Messages

376

Urban Cycling / what bike do you use for pure urban ridin'?

« on: January 28, 2007, 11:54:48 pm »

64 cm Trek 330 from early 80's (?) Reynolds 531 lugged frame bought last year on eBay. 1998 105 triple with Nitto moustache bars and bar end shifters. Fenders of course with a small canvas saddle bag but will get a large Carradice Nelson Long Flap bag soon. Tires are 700/28 at 90 psi.

377

Gear Talk / Rear bike rack

« on: December 06, 2008, 10:56:40 pm »

Lots of places to buy the Tubus including Wallingford and Peter White. Mine poped a weld (but didn't seem to weaken it at all it is so strong) and it was replaced easily.

378

Gear Talk / Co-motion Americano vs Norwester Tour

« on: December 06, 2008, 10:53:52 pm »

"I have a Brooks Professional. It is about 15 years young. I have stretched it out and conditioned it, and once broken in has served me well, but I fear it is at the end of it's life. You are the third person, I have come in contact with who raves about the Brook B-17. "

After 30 years on a Brooks Pro I bought a B-17. It broke down in 2 years so I put back on the old Pro for 2 more years. I bought a new  titanium Pro weeks before the price went up (yea!) and will ride it until I die probably.

If my frame wasn't 64 cm I would definitely have had Waterford build it with S&S. Mine won't fit in the box.

379

Gear Talk / Co-motion Americano vs Norwester Tour

« on: November 23, 2008, 10:26:42 pm »

If you're considering the Co-Motion, consider the Waterford Adventure Cycle.
Both are top notch bike companies making top tourers. You can't go wrong with either.

380

Gear Talk / B.O.B. trailers

« on: November 02, 2008, 10:01:43 pm »

As you see, this topic has many experiences and opinions. I pull a BOB Yak and like the person who doesn't notice the Burley, my BOB tracks so nicely that I forget it is back there except when standing.  My lifetime high speed is with the BOB.
My question is if you're doing the TransAm route why bother with the extra weight of the shocks on the Ibex unless you're going to be off road.

381

Gear Talk / A unique situation (SouthernTier).

« on: October 20, 2008, 06:29:59 pm »

Regarding steep downhills with a trailer: I ride a very fine bike (a Waterford) yet my high speed is while pulling a BOB, not riding bare. That is more a function of only getting to those really long hills while touring than anything. The point it, the trailer does not factor in to downhill speed. Uphill, that is another story...

382

Gear Talk / Surly LHT or Trek520

« on: October 20, 2008, 06:33:34 pm »

The 520 is a great touring value at roughly $1000 with the venerable Reynolds 531 tubing.

383

Gear Talk / Touring Stove

« on: October 06, 2008, 10:03:52 pm »

The Whisperlite is great and as its name implies relatively quiet. After it came the Simmerlite which as the name implies allows lower flame than the Whisperlite for simmering; but it is as noisy as a train in the forest. If traveling with others, a gallon of fuel can be shared,  depends on the length of the trip. I used only 2 liters on 2 week trip with 2 of us, cooking 2X a day.  Check out REI http://www.rei.com/category/4500028 for comparisons of lots of stoves.

384

Gear Talk / Sandals

« on: October 06, 2008, 10:11:22 pm »

Lake also has wide sizes and more support than sandals. I rode sandals from western MT to Duluth with no problems but wear shoes more often when I want to ride hard.

385

Gear Talk / Ortlieb Dry Bag

« on: October 06, 2008, 11:05:07 pm »

Six weeks of Northern Tier, rain many nights, lots of dew. BOB dry bag and no problems after putting wet tent into the BOB bag.

386

Gear Talk / Search for new Rain Jacket

« on: August 03, 2008, 11:44:50 pm »

I find rain pants to be too heavy to justify taking on tour for the little time they might get worn. Your tour might be in cold weather and rain often enough to make it worthwhile. I have had good luck though with tight lycra leg warmers in rain down to 32 degrees. The tight fabric makes it impossible to get waterlogged.

387

Gear Talk / Brooks saddles and rain

« on: June 23, 2008, 11:05:13 pm »

Now that I think about it, it was 90 minutes hard rain, and 3 more hours light rain. That's a lot for the underside to take. I will treat the underside with Sno Seal which is waterproof and Proofhide on the top.

388

Gear Talk / Brooks saddles and rain

« on: June 19, 2008, 11:02:10 pm »

A few months ago there was a discussion about whether riding a leather saddle in the rain was hard on it. One writer even suggested that sweating was as bad as rain. Well, after a couple of hours riding in rain last week (barely escaping the rising rivers in Iowa) on my new Brooks Pro it collapsed under my weight when it got wet, even with a cover on underneath me. I had almost 1000 miles on it with lots of sweaty hard rides before that with no breakdown. The Pro is much tougher than the B-17 so I was very surprised at the damage. Had I put on the fenders the saddle would have been protected from the rain.

389

Gear Talk / Water bottles and bisephenol-A

« on: June 17, 2008, 11:44:13 pm »

" We also keep the bottles for many years, and I expect the rate of leaching is inversely proportional to some power of the age, so they get safer as they get older."

Or, the older the bottle, the more is leaching. Me, I'm going with brand new bottles. Any research on this?

390

Gear Talk / Spare parts for BOB

« on: May 10, 2008, 12:23:03 am »

Ditto the cotter pins. It seems hard to imagine but the rubber tie does get caught on things in the campground and before you know it the pin is gone. You can make them yourself out of a spoke.