Home » Archives for Tim Mooney » Page 49

Author: Tim Mooney

bike touring with hammocks

The Pedalshift Project 019: Perfectly inflated tires + lounging in ultralight hammocks

We’re gearing up for spring bike touring here at Pedalshift HQ and there are some extra podcasts coming your way to document upcoming trips. Plus followup on some past topics, a nerd-approved tool for perfect tire inflation, plus kicking back in an ultralight hammock on your next bike tour.

psp019Hey it’s the direct download link for episode 019 (mp3)

Reach out to the show via email, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to join the newsletter too.

Who else has some early bike touring overnight stories to share? Send your pics, audio or a quick tweet – all welcome. Email the show pedalshiftproject@gmail.com or call the brand new Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109.

The Journal

Water woes in CA – Last season many of the state parks on the coastal route shut down their water facilities by July. Given that things are worse now, if you’re planning a ride anyplace in CA it’s safe to assume dry parks up and down the coast and throughout the state.

Changeup on my touring schedule: DC-PGH May, Mini-Paris day tours in June, semi-circumnav of Lake Ontario in July, day rides in Tuscany in October. More on the tours.

Shows every day the last week in MayNewsletter subscribers will get info on a special daily Tour Journals pod for my C&O and GAP ride. Subscribe to the newsletter before the ride and you’ll get an email with the scoop on how to listen.

More on the shows.

Article on the GAP and C+O in a recent edition of the NYT  – especially good review for those that are more B+B/hotel users rather than campers.

Another article showcasing the extension one can do up through Western NY then cutting over along Lake Erie westward to Erie, PA.

Gear Talk

Finding the ideal tire inflation based on tire size and load
A huge find by Todd Tillinger from gorgeous Helena, MT – the bike tire pressure calculator.

Another option: iTire Pressure (iOS and Android) – goes a little wider and includes wider tires (like those for offroad rides) but doesn’t have the bonus of figuring inflation based on distributed load.

The end of spoked tires? 

Ultralight hammocks
himal hammock

  • Tried the Hennessey Hammock a couple of seasons ago and it didn’t fit my camping needs on the tours I have been on.
  • I miss the easy portability of a light hammock, so I’m trying out carrying a Himal ultralight hammock on the May tour as an alternative for sleeping or lounging at camps

Connections

Nathan’s ride updates and shoutouts – read his posts.

Fried of the Show (FOTS) Ethan Georgi is a distinct minus one on my regram of a friend’s repurposing of a water bottle bracket to carry Strawberry Mist frosting. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but the more I think Strawberry Mist, the more I think I’m with Ethan…

strawberry mist

Facebook follower Harry Jones is more of a flask guy, and come to think of it so am I… flask plus 1

FOTS The Sprocket Podcast gave a shoutout for last episode’s interview amongst a chorus of frogs.

Andrew of Shoot film, ride steel is doing the Pittsburgh to DC ride in June and sadly I’ll be missing out on a chance to interview him and his fiancee Stephanie due to schedule issues but we hope to schedule a recap later in the month – stay tuned! (PS I referred to Andrew as a filmmaker, but he focuses more on photography FYI!)

Simon Shaw joins the cult of the Novara Safari and writes in asking about kickstands – I use the Greenfield Oversize kickstand. I’m enamored with the click stand. Welcome to the curvy handlebar cult Simon!

FOBPE (friend of bikey podcasts everywhere) Johnny K dug the campfire interview and thinks my orange dry sack could double as an ocean buoy to guide ships! True… now that it’s retired it might be able to serve the maritime community 😉

Bike touring stories return in episode 020 featuring the oddity of life at the last campsite before San Francisco…

Music

The Pedalshift Project theme is America courtesy of Jason Kent off his self-titled solo album. Check out his band Sunfields‘ new release, Habitat, wherever cool music resides. And hey, new video for Ghost!

Featured image (cc) vikapproved on Flickr

Pedalshift 2015 bike tours + podcasts

Looks like a few things are coming into focus for Pedalshift touring this season… I’ll be tackling two main tours this year, one to finally scratch an itch that needs it and the other a brand new adventure:

GAPmileage2

May 2015 – DC to Pittsburgh

My spring tour is “take two” on my abbreviated (some would say disastrous) 2014 attempt to through-bike from Pittsburgh to DC on the C+O Towpath and Great Allegheny Passage. This year, I’m going to try reversing my luck by reversing the route. I’ll be starting in DC and ending in Pittsburgh, taking Amtrak back in the wee hours of the morning. I’m adding an extra day into the mix to allow for more time to soak up the trails and document the trip more for Pedalshift. More on that in a second.

