Messages

31

General Discussion / Re: Shrink wrapping your bike for flights

« on: November 07, 2010, 05:01:47 am »

I recently saw a couple of bikes - beat-up touring/mountain bike types - being wheeled through customs in Laos for a flight to Bangkok.  The only protection was some buble wrap around the pedals and a bit on the derailer.  They obviously belonged to some western travellers as no local would bother taking a bike on a flight, but I was quite surprised nevertheless.  However, they weren't the sort of bikes the owners would cry much over if they were damaged.
I've flown with the same cardboard bike box on three long-haul flights to and from SE Asia with changes of flights on each route.  The box is battered and torn but still just about functional.  How you decide to package your bike depends how much you value it.

32

General Discussion / Re: Bicycles For Freighting

« on: November 07, 2010, 04:46:34 am »

Wonder what the reaction would be if that Chinese camper bike rolled up at a US national park and asked for a hiker/biker site?

33

Gear Talk / Re: Shaking on the downhills

« on: November 07, 2010, 04:40:41 am »

Thanks for the input.   As my headset isn't loose, front forks as good as new and I doubt the front wheel is out, I put it down to the weight distribution in the front panniers.  Next time I find a hill I'll check it out.

34

Gear Talk / Re: Cycling Sandals

« on: October 23, 2010, 07:38:13 am »

I like the Keens too, but the cleats scare me!  Too old to be biting the black top.

35

Gear Talk / Re: Shaking on the downhills

« on: October 23, 2010, 07:34:45 am »

No, I didn't get up to Truckee.  That - Sierra/Cascades - was supposed to be my route back north but it looked way too steep coming up from SF.  And beyond Truckee looks like you need to be Lance Armstrong.   I had trouble just dragging my butt to SF with all those roller-coaster hills along the Californian coast!  Maybe OK if you're under 30.

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Gear Talk / Re: Bicycle lubrication question When, What and (more important What NOT! ) to oil

« on: October 23, 2010, 07:27:30 am »

(Chains are relatively cheap, so just replace it at the first sign of stretch.)

I don't mind replacing the chain, but it looks like the whole damned drive chain goes at the same time, and that will be expensive!  It's making nasty grinding noises which I'm none too sure aren't even coming from the bottom bracket.  I'm probably going to want to sell this bike soon as we look like making a significant move.  I have my tourer which I'd take along for sure.  So what to do?  Invest the money and try getting it back on the selling price, or try selling it as is?  Not sure I'd want to buy a bike that needs a whole new drive chain replacement.  It's a Trek 4300 up graded to 4400 specs.

37

Gear Talk / Re: Bicycle lubrication question When, What and (more important What NOT! ) to oil

« on: October 20, 2010, 10:37:43 pm »

On a 24 link stretched section of chain I'm 1/8 over 12 inches - 12 inches supposedly being the limit.  Beyond that it's worn.  However, the teeth on the most used cogs on the cassette are sharp and noticably thinner than the cogs I rarely use.  Same for the middle cog on the front crank which I'm on 99% of the time.  Worn teeth.  And this is approx two years after they were new and what, less than an average 10 kms a day.  The trouble here - a crappy little town in SE Asia - is sand -lots of it as the whole place is a construction zone and most of the little side roads are unpaved dirt which also gets dragged out onto the main roads.  I rode 900 miles on highways in the US this summer without even half the dirt I get after just a couple of trips to the local market here.

38

Gear Talk / Re: Shaking on the downhills

« on: October 20, 2010, 09:32:04 pm »

The bike's a Koga Miyata and they have sealed integrated headsets.  Anyway there's no noticable play there.  The frame's aluminum and that's supposed to be less flexible anyway.  Less so than steel I've heard.  I don't have any hills around here to try out on without the front panniers and there's no what I would call reliable or totally trust worthy bike mechanics this side of the ocean.  Like I said, it only became an issue on those long winding downhills in California above a certain speed.  I had to keep braking otherwise I'd really lose it!  If I get it back to Europe I'm entitled to a free tune up at the shop where I bought it.  It's due.

