Messages

31

Gear Talk / Re: Does it make sense to replace just one tire with treadwear?

« on: July 02, 2014, 07:25:38 pm »

Typically the tread will wear around twice as fast on the back as on the front. So, you'd be throwing away a lot of tread on the front.

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General Discussion / Re: biking FARGO-ANACORTES-LA starting July 1st: anyone?

« on: June 30, 2014, 09:55:26 pm »

Actually, not a toss up, it is rigged strongly in favor of the Easterly traveler. Just like a warm week in February.

33

General Discussion / Re: general advice on making a tour happen

« on: June 30, 2014, 07:14:32 pm »

With the 520... I couldn't go fast enough to have wheel shimmy, I had to hold on for dear life to prevent lateral oscillations from getting out of control. If I stood up the back would go a couple inches one way then it would rebound like a spring... the frequency was three or four seconds per oscillation, like slow motion. In less sever cases as far as the wheel shimmy, perhaps that is an over simplification. Maybe head tube shimmy would be more accurate, it is frame flexing at the head tube that causes the instability I am talking about the fork goes one way and the head tube flexes with it.  Also, what frame size you have is important. I am 6'3", so I have a pretty big frame, they get stronger the smaller they are. Anyway, I have spent a lot of time over a couple years becoming aware of and mitigating the issue.

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General Discussion / Re: general advice on making a tour happen

« on: June 30, 2014, 05:45:02 pm »

As a test tour, I rode to a local state park with my Trek 520 with my camping equipment (this was 15 years ago, fairly heavy stuff) and literally the back would flex a couple inches to the left, then a couple inches to the right... I'm not joking. It was scary. Then I started to realize, that my other bike was doing it also, just with much less flex and the steering was unstable. Then on long rides I talked to a bunch of slightly large people on LiteSpeed titanium bikes (vintage early 2000's), and they were talking about having to break all the way down hill because of wheel shimmy. Over time, I realized how common the problem is, and how few people actually even recognized it as a problem. And if they do, they don't realize why it is happening. So, all my bikes are carefully built to be flexible enough to take out the maximum road bump (vertical flex), but with no lateral flex at all. Independent Fabrication built my tour bikes, and Waterford built my communter bike, each hit the weight thing on the head. Maximum bump removal, absolutely no flex under the expected loads (commuting, credit card touring, fully loaded touring). To me, this is the reason you buy a custom bike, not the size... unless you are outside the normal bike dimensions. Co-Motion recognized this long ago and builds bikes not to flex.

35

General Discussion / Re: biking FARGO-ANACORTES-LA starting July 1st: anyone?

« on: June 30, 2014, 04:20:57 pm »

I remember a great day getting "blown out" of the Canadian Rockies... with a 40mph tail wind for about an hour... through Crowsnest... wow, what a rush, then the down hill kicked in. I don't remember how fast I want, but it was really fun. Sure glad I wasn't going West.

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General Discussion / Re: biking FARGO-ANACORTES-LA starting July 1st: anyone?

« on: June 30, 2014, 01:34:03 pm »

I did Anacortes to Fargo... and most of the time had a tail wind. I assume you realize you'll be riding into the wind most of the time? Better exercise I suppose.

37

General Discussion / Re: Fighting off boredom?

« on: June 30, 2014, 01:04:43 pm »

I don't think I every remember getting bored on a long trip. I remember crossing Montana and North Dakota and being shocked at how beautiful it was, comparing when I had driven across it. Migrating birds, all the lakes, in the mountains, your going up a pass... down is a flash. Planning the next day. Meeting people.

Now of course there is the iPad mini... plenty to read, watch movies, talk to friends, process your pictures.

38

General Discussion / Re: general advice on making a tour happen

« on: June 30, 2014, 12:58:13 pm »

Weekend bike tours... 2 days, 3 days. I used to ride to work, then ride to a place along my route for Friday night, then ride further along the route on Saturday, and home on Sunday. When I had done local 2 and 3 day loops, I then drove after work on Friday to a starting point, a motel. Then ride my loop from there. I did lots of credit card touring. Then when you cut the cord, you just keep going. And you have plenty of experienced. It's fun to read when you can't be riding. I love, "Where the Road Ends", amazing book by a girl that rides from Russia through Mongolia, China, Vietnam, etc. Gutsy chick.

