Messages

46

General Discussion / Re: Fighting off boredom?

« on: July 17, 2014, 09:45:16 pm »

 Then there's that pesky journal . . .
[/quote]

When just keeping a journal for yourself, I use a digital recorder.   Tiny, weighs nothing, and can be leisurely dictated into from the comfort of your sleeping bag as you unwind and reminisce about the events of the day.

47

General Discussion / Re: Fighting off boredom?

« on: July 17, 2014, 06:17:55 pm »

I like to pick up books/pamphlets pertaining to the local history of the area I'm riding through.  Makes good reading in the evening and enriches the experience.

48

Gear Talk / Re: Best foot wear for touring?

« on: July 07, 2014, 10:04:50 pm »

I swore to myself I would never wear a pair of crocs, but they're so freakin' light, ventilated, and easy on/off, that they make the ideal off-the-bike/shower shoe

49

Connecting ACA Routes / Re: N tier to Seattle to Coast route?

« on: July 07, 2014, 09:59:53 pm »

I copied and pasted this from an earlier post I made:  " Northern Tier: from Whitefish to Rockport). Rockport is where we turned off route on Rt 530 to head southwest towards Seattle, and when I tried to create a "map my ride" route of it for you, it wouldn't let me pass through Oso, site of the massive mudslide tragedy you may have heard about.  The road is currently buried under acres of mud, and I'm not sure when it may be cleared (hopefully by this summer).  You may have to go further due west on the NT before heading south, which would be a shame because I recall 530 being a pleasant ride, with the town of Darrington having a great diner and a clean, cheap motel.  530 takes you into Arlington, and the jct. of the Centennial rail trail (paved), which you can take for 25 miles or so due south.  Depending on where in the Seattle metropolis you wish to go, the on-line tool "map my ride" when used in cycling mode will show you other bike trails (seattle is a very cycle-friendly city) and streets with cycling lanes that you can piece together to cover the last 30 or so miles. We headed west around lake washington on the Burke-Gilman trail (another very nice paved railtrail) which heads to the University District."   Can't help you out on getting to the coast though.

50

Routes / Re: Adirondacks and Green Mtns

« on: May 10, 2014, 10:09:42 pm »

In the Adirondacks it's not unusual to get a late frost in early June.  Just be prepared to add/peel off layers of clothing, and carry raingear.  Blackflies can be a problem in camp, bring a headnet and/or repellent

51

Routes / Re: Rainwear for the GDMBR

« on: April 28, 2014, 07:05:45 pm »

Thanks John. I have a vintage Selle Italia Flite. On a recent (rare) ride in the rain and dirt the leather got really abraded by the sand between it and my shorts. What could I apply to the leather to restore it a bit and help keep it happy (without making it slippery)?

Now you've done it.  Get ready for a huge debate on everything from Brook's Proofide to used motor oil (check out Sheldon Brown's article about leather saddles). I might as well start things off by mentioning my favorite:  SnoSeal

52

Routes / Re: Seattle to Missoula

« on: April 20, 2014, 10:51:54 pm »

One way is to head north and pick up the Northern Tier to Whitefish, MT. Then due south thru Seeley Lake.  Not the most direct, but very scenic.

53

Gear Talk / Re: 11-32 vs 11-34

« on: April 17, 2014, 11:14:47 pm »

It's 1/2 the gear (38.4") that led mbattisti to walk his tandem up those hills. Frankly, if I had a low gear of 34/24 I probably would have been walking up that hill from Vesuvius to the Blue Ridge Parkway myself.

Recalculate. That's a 34 driven by a 24 tooth ring gear (should have typed 24 x 34 I guess)

54

Gear Talk / Re: 11-32 vs 11-34

« on: April 17, 2014, 07:27:31 pm »

I have stamina but lack power.

You're a spinner.  If you have a long-cage derailleur, give yourself peace of mind and put a 36 tooth on.  You may be able to proudly tell your grandkids you never had to walk a single hill in the steep Appalachians.  We did (walk) with our loaded tandem with our lowest being a 34 x 24 (700 wheels).