July 2015 – Erie Canal

fairportIf you’ve been listening to the podcast you might notice my New York tour plans have changed a bit. I’m now going to focus on the Erie Canal towpath, a very important piece of my childhood, having grown up a stone’s throw away from it in Fairport, NY. The timing shift is due to the happenstance of my girlfriend having a conference in Batavia, NY for a week in July, which takes care of easy transport to the region. My route’s a bit up in the air… I may head west to the Niagara Falls/Buffalo area, turn around and go back to Rochester to visit family and then turn back west to end the trip in Batavia, or I might just head east and explore the eastern sections a bit before heading back. Details to come on the route as we get closer to July.[footnote]This section has been edited since I made the decision in May 2015 to change focus from a partial Lake Ontario circumnavigation to the Erie Canal route. I intend to tackle the circumnavigation at a later date![/footnote]

Tour Journals Podcasts

tour journalsThe exciting news I want to share is I plan on podcasting these tours even more extensively than my Pacific Coast (aka Border to Border) tour of 2014. I’ll post a short audio journal entry at least once per day.[footnote]I hope to post more than once each day, mobile signal-willing. Of course there will be Twitter. Always Twitter.[/footnote] Rather than flood The Pedalshift Project feed with unusual shows, these will be on a separate Tour Journals feed. To get access to them, all you need to do is sign up for the free newsletter and you’ll get access to the feed and a special page where you can play the shows directly. I’m doing it this way to ensure newsletter subscribers are getting something extra and to ensure the more casual listeners to The Pedalshift Project don’t suddenly find their podcatchers flooded with the shows.

I also want to experiment with the Tour Journals show… taking questions from the road, maybe trying some live events and more. The idea is to take you along for the ride with me.

Other adventures

In addition to these longer tours, I’m going to be doing some day excursions while doing business in Paris (June) and Tuscany (October), plus some smaller overnights along the C+O throughout the touring season. Although not as bikey, I’m also going to be riding Amtrak from DC to Portland in late September, so I might be using that opportunity to document the Amtrak long-haul experience for those that are mixing that into their own bike tours.Amtrak train

I’m truly excited about my 2015 tour plans… I hope yours are shaping up as well. If any of you are including Washington, DC in your plans and would be interested in sharing your trip with the Pedalshift audience like Nathan did in Episode 018, please feel free to reach out and we can see if schedules can work out. I hope to make campfire interviews a regular part of the show going forward.

campfire

The Pedalshift Project 018: A campfire chat on Simple Touring by bike

Listen in on a campfire chat about simple touring by bike on location at Marble Quarry campground on the C+O towpath. Hear the crickets and frogs chirping… the occasional owl hooting… sip on a beverage of your liking (maybe something strong?) from your cup. It’s the closest thing to actually being there.

PSP018
Hey it’s the direct download link for episode 018
 (mp3)

Reach out to the show via email, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to join the newsletter too.

Who else has some early bike touring overnight stories to share? Send your pics, audio or a quick tweet – all welcome. Email the show pedalshiftproject@gmail.com or call the brand new Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109.

The Interview

nathan

Special thanks to Nathan Clevenger from @simpletouring (read his blog) for the ride and the chat by the campfire!

Topics

Images from the Ride

Music

The Pedalshift Project theme is America courtesy of Jason Kent off his self-titled solo album. Check out his band Sunfields‘ new release, Habitat, wherever cool music resides. And hey, new video for Ghost!

The Pedalshift Project 017: Brewing the best bike tour coffee and the right stove for you may be none at all

It’s April and we’re all itching to get out on tour – on this episode of The Pedalshift Project we talk about a quick overnight tour as fodder for episode 018, brewing the best cup of bike tour coffee outside, to stove or not to stove, and much more.

pedalshiftproject017
Hey it’s the direct download link for episode 017
 (mp3)

Reach out to the show via email, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to join the newsletter too.

The Journal

Reminder to share your April overnight stories! All month long we’ll feature Pedalshifters trips big and small. Pics, audio or a quick tweet – all welcome. Email the show pedalshiftproject@gmail.com or call the brand new Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109.

