and within legal boundaries.

Sounds AI-generated.

3

General Discussion / Re: LA Union station to Santa Monica

« on: November 27, 2023, 10:41:18 am »

The best way is to take LA Metro.  You will have to transfer once but is better and easier than trying to ride to Santa Monica.

Thank you so much. I had no idea there was a Metro. There was I thinking buses, Uber, car rental etc. I hope I can manage with four panniers.

According to this source, all Metro stations and accessible, which means ramps and elevators:

https://wheelchairtraveling.com/wheelchair-accessible-los-angeles-county-metro-rail-train-system/

The Expo (E) Line is the one you would want.

4

Routes / Re: Northern Tier: Back to the old route?

« on: November 21, 2023, 07:54:38 am »

Last summer I rode the new Northern Tier through Montana, diverting at Glendive to go north to the confluence of the Yellowstone and the Missouri.  Even though the oil field traffic was greatly reduced from the peak, there was enough inconsiderate large truck drivers that I found it greatly annoying, although not life threatening, and would not go there again myself. 

Maybe as an alternate NT route?

Eric

A couple of people from our group went there while doing the NT west to east.  Started the day in Culbertson, MT an went off route SE then back up to U.S. to get to Williston and then on to Lewis and Clark State Park.  Also took a guided tour of Ft. Union.  The NPS employee was really knowledgeable.

That was way back in '99.  Shame about 1804.  I remember it being virtually empty when we rode east of Williston to New Town. We did encounter a pheasant that had been recently hit by a car.  (Blood was still fresh.)  A member of the group plucked some feathers from it to put on our bikes.  Mine blew away when a heavy thunderstorm moved through camp in New Town.

5

General Discussion / Re: Traditional Trans America group tour

« on: November 16, 2023, 01:30:46 pm »

Self-contained touring is not a thing of the past, it's just evolved. There are plenty of young'uns doing it, though they usually call it bikepacking. Those same young'uns are less likely to spend the cash for an organized tour, ACA or not. So it looks like ACA is changing its approach for their tours, aiming at the demographics who have the cash, but want something a tad more luxurious than four-panniers-and-a-handlebar-bag and sleeping on the ground in the tent. Those who have been doing self-contained touring for decades are more likely to do it solo anyway so they don't have to deal with imposed itineraries and folks they don't know.

Well put.

And that last sentence resonates with me.  As I noted above, my first tour was a group tour.  While I had some great times with most of the other participants, there were a couple of participants that were pretty much universally "not liked." The forced itinerary/majority rule was another issue.  We had a relatively high maintenance group in the sense that most people preferred camping with more amenities like showers and flush toilets.  While that was all good and fine much of the time, there were times when we had the opportunity to camp in more primitive places in more "back to nature" settings.  Those options were voted down by the majority.

After the tour ended and I started riding home solo, I felt some relief.  Not only was I away from the people I didn't want to be around almost from the beginning of the tour.  I could set my own schedule.  I could do short days or not ride at all if I felt like it.  I remember staying an extra day in a Maine beach town so I could hang out on the beach.  I took Labor Day off in MA to avoid traffic. Went off the Atlantic Coast route in CT to visit a friend who was attending Yale.  In NY, I rode only about 4 miles in the early hours of a hurricane to take refuge in a motel.  While I did need to reach home in time to continue the final leg of the journey by participating in a charity event that I had been doing for over 5 consecutive years, I built in enough time so that I never felt rushed.

I have never done a second, unsupported tour and have only done unsupported tours with one person who was close to me.

6

General Discussion / Re: Touring with an E-bike or G-bike?

« on: November 16, 2023, 10:56:31 am »

If that keeps up we will have to ride our bikes on the roads for safety!!   

Believe it or not, that has actually crossed my mind.  You often have inexperienced people operating heavy machines that can accelerate quickly with the twist off the wrist.  Some of those people don't understand how their riding can negatively affect others.  Just because you cannot get hit by a car on a trail doesn't mean you can do whatever you want with no adverse effects on others.

7

General Discussion / Re: Traditional Trans America group tour

« on: November 14, 2023, 01:27:48 pm »

There is a big difference between van-supported and self-contained touring.
I would think that ACA - fka Bikecentennial - would see the importance of maintaining a self-contained Trans-Am.

