16
Routes / Re: TransAm section 5 muddy gap camping CS?
« on: June 13, 2024, 10:21:49 pm »
I have not stayed there but passed through. There is nothing else at the junction, you could probably even wild camp.
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17
Gear Talk / Re: What have you taken on tour and later wished you hadn't?
« on: June 08, 2024, 08:57:04 pm »
Depends if you are likely to need it. I would only take one if I was going somewhere very remote, or I was riding a technical offroad route (i.e. likely to damage it). Not on a road tour in the first world.
18
Routes / Re: From Cap May, NJ to NYC
« on: May 07, 2024, 03:43:02 pm »
Ride on or near the coast of NJ to Sandy Hook, then take the ferry to lower Manhattan. The EST starts there. Note that I haven’t taken this route, but it makes sense and others have recommended it. Perhaps users here can give more specific advice.
19
Gear Talk / Re: How warm should your sleepingbag be?
« on: April 26, 2024, 08:54:57 pm »Quote
It would be awesome and a practical application of our existing LLM technology if we used it to do ‘writing style transfer’ and modify English text to make it look like something written by Tom Robbins, Joseph Campbell, or Ernest Hemingway. Although I’d be fearful of it if it could do Jack Kerouac.
Even crazier is if it could do your writing as Cold Mountain (Han Shan) poems.
Frankly, I’m tired of informational writing that has to throw in personal interest, statements on the human condition, general fluff, etc. A description of sleeping bag temperature by Hemmingway would likely be better than one by most magazine writers, but I’d rather have it authored by a good technical writer. I’ve playes with ChatGPT, and it seems to generate crap that sounds like advertising or a AAA travelogue. Barf.
20
General Discussion / Re: How much water to carry?
« on: April 08, 2024, 12:25:28 am »
I'm not claiming any medical reason to avoid drinking hot water, I'm not a trained medical person. I just know that it makes me feel ill. Froze, do your wrapped bottles still fit in a regular cage? If you can save some weight, that could help. Though my complete rig, bike+gear+shared+food, came in around 85#, which was towards the low end of my group's weights.
21
Gear Talk / Re: What's your rain riding plan?
« on: April 07, 2024, 10:21:43 am »
Agree on two points: stay warm and stay visible. Motorists universally do not understand how poorly they can see on a dark, rainy night. They always out-drive their visibility. I try to stay on lit streets.
You might stay dry on a short ride in moderate rain, but otherwise you will get wet, to some extent.
A personal annoyance: I hate water running inside my helmet. It annoys the hell out of me, and it can be cold. The solution is a cover, made for purpose, or a cheap shower cap. Or put up your hood under the helmet.
You might stay dry on a short ride in moderate rain, but otherwise you will get wet, to some extent.
A personal annoyance: I hate water running inside my helmet. It annoys the hell out of me, and it can be cold. The solution is a cover, made for purpose, or a cheap shower cap. Or put up your hood under the helmet.
22
General Discussion / Re: How much water to carry?
« on: April 07, 2024, 09:57:38 am »
The ice is a good hint. I don’t need my drinking water to be ice cold, but having it not hot is important. To that end, I use double wall insulated bottles, especially in hot areas. I now carry two TravelKuppe hot drink bottles, which fit in standard bottle cages. For refilling, I use Igloo 36 oz/1.06L bottles.
The double wall bottles are heavier, but I was SO glad that I had them going across Kansas in July. DWS bottles insulate noticeably better than plastic insulated types.
The double wall bottles are heavier, but I was SO glad that I had them going across Kansas in July. DWS bottles insulate noticeably better than plastic insulated types.
23
Gear Talk / Re: Jones Bar
« on: March 13, 2024, 09:59:13 am »
Revisiting years later... I have now toured with the previous north roads bars on the bike in question, a Rans crank forward. I find that I'm totally satisfied with them. So I won't be converting to the Jones bars (requiring a new riser, adapter and stem). I have north roads bars on four bikes that I've toured on (short or long tours). The north roads bars provide a better wrist angle for me.
24
Gear Talk / Re: What have you taken on tour and later wished you hadn't?