In two weeks we have a special treat – I’ll be tagging along with Nathan Clevenger on Day 1 of his cross-country tour starting outside of DC. We’ll have some sounds from the first day and an interview with Nathan about Simple Touring.

The Lab

Making the best bike tour coffeebike tour coffee pourover

  • Is instant good enough for your needs?
  • Aeropress or pour over?
  • Pre-ground coffee or hand grinder?

The next lock? LITELOK on Kickstarter

  • FOTS MJ wonders if this would stand up to a butane lighter. Unclear if it can withstand a melt/burn option, but this feels like the future to me.

Gear Talk

  • To stove or not to stove?
  • Ultralights, including alcohol stoves
  • Jetboils and other “burly” stoveslit alcohol stove
  • Real talk: do you even need to bring a stove? Arguments for a stove-free tour.

Connections

Five stars!

Very informative and relaxing – by Jrockfbm – Love listening to this podcast, it’s easy to understand and I really like the different portions of the show. 

If you use iTunes and dig the show, ratings like these helps to spread the word… thanks Jrockfbm!

FOTS Ethan Georgi on our bike maintenance topic from episode 016 had a good story about tire blowout

FOTS Johnny K as usual ALL over the comments, but had some smart things to say about coffee on the road and the choices you have to make to bring a stove to make it.

FOTS Scott Morgan once again is the best advocate of the show on Twitter in front of the Bike School crowd. Ditto with Pete from the UK and @CycleTourStore. Thanks again Scott and Pete!

Thanks also to Logan, Boris, Daniel, Meg, Nathan from @simpletouring, and Troy for giving some thumbs ups on Facebook.

And way more on Instagram too… thank you all for your support!

Remember in addition to all of these great ways to connect we can I’d like to start getting more voices on the show now… just call in to Pedalshift’s fancy voicemail at 202-930-1109.

Music

The Pedalshift Project theme is America courtesy of Jason Kent off his self-titled solo album. Check out his band Sunfields‘ new release, Habitat, wherever cool music resides. And hey, new video for Ghost!

Featured image (cc) smcgee on flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/smcgee
bike touring lifestyle

Making the best bike tour coffee

Coffee and biking go hand-in-hand. Coffee and bike touring? For some of us it’s a primary source of fuel. There are a kajillion[footnote]Technical term[/footnote] ways to make coffee while on bike tour, but if you really want to make the best bike tour coffee you, a little planning comes into play.

Not all are snobs

best bike tour coffeeNot everyone needs single origin, shade grown, city roast beans in order to enjoy their brew on bicycle tour. No, some coffee drinkers are happy with Brand X from a can, pre-ground and thrown into a drip maker. Most of us are somewhere in between. The most important starting point for knowing what to pack for your java needs is knowing your own standards. Some people are just going to have to go all out and create a cup that’s similar to one they’d make at home or ask from a barista. Others might find the fussiness more time than they want to spend before rolling. Know who you are and you’ll avoid the wrong end of the spectrum.

Instant coffee: no longer (necessarily) the devil

Many people older than a first-generation Macintosh (I’m looking at you fellow Gen-Xers) think instant coffee and immediately the phrase “flavor crystals” comes to mind, immediately followed by some combination of words like “ugh” and “awful” and “worst ever.” Instant coffee had a bit of a renaissance thanks to Starbucks and the technology they now sell as VIA instant coffee. Is it as good as a properly brewed cup of coffee? No. Is it reasonably close? I’d say yes. The traditional coffee giants have tried to mimic Starbucks VIA’s now familiar skinny packet, but word to the wise… it’s the same old stuff in it. I’ll be honest… on longer tours I choose the VIAs. I know me. I won’t brew a fussy cup of coffee on day 8 of a long tour.

In the quasi-instant category are pre-ground coffees that you dunk in hot water like a tea bag. In my experience I find they have a flavor profile similar to instant, perhaps a notch better. I know some bike tourists live on these. You can also rock some DIY and make your own with your preferred brand of coffee.

Advantages? Speed. Easy preparation.

Disadvantages? Oh wow. Flavor? Easy to pile on here.

Who should choose this? People who want fuss-free coffee on bike tour. People who usually use a Keurig and can’t find a tree to plug their machine into. I kid. Not really.

