Bikeguide.org - Bike maintenance for BMX'ers
The Street => The Bike Shop => Topic started by: Rusty on November 11, 2016, 02:42:14 PM
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need some good touring gear for my fairdale as I'd like to get into the whole bike packing thing. Northern California has some amazing wildlife and I'm finding my bike to be great for climbing and long distance. Maybe some of your can chime in on the gear you use, packing methods, supply lists, etc. I know it's a bit trendy judging but it's a whole lot cheaper than the whole VW van life bandwagon.
Anyways I really was needing good front rack advice. I have been looking at the Soma Porteur Deluxe rack. Pretty sure it is compatible. Would like something without fences and a big platform. Seems like a good "right in the middle" rack. Not flimsy and weak and not some handcrafted over built accessory.
http://www.somafab.com/archives/product/porteur-rack-stainless-steel
Also been looking into Jandd since I have one of their saddle backs which is quite nice. This seems like it may fit my fairdale a little better style wise but I think I'll like a bigger platform from the Soma.
http://www.jandd.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=FREXT
As far as the whole camping thing, I've never done it before let alone on a bike. I've been doing a lot of reading online into what different people do but I still wanna hear anything I can. Was gonna buy a small heat source to use a pot or skillet and bring small things like coffee, snacks(protein/carbs), dehydrated meals (trader joes has some good stuff that's shelf stable), and some thing sweet. I've read it's a good idea to eat but it seems like cheating. There are a lot of campsites around me but I'm curious if people lock their bikes when they nod off and keep the bags/gear close( this will probably be my course of action ). Could use a nice tent recommendation. Obviously something that packs away small and is affordable. I'll be honest I'm probably gonna go get a book on camping because I feel a bit in over my head since I've never been camping but I'm very excited to plan trips for this spring.
Chime in here guys!
Thanks
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Sounds awesome. I can't offer any advice on gear but I suggest you take a couple of overnight camping trips close to home at first. It'll give you a rough idea of what stuff you definitely want to bring and what you can do without and also what it's like to ride a loaded bike. Water purification tablets are a good idea especially if you're gonna be in remote locations. I wouldn't consider dehydrated meals cheating.
As for loading the bike, try to load heavier items on the front rack. This helps with bike handling and stability. A mountain descent on a rear-heavy bike is gonna be sketchy. Consider a frame bag. Use the rear rack or saddle bag for bulky but lightweight items such as a sleeping bag or tent. Bring condoms.
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Get a hammock instead of a tent. You can get a rain fly for them too. If you're going to campgrounds, I doubt water purification should be anything to worry about. A jet boil is nice for dehydrated foods. You could probably do better if you're only doing a couple of days. Usually you can buy a cord of firewood for ~$10 at state campgrounds.
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Sounds awesome. I can't offer any advice on gear but I suggest you take a couple of overnight camping trips close to home at first. It'll give you a rough idea of what stuff you definitely want to bring and what you can do without and also what it's like to ride a loaded bike. Water purification tablets are a good idea especially if you're gonna be in remote locations. I wouldn't consider dehydrated meals cheating.
As for loading the bike, try to load heavier items on the front rack. This helps with bike handling and stability. A mountain descent on a rear-heavy bike is gonna be sketchy. Consider a frame bag. Use the rear rack or saddle bag for bulky but lightweight items such as a sleeping bag or tent. Bring condoms.
So just so I have a check list accurate a front rack + panniers is more than enough for overnight or more camping trip? Really all I'm trying to accomplish starting out. I know I'll need a rear rack but I'm on a budget and big bike stuff is expensive! The local has a nice Jandd frame bag that I've been super tempted to buy but its orange... Would prefer black but I'm sure they'd order me one.
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Get a hammock instead of a tent. You can get a rain fly for them too. If you're going to campgrounds, I doubt water purification should be anything to worry about. A jet boil is nice for dehydrated foods. You could probably do better if you're only doing a couple of days. Usually you can buy a cord of firewood for ~$10 at state campgrounds.
Got any good experience with any campsites in the bay? I gonna be starting out doing overnighters fairly local so I'd probably be picking up a gallon in town before making camp. I was looking into the half moon bay campsite since it's close and I love the beach.
Eventually I hope to gain the knowledge of survivalism to travel further distance......
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Sounds awesome. I can't offer any advice on gear but I suggest you take a couple of overnight camping trips close to home at first. It'll give you a rough idea of what stuff you definitely want to bring and what you can do without and also what it's like to ride a loaded bike. Water purification tablets are a good idea especially if you're gonna be in remote locations. I wouldn't consider dehydrated meals cheating.