« on: March 09, 2024, 09:04:19 pm »
My battery powered CPAP machine, on a challenging 3-month tour. We were all seriously sleep deprived every night, I slept like a rock. I have only a moderate case of sleep apnea. After two months, I decided that I needed the space in my panniers, less weight and one less thing to charge - more than I needed the CPAP. I sent it home.
I have taken it on subsequent trips and will continue to. Since I won’t take another tour that’s so challenging, toting it is worthwhile.
I have taken it on subsequent trips and will continue to. Since I won’t take another tour that’s so challenging, toting it is worthwhile.
25
General Discussion / Re: Planning TA—Oregon logging trucks & annual highway closure?
« on: March 07, 2024, 12:01:34 am »
Hwy 126 has a nasty dangerous tunnel near Mapleton. I would NOT go that way. Highway 36 is longer but is the route recommended by AC.
I also rode 126 east of Eugene, from Mackenzie Bridge to Walterville. There's no shoulder and traffic was generally impatient, passed closely, and we got horns a bit. It was doable but stressful. But then again, there are a lot of places like that on the TA. I'll let it go at that.
I also rode 126 east of Eugene, from Mackenzie Bridge to Walterville. There's no shoulder and traffic was generally impatient, passed closely, and we got horns a bit. It was doable but stressful. But then again, there are a lot of places like that on the TA. I'll let it go at that.
26
General Discussion / Re: Eastern Express
« on: March 06, 2024, 11:48:33 pm »
I took the traditional TA, and I hated the climbing in Virginia, part of Kentucky and Missouri. If I were doing it again, I'd look long and hard at the Eastern Express. Thanks for your input.
27
General Discussion / Re: Some Useful Parameters When Asking for Route Help
« on: March 01, 2024, 05:36:54 pm »
We might also ask what sort of tour the person(s) are planning. Are they camping or using indoor accommodation? Cooking? Sagged?
28
Gear Talk / Re: Clothing List
« on: January 13, 2024, 10:42:49 am »
I hope you’ve made a checklist.
In sunny weather, I wear sun blocking long sleeve shirts (UPF 50). They cool effectively and block sun better than sunscreen. In cooler weather or on cool mornings, a merino jersey. On a long trip, I take three of the shirts, trying to stretch washing intervals.
I take nylon convertible pants with zippered pockets. On a recumbent, those over mens bikini briefs, which prevents chafing. On a diamond frame, gel liners under the pants, two or three taken along. But everyone has to see what works for them.
Full height synthetic crew socks, to prevent a ring of sunburn around my ankles.
In sunny weather, I wear sun blocking long sleeve shirts (UPF 50). They cool effectively and block sun better than sunscreen. In cooler weather or on cool mornings, a merino jersey. On a long trip, I take three of the shirts, trying to stretch washing intervals.
I take nylon convertible pants with zippered pockets. On a recumbent, those over mens bikini briefs, which prevents chafing. On a diamond frame, gel liners under the pants, two or three taken along. But everyone has to see what works for them.
Full height synthetic crew socks, to prevent a ring of sunburn around my ankles.
29
Gear Talk / Re: Fargo 2 vs Fargo 3
« on: January 13, 2024, 09:40:46 am »I should have offered more context: I can readily spin over 180 on rollers (the cadence meter doesn't read any higher than 180). On the road, I can't get this bike over 42MPH on my regular descents whereas I can hit 52MPH with my other bikes. Any way you slice it, the top end is too low.
Your call, but… pedaling much over 25 mph, your energy added will mostly get burned up as wind friction. On day rides it’s one thing, but do you need that extra speed when touring? Another aspect is severity of crash. I did many 40+ descents on my transam (fastest 53), but after a while I thought better of it. At those speeds, I should be wearing body armor and a motorcycle helmet.
I thought of changing the big ring on our ‘bent tandem from 52 to 50, to get less redundancy, but the 52 is handy on a fast descender like that bike. Still, I stop pedaling about 25 mph. Also, stoker is uncomfy at higher speeds, so I keep it 30 or less.
But like I said, your call.
30
Gear Talk / Re: Where: Selling New Old Stock bike parts online?
« on: December 16, 2023, 11:42:57 pm »
Do a web search on “vintage bike parts”. There are several sites listed.