To grind or not to grind

hario grinderIf you make coffee at home and consider yourself at least medium snobbish, you probably make your coffee from freshly ground whole beans. That grinder may have a blade, or it may have a burr but it probably plugs into a wall and that’s unlikely to fly on bike tour unless you’re riding between hotels and B&Bs. If you’re just saying no to instant, you have two choices in this non-electrified existence… buy ground coffee or get a hand-crank grinder.

There’s nothing purely objectionable to pre-ground coffee to many drinkers out there. Objectively speaking, coffee beans are at their best when freshly ground, so pre-ground coffee is just not as good as coffee that’s been ground within a few minutes of brewing. That said, whole beans take up more space… and there’s that added issue of having to pulverize those beans into a usable format. That takes doing.

My hand grinder of choice is the Hario Slim Grinder. It’s light, small, and simple to use. It has the added benefit of being an adjustable burr grinder.[footnote]Burr grinders are superior to blade grinders because they produce a uniform grind size, which leads to better brewing.[/footnote] It takes several minutes of spinning the handle to produce enough coffee for whatever brewing process you choose, but if you’re a whole bean type… it’s worth it.

Preground advantages? Speedier coffee making; less bulk; easier to find everywhere.

Preground disadvantages? Coffee can go stale quicker; not as good as freshly ground.

Whole bean advantages? Objectively speaking, a better cup of coffee

Whole bean disadvantages? You have to grind it (duh); longer prep time; more bulk[footnote]There are a lot of people who don’t see the prep time as a disadvantage for whole bean coffee – grinding the beans by hand can be almost meditative. Most of these people would sooner drink battery acid than pre-ground coffee though. I have no link or scientific study to prove that, but c’mon… it’s wholly accurate.[/footnote]

Brewing methods

I’m going to highlight two ways to brew your coffee (fresh- or pre-ground). There are others, including french press, funky 1 cup espresso pots[footnote]I used this stovetop espresso maker in law school and I swear it made some of the best coffee… I’m sure it could be easily used on a campstove.[/footnote], and more.

aeropress

Aeropress

The guy who invented the frisbee invented probably the best coffee maker in the history of coffee. No, for real. in addition to being cheap, portable and easy to clean, the Aeropress is practically built for bike touring. You can even store beans in the plunger and save some space. Think of an Aeropress as a french press with more pressure. The coffee is clean and generally on the strong side, depending on the amount of water you press through. I find it tends to cool quickly, so adding some additional boiling water right after pressing can up the temp to your liking as well as knocking down the burly strength of the brew. Or you can be like me and drink it fast and have another.

 

Pour over

pouroverSimple and elegant, the pour over is another great way to make your java on bike tour. There are dozens of light-weight pour over cones, including folding models and silicone versions. You’ll want to be careful with how you pour the water over the cone – some people use special pots to regulate the flow in the kitchen, but on the road that might not be as practical. If you’re a pour-over person, your needs may vary and your gear will change with those needs.

image: (cc) boolean split on Flickr

 

The best bike tour coffee? Personal preference rules.

Aeropress is my preparation style of choice, but all of this revolves around personal preference. I tend to like really darkly roasted coffees… to me there’s a caramel sweetness to a well-brewed french roast bean. To others, that tastes “burnt” and I’m a lunatic for not liking their lightly roasted artisanal pour over. Personal preference rules the day. Get to know yours and you’ll be happier!

One quick note: with any preparation method involving ground coffee you have to deal with the spent grounds. If you’re camping, toss it in a proper bin or pack it out… no tossing them in the bushes declaring “natures compost.” It’s not meant to be there and while it will decompose eventually, it’s good stewardship to leave no trace.

Happy brewing!

 

The Pedalshift Project 016: Spring bicycle maintenance and touring apps

A quick jaunt to Hilton Head, SC… a call for your April overnight stories… trying out some mobile apps for bike touring… and spring bike maintenance recommendations all on this episode of The Pedalshift Project.

pedalshiftproject016Hey it’s the direct download link for episode 016 (mp3)

Reach out to the show via email, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to join the newsletter too.

Followup

Five stars on iTunes!
New To Touring by J.Har

I’m planning my first bike tour for this September. I found TPSP and listened to the entire back log of episodes within a week. It’s both entertaining and informative: exactly what I was looking for. I particularly enjoy episodes that are heavy on touring stories.

If you use iTunes and dig the show, ratings like these helps to spread the word… thanks J. Har!

