BEST ADVICE EVER

[sprocketman]

Just before my first tour, my father told me to put a small wheel in the front, and a large wheel in the back. This way I am always going downhill. What is your best tip??

[whittierider]

That's about like saying you should cut out all the trailing spokes because they just slow you down.

[Macbeth]

 Well, a friend of mine that used to live in the Australian state of Queensland once told me to never stay overnight in the town of Mossman. I stopped there for a leak, and realised why.... Most aggression filled atmosphere of anywhere I have ever been.

 Tips like that keep your bike from getting stolen, or worse.

 P.S. If you come to Australia, don't stop in Mossman Qld

[Tandem4Rider]

Advice?  Hmmm...  I feel the parallels to being a high school teacher uncanny.

1) Keep a good sense of humor about you.
2) Take nothing personally - annoying kids or flat tires at inopportune moments.
3) The worst days do end.
4) There is always hope that tomorrow will be better.
5) The worst 8 hours on a bike has always been better than my best hour at work.  (As related to teaching, the worst day of teaching has always been better than my best days in the previous career).
6) Enjoy it all - the good, bad, frustrating, and otherwise - life is too short to get your knickers all wadded up over details.

[lonerider]

If south of the equator always head south because the gravity will pull you towards the south poll, if north of the equator always head north for the same reason.

Use tent stakes and t-shirts as temporary rigging as sails when traveling in crosswinds.

[rvklassen]

Well, in the same vein, the late great Sheldon Brown has a number of great tips, including his chain cleaning method:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/chainclean.html

Power wheels:

http://sheldonbrown.com/power-wheel.html

and the Geomagnetic Booster http://sheldonbrown.com/geomag.html   

[litespeed]

I've met a few people with trailers while touring. They have all lamented that they were hauling too much stuff - that it was too easy to just throw stuff into the BOB. This taught me that limiting my cargo capacity is the best way to avoid carrying extraneous stuff.

[sprocketman]

Hi litespeed,

You hit it right on the head. We have become a nation of stuff. Too much stuff. Most people just don't realize how much they don't need. I toured last June - July (1500 miles, 24 days) with two rear panniers. That was it. I had just what I needed and I camped a good deal of the time. I met two guys on the Atlantic Coast route who were loaded down. Huge tents, air matresses, big clunky SLR cameras, and so on. They had handlebar bags, seat post bags, front panniers, rear panniers, and stuff tied down. All for a 10 day trip. One of the guys says to me, How do you get by with two bags?" I replied, "How do you get by with all that stuff?"

[tpejoe]

One summer 20 years ago, I was riding north from Carolina to Massachusetts and had 3 great days along Hatteras followed by several grim days through Virginia, when a flat, wind and rain and other annoyances was getting me down.

I was stopped at a 7-11 and a young stoner guy started talking to me about the trip, both the good and bad. He empathized, and then he said something that has stuck with me ever since.

He said, "Yeah dude, I guess if you are going to ride the bike, you gotta ride the bike."

That has been my biking mantra ever since.

[commuter]

You can never be lost if it doesn't matter where you are.

[popeyespal]

+100   

You can never be lost if it doesn't matter where you are.

[tonythomson]

While touring in the far east had a letter from my Gran, her neighbour also in his 80's advised me to put talcum powder inside my tubes.  I told her I had - GB Gran.  Seems it was an old trick when tubes used to be somewhat porous. 

Another useless tip go east to West so thaat the world turns under your wheel.  Wonder why this doesn't work? 

[10speed]

Another useless tip go east to West so that the world turns under your wheel.  Wonder why this doesn't work? 

using that method, I hopped in place for 24 hours and saw the entire world with no travel expenses. highly recommended.

[rvklassen]

While touring in the far east had a letter from my Gran, her neighbour also in his 80's advised me to put talcum powder inside my tubes.  I told her I had - GB Gran.  Seems it was an old trick when tubes used to be somewhat porous. 

This one is actually close to one that is a good idea.  Coat the outside of a spare tube with talc, and store the result in an old sock (or the toe portion thereof), and put that package inside your under-saddle tool bag.  If you're fortunate enough not to need it for a long time, the tools won't wear the tube down, and it's easier to get into the tire with the talc for lubrication.

[tonythomson]

This one is actually close to one that is a good idea.  Coat the outside of a spare tube with talc, and store the result in an old sock (or the toe portion thereof), and put that package inside your under-saddle tool bag.  If you're fortunate enough not to need it for a long time, the tools won't wear the tube down, and it's easier to get into the tire with the talc for lubrication.
[/quote]

You know what I might just give this a shot as using puncture resistant tyres the tubes tend to stay folded for long period.  There you Gran your tip came in handy after all