As for loading the bike, try to load heavier items on the front rack. This helps with bike handling and stability. A mountain descent on a rear-heavy bike is gonna be sketchy. Consider a frame bag. Use the rear rack or saddle bag for bulky but lightweight items such as a sleeping bag or tent. Bring condoms.
So just so I have a check list accurate a front rack + panniers is more than enough for overnight or more camping trip? Really all I'm trying to accomplish starting out. I know I'll need a rear rack but I'm on a budget and big bike stuff is expensive! The local has a nice Jandd frame bag that I've been super tempted to buy but its orange... Would prefer black but I'm sure they'd order me one.
Yeah front rack and panniers should be enough for overnight trips. If you're on a budget don't worry too much about it. Just get what you can afford and strap anything else to your bike anyway you can (ie sleeping bag to handlebars, etc), it's supposed to be an adventure after all.
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Santa Cruz can yield some good times I suppose Big Basin Redwoods would be a dope place to ride through.
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Rusty,
I know and have ridden with Shayne, he does this type of riding all the time:
https://vimeo.com/133488408
https://www.blackburndesign.com/out-there/pacific-coast/shayne-khajehnoori/
pm me a number to reach you at and i will give you Shaynes and you can talk to him...
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My advise is, load as much as possible on the front of the bike. Ideally you want a low trail bike, but any bike will do. I personally run the Surly front rack with a Wald basket attached to the top. This allows easy access to a lot of the stuff i need during the ride, and or quick stops.. Below that 2 panniers with gear. I also run a medium frame bag, which allows me to run two bottles in the triangle, along with a 3rd bottle on the underside of the DT. I also use a big backpacking saddle bag. This is my personal setup and it works quite well for me.
I carry a tarp with me, not a tent, its more useful, lighter and easier to pack. I also bring a bivy sack, which is used almost every night. No need for a tent IMO. The tarp comes out if the weather is shit, so i have a place to chill, cook, drink, whatever. Then slip in the bivy and call it a night.
Best to check out http://www.bikepacking.com/
http://www.bikepacking.net/forum/index.php
Also, if your a DIY type, check out RayWay. I use his tarp and quilt, they rule!
http://www.rayjardine.com/index.shtml
Here is my setup from a few years ago on the California coast tour.
(https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5342/16619692433_227078755b_b.jpg)
Used a hammock this time, along with a tarp.
(https://c6.staticflickr.com/8/7644/17239335061_15327ccb84_b.jpg)
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thank you all for your input on this. Definitely getting more motivated by the day. I'm digging the tarp idea since a tent is a bit bulky. Mignt still invest in a small tent just so my first local overnighters are simple. Video was really inspiring as well!
I think I'm gonna buy the soma deluxe rack since it's got the wide surface with pannier support. Half moon bay, south of San Fransisco has a campground by the beach that seems very obtainable as my first overnighters on the bike.
Anyone have good literature recommendations on camping basics?
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high heels and a bag full of innertubes
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high heels and a bag full of innertubes
party time
Also, I watched that video with the guy with the recorder in the woods. Man, that guy has some balls. Playing a recorder is like saying "Please kill me" and being in the woods while doing it is like saying "You'll get away with it".
This stuff looks like fun but I can't get past the super hubard fashion statement of the bikes. It reminds me too much of those guys with half arsed beards wearing dorky boots and massive backpacks with clanking pots, pans and bottled water to essentially get drunk and stay in cheap accommodation in Europe. The fuck do you need to carry all that shit for?
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Get a decent 30ish degree sleeping bag.
A foam sleeping pad (the air ones always get leaks).
Hammock and straps.
A bivy sack.
Get a basket and put yer food in it and then strap your camping stuff on top or to the basket.
Oh, and if you can't make it on a fire you're cooking food that's too fancy.
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Not going to lie seeing builds on Instagram definitely keeps me motivated and inspired to build a rad and practical ride. But I don't understand some of these bikes I see they seem like major overkill. Can't grow a beard worth noting and I definitely can't afford all these designer brand racks and bags so I'm trying to just stick to gear tailored to overnights outside town.
Like I said in my op I don't have much camping experience but I obviously want to be able to have a safe and comfy night out in nature with my bike. Just installed a fairdale rear rack and I am still debating on what front rack I'd like to go with. Seems like I'm gonna go with a Jandd front rack since they're on sale on their website. Gotta look into some good front panniers and I think I may steal a milk crate from work to retrofit into a basket.