I got my start on ACA's self-contained Northern Tier group trip in '99.  It was a game changer for me, especially since I had never toured self-contained or camped a night in my life.

I suspect demand was the main driver of the decision. As a NFP, it's tough to run a trip that loses money because of a lack of demand.

Assuming a drop in demand is correct, what is the cause?

Aging demographic?

Upfront investment in touring specific gear? That 4P tent someone has in their garage isn't going to be useful for a self-contained tour.

Time constraints for those in the workforce.  We work longer hours with less time off.

General financial conditions of potential participants? When I did my trip, only 2 of us were in our 30s.  Everyone else was 55 or older (6 people, and only one of them was in their 50s and still in the workforce.  The other 5 were 60 or older and retired.)  or 25 or younger (4 people).  With cutthroat competition the way it is, how many recent grads have the time and money to take off a summer to ride bikes.  As for retirees, the average American has relatively little saved for retirement, and pensions are rarer and rarer these days. A three-month, self-contained tour is not cheap, especially with what some places are charging for camping.  I forget exactly how much I paid in '99, but I am sure it was over $2,000 way back then.  Might have even been close to $3,000.  And I had to buy an appropriate bike and all my sleeping gear and foul weather riding clothes.  (ACA supplied the cooking gear.)  I also had to get myself from the east coast out to Seattle.  (I rode home from ME after the tour ended.)

The proliferation of e-bikes pushing some towards the paths of least resistance? (E.g., The Katy Trail on an e-bike sounds like a lot more fun than pedaling up mountains.

Interestingly, this year was Cyle Oregon's final week-long event. (Fully supported camping) I believe it was their 36th year. (I did the 25th edition in 2012, among others.)  There were lots of reasons, but I believe demand and the ability to earn a decent ROI were two of them.  I think the plan is to have shorter duration events.

8

General Discussion / Re: Touring with an E-bike or G-bike?

« on: November 14, 2023, 12:54:09 pm »

I don't believe gas-powered bikes are permitted on PA state trails and probably not on a lot of other locally managed trails, and for good reasons.  I suspect the same is true in many (if not most or all) other areas.

As for eBikes, I believe state trails are limited to Class I only, but that doesn't stop some people.  Locally managed trails are probably the same.

l did a ride on a state trail last month. Most of the people I saw were riding eBikes.  Some of them were riding ones with throttles that required no pedaling at all.  (I call those mopeds.)  Some of them were flying.  I almost hit a couple riding throttle eTrikes while I was trying to pull out of a tight parking lot near the trailhead. They were doing at least 20 mph with no concern for the safety of others or themselves.

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General Discussion / Re: start tour operator business

« on: November 02, 2023, 07:51:25 am »

What's with the habitual digging up of old threads?

Nothing else to talk about at the end of the "season" I guess.  It's either dig up old threads (for some of these, you need a degree in archaeology) or start swapping old jokes.

What's brown and sounds like a bell?

(Pretty sure, this joke goes better with a British accent.)
Strikes me that a couple of the motorcycle fora I keep track of have joke threads that get some action this time of year.
(Be the life of the party: check out hundreds more funny jokes like this one!  )

Dung! Dung! 

10

General Discussion / Re: start tour operator business

« on: October 30, 2023, 02:40:38 pm »

What's with the habitual digging up of old threads?

Nothing else to talk about at the end of the "season" I guess.  It's either dig up old threads (for some of these, you need a degree in archaeology) or start swapping old jokes.

What's brown and sounds like a bell?

11

General Discussion / Re: start tour operator business

« on: October 26, 2023, 08:11:33 am »

What's with the habitual digging up of old threads?

12

Pacific Northwest / Re: How to find camping spots

« on: October 19, 2023, 09:52:57 am »

1.  Did you start your ride yet?
2.  Planned route W --> E?
3.  I'm riding Seattle --> Missoula --> Pueblo in June 2024, NOT using Palouse to Cascades trail because of loose gravel and I'm using a touring bike, with panniers and tires < 2"   Are you planning to go across the PCT?

