This episode we talk about bike touring music. It’s such a personal thing, music… but we thought we’d take the time to chat about musical tastes, its role in our bike tours, and then build a cool Spotify playlist for your next tour, or to inspire you to build a new one for yourself.
This special mega-sized pod features our friends from the Land of Sunshine and Bunnies™️, Brock Dittus and Aaron Flores of The Sprocket Podcast.
Have some bike touring or overnight stories to share? Send your pics, audio or a quick tweet – all welcome. Email the show at pedalshiftproject@gmail.com or call the lightly-used Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109.
Yes, we still have a new logo. Nobody’s mentioned anything, which worries me. But then again, I’m 90% sure nobody reads this part of the shownotes so there’s that.
The Interview
Be sure to listen to The Sprocket Podcast 286 for part one of our hijinks. Then, come back fed and hydrated because this is a long one. Since this show is of unusual length, here’s the chapter breakdown:
00:00:10 Intro
00:06:21 Brock’s musical preferences
00:14:52 Aaron’s musical preferences
00:24:35 Tim’s music preferences
00:42:44 How we use music with bike touring
00:45:21 Do you like Metal?
00:51:38 Building the Pedalshift/Sprocket Podcast Playlist
00:52:05 Songs for first thing in the morning
00:56:36 Songs for long stretches
01:02:29 Songs for climbs
01:06:20 Sidebar: earbuds or no?
01:10:15 Songs for bombing down hills
01:17:53 Songs for transitioning home
01:21:26 Wildcards!
01:29:33 Thanks Brock and Aaron!
01:30:19 Closing
Bike touring music playlist
Check out the list embedded in the show notes, or if you’re a Spotify user look for Pedalshift Sprocket Project.
The usual music
The Pedalshift Project theme is America courtesy of Jason Kent off his self-titled solo album. Check out his band Sunfields‘ album, Habitat, wherever cool music resides. I heard Jason’s new album in January and it is AWESOME. More info when that drops this spring!
Are you planning on flying with your touring bike this year? We tackle some tips and tricks on the best way to do that, plus a funky (and very, very simple) hack to get an Ortlieb pannier onto a Brompton. It’s gear-a-palooza and much more on this episode of The Pedalshift Project.
Have some bike touring or overnight stories to share? Send your pics, audio or a quick tweet – all welcome. Email the show at pedalshiftproject@gmail.com or call the lightly-used Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109.
Yes, we have a new logo. Like it?
Pedalshift Tour Journals
They’re coming back as a part of the Pedalshift Bike Touring Society, a new project for helping to support the show! if you’re a newsletter subscriber you just got Pedalshift Tour Journals volume 4, the transit-aided folding bike tour from DC to Boston this week. Missed out? Stay tuned… details are coming soon. Sign up for the newsletter to be the first to know… or wait til episode 044 coming March 3rd!
A con-man named “Ian” who [Bike Portland] exposed for the first time back in 2012 is still at it. And while I don’t support the way he supports himself, I have to admit I’m envious of his lifestyle.
To get you up to speed, we too were initially duped by Ian when we published a story about someone who came to his aid after meeting him in central Oregon in May of 2012. After our story went up, a stream of comments came pouring in from other people who’d met him. They all shared different stories about his supposed hardships and bad-luck and how he just needed a little extra money and a ride to get back on his feet. Readers shared stories about being duped by him as far back as the 1990s and he’s probably been doing this for much longer that that (prior to the ubiquity of the Internet, how would anyone connect the dots!?).
I want Ian reports… Pedalshifters, if you run into this guy I’m dying to do a tour story on him. He’s practically a legend now.
FINALLY. No longer need to do a 20 mile detour. Downside is you have to take the lane on a 45 mph road, but it’s better than having to call a taxi like the signs tell you to do. Curious if this will be something Climate Ride and other organized tours will take advantage of?
Aged between 18 and 25 at the planned outset of the journey,
Planning to begin traveling this year (2016),
Planning to travel in parts of the world with which you are not familiar,
Planning to travel for at least 6 months,
Expecting to travel alone for the majority of the journey,
Intending to make full use of the equipment and mentorship provided by the Janapar Grant,
Free of contractual or other obligations to other companies or organisations in terms of the journey you are planning.
Gear Talk
Ortlieb pannier hack
April tour on my Brompton requires a new touring setup. I hacked a Brompton bag frame to hold an Ortlieb pannier on the front of my bike. Check out the post with tons of pictures and info on how I did it (spoiler alert… thriftyness, cowardice and zip ties… in that order):
I’m a fan, buuut… It’s not. The. Same. At all. But on a 12 degree day, it was nice to get a ride in. Even the dog doesn’t bark at it and he barks at *everything*. He barks at salad spinners. True story.