The Journal

Hilton Head, SC as a bike touring destination

  • IMG_244860 miles of separated bike paths all around and across the island
  • Tons of beach access points
  • Decent bike parking at many businesses
  • Biking is almost certainly faster than driving on the island during peak season’s car traffic.
  • Town of Hilton Head Island bike pathways
  • Downside: no real tent camping opportunities I could find. Bandit camping might be an option, but could be tricky to pull off.

April overnights

A lot of us in North America are thawing out and April is probably the month most of us can get out for the first time. Let’s all do it – the whole month of April I’ll mention everyone who gets out and Tweets, Instagrams, emails or messages the show on FB about their overnight adventure. We have three shows 4/1, 4/15 and 4/29 so get cracking!

The Lab

Trying some iOS apps for the road

Gear Talk

Spring overhaul recommendations

If you haven’t done anything on your touring bike in over a year other than change tubes and do minor adjustments, it’s time to do an overhaul before the season kicks in.
  • Bearings: I let these go too long typically, and ensuring your wheel hubs, bottom bracket and top tube bearings are clean and solid is too important to let go too long. Unless you’re really handy, this is a good LBS chore.
  • Tires: don’t let me blowout story happen to you. Carefully examine your tires for cracks and weaknesses. If they’ve been exposed to a lot of sun, they might degrade quicker than you imagine. I’m a huge fan of Schwalbe tires (no flats on the entire Pacific Coast tour!) but there are other great brands. Spending more on tires is worth it.
  • Cables and pads: if you haven’t changed your cables in a season or more, it might be worth considering. At least make sure you drop a little lubrication in there. Clean those break pads or if you’re on disc brakes, check the alignment.
  • Bike maintenance recommendation chart

Music

The Pedalshift Project theme is America courtesy of Jason Kent off his self-titled solo album. Check out his band Sunfields‘ new release, Habitat, wherever cool music resides. And hey, new video for Ghost!

icy C+O

The Pedalshift Project 015: Gearing for dummies and critter protection

Breaking news in the bike touring world… no really, there was breaking news… learning to protect your food from raccoons and other critters, a brief overview on gearing ratios and how to make your bike more (or less) climby, plus catching up on a backlog of connections with listeners like you!

Hpedalshiftproject015ey it’s the direct download link for episode 015 (mp3)

Reach out to the show via email, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to join the newsletter too.

Followup

Good news for C+O tours for the near future – the NPS will almost assuredly NOT be charging for camping anytime soon FOTS @simpletouring will be happy to hear that! Read more from WABA.

Maybe good news on roll-aboard service on all Amtrak trains? The Lipinski Amendment passed today in the House and would standardize roll-on service for bicycles on rail. Read more from League of American Bicyclists.

The Journal

Updating the Lake Ontario tour
Bell Canada and their 30-day pass for tablets

The Lab

Protecting your food from critters

  • Panniers in tent (fail)
  • Panniers and smell proof bags
  • Use bear boxes at campsites when they’re available!
  • How to elevate your bags “PCT style”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgBLDMuPuvE

Gear Talk

Hope you got a chance to read part 1,  part 2, and part 3 of my favorite touring bikes series. If not, check ’em out!

Use this calculator and compare what you have with a swapped out crankset or cassette. I like using gear inches.
  • The higher the gear inches the “higher” the gear (i.e. the biggest chainring on the smallest cassette gear  means you’re at your fastest, harder to pedal into, for speed on flats gear)
  • The lower the “lower” the gear (i.e. your smallest chainring on the biggest cassette gear is your climbing or granny gear)

Learn more from this very smart math guy:

Connections

The United Nations delegation checks in: Hugo is at cyclelover.net.

FOTS Johnny K – all over the 3 part series on touring bikes

New listener Tony from MD: read Jesse’s CGOAB journal and did the TransAm back in ’91… looking to do the C+O with his family

New listener Eric Iverson: Binge-listening to @pedalshift eps 1-007 while on @Amtrak staring at my @BromptonBicycle wondering where to take it next.

FOTS Scott Morgan liked the 90s era Bill O’Reilly DOING IT LIVE!

FOTS Tony (from NY) shared an article When President’s Day was Bicycle Day from The Atlantic about the commercialization of Pres Day in the States and how that meant bikes back in the day rather than autos today.

