Messages

31

Gear Talk / Re: Excellent, light-weight, air pump for long distance touring.

« on: June 20, 2023, 12:36:55 pm »

Yes I just looked at it again. It has what they call a flip chuck. It is not readily apparent that's what it is I think it has to be unscrewed and turned around and reattached to work for presta.

32

Gear Talk / Excellent, light-weight, air pump for long distance touring.

« on: June 20, 2023, 02:52:03 am »

The long search for an effective, light-weight, high pressure bicycle pump is over.  It is here.  The brand name is Lezyne.  The chrome colored one is high volume.  The black one is high pressure.  It is as light as a feather, not exactly but it is light.  You can tuck it in a pannier.  It has a long hose with a nozzle that screws onto the tire valve. The least expensive of three has no PSI gauge.  The next has a mechanical gauge.  The most expensive is the one with a digital gauge.  It pumps to 90 PSI in a jiffy.  Sure, you might have to lean on it some,  but so what.  You need extra strong Superman eyesight to read the microscopic numbers on the gauge.  Maybe an electron microscope would help. You know, one of those 300-meter-long scopes they use to look inside atoms and atomic particles. Once you discern your needed PSI mark, tape the line with a small piece of gorilla tape.  When you need air supply, pump till the red indicator gets to the tape.  The red indicator you can see as pressure increases.  When it disappears under the tape you got it.  It looks like it would not fit onto a presta valve.  It is good for schrader.  You need an adapter for presta valves.

33

General Discussion / Excellent light-weight pump for bicycle touring.

« on: June 19, 2023, 08:59:35 pm »

The long search for an effective, light-weight, high pressure bicycle pump is over.  It is here.  The brand name is Lezyne.  The chrome colored one is high volume.  The black one is high pressure.  It is as light as a feather, not exactly but it is light.  You can tuck it in a pannier.  It has a long hose with a nozzle that screws onto the tire valve. The least expensive of three has no PSI gauge.  The next has a mechanical gauge.  The most expensive is the one with a digital gauge.  It pumps to 90 PSI in a jiffy.  Sure, you might have to lean on it some,  but so what.  You need extra strong Superman eyesight to read the microscopic numbers on the gauge.  Maybe an electron microscope would help. You know, one of those 300-meter-long scopes they use to look inside atoms and atomic particles. Once you discern your needed PSI mark, tape the line with a small piece of gorilla tape.  When you need air supply, pump till the red indicator gets to the tape.  The red indicator you can see as pressure increases.  When it disappears under the tape you got it.  It looks like it would not fit onto a presta valve.  It is good for schrader.  You need an adapter for presta valves.

34

General Discussion / Re: No refusal laws or practices nation wide.

« on: June 17, 2023, 04:12:16 am »

You can Google state and federal statutes and laws regarding that.

35

General Discussion / Re: No refusal laws or practices nation wide.

« on: June 14, 2023, 11:07:31 pm »

This is the first I heard of it.

36

General Discussion / Re: The free-ranging dogs on long tours. Temporary annoyances, possible dangers.

« on: June 14, 2023, 11:05:46 pm »

Mark Manley, I live in Florida. This state is probably the most dangerous area to be riding a bicycle. So they have been telling us on television. Anywhere around here a cyclist had better stay on the sidewalk. The little bit of cycling I have done here in the fort Lauderdale area was hazardous. Some drivers seem to think a man on a bicycle has no legal right away when the driver is in a hurry.

37

General Discussion / Re: The free-ranging dogs on long tours. Temporary annoyances, possible dangers.

« on: June 09, 2023, 03:42:00 am »

I too would be cautious coming up suddenly on three pit bulldogs lurking in the road.  These dogs have a bad reputation for viciousness, very strong jaws and not letting go.  It is said they are actually as gentle as a lamb.   The ferocious ones are trained to be that way.  Like lawyers, it is the 95 % that give all the others a bad name.  I probably would have turned around at the sight of them, and looked for another way.

Except not all Pits are gentle as little lambs, there is a reason why homeowners insurance companies won't insure a home with Pits.  I'm a landlord, and my commercial policy on the buildings won't allow me to rent to anyone with a Pit.  There are a few other dogs they won't allow either.  This reputation Pits have is documented by claims at insurance companies which is why they don't want them on the property.

My mom had a Pit and it was gentle as a lamb, but others are not.  So, while 5% (no documented percentage available, but let's use that since that example was given) other breeds will be less than .01%, so that is why insurance companies don't want that breed as well as a few others.  I only accept small dogs, and they have to show renters insurance in case of a liability issue, plus pay $20 a month extra which effectively discourages most of my renters from having a dog or a cat, which I do not allow cats at all.