Down 6.3 pounds since February 1st and it feels really great. I should hit my goal weight before the April tour and can undo all the caloric damage the holidays did. Ok, I did.
Flying with your touring bike
Mark from Hampton, VA writes in!
Here are some newbie questions for self-supported bike touring. I have driven to all of the past week long tours I have done.
Can you explain in detail about flying with your Safari?
a. Do you ship your bike ahead to a bike shop or for the boxed bike as oversized baggage?
b. If you do bring it on the plane, do you unbox and ride away from the airport or take a taxi, bus, BART type train?
c. Do you pay extra luggage fees for multiple panniers?
I’m looking for more nuts and bolts stuff on how to do this. Specifically I’m looking to flying into SeaTac and getting to Vancouver (either bus or train) to start riding south on the ACA Pacific coast ride. Thanks!
I’ve moved my bike in a variety of ways: UPS, private shipping company, flying and Amtrak Express shipping. If cost is no object, I prefer having the bike travel with me. If not, I found Amtrak Express to be good but with some downsides that may be dealbreakers for some.
When flying, I’ve used a bike box and a special bike bag. In those instances I’ve usually gotten a ride from the airport, but I did ride from PDX once after landing and in SF I’ve taken BART. Now when touring with a Brompton, I’ll definitely be riding.
For other luggage, I try to combine everything into one bag if possible. Get the biggest duffel bag you can get that conforms to airline size limits and stuff your panniers, helmet and everything else in there. Watch the weight limit – 50 lbs adds up quickly!. I also use a rack bag that often becomes a carry-on. I fill that up as much as possible, remembering to keep liquids and other things in the duffel. I usually can get it so I’m checking one bag (the duffel) the bike if I’m flying with it and that’s it. Depending on the airline, the duffel is free (if underweight) and the bike is the only surcharge.
Lots of moving parts, but people do it every day!
Connections
We can haz more five stars!
Another angel gets her wings thanks to Seattle’s Greatest CPA… ever.[footnote]Possibly true, but my criteria for evaluation being limited to a favorable iTunes review means all of you should question my methodology.[/footnote]
Music
The Pedalshift Project theme is America courtesy of Jason Kent off his self-titled solo album. Check out his band Sunfields‘ album, Habitat, wherever cool music resides. I heard Jason’s new album in January and it is AWESOME. More info when that drops this spring!
As a relatively new owner of a very new Brompton, I’m learning how adaptable it is for bike touring. The thing that’s taken a while to sink in is the nature of the bike means I have to do things very, very differently. Having spent the money on the bike, I’m trying to avoid getting gear that “only works” with the Brompton. I have plenty of good touring gear, especially my beloved Ortlieb classic backrollers. While I could easily purchase an expensive bag for the front bag block, I decided to see if I could find a way to use what I had and avoid the extra cost. This lead me on the quest for a Brompton Ortlieb pannier hack .
The basics
On the front of the Brompton, if one so chooses, is a Brompton bag block. Many accessories fit onto this block, from bags to baskets and more. It’s sturdily built and can handle officially or unofficially about 22lbs or 10kg. That’s plenty of carrying capacity for an Ortlieb backroller. The only trick is they aren’t designed to fit on the block… like at all. Sure Ortlieb makes a bag that does… several, in fact. But as I mentioned earlier, I’m looking to use what I have. The good news is Ortlieb sells a bare bag rack so you can fit a bag of your choosing on the front block. The trick is… it’s shape is nowhere near the right size for the backroller. It’s too short and too wide for the way it needs to mount. For it to work, you’ve got to get a hackin…
It’s been done before… the hard way
I’m hardly the first person to come up with the idea. No, far smarter people have found a way to hack a Brompton bag frame to fit an Ortlieb pannier on the front block. I found this insanely clever guy from Mali and his solution. The only thing was it took patience, skills, tools and… well, you get the picture. The end result is amazing and well-crafted. Clearly something beyond what I wanted to do. Also, I was nervous about the process… he essentially drilled apart a perfectly good looking Brompton bag frame, and I was fairly sure I would just destroy mine, making the $30ish purchase a giant flush of decent money. No, I needed a better (if less beautiful) way.
