Advice for long distance tourning

On Aug 27, 6:19*pm, "Tom $herman (-_-)" ""twshermanREMOVE\"@THI
$southslope.net" wrote:
On 8/27/2012 7:52 PM, Jay Beattie wrote:

The only times I've been stopped for a substantial period of time due
to mechanical problems was (1) when I broke a pedal, (2) when I broke
a seat clamp bolt. *In both cases I had to go foraging for
replacements. *BTW, I got the clamp bolts from a guy at a tiny resort
by a lake in the high Sierra (from his outboard motor spare parts).

I would think a Jubilee clip or two around the seat post would work as a
temporary fix for a broken seat clamp bolt.

Or you could use a little bit of muriatic acid and corrode the post in
place. *Unless it is a CFRP post, in which case glue it in place.

Not the frame bolt but the saddle clamp bolt -- on an old Avocet
post. The saddle clamp broke while climbing up Carson Pass, but there
was no injury . . . no crash . . . just a lot of out of the saddle
climbing. I broke the pedal on the Oregon coast and woke up a bike
shop owner who had the misfortune of living over his little shop near
Coos Bay.

-- Jay Beattie.

On 8/27/2012 10:02 PM, Jay Beattie wrote:
On Aug 27, 6:19�pm, "Tom $herman (-_-)" ""twshermanREMOVE\"@THI
$southslope.net" wrote:
On 8/27/2012 7:52 PM, Jay Beattie wrote:

The only times I've been stopped for a substantial period of time due
to mechanical problems was (1) when I broke a pedal, (2) when I broke
a seat clamp bolt. �In both cases I had to go foraging for
replacements. �BTW, I got the clamp bolts from a guy at a tiny resort
by a lake in the high Sierra (from his outboard motor spare parts).

I would think a Jubilee clip or two around the seat post would work as a
temporary fix for a broken seat clamp bolt.

Or you could use a little bit of muriatic acid and corrode the post in
place. �Unless it is a CFRP post, in which case glue it in place.

Not the frame bolt but the saddle clamp bolt -- on an old Avocet
post. The saddle clamp broke while climbing up Carson Pass, but there
was no injury . . . no crash . . . just a lot of out of the saddle
climbing. I broke the pedal on the Oregon coast and woke up a bike
shop owner who had the misfortune of living over his little shop near
Coos Bay.

There is a guy (or at least used to be) in the Rock Island area who
commuted on a mountain bike without a saddle. He must have liked to
stand and pedal a lot.

--
Tºm Shermªn - 42.435731°N, 83.985007°W
Post Free or Die!

On Aug 27, 3:37*pm, wrote:
I am in my sixties and am planning a pretty intensive self-supported bike tour over varied terrain, averaging 100+ miles per day for two weeks. *I would appreciate any advice from people with experience of this kind of tour as to equipment choices, essential spares and tools to carry (beyond the standard puncture-repair kit and tyre levers) and how best to prepare physically. *I ride a lot, but have never had to deal with the stress of consecutive high mileage days and wonder what is the most efficient way to work up to that. *All words of wisdom are welcome except to tell me I'm crazy - I already know that.

Also, and this may be perhaps not totally appropriate for this forum, I would like to use the ride to try to raise money for charity by getting commercial sponsors, personal donations etc., and again would appreciate advice as to the best ways to go about this.

That's a lotta daily mileage, even for a supported ride and hotel
camping. And even for a young guy with support and credit card
accommodations (including clean sheets after a good long hot shower,
applying to sleep and recovery).

(stating the obvious) Take care of your butt and your hands. Well-
padded gloves and comfy chamois, with changes available to a different
style (or "cut") wouldn't be a bad idea.

