Hermit's WoodshedI have finally completed the series of pages about sizing for a touring bike. The first one is here. This is always a controversial topic and usually engenders the longest threads on most forum sites, and so it’s sure to ruffle some feathers but that should be entertaining. If you have comments or specific questions please reply to this post or leave a response on any of the specific pages or email me.
Even though I’m a fan of steel bikes, it’s mostly because of the durability of the material. I certainly like the ride quality too, but I think the idea that steel is a more plush or forgiving ride because it flexes or dampens is hogwash. The idea has almost become gospel now just because it’s been repeated so many times. Don’t get me wrong, I know my steel bike frames flex…. I can hear my fender and/or brake and/or front derailleur rub from time to time if they are a little out of whack and I am pressing hard on the pedals. But that is torsional flex.
It’s the idea of vertical flex of a bicycle frame I have a hard time envisioning.
Imagine the arrows to be balancing the downward force of the rider and the bike.
A site about all things bike touring, a term that can mean a number of different things. Is overnight bicycle camping touring? Does riding out to the state park for a picnic qualify as a tour? We think the answer is yes. Stay and look around – Shop, get inspired and maybe learn something new too!
Yesterday I decided I needed an attitude adjustment. So I went for a 2 1/2 hour bike ride. And it worked! Riding even a short distance can change the thought patterns in the brain. It was about 42 degrees F. when I left and about 39 when I returned. Other than the toes I was quite comfortable for the whole ride. In fact when climbing the hill to my turnaround point, I ended up shedding my jacket.
Unless there is snow on the roads, it’s possible to ride all year round. Some people ride when the roads are snow covered, but a fall on the ice happens too fast and I don’t think it’s worth it.
I came across this YouTube channel the other day. Dave is bike touring across the US and documenting it in videos. It’s pretty cool, especially if you have been to some of the same places he travels through.
He’s traveling from west to east on Adventure Cycling’s Southern Tier route with a Bob trailer hooked onto his bike. If you’re thinking about following all or parts of the same route, might want to check it out, because he points out some of the tricky intersections, talks about traffic, and about where he stays and eats. His YouTube channel is called ThreeWheelJourney. He was nice enough to link to my site and my YouTube channel too.
I thought this video journal was highly entertaining, a nice twist on the photo journal. I am going to try to figure out a way for people to share their stories here. Since I’m a rookie at this WordPress thing, any suggestions about how to do that are welcome!
Arguably, fenders are one of the essential accessories for the touring bicycle. Even in Death Valley, one of the driest places in the world, it does rain. And I say arguably, because, as you can see on this Adventure Cycling forum, people argue. When riding offroad in wet conditions, mud packing between the tires and fenders can bring the bike to a standstill pretty quickly. Aside from that, when it does rain or there is water on the road, without fenders you will be soaked in short order with spray from the front wheel on your feet and spray from the rear wheel on the back of the legs. Besides being uncomfortable, on a cool day it could add to the possibility of becoming hypothermic.
In a previous post I talked about one way to get your bike and gear to the start of your tour. This post will talk about another way to pack your bike, this time to take it on the plane. I helped a customer pack her bike for a trip to England, using the Pika Packworks soft sided bag. The packing of the bike went smoothly. There is minimal disassembly of the bike required…..removing the pedals, seat and seatpost, and the handlebars and rear derailleur. But there is no disconnecting of cables so the shifting and brakes don’t need to be readjusted before riding the bike. Here is a video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGhhxdAPyL8
The size of this case allows it to be checked as luggage and the weight should be less than the 50 pound limit, even with some other items included in with the bike. If you are worried about the soft case and the protection it offers to the bike, you can always wrap more protection material around the frame tubes and add a brace made out of pvc pipe between the dropouts of the frame and fork.
I’ve decided to insert a post to update my previous posts about touring bicycles. From the previous posts in might appear that the choices for bikes with which one can travel is limited to pretty traditional designs. This is far from the case as evidenced by this journal at crazyguyonabike. A mountain bike with an Xtracycle attachment obviously is a viable way to carry gear for self supported touring.
So, even though I have my opinions and preferences, it is not to say that there are no other good options for touring bikes.
Now back to our regularly scheduled program!
Inevitably, if you are traveling by bicycle, you will get caught in the dark. Whether you are just getting an early start to meet the day’s mileage goal, or you get lost looking for that camp site. Either way you will wish you had a reliable, efficient and powerful light source. One on the front to light the way and one on the rear for safety.
There are three options for power sources for your headlights. And they each have pros and cons.
Option one: Lights powered by disposable batteries.
This is literally where the rubber meets the road. It’s sort of a boring topic but tire problems could end a bicycle tour quicker than almost anything I can think of. And a flat tire is probably the most likely mechanical repair a traveling bicycler will need to master. Luckily, there are many very good options when it comes to bicycle touring tires.
There is a wealth of information stamped on the side of a bicycle tire. Here you will see the size of the tire. For example 700 X 32 for a 700c diameter tire or 26 X 1.75 for a 26 inch diameter tire. The second number, after the “X”, is an indication of the width of the inflated tire. Depending on your bike, you may either have 26 inch wheels or 700c wheels ( there are other sizes of wheels, such as 650b or 27 inch, but those are not as common)
You will want to carry one or two extra tires with you depending on how far it is between bike shops on your route. So make sure you know what size your bike takes. Most tires come in a “folding” version, which means the bead, or the part of the tire that hooks on the rim, is made of flexible material and the tire can be folded or rolled into a small package.
The width of your tires will affect rolling resistance, comfort and durability.
It may be counter-intuitive but for a given inflation pressure a wider tire will have lower rolling resistance than a narrower tire. And lower inflation pressure, to a point, means a silkier ride because of the greater air volume acting as a cushion.
A wider tire with more air volume will also help protect against pinch flats- the pinching of the inner tube between the tire and the wheel rim when hitting a sharp bump.
Tires with a smooth tread, even no tread, will work best for rides which will be mostly on paved surfaces. Bike tires behave differently than automobile tires and grooves in the tread of a bike tire do nothing to increase grip. In fact, the more rubber actually touching the road, the better. The tire maker Schwalbe explains this better than I can. If you’re riding off-road or on un-paved roads a knobby tread pattern is more important.
Look for tires made specifically for touring or urban riding. These tires will have layers of puncture resistant materials such as Kevlar or Aramid under the tread. Usually the casing of these tires will be strong enough to handle the extra weight and loads of a touring bicycle. Sometimes the rubber tread itself will be significantly thicker than the tread on a racing or training tire.
I have used the Panaracer brand T-Serv tire for my tours the last two years and I have been very happy with the performance. These are not super burly tires but I am not heavy and I travel relatively light. The tread wears very well on these tires and the Aramid belt works well to prevent punctures. The cord used in the casing is strong, but the tire is still supple and feels smooth to ride.
Schwalbe Marathon is a line of tires which includes tires made for bike touring. Everything from tires for light touring to tires made for the extreme expedition adventure.
Don’t scrimp when it comes to buying tires. You will have enough things to worry about and enough challenges to keep you busy on your tour.