Messages

16

General Discussion / Re: Kickstands

« on: July 17, 2023, 02:03:35 pm »

I'll check it out.

17

General Discussion / Kickstands

« on: July 17, 2023, 12:11:18 pm »

I travel heavy and don't concern myself with weight.  I've completed ten long distance rides fully loaded and found that 2 kickstands do the trick, one center mount and one rear mount.  As long as caution is exercised, my rig never tips over.  The problem is I am unable to find STEEL kickstands to withstand wind gusts, inexperienced Amtrak employees and situations out of my control.  Available kickstands are all made out of aluminum and snap off very easily which leads me to say I am done with replacing them with junk
When I was a kid, my balloon tire bikes had indestructible steel kickstands.  That's what I need now and a search of the internet says there is no such thing.  WHO makes steel kickstands?  I suppose I could buy a couple old bikes to rob it of the stand but that seems like a ridiculous option.  The other option is to adapt a motorcycle stand but I don't have the tools to do such a thing.

18

Routes / Re: Doing the Great Divide on hard surface roads and Trails

« on: May 04, 2023, 02:39:05 pm »

Thanks for the good wishes.

19

Routes / Doing the Great Divide on hard surface roads and Trails

« on: May 04, 2023, 01:39:39 pm »

At 79 I'm not too interested in really roughing it Bikepacking but by following parallel to the ACA Great Divide route on highways, I get to see a lot of the same stuff and experience more locals.  I'm planning on the solo 2023 ride from South to North, beginning in Albuquerque and ending in Whitefish, MT.  I am not starting at the border due to the mess down there.  I was informed by a sheriff that I will be carrying survival gear which is not lost on border jumping banditos.  At the other end, Whitefish is close enough to the Canadian border and also where I can catch the train headed West to Spokane.  Last year I pedaled parallel to the Pacific Crest Trail south to north but hikers and bikers alike were halted at the half way mark due to wild fires.  It was nasty with ash, and the campgrounds that were operating were full of firefighters.  Grocery stores and restaurants were all closing too so I turned away and headed home.  Therefore this year I am also going to attempt to complete what I didn't do last year.  Let's see how tired I am by then.  Time will tell.  So I'll be arriving in Albuquerque around May 17th for the Start, using Amtrak from Kansas City.

20

General Discussion / Re: Searching for an Amtrak list of baggage handling stations on the Empire Builder

« on: March 15, 2023, 08:35:13 pm »

Thanks for the info.

21

General Discussion / Re: Searching for an Amtrak list of baggage handling stations on the Empire Builder

« on: March 15, 2023, 04:30:59 pm »

Thanks.  They don't make it easy, for sure.  Last year I didn't know that they had cancelled use of the dining car because of Covid.  Only available to room renters.  Ended up with nasty frozen sandwiches for a couple thousand miles.

22

General Discussion / Re: Searching for an Amtrak list of baggage handling stations on the Empire Builder

« on: March 15, 2023, 04:18:07 pm »

That's what I needed, an expert.  Thanks.

23

General Discussion / Searching for an Amtrak list of baggage handling stations on the Empire Builder

« on: March 15, 2023, 03:38:54 pm »

Here we go again, trying to find Amtrak stations that allow roll-on or baggage car service for the Empire Builder Line without looking up each station along the way.  I spent an entire day two years ago before finding that map in the past, it is not easy to find online.  As I grow older, my frustration level is more sensitive.  I'm a seasoned bike storage/train traveler attempting my tenth cross-country riding on hard surfaces in parallel with the Great Divide Trail up the Rockies from Albuquerque to Whitefish, MT.  Then take Amtrak West w/bike onboard to somewhere near where it crosses the Pacific Crest Trail to head South down the Sierras to complete last years ride which was halted due to wildfires. So the question is, "where can I disembark with my bike in the Sierras?"  Any assistance would certainly be appreciated.

24

Classifieds / Re: Wanted - Sierra Cascades Map Set

« on: January 03, 2023, 05:41:33 pm »

Hey thanks for getting back to me.  I already have 4 & 3.  Going to make a second attempt this summer after getting thrown off of the road due to wild fires last summer at the half way mark.

25

Classifieds / Re: Wanted: Camping chair - packable

« on: June 12, 2022, 08:04:06 am »

My latest bike tour begins today by way of a train to California.  After a few days in the desert during the present heat wave, I will send you an update.  Had no idea that I might become an influencer.

