Messages

46

Gear Talk / Re: Hooking you up.

« on: April 13, 2018, 09:05:45 am »

Hadn't thought of target glasses.  I did a quick check online and what little I found on bifocals were the high prices.  I liked the Hawaiian glasses due to the $20 price.  Almost a throwaway price if I wreck them.

47

Gear Talk / Re: Hooking you up.

« on: April 07, 2018, 09:19:37 am »

We digress.  The point I'm making here is that these sunglasses are bifocal, not full lens same diopter.  One does not have to swap glasses to read the dials.  Bifocal has unadjusted distance lenses, and at the bottom is the reader portion.

48

Gear Talk / Re: Hooking you up.

« on: March 26, 2018, 10:47:48 am »

I have no idea.  I'm 75 and have never had a pair of sunglasses shatter in my lifetime and I'm not going to start worrying about it now.   ...Maybe you should contact OSHA and find a bombproof pair in the event of nuclear war.

49

Gear Talk / Re: Hooking you up.

« on: March 23, 2018, 08:19:25 am »

Great information.  They are about the same price.

50

Gear Talk / Hooking you up.

« on: March 22, 2018, 05:44:20 pm »

If you are like me; a bit over forty, an outside person and use readers, I just found some really inexpensive (dirt cheap) quality bifocal sunglasses for my 2018 bicycle tour that really work. When in California my outrigger canoe buddy, Mike, takes me to coves up and down the coast.  It's so different than cycling and the upper body stuff is fun.  Recently he clued me in and showed me these glasses were perfect for reading the GPS screen while paddling when the sun is brutal. Now I will be able to read maps and the bike handlebar's digital gadgets on the fly without the annoyance of changing glasses. The funny thing was I wore them driving yesterday and it was the first time in years that the dials were sharp and clear while wearing sunglasses. I was startled and yelled out, "WHOA, BABY". http://www.hawaiianlenses.com/

51

General Discussion / Re: Tourist stickers

« on: January 18, 2018, 01:27:32 am »

Very nice, Pinhead.

52

General Discussion / Re: Tourist stickers

« on: January 17, 2018, 07:47:45 pm »

I located a group of decals that includes every National Park.  This is so much cheaper than individual.  I'll research further.

https://www.andersondesigngroupstore.com/collections/playing-cards/products/59-piece-deluxe-national-parks-sticker-set

53

General Discussion / Re: Tourist stickers

« on: January 15, 2018, 08:16:45 pm »

Stickers or decals are usually too big to put on my bike so I scissors the name or whatever I can use.  So I guess I could use any kind of decal with the name I want.

54

General Discussion / Tourist stickers

« on: January 15, 2018, 07:08:47 pm »

I know this sounds a little odd.  I've toured a bit and purchase a sticker for my bike when I hit some place interesting like Niagara Falls.  Last trip I had a freak accident and tore up both fenders and they need to be replaced.  This eliminates a dozen or so stickers.  Do you know of anyplace that sells these tourist stickers on line?  If you buy them at the locations they are $5 a piece.

55

General Discussion / Re: Amtrak roll-on in Seattle

« on: July 11, 2017, 11:09:17 am »

Hey Alessandra:  Yes, roll-on means one does not box up his bike.  He only has to present it to the baggage person and that man takes care of the rest.  The only other way I have shipped my bike is through BikeFlights.com.  It was inexpensive and fast.  Jack Day

56

General Discussion / Re: Amtrak roll-on in Seattle

« on: July 07, 2017, 10:30:16 am »

Update:  From what I learned on the initial train of my trip, first pick up a tag for the bike at the ticket counter.  Then my plan for getting me and my bike onto the second train that I transferred to was to pile my gear (panniers) at the entry door of my designated passenger car door and then ride down to the other end of the train to the location of the baggage car where they would store my rig.  That's when I learned something that makes all the difference.  The Conductor is the overall designator where people and bicycles go on HIS train.  This boss of my train said that he was putting my bike in an unused crew room on a passenger car and I would be riding the same car.  That made it a whole new ball game.  I even had access to the bike during the trip.  He also explained that the reason some stops don't allow deboarding your bike is that the platform is too short for the train.  The baggage car is down the tracks a ways so they can't get anything off.  So what I get from this is to try to sweet talk the conductor when getting on the train.  He's the one that determines whether it is going to be a positive experience or not.

57

General Discussion / Amtrak roll-on in Seattle

« on: July 06, 2017, 12:18:26 pm »

Just took a ride from Seattle to Sacramento via Amtrak with my touring bike a roll-on.  The system had a few bugs that one has to adapt to.
1.  Most people buy their tickets on-line these days and therefore don't use the ticket counter.  One is suppose to get a tag there for one's bike before he boards the train.  I waited a half hour in the check-in line before someone told me.
2.  The baggage car where one's bike is stored is just behind the engine.  One is expected to remove all bags and attachments from the bike before storage and carry them to your passenger car, which in my case was 13 cars back.  I held up the train just to get this done.  One wonders who came up with that process.  The next train that I am transferring to in a few hours may go smoother, now that I know what to look for.  I will up-date.

58

General Discussion / Ebike kit update

« on: May 26, 2017, 05:11:03 pm »

C2C@73 -  With advancing age, I decided that this year I would try an ebike kit on my ride across the country since I had the big four USA mountain ranges to conquer.  Turn up your nose if you like.   I am at mile 1,300 of my route and have already passed up and over the Great Smoky Mountains.  Child's play.  This electric kit has found a final home.  I won't go back.  It helps with dog chases, unsafe situations where you have to get through fast, and climbing all those hills.  It also allows me to stay up with locals without luggage or loaded riders with young legs.  Normal 8-12 mph gives the battery a 45 mile range while hilly is about thirty.  You pedal the same, you just get there faster and easier.  ...In this photo, I am getting new foot pedals in Muscatine, Iowa at Harper's Cycling.  The EBO Burly model electric kit needs no maintenance so far.  ...I wonder if I could put another one on the rear.  Backup.

59

General Discussion / Re: Interested in 'electric assist' touring?

« on: April 26, 2017, 04:26:09 pm »

I avoided any battery hassles at the airport by having it shipped separately as hazardous materials.  Fedex - $30.

60

General Discussion / Re: Interested in 'electric assist' touring?

« on: April 26, 2017, 12:55:56 pm »

Thanks for responding, guys.  I wanted to add something that might alleviate some of your concerns in regards to distance and charging.  I will only be using this unit at power level one, with the exception of mountainous terrain or it begins to turn dark.  I want to pedal as much as possible for fitness and longevity so I will not be slacking that way.  I will need a charge every night so I looked to the obvious.  (I may add another battery along the way).  Hosts as much as possible, motels when I have to, and a bivy sack for those wide open spaces.  I began attaining hosts for every 60 miles of my route about three months before the blast off date.  This year there are 70 overnights and I have acquired over 60 host families to provide hospitality.  In addition, I would think you could go into certain places of business and ask them if you could charge the 8 lb. battery overnight.  The charger looks like my camcorder charger.  My purpose in posting about this is to provide info to those older or in firmed folks who can see a need for electric in their future but don't know where to start. (It's amazing how many jerk emails I've received on the subject.  Somehow this is cheating.)  I will be adding data, both the negatives and the positives, along the way.