Trailer or panniers

[wroseweir]

I am planning to ride form San Diego to BC, in the next few weeks and wasnt sure if a trailer or panniers are better for a ride like that?. I am consider using a lightspeed Sabre, a tri bike i alreadey have ? any thoughts. I am riding to clear my head and was thinking of dooing 6 days on one off at around 70 miles a day, feel free to tell em if u think i am nuts, and or any constructive advice.Thanks Wayne

[whittierider]

just discussed at http://www.adventurecycling.org/forums/viewmessages.cfm?Forum=9&Topic=2160

[paddleboy17]

I have done both.  I prefer a trailer off road and panniers on road.  BOB trailers tend to bounce, and this can be a little scary at the higher speeds found on a road tour.  I would expect any other trailer based on a small wheel to behave similarly.  BOB trailers may also use your rear derailler as lever to bend the lug your derailler is screwed into.  It is managable if you know that it can happen and are careful.  Just look at the clearances.

For me, the burden of pulling a trailer versus a heavier bike was a wash.  I suppose that the extra weight could cause your frame to flex, but that is something that you would have to check personally.

I cannot speak for your trike would behave.

I once did a road tour where we averaged 80 miles a day.  I felt that I missed out on enjoying the ride and that a shorter daily target would have been better.  Your decision though.  You will ride a lot slower loaded than unloaded.  

Danno

[wroseweir]

Thanks guys, it seems there is no clear answer and still nto sure how a titanium bike with graphite back supports would hold up ?

[cyclesafe]

Your only choice is a trailer with a TRI bike as there is no place to properly mount racks.  Also, a properly balanced BOB trailer doesn't "bounce" if you don't over-inflate its tire.  People pull BOBs with carbon bikes all the time.  There is no issue.

But you should definitely go the other direction, BC to SD, to stay on the scenic side of the road and to avoid the prevailing South to North winds.  Also, maybe the fires around Big Sur will be out by the time you get there.

Your milage will depend on the terrain, but 70 loaded miles per day average is not at all unreasonable for a person in shape.  I'm 53 and I rode from San Franciso to San Diego in five days - helped by a tail wind out of San Simeon that pushed me 160 miles in one day.

This message was edited by cyclesafe on 7-10-08 @ 4:24 PM

[whittierider]

But you should definitely go the other direction, BC to SD, to stay on the scenic side of the road and to avoid the prevailing South to North winds.

Ah yes, I missed that the first time around.  Definitely do NOT go south to north.  You'll be battling winds sometimes so fierce you won't even be able to go downhill, according to the book "Bicycling the Pacific Coast."  I haven't done any riding north of Buellton, CA (yet-- we plan to this summer), but on our last ride from Santa Barbara to L.A., there were times we were climbing at nearly 30mph because of the tailwind.

[staehpj1]

Definitely go N to S.  The wind will be brutal the other way.

Your proposed average mileage isn't unreasonable.  Personally I would rather ride everyday and skip the days off unless they are for the specific purpose of doing something cool.  If you need a break take a short or half  day.

Riding 7 days a week at a 60 mile per day average would be much more pleasant to me than riding 6 days a week at a 70 mile per day average.

YMMV, but to me days off are boring unless they are to do something special and it is only harder to get back in the groove after sitting around for a day.  We took only one real day off (to go ww rafting) on the TransAmerica and it worked out well.  We did also have a day with no progress due to an injury to one of our party, but since I rode 40 miles that day it really wasn't a day off.

Also rather than ride a particular number of miles a day we found it worked better to base how far we rode on what we felt like riding any given day, so one day we might ride 40 miles and another 115.  It worked well to ease into the trip with lower miles in the beginning and longer miles later.  This makes more sense the longer the trip is.

[bogiesan]

I am consider using a lightspeed Sabre, a tri bike i alreadey have ?
any thoughts. I am riding to clear my head and was thinking of dooing
6 days on one off at around 70 miles a day, feel free to tell em if u
think i am nuts, and or any constructive advice.

Are you nuts? No, not yet. But you will be a few days after you start
this misadventure. An unsupported long distance road tour is
complicated. It is not a good place to get one's head clear unless you
are already well on your way to being comfortable with your life and
your emotions. A tri bike, IMNSHO, is totally inappropriate for day after
day in the saddle.

david boise ID

go, ristretto, FCP/AE
"Read the manual."

