Messages

1

General Discussion / Re: Looking for riding experiences while recuperating from a knee replacement

« on: May 01, 2022, 11:24:24 am »

Whatever your medical team says.  To the letter.

Keep us posted, I expect that I’ll be in your shoes someday.  Good luck.

2

Food Talk / Re: Best Foods for Training

« on: April 28, 2022, 07:26:52 pm »

There is no silver bullet.

Balanced diet, enough hydration, distrust info from people selling things.

The placebo effect is real. If you think it helps, it just might.

Anecdotes are not data.  Correlation is not cause and effect.  Random clinical trials are the best method to test things.

Science and common sense, folks.

3

General Discussion / Re: Amtrak Bike Travel

« on: April 28, 2022, 07:13:34 pm »

Something unusual with the Lakeshore? It has a baggage car which has quite a few places in the racks.  I’d call and inquire.

4

Gear Talk / Re: Chair

« on: April 24, 2022, 09:47:29 pm »

Sure.  The seat on my recumbent.

Will you be camping in places that don't have a picnic table?  If you'll mostly be in regular campgrounds, you may not see the need for a chair. 

5

General Discussion / Re: advice for tablet or laptop for planning (rerouting) while on tour

« on: April 24, 2022, 09:43:57 pm »

You have to consider the user.  Some folks just don't "get" maps and directions, and they need the turn-by-turn directions.  For them, a dedicated GPS is probably the way to go.  Or GPS function on a cell phone or tablet.  I'm good with directions, but I can't dance, dress myself or remember to get milk on the way home.

6

General Discussion / Re: USA Specific Safety Tips, ie Wildlife, Crime etc.

« on: April 24, 2022, 09:37:20 pm »

Food (and other smellables) kept out of tent is an absolute requirement.  The next most important rule is to put your food storage, campground and cooking areas at the points of a triangle, a good distance apart - say 200' or more.

7

Gear Talk / Re: Breaking in Brooks B17 Imperial

« on: April 24, 2022, 09:29:35 pm »

Break-in period depends on the saddle.  The wide ones (B66 et al), for me, had zero breakin to useability, maybe a couple hundred miles to full comfort.  My Pro took a couple thousand miles, even with a couple of Proofide applications.  Also, the pre-conditioned & laced ones are ready to go out of the box.

8

General Discussion / Re: Transamerica help - May 2022 start

« on: April 19, 2022, 07:49:30 am »

Welcome Tcor -

Lots of people fly into DC and start in Yorktown.
Dulles is the inernational airport in DC.
The Silver Line Metro should be finished before May.
So, you can take the Metro straight from Dulles to Union Station.
(If there is a delay they will still be running Silver Line busses.)

From Union Station take Amtrak to Williamsburg, VA. (3.5 to 4 hours)
Right now there are two trains per day - morning and afternoon.
…

Be advised… Amtrak has temporarily cancelled one of those two trains from Washington to Williamsburg.  The one cancelled (#67) had baggage service.  As long as you have regular bikes and you’re using roll on service, the other train (#125) will work for you.  But if you have recumbents, a tandem or trike, your machines must be boxed, and you will have no way to bring your bikes.

9

General Discussion / Re: In the hunt for...a travel mug that fits in water bottle cage

« on: March 29, 2022, 07:08:11 pm »

The 2.9” OD one should work.  I presume the trigger function lets you drink while riding.  When I last looked, about a year ago, i did not find this one.  The 3” one may or may not fit.  Or might fit some cages.  The plastic ones are especially hard to fit, even standard water bottles can be hard to withdraw.

10

Gear Talk / Re: Best Water Bottle?

« on: March 28, 2022, 04:27:33 pm »

The Clean Bottles idea is sound, ease of cleaning is always good.  But I found you had to be very careful about tightening both ends.  Just a little too loose or too tight would leak. My son thought so too.

11

General Discussion / Re: In the hunt for...a travel mug that fits in water bottle cage

« on: March 28, 2022, 04:20:39 pm »

Sorry for the confusion.

3.4” diameter, way too big.

12

General Discussion / Re: In the hunt for...a travel mug that fits in water bottle cage

« on: March 27, 2022, 11:35:35 am »

The Kleen website does not give diameter of the products.  The ones I've seen are too big.
The Hydros don't have a top you can drink from on the move.  Any I've seen in stores are too big.
I could not find Stanley model given TY0604.  The ones I have seen in stores and on their website are too big. 3.1".  Need to be 2.8"

Somebody else may make one that fits now, but frankly I got sick and tired of looking.

Remember, I want one that you don't have to spread the cage on.

13

General Discussion / Re: In the hunt for...a travel mug that fits in water bottle cage

« on: March 26, 2022, 10:58:57 pm »

Once you’ve bent the cage, regular water bottles don’t stay in well.  Believe me, I’ve been looking for years, they all were too big.

What kind of cage do you use? If it's aluminum, they aren't going to be as pliable as steel ones, which can bend back and forth.

I use Velo-Orange's Retro cages, which nicely adjust to the diameter of the bottle:
https://velo-orange.com/collections/bottle-cages-bottles/products/vo-retro-cage-with-tab-new-version

Aluminum, plastic, carbon fiber, steel.  That cage, like most VO products, looks very nice.  Very smart design.  There are eight cages on various bikes where I might want to carry coffee, times $25?  No thanks.   All the manufacturers need to do is make their mugs an eighth of an inch smaller diameter.  Perhaps the Travel Kuppe will be wildly successful and the other guys will catch on.

14

General Discussion / Re: In the hunt for...a travel mug that fits in water bottle cage

« on: March 23, 2022, 04:17:00 pm »

I have looked far and wide for years, with no acceptable result… until recently.

There are a number of them that almost fit, i.e. you must bend the cage a little, or the bottle can’t be fully inserted.  If the Stanley mentioned is the one I’m thinking of, it required bending the cage.  So does the popular Contigo West Loop.  And dozens of others.  Once you’ve bent the cage, regular water bottles don’t stay in well.  Believe me, I’ve been looking for years, they all were too big.

But now you have a good solution, the Travel Kuppe.  It is specifically designed to fit a standard bottle cage and is double walled stainless.  Drinking on the road requires a bit of a practiced motion, but it’s ok.

Until last year, I was using a Contigo Aria, which has been out of production for >ten years.  It was perfect, I wish I could buy a new one.  Or two.  Vacuum stainless, easy to drink from push button, 16 oz.  Mine is in rough shape, rubber bits coming off and it leaks.  But I keep it as the emergency spare.

15

General Discussion / Re: Anyone doing the ACA Van Supported TransAM this spring?

« on: March 23, 2022, 03:52:21 pm »

You were going to check the route updates and closures on the main AC site, right?