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I ran Old Man Mountain racks front and rear on my Surly LHT with Ortlieb panniers and then strapped a load of shit ontop of them. Bring a small bag of extra nuts and bolts that mount your rack to the frame. Weigh nothing and saved my ass in Sardinia when they shook loose and fell out.
For cooking I have a Coleman 533 Sportster stove. Runs on unleaded petrol which I could find anywhere and is way cheaper than buying butane canisters. Dried food isnt cheating. You'll be thankful of meals that require no prep after a long day in the saddle. Bring some dried pasta or something that you can cook anywhere and that wont go off in the bottom of your bag. I ate a lot of bread and cheese and cured meats so having a stove isnt essential unless you're in remote places but it was a godsend when I arrived in France on a Saturday night not knowing everywhere was closed a Sunday.
Try carrying more water than you think you need. Nothing worse than running out in the middle of nowhere. You can also drink a surprising amount of beer throughout the day in between water bottle refills and not get too drunk. I would shotgun a beer before every decent hillclimb haha.
Sleeping outside is easy. I brought a tent (MSR Hubba Hubba) and a sleeping bag (Polerstuff Napsack). Used the tent alot when the weather was shit but it really depends on your climate. Once the weather got warm id just sleep on a sleeping mat in a bush or something. (bring a lightweight waterproof bivvy bag)
Rule of thumb is a 1 man tent is too small for yourself and your gear. 2 man tent is perfect. (I was fully loaded though. Never did lightweight touring).
Try setting up camp when its starting to get dark and be gone early in the morning. Early starts wont be a problem because you're gonna be so excited to get back on the road and explore.
I'd take my panniers off and bring them into the tent with me and lay the bike down outside. Clip my helmet onto the seat rails and close tent door with the shell of the helmet in the tent and the strap going through a gap in the zipper. If someone moved the bike the helmet would snag on the door and shake the tent, awakening me.
Never had any problems though.
Didn't bring a lock but I avoided big cities and rarely left the bike out of view. Kept all my valuables/documents in a handlebar bag that id unclip and bring with me everywhere. My loaded bike was heavy as fuck so id lock both brakes on and shift it into high gear when parking it in an attempt to hinder anyones attempted getaway.
Heres a few tips:
1:Bring condoms
2:Don't plan too much. Its an adventure. My plan was to go south. My map was a compass.
3:If using panniers, pack your valuable/fragile/food stuff on the driveside of your bike. Get used to lying your bike down on the non drive side. This includes resting it against a wall or something. Reduces the chances of damaging expensive gear/driveline/squashed bananas. Sometimes you have to drop the bike in a hurry to run into the woods and shit or something.
4: BRING TOILET PAPER AND REMEMBER EXACTLY WHERE IT IS. Prevents you from having to use your socks. (Ask me how I know).
5: Suitable clothing. Merino wool is fantastic. Doesn't absorb smells too much and easy to wash and dry. Dont be like me and wear cotton tshirts. You start to fucking stink after a while.
6: Try to snack constantly. Cycling a bike laden with gear burns alot of calories especially in the heat. Eat whatever the fuck you want too.
7: Look after your bike. I didnt bring chain oil and had to lube my driveline with olive oil when I was hundreds of miles from the nearest bikeshop and it started to grind.
8: Portable battery chargers. Bring one. Nothing worse than a dead phone battery when you want to take a photo or google where the closest supermarket is.
9: McDonalds is your friend. Good coffee and free wifi/electrical outlets.
10: You will have shitty days where you're miserable and want nothing more than to go home. Never make a rash decision like this on a long trip. Sleep on it and you're almost guaranteed to feel better in the morning. Cycling 100+ km a day is no easy feat. No one can do this day in day out and feel great 100% of the time but waking up in a new place each morning is an amazing and unforgettable experience. You're gonna love it.
Heres my rig when it was mostly new and shiny
http://imgur.com/a/qMUhz
Like I said in my op I don't have much camping experience but I obviously want to be able to have a safe and comfy night out in nature with my bike.
I had never even setup my tent before I left. Once you spend a few nights outside the worry will go away and it can be very relaxing even sleeping on the ground without a tent. I slept in a alot of weird and wonderful places, under an overturned fishing boat, in an abandoned house half consumed by volcanic rock at the base of Mt Etna, on the beach, under bridges, next to motorways, old castles, graveyards just to name a few.
If you have any more questions don't be afraid to ask.
(also get Tinder. Girls are super interested in a guy thats traveling the world on a bike. Try to bang some chicks in every state or something. I managed 5 out of 7 countries/islands. Awaiting your result.