I've only done a few tours, but they were fun. One thing, I always had
problems sleeping (there it is again) the first night or maybe two.
One time, I secretly stashed (and hid) a 6-pack of beer in my panniers
(which was quite a good trick) and we three in the party each sipped a
couple after dinner at the campfire, had a subsequent good/long whiz
and slept very well.
"Where did you get that beer????" was the question of the moment, when
I hauled one out and popped the top. "Out of my baggage! You want
one?". Ho ho ho, a lot like being Santa Claus.
Very much worth lugging said liquid up the pass or passes of the day.
--D-y

On 8/27/2012 10:53 PM, wrote:
(stating the obvious) Take care of your butt and your hands. Well-
padded gloves and comfy chamois, with changes available to a different
style (or "cut") wouldn't be a bad idea.

Or Nigel could just get 'bent.

--
Tºm Shermªn - 42.435731°N, 83.985007°W
Post Free or Die!

On Aug 27, 9:37*pm, wrote:
I am in my sixties and am planning a pretty intensive self-supported bike tour over varied terrain, averaging 100+ miles per day for two weeks. *I would appreciate any advice from people with experience of this kind of tour as to equipment choices, essential spares and tools to carry (beyond the standard puncture-repair kit and tyre levers) and how best to prepare physically. *I ride a lot, but have never had to deal with the stress of consecutive high mileage days and wonder what is the most efficient way to work up to that. *All words of wisdom are welcome except to tell me I'm crazy - I already know that.

Castor oil for your chain and to rub on your legs. Get wised up on
the importance of fat and greens in nutrition. Always have fruit to
hand should you get into trouble. Eat little meat to stay out of
trouble.
You should know your bike and whether tyres and brake blocks are
likely to last, but other than a couple of spare inner-tubes, a
puncture repair kit and some oil, the bike itself should be fine if it
is well-maintained. Where you may come unstuck through lack of
familiarity is with with luggage. For fast touring it is generally
reckoned that panniers should be on low racks on the front. I've used
a top loaded rack without difficulty, but that may be because I have a
relatively long torso with at least reasonable upper body
stability.
Wheel stability is important for loaded touring and assuming you are
riding a road bike (thinking of the miles) then the classic 36 spoke
cross 3 front and rear wheels with a minimum 25mm wide rims (with
15swg or 14swg spokes) are the choice. The wheels should probably be
fitted with at least 28mm section tyres, more if this tour is going to
include much off-road sections.. The bike frame will have to
accomodate YOUR choice of tyre and you will need to accustom yourself
to riding appropriate terrain to check your choice before the big one.
Although a bike with the luggage mounted high is easier to ride, it's
more of a PIA when stopping, moving off, parking up and pushing around
when on foot. It's easir to control when on foot with the weight over
the front wheel. If you are camping in woodland, be aware that low
mounted luggage (panniers) will tend to drag on undergrowth. Thorn-
resistant tyres are generally worthwhile here, but will tax you on the
road.
I repeat that the biggest hurdle will likely be that of identifying
appropriate food as you do not allow recuperation time typiclly needed
on an inferior diet.

Also, and this may be perhaps not totally appropriate for this forum, I would like to use the ride to try to raise money for charity by getting commercial sponsors, personal donations etc., and again would appreciate advice as to the best ways to go about this.

Thanks to all responders,

Nigel Grinter

On 8/28/2012 5:46 AM, thirty-six wrote:
Although a bike with the luggage mounted high is easier to ride, it's
more of a PIA when stopping, moving off, parking up and pushing around
when on foot. It's easir to control when on foot with the weight over
the front wheel.[...]

I can hardly see this being an issue - how top and overall heavy can a
push bike get? Even 150 pounds of luggage on a 50-pound bicycle is less
than one-third of what I am used to dealing with.

--
Tºm Shermªn - 42.435731°N, 83.985007°W
Post Free or Die!

On Aug 28, 12:30*pm, "Tom $herman (-_-)" ""twshermanREMOVE\"@THI
$southslope.net" wrote:
On 8/28/2012 5:46 AM, thirty-six wrote:

Although a bike with the luggage mounted high is easier to ride, it's
more of a PIA when stopping, moving off, parking up and pushing around
when on foot. *It's easir to control when on foot with the weight over
the front wheel.[...]

I can hardly see this being an issue - how top and overall heavy can a
push bike get? *Even 150 pounds of luggage on a 50-pound bicycle is less
than one-third of what I am used to dealing with.


