Messages

61

General Discussion / Re: Joining ACA

« on: May 04, 2009, 04:49:16 pm »

Just send a quick email to memberships@adventurecycling.org and they'll get your membership straightened out.  As for the avatar photo, this link may help out http://www.shrinkpictures.com/create-avatar/

62

General Discussion / Re: Violent Crime Alert Atlantic Coast Route

« on: April 30, 2009, 11:35:34 am »

Fortunately for us cyclist, we're pretty low profile targets.  I don't think most criminals would know what to do with us, and considering we ride mostly during daylight hours and stay on the roadways, we're in pretty good shape.  Like previously stated, most crimes are drug related, or focused towards more traditional tourists.

If you're going to be concerned about anything on a bike tour, you should be concerned about your safety on the road in regards to traffic.  Stay visible, ride during daylight hours, and always have personal and medical information on your person.

63

GPS & Digital Data Discussion / Re: Anyone using SPoT Tracker for Trips?

« on: April 16, 2009, 04:40:43 pm »

My experience with these comes mostly from backpacking and skiing, but it really depends on what you want.  The emergency beacon and real time tracking features are unique to this and set it apart from a standard GPS unit.  On the other hand, you lose a lot of versatility as far as interacting with the unit like you can with a more common GPS unit.

You have to sign a 1-year agreement for their service plan, so you're going to be paying for service when you're not using it, but then again, you can't really put a price on it when you need it the most.

64

Gear Talk / Re: I want to tour …cheeply

« on: April 15, 2009, 05:58:28 pm »

Unfortunately you will have a tricky time getting the Nashbar trailer hooked up to your 29er.  The fit is super close, and I've heard of a few people filing the trailers down a bit to fit, but that will definitely compromise the integrity of the trailer, and won't provide much for mud clearance. 

The Bob Yak 28 trailer will handle a 29er with plenty of clearance, but it also runs just over $300.  Every now and then I'll see a set of used Old Man mountain racks pop up on the forums, so you can always keep an eye out there.

As far as rear racks go, check out Topeak and SOMA for some options.  They are close fits depending on the tire size your using.  At around $40, they aren't a bad deal.

SOMA
http://store.somafab.com/newsodibrcor.html

Topeak
http://www.topeak.com/products/Racks/SuperTouristDXTubularRack_disc

If you're careful, you can usually retrofit a rack to fit just about anything.  I managed to get an old Axiom rack on my Surly Pugsley last summer.

65

Routes / Re: Tour of the Hiawatha, northern Idaho

« on: April 15, 2009, 05:44:37 pm »

You're going to love that route.  The trails and roads are pretty smooth and well graded, so just about any bike will do.  Even in late May it can be chilly at night, so be sure to pack up some warm clothes, and be prepared for rain.

As for camping, there are a few places to pitch a tent in Idaho and in Montana.  Here's a link to some more information on that.

http://www.skilookout.com/hiawatha/camping.php

66

Gear Talk / Re: Trailers Vs. Panniers - Prudhoe Bay to Tierra Del Puergo

« on: April 13, 2009, 02:52:43 pm »

If you land your decision on a trailer, I'm going to go ahead and cast my vote for the Burley Nomad.  Two wheels are harder to maneuver in tight spaces, but it's super light weight, and breaks down to easily fit in a duffel bag. 

While touring in Peru, I rode with panniers while my partner toured with a Burley. I have since ordered a Burley.

67

Routes / Re: Theme based tours

« on: April 13, 2009, 02:40:47 pm »

Last summer I noted quite a few theme based tours that made it through Adventure Cycling's office.  Music and literature seemed pretty common.  There was one group of guys that were collecting jokes as they biked across the country.  Some ambitious themes were from people trying to ride to the highest point in each state, or visit every state capital. 

68

Routes / Re: Pittsburg, Pa. to Sandusky, Ohio

« on: April 13, 2009, 02:36:34 pm »

Hey Fred,

Depending on how much time you have, there are some ACA routes that would get you to Sandusky from Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh Spur to Northern Tier, and then a quick jump up from Huron to Sandusky on the Lake Erie Connector). 