I did a lot of that way back in 2000.  Left Seattle and picked up the Norhtern Tier near Mt. Veron, WA.  Took that to Glacier National Park to ride up and back down the west slope of Going to the Sun.  From there, I headed back to Columbia Falls and took the Great Parks North Route to Missoula, where I picked up the Trans Am route all the way to Fairplay, CO.  Continued on the Great Parks South to Cortez, CO.  (If you stay on the TA at Fairplay, you end up in Pueblo.)

I have since been on parts of the NT and TA in MT a few times and more recently. Send me a PM if you would like some options to enhance the experience and/or woud like my opinons on where to stay.

13

General Discussion / Re: Achilles Problems

« on: October 11, 2023, 08:18:44 am »

Westinghouse post offered a cure that worked, but really didn't address the underlying cause.  I concur with Iowagriz's posting. Achillles tendonitis is caused by having your seat/saddle too high which keep the foot flexed in a toe pointed down position which, in turn, causes constant contraction of the calf muscles and load on the tendon which leads to tendonitis. Lowering your saddle (and check to make sure your cleats aren't pushed all the way forward if using cleats) will help to even out the muscles you're using to pedal.

+2.  One of the years I flew with my bike to Cycle Oregon the tape I had put on the seat post to mark the height peeled off during transit.  When I re-assembled the bike, I had the seat too high.  The first day of riding featured some 82 miles with a lot of climbing compressed into the second half.  I ended up with a lot of pain by about the 3rd. day of riding.  Not fun.

14

General Discussion / Re: Neck injury/pain issue

« on: October 11, 2023, 08:13:33 am »

This thread is over 6 years old.

15

Routes / Re: Seeking info on route from Seattle to Missoula esp about Chinook Scenic Byway

« on: October 09, 2023, 01:13:56 pm »

Allow me to suggest an alternative on the Trns Am in MT.  After Big Hole Pass east of Jackson, make a left onto the Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway.  It rolls through the scenic Grasshopper Valley then starts to climb.  Although you top out at nearly 8,000", in sustained hilly section (the last 5 miles) is not that difficult.  After summitting, you have a net elevation loss of 24 miles, and there is a wonderful alpine meadow area.  You end up in Wise River, where there is a good restaurant (The Wise River Club) and a small mercantile with enough stuff to cobble together a dinner.  Nine miles east on MT 43 is Divide Bridge Campground, in inexpensive BLM site on the Big Hole River established sites, a host, water and pit toilets.

From there, continue east a few miles to the end of MT 43 and make a right onto the frontage road that takes you to Melrose, where there is a lodging/campground place and a restaurant.  Three options to get back on the TA.

1.  Stay on the frontage road to Dillon.

2.  Hop on I-15 (legal) to Dillon.

3.  At the south end of town, make a left onto Melrose-Twin Bridges Road (there should be a sign pointing the way) and take that to MT 41 at Twin Bridges.

The first two options are paved.  Option 3 is not, but it's a very interesting ride. Open land ((re)apply sunblock in Melrose) with free range cattle in areas.  I have done it on 700 x37c inverted tread tires.  There is climbing and descending and some rougher spots, but if you have right equipment and ride somewhat conservatively, the effort is worth it. During the three times I have ridden that road, I have encountered maybe 6 vehicles in total.   Last time I did I saw one vehicle turn off down a different road far ahead of me.  At one point I stopped for a break and could hear no manmade sounds at all, only the rustling of the grass, the calls of birds and the buzzing of insects.  This way also avoids a 12 mile shoulderless section of MT 41 between Dillon and Twin Bridges., which has high speed traffic, due in part to its straightness.  Unless it has taken a turn for the worse, the Bike Camp in Twin Bridges is a great place to stay. I have taken some rest days there as the town has just about everything you could need except a bike shop.

Another neat gravel section I proposed a long time ago is between Sheridan (the next town east of Twin Bridges) and Laurin.  The surface was benign when I rode it back in 2016.  And it avoids a stretch of shouderless highway (about 8 miles, IIRC) without bypassing any of the services in either town.  If it's not on the ACA map or its addendum, I can give you a ling to the RWGPS map.