The simple solution for my Brompton Ortlieb pannier hack
Drumroll… ten zip ties. Rather than tear the bag frame apart and get into rivets, I instead chose to use zipties to secure the frame to the rear hardware of the Ortlieb backroller. It worked like a charm. Why the overkill with ten ties? I’m under no illusion (or delusion) that zip ties are a proper load bearing device. However ten of them? I figure the tension distributed across that many gives me plenty of leeway and redundancy to survive a typical tour. Would I trust this on a six month expedition? Not without replacing some zip ties. but I think this thing is road ready. I’ll carry a bunch of spare zip ties to be safe though.
Lots of zip ties to distribute the tension and the weight.
Rear view
Front view, attached
Top view, attached
Side view, front bag
With so many parts of the world shivering through winter’s icy grip, isn’t it nice to warm up to some offseason bicycle tour planning? On this episode of The Pedalshift Project we chat about some touring news, updates on my spring California coast tour and trying to keep weight off in the winter months to prepare for bike tours to come!
Have some bike touring or overnight stories to share? Send your pics, audio or a quick tweet – all welcome. Email the show at pedalshiftproject@gmail.com or call the lightly-used Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109.
Show news
Pedalshift Tour Journals are going to be re-released very soon! I’ve been looking for a way to get support to offset the costs of running Pedalshift and decided that I wanted to give something extra for anyone willing to toss in a few bucks. Volumes 1-4 will be available for purchase later in February and I recorded new intros for all 4 that you can listen to over on the PSTJ pages. I definitely swear in one of them.
Special bonus… because newsletter subscribers are the OGs of Pedalshift supporters I’m going to be including Volume 4 in the February newsletter. If you want in on that, make sure you sign up before Valentine’s Day because the Presidential edition of the Pedalshift Newsletter drops on President’s Day, the 15th with that plus your usual bonus pod for the month.
The Journal
Car free in DC this May
17 miles of DC streets are going to be car free on 5/22! First ever DC Bike Ride… should be amazing (and sadly I have a weekend trip to NC already planned so no go for me!)
C+O Bikes in Hancock, no more?
Just found out that Dennis Hudson has sold C&O Bicycle to a Hancock businessman. It is not clear weather the new owner will continue to offer sales and services; and the operation of the bunk house is in doubt also. The shop is scheduled to reopen in April of 2016 so we’ll see then what changes have been made.
Update: Rumors are circulating that there will be no bicycle mechanic on duty, no parts & accessory sales and the bunk house will be used for lawn tractor storage. My take is that the new owners really don’t know anything about the bicycle industry and just bought the store for the “space”; will make a token effort to keep the “bike shop” going but will call it quits in 2017 because “it’s not making money”…
This is terrible news. Dennis was the king of the trail. It’s been the best shop between DC and Cumberland.
Bicycle tour planning for spring
California coast this April! Pacifica to I don’t know in late April. I have a flight booked out of LAX and zero chance of getting there by all bike so this one is going to be a play it by ear ride. Definitely hitting HMB, Santa Cruz, Big Sur, SLO and then maybe some of the central coast near Santa Barbara before figuring out the best fast forward to LA to finish up. Should be fun and it looks like special touring guest MJ will be along for the ride. Looking forward to it!
4 days enough to through-ride the C+O/GAP?
It’s totally possible to do 85 miles per day, but could suck if it’s not your idea of fun. Hell, it’s possible to do the whole trail in one day (not for me, but it’s been done!). Join me on nerding out with this bicycle tour planning:
If I had 4 days when I was a first timer, I’d have done all C&O or all GAP.
4 days on the C&O averages 46 miles per day which means you can enjoy the time, take a dip in the river if you want, and even have time in some of the towns to explore.
4 days on the GAP is perhaps a little too much for riding every day, but you could stay two nights in Ohiopyle or somewhere else scenic and enjoy being outside.
Amtrak fast forward options westbound (assumes a pickup or car rental in PGH at end of day 4.)
Alt 1
Day 1: DC to Harpers Ferry. Leave early enough and you can ride 60 miles, cross the Potomac bridge and grab the 5:16pm train westbound. Go two stops to Cumberland and stay at the Y’s campground in town ($10) or ride back 4 miles on the C&O to the free Evitts Creek campground.
Day 2-4 Ride the GAP to Pittsburgh in 3 days.
Easier because the mileage is flexible after day 1. DC to Harpers Ferry is a very typical first day. Downside is getting a loaded bike up the staircase to cross the bridge, but people do it every day.
