Recent Posts

1

Routes / Re: Illinois to Idaho

« Last post by CWBurcar on October 26, 2020, 01:35:25 pm »

Thanks BikeliciousBabe,

Yeah where i live (surrounded by corn and soy bean fields) the winds always play a factor in my rides. Recently the crops were taken down an you never realize how much a corn field protects you until its gone. I normally aim to ride against the wind on my way out an ride with it on my way home. Ideally I would rather have tailwinds the entire trip home from this ride i'm planning but I understand mother nature doesnt always play nice. Is there anything along the trip you did or along my path that is a "must see"? I have a wife and children an wont be able to do tons of long trips back to back an would like to get the most bang for my buck.


Christopher

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General Discussion / Re: Has anyone 'modified' a 'Gravel Bike' to a Bikepacking / Touring rig?

« Last post by Iowagriz on October 26, 2020, 12:08:55 pm »

It probably depends more on what gravel bike you have, and what type of touring.

If one of the current and popular bikes like the Warbird, and touring via the same gravel roads, then yes - very possible.  No rack eyelets on many of those bikes, so a typical bikepacking soft bag setup should work just fine.  No fork eyelets, so that will leave you with the typical framebag, seatbag, handlebar bags and toptube bags. 

I'm finding that I can bikepack on most any bike, it just depends on my expectations of comfort and speed.

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General Discussion / Has anyone 'modified' a 'Gravel Bike' to a Bikepacking / Touring rig?

« Last post by BikePacker on October 26, 2020, 08:26:43 am »

Has anyone 'modified' a 'Gravel Bike' to a Bikepacking / Touring rig?
If yes, what pro and cons were learned in your process of doing so.
Thank you.

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General Discussion / Re: Bear safety on the GDMBR

« Last post by DarrenBnYYC on October 25, 2020, 05:29:32 pm »

Good advice above, and I'll add one of the most important things you should do. Be loud on the trail. Be especially loud, shouting "Hey bear!" or "Coming through!" whenever your sight lines are reduced, especially when moving fast. Your greatest risk of injury from bears on the GDMBR is not from a bear wandering into your camp - it is on the bike if you startle a bear, particularly a momma with cubs. Your loud voice is your best defence - bears recognize it, and wild bears are naturally weary of humans (habituated bears are a different story sometimes, however).

Forget bear bells or horns - research by people like Tom Smith or Stephen Herrero have shown that your voice is best. Use it often when riding. And keep your bear spray where you can reach it IMMEDIATELY - if you startle a bear because you were going fast and the bear did not hear you coming, it may come down to a few seconds before you need to use it.

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Routes / Re: High Point New Jersey to Cap May New Jersey ride acroos New Jersey

« Last post by ezdoesit on October 24, 2020, 10:33:26 am »

going to reply again so you know what route I have it's the bike route for cyclists to tour from the dept. of transportation.
goes thru Wantage Twp.,Branchville Boro,cross's Sussex Branch Trail,down Rt.-206, Andover Twp., Stanhope ,Netcong, Mendam, Bernardsville, Warren Twp., Bound Brook and so on down to Cap May
The map set is called High Point Cape May Bike Route a tour guide for cyclists.
Hope this sheds some light on this.

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General Discussion / Re: Bear safety on the GDMBR

« Last post by crichman on October 23, 2020, 02:48:21 pm »

On my southbound trip I also hung my drybag with all my smelly things.  Including an odor-proof bag inside your stuff sack can reduce odors noticeably, though ultimately nothing really escapes a bear's nose.  Hanging was an option throughout most of the trip, save some of the drier and more southern bits outside of normal grizzly range.  Be sure to hang from relatively slender branches high enough and far enough from the tree trunk - many folks don't.

Informal campsites on the Divide are often near rivers.  The dropping your bear hang from the bridge over the river can be a convenient alternative.

Do carry bear spray and keep it immediately accessible to you on and off your bike.

Enjoy!

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Routes / Re: High Point New Jersey to Cap May New Jersey ride acroos New Jersey

« Last post by BikeliciousBabe on October 23, 2020, 10:47:30 am »

Pro tip: When you are asking about camping spots and you already have a route planned it is most helpful to let people know what that route is so they don't possibly waste time responding with suggestions that are not relevant to the planned route.     

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General Discussion / Re: Max speed unavoidable critter crashes?

« Last post by BikeliciousBabe on October 23, 2020, 10:18:13 am »

I had to brake hard for a group of deer in the road last month while riding across PA. Came around a curve on a step hill. They were in the middle of the road. I have had to do that in MT on several occasions. The most recent time was last year descending Thompson Pass towards Thompson Falls. The next day I had to stop for a herd of elk with calves that I spooked when I stopped to take a photo of them grazing on someone's lawn. I saw them getting antsy so I put away the camera and started riding. That spooked them even more, and they stampeded towards the road. I knew they were going to cross so stopping was no big deal. The sound of all those hooves crossing the pavement was amazing.

In 2018 a young bear cub crossed my path in NJ as I was riding back to my site after showering. Mom was nowhere to be seen, which was unnerving.

I often preemptively yell "Yo, deer!" when I am in an area where I think I might encounter them. Always stay alert when you are riding in wooded areas.

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Routes / Re: High Point New Jersey to Cap May New Jersey ride acroos New Jersey

« Last post by ezdoesit on October 23, 2020, 10:12:16 am »

Thank  you .
I do have all the maps and route .

10

Routes / Re: Illinois to Idaho

« Last post by BikeliciousBabe on October 23, 2020, 10:06:01 am »

I find WY to be most vulnerable to winds. They're most likely to be out of the west. If they do come from the east it's generally from an upsloping cold front which is typically a one day event. When we came across the Great Plains we had 5 consecutive days of 25+ mph winds from the NW. There's no way we would have even attempted to ride to the east on those days.

Heh. When I did a portion of the TransAm 20 years ago the stretch from Lander, WY, to Jeffrey City was like that, only the wind was a bit more out of the SW. I hooked up with a couple riding a BF tandem across the country. We had to lean sideways. Got rooms at the (R.I.P.) JC Motel. As I was walking west towards the café to get lunch I swear I was leaning at a 45 degree angle, and a woman at the bar told me the wind wasn't really that bad that day. The next morning I left for Rawlins at the crack of dawn trying to beat any wind. When I headed east from Rawlins I cycled for a bit with a local who was riding to the Sinclair facility. He told me that, because of the wind, some days it takes him 20 min. to get to work (riding east) and an hour to get home (riding west).