Music

The Pedalshift Project theme is America courtesy of Jason Kent off his self-titled solo album. Check out his band Sunfields‘ new release, Habitat, wherever cool music resides. And hey, new video for Ghost!

marin mod touring bike at C+O

My favorite touring bicycles, part 3: A touring bicycle hack

So you want to get into bicycle touring but don’t have a “touring bicycle?” Fret not. Yeah, sure, it’s the most important gear you have on bike tour. But you don’t need something branded as a touring bike to go on a tour. Trust me. When I first started out, the only bike I had was a Marin mountain bike… with front suspension. I added a few things to it and it worked fine. In my series on my three favorite touring bikes we looked at my current personal ride, the Novara Safari, in part one. In part two, we ogled the arguably most popular touring bike on the road, the Surly Long Haul Trucker.[footnote]And the reviews keep coming… check out Part 4 on the Dahon Vitesse D7HG[/footnote] Now, let’s talk about my third favorite touring bicycle – the do-it-yourselfer touring bicycle hack you put together with a bike you already own.

You’ve got a bike: transform it with touring bicycle hack magic

How often do people delay things until they have the perfect set of gear? I can think of a lot of things I’ve held off on in life thinking I wasn’t prepared or didn’t have the right gear or experience only to realize taking the leap early is often far preferable than waiting for the alleged perfect moment. This is why I think people new to bike touring should just use the bike they already own to take the leap and get out there.touring bicycle hack

Can I hack it?

When you’re going out on a traditional bike tour, the name of the game is hauling gear. I’ve seen some people strap a backpack on with their gear, hop on a bike and roll. That might be your best option, but as anyone who’s done that can probably attest, it’s sub-optimal. Let’s try to have the bike haul the gear for you instead.

Add a rear rack

rear rackMy old Marin mountain bike had the brazons that let me attach a simple, inexpensive rear rack. You don’t need anything fancy, but make sure the rack is attached well and has a reasonable weight rating. If you’re considering one of those clip-on rear racks (the kind that attach to your seat post alone) I’d recommend against that. They don’t hold enough weight unless you’re going ultralight. A decent $20 rack should do the trick, and hey… you might even have one in the garage lying about anyways!

Don’t have brazons to attach the rack directly to the frame? You can use P-clamps (check out this bikecommuters.com post on them) or (sometimes) hose clamps. Both of these are the secret tool for many a touring bicycle hack. The latter can scratch the hell out of your paint job, so be mindful of that.

Waterproof bags

old marin mod touring bikeYou don’t necessarily need fancy Ortlieb panniers (although they are nice). If you have a waterproof duffel, throw that on the rack and bungee it down. If you don’t have a waterproof bag, use whatever pack you have and throw it in a heavy duty garbage bag before you cinch it on the rack. Sure it won’t win any appearance awards, but we’re just going for function. Form can come later.

 

 

 

 

Bar ends

touring bicycle hack
Check out the bar ends on the old Marin.

If you have a flat barred bike (again, like my old Marin) a pair of bar ends are super helpful and a cheap mod to give you at least one alternative hand position. They come in all sorts of sizes and shaped (here’s just one example) and they’re often less than 20 bucks for a set. Play around with the alignment as you ride around. If you’re new to bike touring, trust me… this will be a great investment to avoid numb hands in the last hour of your first 50 miler!

Downside?

Some bikes just don’t tour well. If your bike is a big box store mountain bike or hybrid with plastic components, it might not stand up well to the rigors of a tour. That said, I’ve run into people on those bikes who’ve ridden hundreds of miles without a problem. Your mileage, as they say, may vary.

Heal strike can be a problem once you upgrade to rear panniers on your rack. You can shift them back as far as the rack allows, but you’ll find when riding a bike designed for touring that the extra length prevents that. For me, that was the big motivator to get the Novara Safari.

There may be other downsides specific to the bike you’re planning to transform with touring bicycle hack magic . My Marin had front suspension, which is really great for mountain biking, but a lousy feature when touring. The play in the front makes getting out of the saddle on a climb a little shaky. Stability on touring bikes (especially when loaded) is pretty important.

Bottom line

Don’t let having the “wrong” bike stop you. You don’t need to invest in a touring bike right away – you can spend a few bucks and modify what you already have and get that brand new touring bicycle hack out on the roads and trails. Refine your bike and your gear as you learn what feels right for you!

Want more?

There’s a whole series on my favorite touring bikes that I already mentioned, but you might also be interested in listening to The Pedalshift Project bike touring podcast. If you’re really into bike touring (new or not!) consider signing up for the free Pedalshift monthly newsletter for even more bike touring goodness.