Alt 2
Day 1: DC to HF
Day 2: HF to the Hancock area
Day 3: Hancock to Cumberland — grab the 7:17pm train and go to Connellsville. Camp at the free adirondack shelters at the western edge of town right on the trail (behind the grocery store… very well placed!)
Day 4: Ride 65 miles to Pittsburgh
A little more aggressive but gets you more exposure to the C&O plus a night at one of my favorite free campsites on the GAP.
Alt 3
Days 1-3: Ride the C&O
Day 4: Do a day trip on the GAP up to the eastern continental divide (about 25 miles) and then bomb down the hill again back to Cumberland. Get picked up there or take the 7:17pm train to Pittsburgh (pick up at 11:48 pm).
Gives you all the C&O plus some amazing views on the GAP with a rewarding downhill return to Cumberland. There’s also a train option to take you up the hill, but I recommend riding it. The end time in PGH is late.
Alt 4
Days 1-3: C&O
Day 4: GAP to Rockwood
Day 5: GAP to Connelsville, take 9:47pm train to PGH, pickup at 11:48pm.
Squeezing out a 5th day if you have a really helpful and understanding partner who also can handle that late PGH pickup!
The Lab
Miles per gallon.. of olive oil!
David Merfeld on FB: Last week I saw a courier with a bag saying something like “55 miles per burrito”. That got me thinking about what our “miles per gallon” actually are. So, here goes. Olive oil is 8.8 calories per gram, and is also 911 grams per liter. Since there are 3.79 liters per gallon, what works out to 30,384 calories per gallon of olive oil. Using rough numbers from various web sites, I found that a cyclist riding 11 mph needs 379 calories per hour, or 34.45 calories per mile. Divide that into 30,384 and, and you get 882 miles per gallon. Sorry, I’m a CPA, this is just the kind of thing we do.
Revisiting weight loss
Using Lose It, an app to keep track of my calories in the off season. As I’m typically accustomed to, I gain weight when I bike less and particularly when I go more than a few months since a real tour. This is becoming a part of my winter bicycle tour planning and prep that I’d prefer not to have to do, but it’s helpful for those hills come spring! Check out my past posts on this:
The Pedalshift Project theme is America courtesy of Jason Kent off his self-titled solo album. Check out his band Sunfields‘ album, Habitat, wherever cool music resides. I just heard Jason’s new album and it is AWESOME. More info when that drops this spring!
A chat about our bike touring lessons learned with Mysterious James. MJ returns for the “bourbon soaked” after hours dance party (most of those things were not a part of the podcast) where we chat about our bike touring lessons and experiences. If you missed part 1, go check that out… Mysterious James and I started bike touring together, but he’s taken it to a whole new level with trips to the remote corners of western Canada, Alaska, the Great Divide, South America and more.
Have some bike touring or overnight stories to share? Send your pics, audio or a quick tweet – all welcome. Email the show at pedalshiftproject@gmail.com or call the lightly-used Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109.
The Interview: MJ and bike touring lessons learned
Mysterious James on one of our first tours in Oregon
The Pedalshift Project theme is America courtesy of Jason Kent off his self-titled solo album. Check out his band Sunfields‘ album, Habitat, wherever cool music resides. I just heard Jason’s new album and it is AWESOME. More info when that drops this spring!
Do podcasts get middle aged? Well we’re 40. Know what else is turning 40 this year? Bikecentennial… arguably the origin of modern bicycle touring. We’ll touch on one of the things going on to celebrate the milestone, dig in on some 2016 tour plans and hit the backlog of gear talk and connections from before the holidays.
Have some bike touring or overnight stories to share? Send your pics, audio or a quick tweet – all welcome. Email the show at pedalshiftproject@gmail.com or call the lightly-used Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109.
A section of plastic soda bottle, cut to a size extending 1.5″ outside of the bulge, with sanded edges (using patch kit sand paper or pavement), duct taped to the inside of the tire, can often provide a permanent solution to damaged casing on a tire wider than 1.5″. Narrower tires can be fixed similarly, but the lump is felt.
I find this comforting, because in the U.S., it’s pretty easy to find discarded soda bottles on the side of the road or at least in garbage cans.
Connections
New listener Mark VanRaam
UK Listener Perce aka Steve Brett
Listener Dave Rutter AKA HammerHiker
And even more 5 star reviews:
Music
The Pedalshift Project theme is America courtesy of Jason Kent off his self-titled solo album. Check out his band Sunfields‘ album, Habitat, wherever cool music resides. I just heard Jason’s new album and it is AWESOME. More info when that drops this spring!