The other dogs insurance companies don't like are Chows, Rotts, Doby's, Presa Canarios, and even German Shepherds.  Some other insurance companies will get even pickier and they add another 5 dog breeds to that list, Great Danes, Akitas, Siberian Husky, and wolf hybrids.  But if you are willing to pay a higher premium you can find insurance companies that will accept any dog, but I'm trying to keep my premiums, thus expenses, low.

I had no idea about dogs and insurance premiums.  Instinctively, it does make a lot of sense.  I mean, who wants to be in a place populated by dogs half the size of a horse, and animals known for deadly attacks?  You want to live in a safe place, not return to the jungle. It is the same reasoning that prevents renting to some kinds of people.  Is it appropriate to move a repeat recidivist offender who is in and out of prison next door to a family with children?  It is not a good idea because, like some dogs, they raise the possibility of harm to others.

38

General Discussion / Re: Picking up the Trans America from DC

« on: June 09, 2023, 03:16:41 am »

Here is an unlikely possibility. Great American rail trial from DC to Pittsburg into Ohio.  Locate the bike trails and go south.  You will have to ride the roads south to the Katy trail and follow it till it ends. You can catch the Transamerica route south and west from there.

39

General Discussion / Re: cost per day to tour

« on: June 09, 2023, 03:03:30 am »

In general it costs about as little or as much as you have to spend for it.  In winter 1984-85, two of us had 66 days on the road, from Florida to San Diego.  Cycling 100% of the distance.  The actual days in the saddle were 54.  We did a huge loop around south Florida, down to the Keys, and back to Stuart before commencing the trip to California.  That is part of the 66.  All costs, including the drive-away car to return were about $1600.00.  There is no way you can do that now for that kind of money.  Every night save four was a camp in the woods, free camping, what they call stealth camping.  That brought costs down, very far below paying rents in motels.  About 90% of all our meals, we cooked for ourselves.  Remember, nutrition is of extraordinary importance to pushing pedals day in and day out.  Try more fresh fruits and vegetables.  Avoid the convenience store trap.   Some small, out in the middle of nowhere, town may have a store for sure----all junkfood.  A few days of that, even two, and you will feel the difference, and it is not good.  Even young, healthy, athletic  women got queezy after a day or two of that glop.  They had it on youtube.  I think it was 4 or 5 of them.  They showed the best eatables they could buy in those small towns.  It made my skin crawl.  Most or all of them reported feeling sick after a day or two.

40

General Discussion / Re: Solo Trip Cooking Logistics

« on: June 09, 2023, 02:34:27 am »

Talking the lightest-weight gear possible.  It looks like you have answered your question.  I am hardly an expert for giving you advice.  I can tell you where to get the advice.  Look up "Homemade Wanderlust" on youtube. She is greatly experienced in hiking, backpacking, camping and cooking on long-distance trails, worldwide.  If anybody on this planet knows the particulars of what you are asking, it is she.  She is quite attractive with long blond hair, a trim athletic figure, health and vigor. She has a very voluble tongue.  She is from Alabama.  They call her Dixie.  She is as cute as a button.

41

General Discussion / Re: cost per day to tour

« on: May 31, 2023, 11:55:40 pm »

$20.00-------$30.00   More or less.

42

General Discussion / Re: Your best single piece of advice

« on: May 23, 2023, 11:25:22 pm »

Stay ahead of the weather.  Keep checking forecasts.  There are too many unprecedented extreme weather events coming out of nowhere.

43

General Discussion / Re: Route66

« on: May 17, 2023, 06:50:22 pm »

There is a song, in case you didn't know.   "You'll Get Your Kicks on Route 66." There is an old TV series with Martin Milner and George Maharris named Route 66.

44

Routes / Re: Atlantic coast bicycle route this summer?

« on: May 17, 2023, 12:43:22 am »

 Thank you.  I have not yet put the bicycle together.

45

General Discussion / Re: The free-ranging dogs on long tours. Temporary annoyances, possible dangers.

« on: May 07, 2023, 07:34:18 pm »

I too would be cautious coming up suddenly on three pit bulldogs lurking in the road.  These dogs have a bad reputation for viciousness, very strong jaws and not letting go.  It is said they are actually as gentle as a lamb.   The ferocious ones are trained to be that way.  Like lawyers, it is the 95 % that give all the others a bad name.  I probably would have turned around at the sight of them, and looked for another way.