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I don't have any personal experience with touring, but I do love some Bunyan Velo Magazine- http://bunyanvelo.com/
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Anyone here riden Alaska to Argentina? I think that's my next tour.
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Thanks for all those great tips Hugh! I am slowly getting my gear in order and plan to have a trip going by spring.
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You might want to look into using saddle/frame/handlebar bags in place of racks. Here's a good article http://www.bikepacking.com/plan/guide-to-bikepacking-bags/
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You might want to look into using saddle/frame/handlebar bags in place of racks. Here's a good article http://www.bikepacking.com/plan/guide-to-bikepacking-bags/
I plan to get a frame bag since I'm getting the Jandd front rack that is more or less a glorified rear rack but i figure it with be a good pair with my fairdale rear rack for the light journeys I'll be embarking on. Handlebar bag might be a smart addition though.
Any tips on planning camp reservations? How to plan weather, choosing non busy times throughout the year, etc.
Thank you again for the advice!
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Plan them when you want them. Look at historic weather.
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You can always make your own frame bag if you're handy with a sewing machine. I used a blackburn frame bag on my most recent tour (on long rides, I just use it to hold a hydration bladder) and I'm planning on building my own pack for my next trip this coming summer. My surly front rack is super strong. It's style does look a little clunky, but a large wald basket up front and panniers cover up the ugly real well.
I live in Santa Cruz and made a round trip to Yosemite and back over the summer. Definitely overpacked and could still fit everything into my two large arkel panniers and the wald basket I have lashed to the top of my rack. I brought a bivy even though my hennesy hammock has been screaming for use over the past few years. I think parks are starting to come down on hammock use, so it'd make sense to call ahead to be sure that you can wrap the things around trees. Then again, you can renegade camp anywhere out of sight/site so if you're counting on making do where ever you end up, a hammock could still work.
I spent a lot of time on pavement and think that you might want to consider finding some gravel roads worth riding around. One of my friends pulled a weekend 50 miler in Arroyo Seco over the summer, so that's an idea. Anyways, just keep it in mind. The largest tires that you can fit in your frame should be more than enough to deal with gravel roads / light xc mountain biking. I think those fairdales max out at 45mm or 50mm? Marin has some bikepacking trails/options worth googling. I'm planning on tandem camping with my lady out there once the rainy season comes to an end. Del Valle has camping in livermore that I've ridden to. It has some relatively serious elevation gain to go over in the last three miles, but the downhill after the climb is worth it. I've also ridden and camped at Joseph Grant in san jose / alum rock area. It also has some climbing on the way in. JG doesn't have a lake like Del Valle, so I'd rank that public campspot lower. New Brighton state beach in santa cruz always has some bicycle camping spots open, so you could always use that as a longer trip over the 17 if you want some more mileage without really going out of the way for destinations.
I can't remember which or what, but either state parks or national parks will always have bicycle-in/hike-in camping available and will not turn you away. It'd be worth calling whatever park you're looking for and ask about bicycle-in spots.
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Wow thank you so much for all the local advice. Those all sound like some great and obtainable rides. I like the idea of renegade for when I get good but I think for someone who is new to camping I will still to legal campsites.
Tent will probably be my go to since it seems more fitting for me. Have yet to purchase that and my sleeping items as they'll be last after I get my bike retrofitted. Just placed my order for the Jandd Tall Boy front rack from my lbs. Excited to get that thing on, it's got a narrow platform but plenty of room for panniers which I will be using up front. Definitely gonna get a Wald at some point to bolt to it. Gotta look into some bigger tire options for sure but I won't be able to go much bigger than what I'm at.
What sort of repair items did you bring? Obviously tools for flat fixes, but did you get spare cable or any parts handy?
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Spare spokes and chain links for sure.
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definitely thought about links gotta go get some of those
Along with trying to get the accessory components of the bike ready I also would like to switch some of the stock parts out. Was thinking I'd start with seat post and stem as a priority followed by the cranks then work my way to the wheel set. Gonna go for some Thompson components because bikeguide....the last thing I want is to have bike faliure.
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Bring spare tubes as well as a patch kit. I would swap the tube out on the side of the road and patch the old tube later when you get to camp.
Bring spare nuts and bolts for your rack, chain oil, wrenches/allen keys/bike tools. I did bring a spare rear derailleur but it depends on your route.
Thomson stuff is pimp. I had their seatpost and stem.
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been loosely researching 650b wheel info online and I'm curious on your guys thoughts. I am in love with my fairdales geo but I would love some bigger tire options.
conversions involving disk breaks just mean changing out rims/spokes, or more?