55

Gear Talk / Re: Wheel sizes

« on: April 11, 2014, 10:26:44 pm »

I believe given 2 wheels built with similar quality components and width of hub, a 26" wheel would be stronger than a 700 due to the geometry of the spokes in relation to the hub flanges (when viewed crossways the triangle created is shorter therefore stouter)

56

Routes / Re: From east to west starting June 2014

« on: April 11, 2014, 10:14:18 pm »

Your route seems nice, I would love some more details !

We pretty much used all Adventure Cycling Routes and maps (TransAm: yorktown to missoula, Great Parks North, section 2: for Missoula to Whitefish, then Northern Tier: from Whitefish to Rockport). Rockport is where we turned off route on Rt 530 to head southwest towards Seattle, and when I tried to create a "map my ride" route of it for you, it wouldn't let me pass through Oso, site of the massive mudslide tragedy you may have heard about.  The road is currently buried under acres of mud, and I'm not sure when it may be cleared (hopefully by this summer).  You may have to go further due west on the NT before heading south, which would be a shame because I recall 530 being a pleasant ride, with the town of Darrington having a great diner and a clean, cheap motel.  530 takes you into Arlington, and the jct. of the Centennial rail trail (paved), which you can take for 25 miles or so due south.  Depending on where in the Seattle metropolis you wish to go, the on-line tool "map my ride" when used in cycling mode will show you other bike trails (seattle is a very cycle-friendly city) and streets with cycling lanes that you can piece together to cover the last 30 or so miles. We headed west around lake washington on the Burke-Gilman trail (another very nice paved railtrail) which heads to the University District.

57

Routes / Re: Looking for week-long spring route in Eastern US

« on: April 09, 2014, 09:46:43 pm »

How about a circumnavigation of Lake Champlain?  Start from your house in Montreal!  The one drawback with the NE is that a lot of public and state campgrounds do not open until Memorial Day weekend (last weekend in May).  However, there are a ton of warmshowers hosts on the Vermont side of the lake (and just a few of us on the NY side). You could throw in a few ferry crossings and a trip thru the Hero Islands to make it more interesting.

58

Routes / Re: From east to west starting June 2014

« on: April 09, 2014, 09:36:15 pm »

 

We are going to travel with Adventure Cycling Routes for sure, especially the Trans Am from Pueblo CO to Missoula MT. Then we want to hit Seattle.

My wife and I took the same itinerary a few summers ago.  From Missoula we went due north to Kalispell (via Seeley Lake).  You won't want to miss Glacier NP just to the east. We then took Rt 2 (not the ACA route - but more direct and decent pavement) to Libby to pick up the Northern Tier.  We then exited the NT in Washington State at Rockport, taking rt 530 (very nice) to Arlington.  In Arlington we picked up a paved bike trail which headed due south towards Seattle.  From there we pieced together a mix of mostly residential streets and more bike trails to get to Seattle.  Let me know if you're interested in this approach to Seattle - I could give you more details of our route between Arlington and the Emerald City.

59

General Discussion / Re: Packing for Air Travel -- Tandems

« on: March 08, 2014, 08:41:15 pm »

If traveling within the US, I would look into UPS.  We shipped our non- S&S coupler tandem for $170 from Seattle to upstate NY in 2010.  That included insurance.  Took 2 reg. sized cardboard bike boxes (free from local bike shop) and spliced them together.

60

Gear Talk / Re: (Cyclo)cross-country

« on: January 26, 2014, 08:39:25 pm »

for a rear rack (for panniers) you could get an axiom seat post collar (has tabs for rack attachment) and then get a rack that mounts to the rear axle with an extra long skewer (an example is a Old Man Mountain rack). OMM also makes a front rack that has a skewer attachment, and then is secured to the cantilever brake bosses.  Used both on our XC trip (tandem) - very rugged and have a higher weight carrying capacity than most that mount on frame eyelets.