Also, I am 6' 3" and my weight has varied between 220 and 265. That weight and touring gear will no work on a regular touring bike. A Trek 520 will carry me, and ten or twenty pounds before the frame starts to flex, when it does, the steering becomes unstable. If you experience ANY instability in steering, first place to look is if your bike is overloaded. Money is not  a problem for me, so I had three custom bikes made for me in different configuration to bear different weights. So my fully loaded touring bike is dead solid with me and 40 or 50lbs of stuff going 50mph down a pass... it is really absolutely solid.

I also, read a couple books like a couple guys that quit their corporate jobs and did the Northern Tier... so when I hit Rainey Pass on June 3rd, I was ready for the weather and grueling climb.

39

General Discussion / Re: My First Tour (Need tips)

« on: May 24, 2014, 02:41:32 pm »

I would not do a 500 mile trip until I have done at least 2 two day trips. You got a couple weekends. Do some out and back trips. I'd start with 50 miles. Then you can gauge readiness and what to take.
[/quote

I know that I did the Trans America as my first tour and had no regrets about not doing warm up trips.  Just me, but I really don't want to do overnight tours at all.  If the trip is that short I'd rather just do day rides.  I generally don't plan trips of less than 9 days or so, but again that is just personal preference.

Your quite right. That's why I said, "I wouldn't". I like to complete what I start, enjoy it while I'm doing it, and relax. If your into the unexpected, not having the patch kit, or realizing your not going to make it, or you"ll have to kill yourself... I don't enjoy that.

40

General Discussion / Re: equipment & route

« on: May 21, 2014, 12:04:13 am »

Good advice above. I think I started the Northern Tier about June1st and the passes in Glacier were just open. Got rained on on Rainy Pass.  The bag will be plenty warm for spring in the Northwest. I lived in AZ for 25 years. It can get to freezing or below in the Southwest in the winter. Seldom snow, but on the Plateau it can get colder. I usually subtract 10 degrees from a bags temperature to consider comfy. That is going to be a pretty warm bag in the summer. Can you send it back home and swap for a 50 degree bag for the summer. I have four bags. The lightest is one pound (the 50 degree bag) the 20 degree is a tad over 2 pounds. I really hate being hot... and a lot extra weight. Should be a great trip.

You do a lot of weekend trips and week trips for vacations now?

41

General Discussion / Re: ~4,000 mi cross country tour on mountain bike?

« on: May 19, 2014, 04:43:20 pm »

I would load up and do a couple long weekend trips. I have a mountain bike that I occationally use on the road. I got road tires for it. And I do not like the handling down hill. It is not nearly as stable as a road bike at high speeds even with the shocks locked out. There are a lot of passes in the West, which I love. But would not enjoy if I had to ride my brakes. Maybe your bike is more stable.

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Gear Talk / Re: Touring wheel configuration

« on: May 18, 2014, 10:01:51 pm »

I use rim brakes with 36 spoke front and 42 spoke rear for light touring wheels and 42 spoke front and 48 spoke rear on my loaded touring.

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Gear Talk / Re: Help with Renting or Borrowing a 48-52 cm Touring Bike in Oregon Please

« on: May 13, 2014, 01:56:25 pm »

I have done the same. The bike is tuned and ready for me to ride out of the shop. When the tour is over, I ride back to the shop and hand back the bike, provide shipping instructions and go for a beer or whatever. To me, the convenience is worth the extra $.
[/quote]

Yep, or I have the bike shop forward my case with duffle bags for my panniers to another bike shop at the end of my trip. JD

44

Gear Talk / Re: Saddle Suggestion other than Brooks

« on: May 13, 2014, 11:10:45 am »

ahh, ahh... other than Brooks... does not compute... I have no response for that. :-)

45

Gear Talk / Re: Help with Renting or Borrowing a 48-52 cm Touring Bike in Oregon Please

« on: May 13, 2014, 11:09:32 am »

I have shipped a number of different places in the US and into Canada. I always leave at least a couple weeks. I have the bike shop assemble and get ready... saving money is obviously not why I do it this way. But if something goes wrong, you have lots of time to recover.