Happy 2016! We kick off the year talking about global bike touring with the one and only Mysterious James in the first of a two parter. James and I started bike touring together, but he’s taken it to a whole new level with trips to the remote corners of western Canada, Alaska, the Great Divide, South America and more.
Have some bike touring or overnight stories to share? Send your pics, audio or a quick tweet – all welcome. Email the show at pedalshiftproject@gmail.com or call the lightly-used Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109.
Housekeeping
We’re kicking things off in 2016 with weekly shows… to start. Last year I promised biweekly/fortnightly shows and did more than that. This year I hope for even more episodes than last year and tour journals as well. Exciting things on the way!
New for 2016… if you want more Pedalshift Project the monthly newsletter will be essentially a bonus podcast. Sign up and get the members only show every month!
The interview with Mysterious James is in two parts: Pedalshift 039 and 041. Sandwiched in-between? A full episode of connections, gear talk and more as Pedalshift 040 drops next week!
The Interview: MJ and global bike touring
Mysterious James on one of our first tours in Oregon
Learning which bike was for him (Surly LHT eventually)
Early tours
West coast
How he ditched me for greater glory
Alaska
The Great Divide
Epic injuries and rescues
A year of healing up
South America
Touring at elevation
Expedition touring
What’s next
What you get out of bike touring
Look for part 2 on Pedalshift Project 041, coming soon!
Music
The Pedalshift Project theme is America courtesy of Jason Kent off his self-titled solo album. Check out his band Sunfields‘ album, Habitat, wherever cool music resides. I just heard Jason’s new album and it is AWESOME. More info when that drops this spring!
It’s the end of the year and that means it’s time for the Pedalshift Holiday Spectacular! Join Tim and a special mystery guest (no not him… another mysterious guest) as they chat about the best of 2015. Happy holidays one and all!
Have some bike touring or overnight stories to share? Send your pics, audio or a quick tweet – all welcome. Email the show at pedalshiftproject@gmail.com or call the lightly-used Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109.
The Pedalshift Project theme is America courtesy of Jason Kent off his self-titled solo album. Check out his band Sunfields‘ latest release, Habitat, wherever cool music resides. And a little birdy tells me Jason’s recording some new music. More when I know…
Sturdy touring bikes need to be able to handle weight… on this episode we delve into some of the ways to make your touring bike even sturdier, and maybe figure out a way to lighten the load a bit too. Plus, tons of oddities and good news from the world of bike touring, and some self-described crazy Russians show us how to open a can with our bare damn hands. Because we can! <– see what I did there?
Have some bike touring or overnight stories to share? Send your pics, audio or a quick tweet – all welcome. Email the show at pedalshiftproject@gmail.com or call the lightly-used Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109.
The Journal
MJ in Argentina – less than 2 weeks remain!
Amtrak expands roll-on service down the east coast. NYC south to Miami, New Orleans, Atlanta and everything in between (Palmetto, Silver Meteor, Silver Star and Crecent routes). $20 and unboxed, just like the Capitol Limited.
Flying with your bike? Check the chart. JetBlue, Frontier and SW are the best (50-75 each way) vs. American and other legacy carriers $150-200 each way!
Attention Pacific Coast bike tourists hitting Southern Cal in January — you’ll be hitching a ride:
I just received notice from the U.S. Marine Corps that the Camp Pendleton Bike Path—the only bike access between Las Pulgas Rd. and Basilone Rd. along Interstate 5 (I-5)—is scheduled to be closed for military operations between Jan. 25 and Jan. 29, 2016. Under normal circumstances Caltrans would open the freeway shoulders to bicyclists, however there is a construction project that has closed the shoulders of I-5 in that segment. Caltrans will provide a 24/7 on-call shuttle for bicyclists to pass through the closures in the I-5 corridor between Oceanside and San Clemente. The phone number for the shuttle is (619)385-3267. There will be pick-up locations at the Las Pulgas Rd. parking lot for northbound cyclists, and at the south end of the Old Hwy. 101 bike path at Basilone Rd. for southbound cyclists. Those locations will serve as drop-off locations for the opposing directions of travel. Signs at both locations will include the shuttle phone number. Please share this information and make your plans accordingly. We apologize for any inconveniences in advance.