Thanks
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Hugh.'s suggestion on spares is spot on. Small rack related bolts and things are nice to have just in case. I've actually had one of my racks loosen and drop a bolt during some riding (all my bad for not tightening) and had to run off course to grab some spare bolts from a bike shop as a result. An extra cable might be nice too as they're super light and you can probably string them up anywhere.
I did the 650b conversion thing with my Trek 520. I have some 2" Schwalbe Big Bens in there and was only able to fit around 40mm tires on my 700c wheels. There are some pretty good deals on discarded stock wheelsets at places randombikeparts if you use googlefu well enough. It's nice to have both the 700c and 650b wheels available, but I haven't actually switched back to the 700c because the bigger tires feel pretty nice and I use my touring bike for nighttime cross-country and fireroad stuffs after work. I used the wider tires on my tour and never had an issue. If you're just buying new rims, you'll need new spokes to match but that's about it.
Low tire pressures feel awesome. However, 40MM to 50mmish isn't that huge of a change so make sure you keep your expectations in check. I only question whether or not my switch was worth it because now I'm building up a road/dirt tourer and ditching this setup to play with 27.5+ tires and those wheels where the reason I couldn't get the, "make them bigger" talk out of my head. That being said, riding what you have, or just doing small upgrades, is the best way to feel out what exactly you want/need so buying separate wheels wasn't exactly a waste (for me) because they still saw plenty of miles.
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again, thanks for the proper advice!
So is it just a matter of getting some rims and tires and relacing my hubs? Kind of like what you're saying about having both sets at hand but for what it's worth I think I'd rather have the clearance than anything else. Kind of ride my big bike like its my BMX....
I think before I do anything to the wheels, besides a good service sooner than later, I need to replace core components. Since I got my front rack I've lightly loaded it a few times and the flex is pretty bad. Not sure if it's mostly the alloy stock stem, the fact that the Archer bars I have are uncut and fairly wide, or both. Either way I plan to maybe cut a half inch off each side and upgrade to a shorter Thomson stem, and hopefully a matching post if time/money is right.
Let's talk drive trains. I'm not too savvy with road gear & brands but I don't need anything crazy. I know sram gear is nice....?
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one month later...
what sort of rack do you have? my surly nice rack is steel and doesn't flex "that" much, but with bags and basket loaded, it sure as hell feels as though it does. I think it's mostly the bags, but could imagine the rack swaying a slight amount. who knows. in any case, it usually takes me around fifteen minutes to get used to it and then it feels fine.
sram gear is deece. you might have to change out your shifters to get whatever new drivetrain stuff figured out. if you're using friction shifters and aren't snagging a new hub to fit more gears, chances are you'll be able to shift fine in friction mode. if you have more/less gears, then your indexing will be off so friction mode will be the default. In any case, I know more about mountain drivetrains than road. the shimano mountain 11 speed fits on normal mountain cassette hubs, whereas sram stuff does not. also, there is different pull ratios on some of sram's stuff and 11 speed shimano road things, so that's worth noting. If you're on the fairdale archer, then you probably don't use friction anyway so most the stuff above is moot.
if you're thinking about switching to a double/triple ring up front, then you miiiiight need to switch out your cranks. also, front derailleurs are super simple so you don't need to bounce on really expensive ones.
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Let's talk drive trains. I'm not too savvy with road gear & brands but I don't need anything crazy. I know sram gear is nice....?
My needs may differ to yours of course but this is how im set up. I plan to do super long tours in the future.
I chose a lower tier MTB groupset simply due to ease of use and cost of replacing it. Anything over shimano 105 in the road section is overkill imho.
Shimano deore xt rear derailleur and steel chainrings and cassette. Shimano Sora front derailleur. Shimano LX hubs. Cranks are some random mismatched mtb triples.
My mindset is I don't need the best, lightest parts when i've 40kg of stuff strapped to my steel framed bike. I like my setup to be compatable with parts I can find in a tiny bikeshop in the backend of Africa. I want to be able to replace my whole drivetrain for less than €200. I want it to be heavy duty and dependable, and when something goes wrong I want to be able to fix it with some string and a screwdriver until I find a place I can replace it for €20.
Don't be afraid to buy into the lower Shimano groupsets like Sora. Touring is hard on a bike and youre gonna wear stuff out quicker. Shimano stuff is simple to work on too. I regreased and serviced my hubs with basic tools on a train station platform and it took 25 minutes. I don't think I could of done that had I ran Chriskings or something just as fancy.
I prefer the 'old reliable Jeep' rather than the 'full loaded Porsche Cayenne'.