Touring - Loaded LHT and first tour with it

Here's some pics of my LHT all loaded up for it's very first tour. I was going to leave today but got home too late from work. I'll be leaving tomorrow from Riverside and I'll ride in to Corona and take the Santa Ana River bike trail all the way to Huntington beach, then head south on PCS to San Onofre to camp. From there I'll go to Oceanside and then take HWY 76 up to Mission rd in Fallbrook and take the back roads in to Temecula and then to Menifee at my Mom's house, the ending point.

The pics kind of suck, I'll take better ones tomorrow in the daylight.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v472/trdcamry2003/Second%20Album/LHT/lhtpics004.jpg?t=1176537490

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v472/trdcamry2003/Second%20Album/LHT/lhtpics002.jpg?t=1176537537

Here's some pics of my LHT all loaded up for it's very first tour. I was going to leave today but got home too late from work. I'll be leaving tomorrow from Riverside and I'll ride in to Corona and take the Santa Ana River bike trail all the way to Huntington beach, then head south on PCS to San Onofre to camp. From there I'll go to Oceanside and then take HWY 76 up to Mission rd in Fallbrook and take the back roads in to Temecula and then to Menifee at my Mom's house, the ending point.

The pics kind of suck, I'll take better ones tomorrow in the daylight.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v472/trdcamry2003/Second%20Album/LHT/lhtpics004.jpg?t=1176537490

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v472/trdcamry2003/Second%20Album/LHT/lhtpics002.jpg?t=1176537537
Be safe! Great looking rig.

Nice bike! Have fun!

btw, will your panniers fit on your front rack instead of the rear?

Very Nice Bike!

I'm jealous. I'm doing my first tour soon - on my Specialized Sirrus Hybrid Base Model Commuter bike...

Dreaming of a LHT or a Cannondale Touring bike someday!

Good Luck!

Well I think I overestimated myself. I got about 65 miles into the first day and was completely dead. Should have been doing some training with the load first but I just got my panniers. My girlfriend was at the beach near my ending point anyways so I just put my bike in the car and went home. I wouldn't have been able to cycle home the next day, my legs were dead.

I think I am going to have to do some shorter weekend tours, like 30 miles each way and back.

Good learning experience though and I was happy to be able to make it the 65 miles or so, it's the longest I've actually rode a bike, and this time it was with a bunch of gear.

I'll just look at it like a training ride :) :D

I went from Riverside through Corona and then got on green River road onto Santa Ana River Trail, took that all the way in to Santa Ana then went through Irvine in to Newport beach. From there I took PCH down to Dana Point where I finished and had some BBQ Chicken Pizza :)

Well I think I overestimated myself. I got about 65 miles into the first day and was completely dead. Should have been doing some training with the load first but I just got my panniers. My girlfriend was at the beach near my ending point anyways so I just put my bike in the car and went home. I wouldn't have been able to cycle home the next day, my legs were dead.

I think I am going to have to do some shorter weekend tours, like 30 miles each way and back.

Good learning experience though and I was happy to be able to make it the 65 miles or so, it's the longest I've actually rode a bike, and this time it was with a bunch of gear.

I'll just look at it like a training ride :) :D

I went from Riverside through Corona and then got on green River road onto Santa Ana River Trail, took that all the way in to Santa Ana then went through Irvine in to Newport beach. From there I took PCH down to Dana Point where I finished and had some BBQ Chicken Pizza :)

Commuting is your friend;) I commute year round but when I'm getting ready for a tour, about 12 weeks before, I start to carry weight in the panniers. I progress the weight levels to about what I think I'll be carrying and throw in some weekend long rides with the weight (I just do day rides since I know how all my equipment will work).

For weight, I use rice and/or beans since they are cheap, nonabrasive - unlike rocks or sand -, I can eat them when I'm done (or donate them to a food drive) and they are bulkier than sand. You can get rice from your local grocery store in 1, 2, 5 or higher bags. I usually use the 5 lbs and increase about that much per week until I'm close to the weight I want to carry.

You look really goofy and people ask you where you are headed and you feel really stupid saying that you are just carrying around rice but it really helps with training.

Well I think I overestimated myself. I got about 65 miles into the first day and was completely dead. Should have been doing some training with the load first but I just got my panniers. My girlfriend was at the beach near my ending point anyways so I just put my bike in the car and went home. I wouldn't have been able to cycle home the next day, my legs were dead.

I think I am going to have to do some shorter weekend tours, like 30 miles each way and back.

Good learning experience though and I was happy to be able to make it the 65 miles or so, it's the longest I've actually rode a bike, and this time it was with a bunch of gear.

I'll just look at it like a training ride :) :D

That's the spirit! Good on ya for getting out there and giving it a whirl!

And cycco's advice is spot on -- build up the weight. I was exhausted the day I rode my first loaded "test" tour (solo like you!). Fortunately, I was staying at the camp for two days and was able to recover a bit before I rode home.

How was camping in San Onofre?

How was camping in San Onofre?


I only made it to Dana Point LOL

Read my second post in this thread.

Commuting is your friend;) I commute year round but when I'm getting ready for a tour, about 12 weeks before, I start to carry weight in the panniers. I progress the weight levels to about what I think I'll be carrying and throw in some weekend long rides with the weight (I just do day rides since I know how all my equipment will work).

For weight, I use rice and/or beans since they are cheap, nonabrasive - unlike rocks or sand -, I can eat them when I'm done (or donate them to a food drive) and they are bulkier than sand. You can get rice from your local grocery store in 1, 2, 5 or higher bags. I usually use the 5 lbs and increase about that much per week until I'm close to the weight I want to carry.

You look really goofy and people ask you where you are headed and you feel really stupid saying that you are just carrying around rice but it really helps with training.

Yeah, I moved close to my work so I can commute by bike, it's been helping but I think I moved too close to work LOL. I live 2.1 miles away now :) Been saving a ton on gas!

Thanks for the advice. I'll keep the gear and clothes in the panniers for now and leave it on the bike and ride it like that and get used to it.

That's the spirit! Good on ya for getting out there and giving it a whirl!

And cycco's advice is spot on -- build up the weight. I was exhausted the day I rode my first loaded "test" tour (solo like you!). Fortunately, I was staying at the camp for two days and was able to recover a bit before I rode home.

Thanks, I'm going to give it another shot this weekend. I'm looking right now for camping options within 30 miles of my house.

Yeah, I moved close to my work so I can commute by bike, it's been helping but I think I moved too close to work LOL. I live 2.1 miles away now :) Been saving a ton on gas!

Thanks for the advice. I'll keep the gear and clothes in the panniers for now and leave it on the bike and ride it like that and get used to it.

Ride the long way home;) I used to live about 1/4 mile from my work (as the crow flies) but I went all the way around a mountain (http://www.routeslip.com/routes/32487) to put in extra miles. Of course, sometimes I went up the mountain and played around on my mountain bike. The Joys of Colorado;)

How many inches between your tire and seat tube?
What size frame did you get?