Messages

76

General Discussion / Re: Best seat for your butt

« on: July 26, 2011, 05:22:24 pm »

I have a Brooks that is very comfortable but do know they are inconsistent due to being a natural material and not to everybody's taste, it did take a couple of hundred miles to bed in. On a motorcycle tour of Africa a few years ago I met about 10 cyclist doing a trans-continental trips and around 8 of them had Brooks saddles, all of those I spoke to recommended them.

77

Gear Talk / Re: Fitting a Brooks Saddle

« on: July 23, 2011, 01:43:55 am »

I have two Brooks saddles and they have quite different characteristics, the first one broke in after a couple of hundred miles and fits me perfectly and the second fitted to another bike has taken longer but is getting there. I presume this is because of inconsistency in the leather used to produce them from one hide to another, something beyond the control of the manufacturer. They are an aquired taste, I like mine but might not suit everybody, it sounds like you need to experiment with the way yours is set up, you should not be putting effort into staying on it. 

78

General Discussion / Re: Critters inside your tent?

« on: July 23, 2011, 01:31:46 am »

A few years ago I was camped outside of Wadi Halfa in Sudan waiting for the ferry to Egypt and had slept outside on my thermarest, beautiful clear nights and no rain for 10 years, when I found a small yellow scorpion under my matt in the morning . The guide book described its sting as highly toxic, can be fatal seek urgent medical help, I used the tent after that.

79

General Discussion / Re: The evil plant!

« on: July 09, 2011, 02:08:57 am »

I have had a similar problem cycling along the canal network here in England, they are often bordered with hawthorne hedges which when trimmed create a bed of nails like surface. The problem was solved by fitting my tyres with slime filled tubes which works well, one tube has at least 10 holes in it and is still up. They do add a little weight but it is worth it for the convenience.

80

General Discussion / Re: Your top 5 things to take on tour

« on: July 09, 2011, 02:00:26 am »

Apart from the expected things like tent, sleeping bag, matt, stove etc. one luxury I like to take is a small flask which I fill with tea in the morning for drinking during the day.
No matter how carefully I pack I always manage to forget one thing so you are not alone in that.

Mark

81

Gear Talk / Re: Salsa Fargo or Novara Safari for first timer planning South 2 North America trip

« on: June 09, 2011, 12:58:00 pm »

I have just Googled Salsa Fargo and came up with this from this very forum,

http://www.adventurecycling.org/forums/index.php?topic=6948.0

82

Gear Talk / Re: Dream Bike Starting with a Long Haul Trucker Frame

« on: June 07, 2011, 05:15:20 pm »

As you haven't set a budget I would spend a large pile of your money on a Rohloff 14 speed hub gear, I have one on a Roberts Rough Stuff and they are worth it.

83

Gear Talk / Re: High capacity, headstock mounted waterbottle

« on: May 27, 2011, 12:45:16 am »

The bottle was actually mounted on the frame, not the bars and the bike had just been ridden across the Sahara desert so was pretty heavily laden all round.

84

International / Re: Type of bike for international travel

« on: May 26, 2011, 12:16:48 am »

A Roberts Roughstuff, good alround bike which does everything reasonably well on tarmac or gravel. I fly it in a cardboard bike box from a bike shop, they give them away.

85

Gear Talk / Re: Are you happy with your disc brakes?

« on: May 26, 2011, 12:12:10 am »

Another thumbs up from me, I have Hope hydraulic discs on my bike and they work well wet or dry and do not wear or heat up the rims, spare pads take less space than blocks when touring.

86

Gear Talk / High capacity, headstock mounted waterbottle

« on: May 26, 2011, 12:05:57 am »

A couple of years ago I saw a photo of a touring bicycle with a high capacity, 4 or 5 litre waterbottle mounted on the steering head, it was U shaped to wrap around the frame but I could not make out how it was mounted. Does anybody have knowledge of such a thing and where I might buy one?

87

Routes / Best source of information on Pacific coast route?

« on: March 16, 2011, 03:48:20 pm »

I am considering riding the Pacific coast route later this year and was wondering which was the best map/guide to the route. The choices I have so far are the Pacific coast bicycle route map, available from this site and bicycling the Pacific coast handbook which seems to get good reviews.
What do other members think? are there any other choices. If I make this trip it will be during September/October, is this a good time of the year to be doing this? any other advice on this proposed trip?

88

Routes / Re: cycling in Burma

« on: July 03, 2009, 03:04:59 pm »

Hi Fred,
That is what I had thought, I hope to fly in and ride out to China if possible, good luck with your trip, I have done the same on a motorcycle and had to fly from Kathmandu to Bangkok, at least you can go through China with a push bike.
Mark

89

Routes / cycling in Burma

« on: May 23, 2009, 05:36:25 am »

I am a new member to this forum so am not sure if it is the right place to ask these questions but here goes.
Does anybody have recent experience of cycling in Burma? I am off on a cycle tour to South East Asia in November and am trying to find out if I can get into Burma with my bicycle. I am aware that in general you have to fly into Rangoon and are limited in where you can go, is it possible to travel from there out of the country overland to Thailand or Lao? or is it actually possibleto cycle in overland.
I am also aware of the arguments for not visiting a country with such a questionable record on democracy and human rights and am still debating the rights and wrongs of going.
any information on this will be greatly appreciated.
Mark Manley