Whatever you end up doing, just make sure to set aside some time for Cedar Point.

http://www.cedarpoint.com/

69

Classifieds / Re: Wanted: Cannondale T2000 or Touring 1

« on: April 13, 2009, 02:20:04 pm »

Have you checked this post out yet?

http://www.adventurecycling.org/forums/index.php?topic=5656.0

I would be jumping on it if I had room for another bike.

70

General Discussion / Re: biking across america with diabetes

« on: March 30, 2009, 01:09:52 pm »

Check this out for some inspiration: http://www.teamtype1.org/

71

General Discussion / Posting Images to Forum

« on: March 20, 2009, 05:52:28 pm »

Adding photos to your post is an excellent way to illustrate a question or reply.  Uploading photos directly to the forum takes up a great deal of space, therefore, we ask that you link your photos from another location if possible.  This is a brief tutorial on how to post photos to your thread, without taking up space on our small server.  To do this, you must link to a photo that is already loaded somewhere on the web.  

Step 1: Upload your image to photo sharing site, or your personal web server.  There are a number of free services that are built for this very purpose, such as Photobucket.

Step 2: Once you have loaded your image to an image hosting service, you can obtain a URL (which can also be referred to as a 'web address', or 'direct link') for this image.

Step 3: Start a new post in our forum and type your message.

Step 4: When you are ready to paste your image into the message, click on the "insert image" button.  This is located in the second row of buttons above your message window.  If you scroll over each image for a few seconds, a message will tell you what that button does.

Step 5: This will place two sets of brackets in your message that will provide the following code:

Code: [Select]

[img][/img]
Step 6: Paste the URL of your image immediately after the first [img] with no spaces, and your image will appear when you post the message.

This will take a little more time than uploading your photos to the forums, but it saves us some space, which will in turn help the forum run smoother for you.  Thanks for taking the time to read this.

72

General Discussion / Re: Brooks saddle damage

« on: March 19, 2009, 06:21:27 pm »

Once you get the wrench, just make sure you don't over tension the saddle.  You can only stretch it out with the bolt so far, and after that point the saddle is done for.  Tension the saddle like you would tension spokes, make small adjustments, and check the progress.

73

Connecting ACA Routes / Re: L&C Shortcut from Missoula to Great Falls on Hwy 200? Comments?

« on: March 06, 2009, 02:25:29 pm »

The road is actually great.  Big shoulder for most of the way and very scenic.  Just a note, the Potomac restaurant and convenience store recently went out of business, so you don't have any services between Bonner and the Seeley Lake turnoff, which is just over 30 miles.

74

Gear Talk / Re: Tri-Cross

« on: March 05, 2009, 12:42:39 pm »

If you really wanted to take panniers it looks like it can be done with the tricross.  Cyclocross aren't built with the specific intent to carry a load, but they are built very strong and I toured loaded on a Cannondale XR800 aluminum cyclocross bike for a summer with front and rear panniers.

One notable difference between a cross bike and a touring bike is fit.  The cyclocross bike will give you more of a road bike feel, while a touring bike will position you a little more upright.  That being said, you can always swap out/adjust bars, stems, seat posts, and saddles to really fine tune the fit of any bike.

75

Gear Talk / Re: Power Monkey Explorer Solar Charger

« on: March 04, 2009, 01:54:38 pm »

The Power Monkey is pretty sweet, and you might even want to give the Solar Monkey a look as well.  You don't actually mount it anywhere.  You can throw it in your bag or pocket while your riding and use it whenever you need it.  It includes a ton of adapters for all sorts of devices (cell phones, iPods, cameras, etc).  Definitely ideal for long distance touring or any time your off the beaten path.  It also saves you the weight of carrying along several different chargers for each device you have with you, which is great if weight is an issue.  Those are the big perks I can think of off hand.  Looks like they run around $60.