Messages

1

Classifieds / For Sale: 2006 Trek 520 w/panniers

« on: March 25, 2008, 06:54:18 pm »

I'm very interested in the 520, trying to reach you by email and phone. Thanks.

--Don (pls see your voice mail and email for contact info)

2

Gear Talk / Locks/ theft

« on: April 07, 2008, 10:39:51 am »

I agree that in a lot of circumstances a lock is not necessary, but you don't want to ever find out that you misjudged. I agree with the previous post regarding a length of cable from the hardware store for touring. I used a 4 foot length, with a small loop and one end and a larger loop that the other can pass through. I just loop the cable around a rear stay, pass one loop through the other and then run the end up to my front rack and lock it with a small but good quality lock. If you wish, make it a bit longer and pass it through pannier d rings, helmet straps, etc. Even with this of course don't leave your bike for long periods of time.

3

General Discussion / White gas on the GDMBR?

« on: April 16, 2008, 09:29:26 pm »

Use Coleman fuel - purest version of gasoline you can get.

4

General Discussion / New article on mental skills for cyclists

« on: April 14, 2008, 07:29:29 pm »

Well, lack of time constraints was my big advantage. I was touring independently, and toured as an independent rider when on the Bikecentennial trail too. That was practical in '76 when there were so many riders. I fell in with a floating group of about 8-10 and we had a blast. All we had to do get to a camping spot by the end of the day. The single biggest mistake one can make is decide how far one wants to go and then try to fit it into the number of days available, irrespective of whether the distance is too far to be fun.

5

General Discussion / New article on mental skills for cyclists

« on: April 14, 2008, 06:20:27 pm »

Maybe I'm missing something but I'm at a loss to understand the "mental challenge" of a long tour. I do not have better memories than those of the long tours I took, including one of 3 months and 5000 miles.

If one is going on a tour to prove something - that s/he can pedal coast to coast or go a certain amount of miles in a fixed amount of days that would indeed involve a mental challenge to keep going, as it's more like a competition than a vacation. But if the purpose is to enjoy oneself what exactly is the challenge in that? Issues of being in shape disappear in a short amount of time, and if one quits early because it's no longer fun then the part completed is still worth the effort.

My 5000 mile trip was to have been 10,000 miles, including a stop at the '76 Olympics in Montreal. Instead I was hit by a car in South Dakota and had to go home. I was sad and frustrated but I doubt I will ever duplicate the joy I had from that trip.  

6

General Discussion / Trans Am Bicycle Choice???

« on: April 05, 2008, 04:21:49 pm »

An additional word on gear and gearing. You are NOT going to gain significant speed by going too high in gearing. Why? Because with any significant amount of baggage on your bike you are only going to be able to use the highest gears going downhill. Why use energy then when you can coast and rest for the next hill? There's no such thing as a head start on a 5 mile climb! What you give up in return is the low gears or the closer gearing that can help your muscles avoid fatigue.

I would suggest something like a 48/38/28 chainwheel or smaller. I did my '76 tour with a high gear of 48/16 and a low of 38/28 (on a budget, no triple, wanted close gearing) and did fine. That high gear at 120 rpm is 30mph - any faster than that and I coasted. A secondary advantage with a more compact drive train is that you save chain and chainwheel weight and have fewer chain problems due to it slapping around less.

As for the very low gearing some have suggested, I'm not sure you will need it, given the shape you're in. A lot depends on your route and how much weight you will be carrying. A southern route is fairly easy. The further north you go the harder and longer it becomes, but it's not because of the grades on the western mountain. Most of the paved roads out there are limited in grade to accomodate trucks. I could do a 5% truck grade all day without any fatigue, carrying 35lbs of racks, bags and gear. The problem is that due to the terrain the roads don't go straight east-west and therefore can add a lot of distance. The bad grades actually occur when you start hitting the eastern mountains, and again you won't be going directly east-west.

This message was edited by cny-bikeman on 4-5-08 @ 2:43 PM

7

General Discussion / Trans Am Bicycle Choice???

« on: April 05, 2008, 04:08:24 pm »

If you just want something to brag about (if you make it) then go ahead and do the cross country trip in 30 days. You will need some luck, as one serious breakdown, a few days of head or crosswinds, injury or fatigue, or any one of another number of factors can sabotage your goal. Then what you will have left is sore muscles and a vague recollection of the things you saw on the way.

I went on a tour in 1976 that was to be 6 months and 10,000 miles. I made half of that because I was hit by a car. But because the goal was to enjoy myself and the experience I was not terribly disappointed. It is still one of the best memories of my life. I was in great shape and did as much as 110 miles in a day, and had one day of 85 miles and a 5000 foot gain in altitude. But I would have been miserable stringing enough days like that together to get across the country.

When it comes down to it, thousands upon thousands of people have gone coast to coast and on other long distance tours. The ones who enjoyed it the most and the ones I most want to listen to are the ones who can tell me of the richness of their experience, not the ones who can only tell me how many miles per day they did.

Take it or leave it - my advice is to plan for less distance per day, maybe 80 or 90. Multiply that by 30 days and you get 2400 to 2700 miles. THEN look at where you would most like to go that would encompass that distance.

This message was edited by cny-bikeman on 4-5-08 @ 12:35 PM