Check the relative stiffness of a bicycle tyre to a regular motorcycle
tyre. The standard road tyre on a motorcycle is stiff for security in
handling, particularly with wide steering movements ffrequently used
at walking pace. The greater steering movements to effect a lean are
a requirement due to the large section tyre. The forced turn that
bicycle-racers should be using and is much help in controlling a long
wheelbase touring bike with large section tyres, particularly when
heavily loaded are key in maintaining accuracy. Soft tyres though may
still present difficulty when moving slowly over rough ground.

SEE SPECIALIZED FOR A HARD GEL SADDLE WITH COOLING HOLE.

a first tour should go thru AAA cpuntry with a mild climate, good shoulders, good camping, motels, food, scenery, bike shops..NO EPIC TOURING...

CALIFORNIA COAST...but only where there's a bike shoulder...around Big Sur - Santa Cruz or Key West - Miami (where bug sprays are a negative - uneeda 3M mask...which is excellent touring equippe...one with a brethout flap...several inside sandwhich bags..

there was a San Fransisco touring bike dealer...

on the road I see LONG HAUL TRUCKERs as the dominant frame with ORTlIEB ORTLIEB ORTLIEB....THE Euro's favor the Dutch make with an Asian name...Waterford's and Gordon's are rare.

On Euros...in driving the coast highway, I've passed then been passed by then passed then passed by as I was into photography, short hikes

several Euro touring groups and they fly.

Interviewing tourers, there is a high percentage not getting enough O2 to the brain. They're overextended.

I can tour at 66 but do not for lack of overall time. However, for comparisons, I am not Cat 1 nor domI climb well. Several riders here are Cat riders.
But my life experience is generally physical as construction, hiking, jogging with a heart rate around 120 and no more for extended physicsl activity. I can run a mile without any aftereffect and ride 75M till but soreness...which is/was my training ceiling...due to day/night timeing. My transfer from aerobic to anaerobic, or warm up to go was a few minutes.

If your body can do that then go.

Bicycle Magazine, back issues and index at the library, is an excellent source of training advice for touring expectations.

Its rough out there. Despite overextended physical systems, ongoing, succesful riders I meet are in the hang glider/white water/mtn climber class of Homo Sapiens.

Coming across a touring recumbent is extremely rare...most are caught a few miles from the asylum.

On Monday, August 27, 2012 3:11:09 PM UTC-7, datakoll wrote:
http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=kw%...ced&dblist=638



if you train 50 miles 3 times a week you ride 50 miles...



if you train 75 miles, you'll ride 75...



I will tend to agree with the above - especially for day-in-and-day-out. I've never toured, but do commute ~60 miles a day round trip. I find that I can handle the miles pretty easily once I'm used to it - sometimes it gets to be a draining grind; other times I get to work pumped and just want to keep riding. (I am usually pumped when I get home - sometimes drained - but don't want to keep riding by then.) But I have found that when taking a longer route than what I'm accustomed to, I can sometimes start to feel tired as soon as the extra miles pile on.

I'm in pretty good condition (for someone about a decade shy of 60), but basically conditioned for what I do (that's the definition of "conditioned", right?). I always figure I could probably handle high-mileage randonneuring, since all I'd have to do is ride bike without a friggin' 8-hour work day on top of it, but there's only one way to find out.

snip

Dano...

have you read of the training regime done for a Co0ntinental Challenge ? The account is is Rodale's Road Bicycling book...I'd need check for the correct title.
Incroyable.

I've done 60 milers but ona smooth flat highway, wide bike lane, and word processing/thinking all day not physical work.

The Rodale account is either on line or I posted it into RBT several years ago. Andrew Muzi would know of it...

Clothing izza big deal. The ASKER should inquire, learn layering at a mid level cost. Dayglo 90% poly/10% cotton work well in moderate temps with occasional rain nshowers.

T's are best found at AZ, NM TX, LA and south cop shops. The best are gray poly of a coarse weave. Cool at 90 with cycling breeeze.

Campmor has the best prices. Campmor.com eg prob a breathable jacket for n50$