FYI– The construction on I-5 between Oceanside Harbor Dr. and Las Pulgas Rd. is scheduled to wrap-up in mid-December, so the freeway shoulders in that segment will re-open to cyclists at that time. The on-call shuttle that services that segment of I-5 will cease operation when the freeway shoulder access is re-opened to cyclists.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Seth Cutter
Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator
Associate Transportation Planner
Multimodal Programs Branch
Caltrans District 11 Planning Division
Gear Talk
Open cans without tools
h/t Crazy Russian Hacker (no really, that’s dude’s handle!)
Weight-limits and sturdy touring bikes
I was a PNWer (Seattle) until I, too, relocated to DC. Now I’ve moved to Sonoma County CA. I’m replacing my 2011 Fuji Touring bike (stolen), and I appreciated your reviews of the Long Haul Trucker and the Novara Safari (I like it, but still don’t understand why it’s less expensive than the Novara Randonee, which doesn’t have discs?). The Fuji was OK, but it was kind of kludgey and their newer ones are less committed to touring, so that’s out.
I rode to Cleveland via the C&O canal trail, GAP, and roads through Amish Country when I was 270 lbs and had about 100 pounds of gear (front & rear panniers). That destroyed a wheel and my crank (which was probably a little loose).
My issue right now is that I’m 260 lbs and the Safari says it has a 250 lb weight limit. I’m 6’5”, so I’m trying to evaluate that.
Question:
“What constitutes overloading on a touring bike? What are the consequences/weak points of the bike that could be beefed up to handle heavier loads? This is especially important for us bigger riders.” — David
Steel frames are close to a must (can handle the stresses of load over distance way better)
Consider building sturdier wheels than come stock on the bikes you’re considering.
Find ways to reduce the weight of your gear. Usually you can do a round of weight cuts just by leaving things at home rather than spend money on ultralight gear. Maybe ditch the cooking gear altogether? Go bivvy or hammock over a tent?
Consider a trailer. Remove that weight from your bike and you might be able to skirt the wheel builds altogether.
First Pedalshift Meet up in New Jersey with the legendary PBJar Matt!
Five star reviews!
Thanks to all the reviewers! You rock!
Music
The Pedalshift Project theme is America courtesy of Jason Kent off his self-titled solo album. Check out his band Sunfields‘ latest release, Habitat, wherever cool music resides. And a little birdy tells me Jason’s recording some new music. More when I know…
On this holiday week where we in the States offer gratitude for all that is good, let’s take the time to say “thanks bicycle touring” for all it gives us. We also revisit tire inflation and chat leather saddle care. A bounty for your holiday week!
Have some bike touring or overnight stories to share? Send your pics, audio or a quick tweet – all welcome. Email the show at pedalshiftproject@gmail.com or call the lightly-used Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109.
Thanks bicycle touring
Adventure
Community
Self-reliance
Nerding out
Having the physical ability to do it
Gear Talk
Revisiting tire inflation
See PSP 019 for the initial talk (including a tire pressure calculator)
Laziness led to a nicer ride on the C+O: turns out a really “under inflated” tire on certain surfaces can be better than what you’d roll on asphalt
MJ finding the same in Patagonia – “just above pinch flat pressure”
For wider tires, softer seems to be better on trails and gravel.
Leather saddle care
My first Brooks saddle has me wanting to protect it!
Wet leather can make the saddle fail
Many (most?) use Brooks Proofide to treat the leather and swear by it (some dissenters, especially in hotter climates)
One extreme: protect against any and all moisture… cover it even while riding in rain!
Other extreme: my saddle has never been covered and it’s 15 years old and fine.
I like the middle… cover at night to avoid rain and dew. Proofide 1-2x per year.
Hammerhiker on Instagram letting me know about lighter stoves… yep! Did a segment on stoves on PSP 017! In colder weather I like to bring my “green dragon” as I call the heavy but beastly stove I brought on my recent C+O tours.
FOTS Scottmacs on instagram thinks I would be a fan of Bromptonmafia… right as always sir!
Five star reviews!
Thanks to all the reviewers! You rock!
Music
The Pedalshift Project theme is America courtesy of Jason Kent off his self-titled solo album. Check out his band Sunfields‘ latest release, Habitat, wherever cool music resides. And a little birdy tells me Jason’s recording some new music. More when I know…
Be sure to listen to The Sprocket Podcast 286 for part one of our hijinks. Then, come back fed and hydrated because this is a long one. Since this show is of unusual length, here’s the chapter breakdown:
Hey it’s the direct download link for episode 041: Bike touring lessons with Mysterious James
FOTS Paul Mulvey:
Hey it’s the direct download link for episode 039
Hey it’s the direct download link for episode 036