GAP bridge

The Pedalshift Project 014: Epic bike tours and muddy slogs

On this episode we crack open The Journal to travel along with Brock and Adele on their 2012 bike tour from Oregon to Colorado, test out a couple of field microphones for proper bike touring podcast recording in The Lab, and enjoy the newest Pedalshift bike touring story about a muddy slog called It’s All Downhill From Here

psp014

Hey it’s the direct download link for episode 014 (mp3)

Reach out to the show via email, Facebook, Twitter or even Instagram. Yeah, I’m calling you out again Instagram. Don’t forget to join the newsletter too.

Hope you got a chance to read part 2 of my favorite touring bikes series on the Surly Long Haul Trucker. If not, check it out!

The Journal

Brock and Adele
Brock and Adele’s 2012 epic bike tour of the west is the featured journal this show. You met Brock Dittus on Pedalshift Project #002, and for the love of all that’s good and right in the world please listen to Brock’s work on the equally epic The Sprocket Podcast. Now go for a long virtual ride with Brock and his wife Adele up some steep hills in the summer heat… Start with my favorite, Tolstoy gets the axe.

 

 

The Lab

It’s a very meta edition of The Lab where we’re testing out two microphones. The first is an iPhone boom mic (no longer available… hmmm) and the second is the venerable veteran of Pedalshift field recording, the stock iPhone earbud mic. Which microphone shall reign supreme? Yeah, wasn’t even close…

Bike Touring Story

It’s All Downhill From Here..

zip tie fix

Music

The Pedalshift Project theme is America courtesy of Jason Kent off his self-titled solo album. Check out his band Sunfields‘ new release, Habitat, wherever cool music resides. And hey, new video for Ghost!

surlysunset

My favorite touring bicycles, part 2: the Surly Long Haul Trucker

Behold your touring bicycle. Probably the most important thing you have on bike tour. Hell, it’s in the very name. Tents, cooking gear, toolkits, panniers and other things certainly make life easier on the road, but it’s the bike that gets the glory. When I was looking to upgrade from my heavily modified (non-touring) bike[footnote]for the record, a Marin mountain bike… with front suspension. Not recommended once you decide to make the leap, by the way.[/footnote] to something more built for the road, I spent weeks analyzing, hand-wringing and studying feature lists. In my series on my three favorite touring bikes we tackled my personal ride, the Novara Safari, in part one. This time, it’s arguably the most popular touring bike on the road… the Surly Long Haul Trucker.[footnote]I’ll lump in the Surly Disc Trucker in on this discussion as well… the main difference being rim vs. disc brakes. Demi-celebrity versions include Aaron of The Sprocket Podcast‘s Red Hare Among Horses.[/footnote]

Great specs + customizable

 

The Surly LHT is probably the standard when it comes to touring bicycle specs. Probably best of all, you can purchase the frame solo and build the bike from that beautiful steel up. For those that want a truly custom build without tossing “stock” parts aside, the LHT is a great way to go.

surly-long-haul-trucker

Favorite features

The first thing you notice with the Surly LHT is how damn solid it is. Most touring bikes of note are steel framed, but the build on virtually every Trucker you run into (and you run into a LOT of them on the road) is sublime.

But don’t take the ubiquity of Long Haul Truckers or their disc-bearing cousins as if you’ll run into a lot of similar looking ones. The fact they are so customizable and tend to be built to meet individual riding needs and preferences means you rarely run into a twin.

Downside?

It’s hard to find much about the Surly LHT to criticize. Ultimately, it’s pretty pricey. Is it the most expensive touring bike out there? No way, not by a longshot. But a typical build will be at least $1200 and often more if you go with the Disc Trucker variety. The more expensive your taste in tires and saddles, the higher the price climbs. Worth it? Yeah. Necessary? It depends.

Bottom line

I dig the Long Haul Trucker. It’s in many ways the ultimate touring bike, and I know a TON of people who ride and swear by them. My good buddy MJ really swears by his and has ridden many, many glorious miles on that bike.

Next time… part 3: Whatever the hell bike you have access to. Seriously. That’s part 3.

Want more?

There’s a whole series on my favorite touring bikes that I already mentioned, but you might also be interested in listening to The Pedalshift Project bike touring podcast. If you’re really into bike touring (new or not!) consider signing up for the free Pedalshift monthly newsletter for even more bike touring goodness.