Topics

1

Gear Talk / Collapsible water carriers

« on: April 01, 2012, 05:14:40 pm »

Has anyone any experience of collapsible water carriers.  I was thinking of using one (around 5 litres) for the convenience of having water to hand when on a camp site (European).  I don't intend carrying water in it on the bike, although if it was suitable it might be considered, but this is not really necessary in Europe. Have read some reviews - some good, some awful.  Bad points seem to be leaky taps and seals, plastic tasting water, hard to inflate.  Not sure I'm going to buy one yet - just thought I'd ask for your experiences/advice and hear any recommendations about particular brands.

2

Gear Talk / Has anyone had experience of a Thorn Nomad with S & S couplers??

« on: September 16, 2010, 05:03:22 pm »

I'm in a dilemma.   

I've been looking for a touring bike for some time, suitable for riding a trail such as the great divide or riding roads.  My problem is transport.  Living in the UK means transporting to the USA by air.  I thought I had found the ideal when I read about the S & S couplers, as used by Thorn and some other manufacturers.  However, I have been given the impression that even with the couplers, it is difficult to reduce the size of the bike sufficiently to fit inside the case recommended for the job, unless you are a bike mechanic with all the tools to hand.  I understand that Thorn (whose bike I am most interested in) produce a rucksack that will take the dismantled bike, allowing you to carry it with a handle for ease of transporting by air (as baggage).  The rucksack than apparently folds to normal ruck sack size and can either be worn or carried in panniers.  My question is - does anyone have experience of the S & S system, with any bike, but more specifically with the Thorn Nomad.  The couplers are a £400 extra, so I need to work out whether or not I can justify buying them.  Any comments would be appreciated.

3

Gear Talk / What trailer???

« on: June 11, 2010, 02:55:33 pm »

Hi Everyone,

This is my first post - so hope it's ok.
I have fairly recently switched from road riding (time-trialling etc) to trail riding and have bought a full suspension mountain bike, which I absolutely love to bits.  I have no touring experience (but regularly ride long distances) and intend joining one of Adventure Cycling's touring and back-woods camping courses next year.  Ultimately, I would like to ride the Great Divide, but as I live in the UK, getting to the USA with gear seems pretty daunting at the moment.  As I understand it (please correct me if I'm wrong), I cannot use panniers with a full sus bike, and will need to use a trailer to carry gear.  I have looked at many different trailers on the internet, BOB, Aevon, Adventure, etc and find it hard to make a decision about buying one.  I would appreciate any comments regarding their use from your experiences please.  Has anyone ever used the Aevon Kit L80 trailer - it looks great, but seems very expensive. Also, does anyone have any idea how much it might cost to transport bike and trailer by air?

Thanks

Gill