26

Classifieds / Re: Wanted: Camping chair - packable

« on: June 11, 2022, 12:16:38 pm »

Thanks, Mr. Bent:
I gave up waiting and bought a cheapo online that comes in a soft case.  Tried it out last night and it feels good.  I'll get some reading done for sure.  It's a few pounds heavier than yours but I travel heavy and don't worry about weight.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BZ8BGLJ?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

27

GPS & Digital Data Discussion / Re: Elevations on ACA GPX Data maps

« on: May 24, 2022, 11:21:56 am »

Thanks for your help.  I suppose I was being lazy and hoping my map would have an elevation scale at the bottom so I could see what was coming up like RideWithGps.  I'll try plugging the data in there and see what comes up.  Thanks again.

28

GPS & Digital Data Discussion / Elevations on ACA GPX Data maps

« on: May 23, 2022, 11:13:27 pm »

Totally new today using GPS stuff.  Purchased data files of the Sierra Cascades Route, downloaded to Basecamp and then exported to Garmin device.  I have to learn about waypoints etc. but what I noticed is no talk of elevations on the go.  Where do I look, or is there no topo info?

29

General Discussion / Re: 6 REI’s no bags

« on: May 22, 2022, 09:29:44 pm »

My sponsor is Jandd Mountaineering, an American company which has supplied all my panniers, racks and smaller bags for the past 10 years.  I've come to know David personally and a great guy.  He said his company has just barely survived the Covid mess and they are slowly coming back online.  Most other companies get their bags made in China and they are still shut down due to the pandemic.
Contact Jandd.  He will do whatever he can to help you, I'm sure.

30

General Discussion / Re: Warm Showers

« on: May 22, 2022, 09:22:31 pm »

Warmshowers is great for those of us with mature vertebra unhappy with tenting.  At 78, my ninth tour since retirement is this summer and in the past, I normally seek and find nearly 50 hosts per year.  I'm not a last-minute guy and always consider the host first.  I plan my route and stops ahead of time, and make an online spreadsheet of all host contacts, whether it be Warmshowers, Couchsurfing, church, city mayor or offers as a result of articles by editors of newspapers along the way.  There is lots of time spent sending emails to get it all arranged and keep people with progress reports.
 
Warmshowers folks are usually the best.  One has to realize it takes a certain kind of person to allow a stranger into their home and I have never been disappointed.  And if they are cyclists, they are a breed unto their own. That doesn't mean a few may not be without quirkiness.  There is that, but it makes for good stories later on.  On the other hand, most hosts are proud of their towns, hobbies and families.  They want you to see them as they do.  I've stayed in hogans and adobe pueblos on Native Indian Reservations, a treehouse from a TV show, motorhomes, a teepee, boats, etc.  Even a jail cell (open) in Nevada.  You name it, I've been there. 

Because of the desire to involve their guests, I have white-water-rafted the Royal Gorge, danced with desert women, soared in a glider, ridden donkeys, had huge cyclist parties given in my honor, taken a motorcycle excursion, offered a short barge ride down the Mississippi from lock to lock, hiked and potluck dined with Rangers, climbed Devil's Tower, kayaked, paddle boarded, air boated a bayou swamp, caught fish for breakfast with a game warden, met hundreds of interesting people and many other firsts.  Of course, if one is anti-social, this is not what you would be looking for.   

Without hosting, very little of these experiences would have surfaced.  I say one could count a million reasons why someone is unable to host to match your schedule.  Keep your expectations low.  My only complaint is 'no response' to a request, no matter who it is, and I let them know of my disappointment if that happens.  An attention to manners keeps one civilized.

Couchsurfing has morphed into a college social look-at-me-site and backpacker haven searching for free room and board during concert season.  Most do not host and the response rate has fallen to near zero.  (Their parents neglected to train them properly.)  I still run into some sharp folks through the organization but not many.  Too bad.

I notice a number of people here whining about fees and donation money.  I donate monthly because I owe them so much.  Some campgrounds are $40-$50 while cheapo motels are over $60. (Maybe more this year.)  Are you kidding me?  You're complaining? I do feel guilty from hosting so little.  But in my defense, I am on tour four to five months out of the year at the height of the touring season and during the winter months I'm only home off and on.  Soon, circumstances may change due to age issues and I will be hosting a lot more than simply being just a guest.

I’ve learned that a bicycle tour is not just about beautiful sunsets and wonderful vistas. There are lofty reasons to take the time and energy to organize hosts along a nomadic cycling route.  I have enjoyed and benefited greatly from the hospitality shone on past rides, having stayed in host homes in 46 States and 8 Canadian Provinces.  The new set of eyes gained has been the backbone of my bicycle touring experiences. Cheap motels, stealth camping and campgrounds provide little social or cultural value: one is only passing through without making human contact.  Residents are cultural reflections of an area and the real reason one is traveling.  We grow through interaction, not through isolation.

I suppose what I'm saying is no one owes you anything.  Make the effort to find hosts, it takes perseverance.  And pay your way without complaint.  Life is great as long as you have a considerate and positive attitude.