Messages

61

General Discussion / Re: Bicycle pump that works as advertised.

« on: November 14, 2022, 11:14:09 am »

Sounds great in theory, but you'd have to be able to specify what tire, on what rim, with what tube, to what pressure.  Otherwise manufacturers get to game the system.  (Parenthetical comments don't make it past marketing into the ad.)

1. Takes 120 strokes to get to 90 psi on a 32 tire. 

2. (We picked the skinniest 32 tire on the market and the skinniest rim we could find,) and it only took 104 strokes.

3. Takes 77 strokes to get to 90 psi (on a 25 tire).

4. Only takes 44 strokes to get to 75 psi (18 tire).

62

Gear Talk / Re: tubes or tubeless for a cross-country ride??

« on: November 07, 2022, 09:10:02 am »

I don't know about tubes vs. tubeless (still running tubes myself).  But before you leave on tour, you should try to get both tires off.  If the one that didn't flat is problematic, take it down to the bike shop.  But if the one that flatted is nigh impossible to get off, get some new tires of a different model to replace both of them.

63

General Discussion / Re: Kansas

« on: November 07, 2022, 08:58:40 am »

Most of the considerations have been covered already, but let me mention one more connection that I didn't see explicitly stated.

Winds seem to be a fact of life crossing Kansas.  Any wind outside of 30-45 degrees off a direct tailwind feels like a headwind.  So you'll feel like you're fighting headwinds most of the way.  Either direction.

As noted, the winds tend to pick up mid-morning.  So if you start riding at dawn, you can usually get 5-6 hours of riding in before that nasty "headwind" picks up.  However, if you're eastbound, traffic coming up behind you (in your lane) may be blinded by the rising sun at dawn.  Westbound, you just have to worry about someone turning left into you, because the traffic behind you sees you illuminated by the dawn.  Thus, westbound may win the toss-up.

On the flip side, a strong south wind blows the disruption created by some eastbound trucks across the road, and a westbound rider will feel like you're riding into a wall of wind when they pass.  You probably won't notice more than a slight push if you're eastbound.  Either way, if you can catch up and draft a combine rolling down the road at 18 mph, you'll be in for a great ride!

Motels weren't a problem for most of Kansas when I rode through.  I remember they were a bit sparse in western Colorado, though.

64

General Discussion / Re: how to lighten a load

« on: November 07, 2022, 08:35:20 am »

I don't want to come across as unduly critical of a newbie's choices, but I have to agree with froze on this one.  The Disc Trucker is 5-10 pounds heavier than a decent gravel bike with the capacity for wider tires.  15 pounds is as light as most people go with an ultralight bikepacking setup.  I suspect OP's expectations are a bit off.

Now that said, you might go over your packing list once more (and perhaps post it for more suggestions).  If your overnights are strictly motel/B&B, do you need more than one set of riding clothes?  Wash and dry them overnight.  OTOH make sure you're ready for the worst riding conditions likely during your tour -- you never want to bet your life that it won't rain, so make sure your gear will protect you from hypothermia if a thunderstorm hits.  Do you need a spare set of shoes?  You'll have to balance an extra pound or two against the comfort of changing out of bike shoes at the end of the day's ride.

65

General Discussion / Re: Getting to Your Starting Point

« on: October 17, 2022, 01:58:49 pm »

It's a big country...

Travel by land gets tedious; I prefer not to drive more than a day, although I may stretch it to two days.  That'll take me to the Atlantic coast, but even Wyoming is pushing three days' drive from home.  Train isn't a real option (two hours' drive to catch the one train a day).  Buses, the last time I had to ride one, doubled driving time.  That leaves air travel for most of my potential trips.

There's a lot of complaining about luggage costs on airplanes, some of it justified.  I just try to figure out what the total cost is going to be to get me and my luggage from here to there.  I don't believe the cheap flight fares that are advertised because I've never found one going where I want to go when I want to go.  So after I add $100 for taxes and fees, the extra cost for checked bags is a minor irritant.  If I can't get bike plus gear into two containers ($75 for a bike and large duffle) and a carryon, Shipbike or Bikeflights can usually get the bike from here to there for less than a third bag. 

I've had a couple of business trips in the last half dozen years that were delayed overnight.  Aggravating, surely, but on the time scale of a month (or more) bike trip, it's not too bad.  I'll take that risk over the likelihood of a train delay, or the aggravation of a seat mate on a 14 hour bus ride that smells like a drunken bicycle tourist. 

66

General Discussion / Re: Phoenix to Tucson tour in January

« on: October 14, 2022, 09:00:25 am »

It's certainly feasible.  How comfortable are you riding with traffic on two lane roads?  You'll be dealing with traffic, two lane roads, and sparse shoulders coming out of Chandler/Gilbert and from Oracle Junction south into Tucson.  Overnight in Florence or are you up for a 100 mile day?

Get a copy of the Phoenix and Tucson area bike maps before you go.  IIRC the Tucson loop dumped you out onto a main road for a mile or two on the north side of town last time I was there, though they may have finished the missing river link since then.  South side is a little longer (and more confusing) with short gap (or was I lost), but the road was lower traffic than the north gap.

Further east, you'll be looking at either a lot of interstate riding or a long loop to get to Wilcox.  Sonoita towards Douglas is very nice; you should be able to load up with water (hydration pack or extra water in your pocket) and make it from one town to the next.

67

Classifieds / Re: FS - Co-Motion Americano 57cm S&S Couplers with custom luggage

« on: September 23, 2022, 02:58:10 pm »

Minor point, but is the case 26x26x12" (as listed) or 26x26x10" (meets the 62" airline requirement)?