[wroseweir]

Thanks guys, good advice ont the north south, the one outstanding issue is the road cogs/chain rings i have a 53/39  and a 11-24. and for $65 can get the back to a 12 -27,k which will get me 15 % easier but still no where near a touring ration of 30 fornt to a back 37 first, i will pobbally have to push the steep hills, but the smoooth ride and very fast componets will hopelly make up for it, and the legs could be stronger by the time i hit the california hill in 3 weeks.trying to leave by the 23rd ?. Will purchase the railer a bob /yak use amtrack to bc there which will be $ 215 and free luggage, ok now i am getting excited. just for fun i am 225 pounds at 5 10 and will hope to loose about 25 pounds in 4 weeks, my version of survivor.

[RussellSeaton]

A Litespeed tri bike with a 53-39 and 12-27 cassette.  For the PCH.  Pulling a BOB trailer.  Not my idea of an enjoyable ride.  I've driven the California section of the PCH and there are hills.  Even at my pretty good condition I'm not sure I would want to try it with a low of 39x27.  I could make it but not sure I would want to try it.  And you say you are 5'10" and 225.  Not light.

I think you should reconsider your plan.  Maybe do an ultra ultralight credit card tour with maybe just a big saddle bag for all luggage.  I don't think you have the right equipment or conditioning for a fully loaded tour.  Don't mean to sound too negative.  But be realistic with your abilities and with what you are trying to do.

[cyclesafe]

Russell's advice is sound.  No offense, but 5'10" and 225 lbs does not elicit images of the ultra fitness required to conquer the considerable grades of the Pacific Coast route pulling a BOB with a 39/27 lowest gear combo.  This means that with a cadence of 60 rpm you would have to go nearly 7 mph - just not sustainable.

+1 on the credit card touring option.  

[wroseweir]

Russell,/ cycle safe, thanks for the imput,and your concern and no i dont look like the waife cyclist, (they make me sick 5'10' and 145 pounds after twp double macks) but to put your minds at rest, my running wieght is 220. and clocked a 1hr.40 1/2 marathon, and won every triathalon i entered in my weight division. smiles, clysdale. I am not naive to challenge and will probbally remember your words on the long uphill walks. I was gooing to use moutain bike shoes on the ride and running shoes for the long uphill jogs. Ever wonder how come i was doing it on Litespeed Saber?.I will post my progress on here.

[whittierider]

Maybe do an ultra ultralight credit card tour with maybe just a big saddle bag for all luggage.

Jandd Mountaineering's Mountain Wedge III seat bag has 450 cubic inches.  Since I plan to ride down part of the California coast soon, Monterrey to L.A. (320 miles), in two days in a light credit-card tour, I got one of these, and we made up a list of everything we needed to carry.  It fits, so I just ordered a second one so we each have one.  Seat bags are available with up to three times that much room (kind of like a small duffel bag back there), and I was afraid we might have to get one of these bigger ones.  Our racing bikes have no eyelets to mount racks, and we want to go light and fast anyway.  We stay on the aerobars all day in comfort.  BTW, we both have triples.  He uses his 30T (smallest) ring more than I, even though he climbs nearly 4,000 feet per hour.  I climb about 10% slower but usually use my 42T ring.  We have 12-26 cassettes.

This message was edited by whittierider on 7-15-08 @ 11:30 PM

[wroseweir]

Whitttrideer u ride on  a 26/42 and manage most hills? and carry how much weight , i have had a lot of neagtive feedback about dooing it with a tribike and the gear settings and towing a trailer, i plan to tent camp, and basic breakfast, large lunch and simple dinner? so keep teh weight down to a tent mattress basic pepsi stove, and ligth weigth sleeping bag, wahs clothes daily and buy food often with dried food as a back up, thanks for your input i value it

[whittierider]

Whitttrideer u ride on  a 26/42 and manage most hills? and carry how much weight , i have had a lot of neagtive feedback about...

As I mentioned, our objective is very light credit-card touring.  OTOH, you're talking about camping and therefore carrying a whole lot more stuff.  But suppose you carry 45 more pounds.  That adds less than 25% to the gross weight (including bike and rider); yet on an afternoon century ride a few weeks ago I passed a bike tourist on a short climb who was probably going only 1/3 of my speed in a gear that gave him about the same cadence.  I was out of the saddle in probably a 42/17 gear and he looked like he was in a 24/34.  As someone else said recently (I don't remember if it was on this forum), long-distance riders could benefit a lot from doing some speed work.  I used to think these were incompatible.  Now, 30 years later, I've realized they're not, and I'm having more fun!

Edit:  I should not neglect to say that my lowest gear is 30/26, and, although I seldom use the 30T ring, when I need it, I'm sure glad it's there.  It seems that if you're heading into extreme conditions, it's impossible for your lowest gear to be too low.

This message was edited by whittierider on 7-16-08 @ 9:32 PM