39

Gear Talk / Shaking on the downhills

« on: October 19, 2010, 10:03:24 pm »

It wasn't such a big deal, but when scooting down some of those Californian hills this summer I noticed the bike would hit a certain speed - maybe about 30- 40 mph - where the front end would start to shimmy, if that's the right word.  A kind of shaking that increased or decreased according to my speed.  I was fully loaded with panniers front and back and it did seem that the weight balance in the front panniers had something to do with it.  I tried to keep it equal but still got that shimmy downhill.   The bike rode perfectly otherwise and I checked all the nuts and bolts regularly.  Didn't do any downhill without the panniers to compare.  Any ideas, solutions?

40

Gear Talk / Re: Cycling Sandals

« on: October 19, 2010, 09:49:22 pm »

I used Keens Commuter sandals this summer with the cleats at the begining and found I couldn't easily get them out of the cleat when I wanted.  They seem too soft and pliable, so you don't get a strong direct pull on the cleat.  At least that was my experience.  Without cleats they're fine.

41

Gear Talk / Re: Bicycle lubrication question When, What and (more important What NOT! ) to oil

« on: October 19, 2010, 09:44:13 pm »

(We use an unorthodox chain-lube method that keeps chains clean and makes them last 20,000 miles or more.)

Could the first writer please elaborate on this statement?  I'd sure like to know about something that makes a chain last 20,000 miles or more!  Out here in the wild East where it's either dust or mud - sometimes both - I seem to go through a chain on my daily use mountain bike once every two years.  Not sure of the mileage but I probably do on average 10 kms a day approx.  That's around 7-8,000 kms per two years.

Usually when the chain needs replacing so does the rest of the drive chain - front crank and rear cassette which gets expensive.  I'm due for another now.  I clean the chain quite regularly with one of those little cleaning machines where you add degreasing fluid or just dishwashing fluid plus water and spin the chain through the brushes.  I also clean the chain first with a toothbrush dipped in diesel which gets rid of the accumulated grease/dirt without drying the whole chain out like gasoline would.  Then after the shampoo I re-oil and wipe.  Looks and feels good until after the first few rides.

I'm now wondering about how long cranks and rear casettes should last and if the quality - or lack thereof - of the components they make in Taiwan that one gets out East - just about everywhere else too - is to blame.  Seems they should last longer than a couple of years regular riding.

42

General Discussion / Re: Pannier Secuity

« on: October 06, 2010, 10:18:17 pm »

On my recent ride on the west coast if I was stopping at a supermarket I asked if I could bring the bike inside.  Usually, they said OK and I parked it right in front of the cashiers.  After all I was a paying customer.  The main theft problems are always in the bigger cities/urban areas. 

43

Routes / Re: Sierra Cascades - anyone done it yet?

« on: August 06, 2010, 02:01:45 pm »

Nice pix.  Everything looks great from the top, but I may have to respect my physical limitations - it's my legs that hate hills.  I'll see how it goes down the coast.  If I'm still standing by the time I get to SF I may give it a try.

44

Routes / Sierra Cascades - anyone done it yet?

« on: August 05, 2010, 01:08:39 am »

Would like to hear from anyone who has done any of the new Sierra Cascades route.  I have been planning to do the section north from Lake Tahoe as part of my return from going down the coast but have reservations about the overall altitude and climbs as well as amenities/camping etc.  For someone who hates hills and only has a summer rated sleeping bag it doesn't look like such a good idea.

45

Routes / Re: Where in the World to Ride in Early April?

« on: August 05, 2010, 12:59:17 am »

Wherever you go, don't go anywhere near SE Asia.  In April it's cooking.  But I've heard Taiwan is going green these days and very much into cycling.  They manufacture Trek bikes and have a gowing bike industry. Also Japan doesn't get much coverage as a cycling destination despite some beautiful scenery.  I wonder why.