68

General Discussion / Re: Packing S&S tandem for airplane travel

« on: September 19, 2022, 04:45:37 pm »

My S&S coupled single came with velcro'd cordura padding cut to fit all the tubes.  I've seen other custom builders (including, IIRC, Co-Motion) who sell that padding separately, though perhaps not cut and labeled.  That would be the first place I'd look.

Also S&S had a cargo net available for separate purchase that would hold all the bike parts together in their proper orientation in the case.  (They came out with that a year or two after I bought my bike.)  The selling point is that TSA can open the case and check everything out, then simply close the case back up.  It'd have been cheaper than replacing the shifter TSA cracked on my bike...

69

General Discussion / Re: Shifting gears: I have 27 and use 4

« on: September 12, 2022, 03:19:55 pm »

I don't qualify to answer since I'm happy with my 3x9 shifting system.  I get a lot of wear on the middle cog of my cassette.  I'm still happy to have the rest of the gears available. but here goes anyhow.

Where have you ridden?  If you've stuck to fairly flat tours, such as rail-trails or coastal routes, you may be unhappy if you ever try to climb a mountain.

Are you OK with the idea of getting off to push?  Or being limited in how fast you can go on a slight downhill?  If you answer "yes," maybe a one-by system will make sense.

What do you see as the downside to a triple?

Personally, I'd stick with what you've got until you wear out a cassette (and change your chains as needed to keep that from happening).  Why?  Because it still works, and I'm too cheap to buy a new cassette, shifter, chain, and crank until the old one is worn out.

70

Routes / Re: Western Express versus TransAmerica

« on: September 07, 2022, 01:56:53 pm »

FWIW, the Big Hole (Dillon to Wisdom to Sula) felt like the most remote part of the TransAm I remember.  Scenery is very nice (if you don't have smoke when you go through there) as well.  To be honest, I don't know what I missed through Idaho and Oregon on the original TransAm, as I went north to Glacier and then took the Northern Tier to the coast.  Glacier was worth the detour IMHO!

Speaking of which, the NT is a great way to go west.  Five passes in four days on WA Rte. 20, and all of them felt different.  Tough, yeah, but after you've ridden all the way from Virginia, it shouldn't be a big deal.

For LouisB specifically, you might not care about the Virginia tidewater and piedmont regions if you're not interested in American history and if you're in pretty good shape when you arrive.  Have you considered riding the W&OD rail trail/bike route out of Washington, then make your way to Front Royal, and take the Skyline Drive (Shenandoah N.P.) to the Blue Ridge Parkway above Waynesboro to pick up the TransAm there? 

As I said above -
I've had the misfortune of riding and hiking Glacier a dozen or more times.

You said that, and I can't quite figure out if "misfortune" is a sardonic introduction or whether you really don't like it but keep going back.

71

General Discussion / Re: extremely new to cycle touring

« on: September 06, 2022, 08:39:34 am »

If your finances can handle it, you might look into packaged bike tours in Europe.  It's not hard to find supported tours of 30-50 miles per day in France, Italy, Germany, etc. that will also rent you a bike (saves shipping across the pond and back).

That just leaves you finding a bike to train on before you leave home.  Without the touring constraint, it should be easy to walk into a bike shop, try some out, and buy the one you like to ride the most.  (It's harder to buy a good touring bike just because it's such a small slice of the bicycle market.)

72

Routes / Re: Western Express versus TransAmerica

« on: August 31, 2022, 02:55:28 pm »

Didn't see any bears in Glacier, but when we were walking from the campground over to the shuttle stop at Apgar, a wolf was chasing a deer.  (Didn't know my daughter could walk that fast in flip-flops!)

A dozen years later, I'm still trying to figure out how to go back there and take my wife to see Glacier.  It's that beautiful.

73

Classifieds / Re: STOLEN Co-Motion Americano

« on: August 20, 2022, 04:45:44 pm »

Supposedly horse thieves were hanged in the old west because they kept a man from being able to work without his horse.  There's some debate on whether or not a bike thief deserves the same punishment.  But taking off with your Frogs?  Hang 'em high!

FWIW, if your insurance company wants to keep the bike, you might ask if they'll sell the remnants to you.  You might score a scratched up and poorly frame for $200 or so.

74

Routes / Re: Western Express versus TransAmerica

« on: August 12, 2022, 08:59:30 am »

When you're looking at temperatures, remember that it's going to be warmer than the listed highs roughly half the time.  (And Murphy's Law says you'll be riding there during the half the time it's hotter!)

If you're thinking about going to Missoula, you might thing about a two or three day jog up to Glacier National Park, and then take the Northern Tier west.  If you do that, when you're sweating across eastern and central Washington, congratulate yourself on being 700 miles north of the WE in Nevada!

75

General Discussion / Re: Long, steep descents -- questions about safety

« on: July 05, 2022, 08:58:44 am »

A few more thoughts.

First, the points about pannier drag and wind are spot on.  My unladen terminal velocity on a 6% downhill is probably over 50 mph, but I hit the brakes when traffic or crosswind buffeting has me wondering if I can control the bike at that speed.  (So my lifetime max is only 49.4 mph.  Sniff.  It was glorious!)

I've rarely exceeded 40 mph with panniers.  Maybe I need an 8-10% grade where I know there's a nice runoff at the bottom?

Second, practice letting the bike run on your training rides.  I remember one bicyclist who was almost petrified going down an 8% grade, and riding her brakes to keep her speed down to 10-12 mph, wobbling back and forth across the lane as she did so.  The 3/4 mile of traffic backed up behind her was not impressed.  You don't want to be her.  So work your way up to a comfortable 30-40 mph or so in good conditions.

Also remember, if you start getting speed wobbles, (1) relax, (2) don't hit the front brake, (3) if you can, put one or both knees against your top tube.