Well, this is interesting that nobody wants to click thru the albums to easily find the pics I posted, but there's this interest in the comment I made about the twin freewheels (go to 'Gallery' and choose 'Albums' and the album is 'Custom Build 2019-09-15 16:37:26). Still can't post a link. add the usual http,etc then bikeforums.net/g/album/15203286

Anyway, to clear this up, to the best of my memory the first of these custom touring bikes I ran across was in the hike/bike camp at Praire Creek in Northern California probably late 70's to early 80's. That bike I think I recall fairly well. I think it used 650c's and that would date the bike since I don't think 650's were invented until the late 70's or so. The frame was magnificent. My guess it came from Ritchey who was then quite well UN-known outside of Marin and surrounding counties. There were front forks with a 'u' shaped style then. Or maybe they were custom forks? The wheels both had a significant dish to them to accomodate the rear hubs with freewheels. Maybe the hubs were custom to fit a narrow front fork dropout? They were five speeds, that I know.

I don't recall any triple cranks in those days. The idea was to allow for a wider range of gearing by swapping the wheels front to back and vice versa, according to the road or trail surface.

I ran into a few other similar bikes. There were custom frame builders just getting started in those days who probably made lots of one-offs. The bikes that I saw using these dual freewheels were designed specifically for touring - on road and off. But off road touring meant gravel or dirt and not-so-technical trails in those days. There just wasn't a lot of innovation then by the major manufacturers when it came to off road bikes or even long-distance touring bikes. The first Specialized Stumpjumper was sort of a joke compared to what we have available today. I think it was mid-to-later 80's that Specialized gave us their 700c dedicated touring bike which was what we all drooled over when it hit the market. It had the flip-down generator mounted on the bottom bracket for the lights, with the wires running inside the frame. Ritchey and Fisher were just getting started at this time.

The question about front fork spacing is an interesting one. I don't know how the heck they did this, but it was done and it worked. I doubt anyone would have posted any such thing on the internet showing this freewheel arrangment. But the fellow I met at Praire Creek might still be alive and might actually have something to say about his bike. I'm a few months from 70y/o and the fellow I met was somewhat older than I was. We're talking ancient history. If memory serves me, that bike had custom racks built specifically for that beautiful frame. All were a light mint green. I think the paint was Emron but I'm not sure exactly when Emron hit the market. You have to understand that this was a long time ago and memories get mixed up. I'm pretty certain that the details above are accurate, though.

California State Parks instituted the hiker/biker camps for the Pacific Coast Bicentennial route on hwy101 and hwy1. That was in the late 70's. Just tried to attach a pic of the original Pacific Coast Bicentennial map that Caltrans printed, which was a bound book shaped such that it would fit on top of a handlebar bag. Too bad I can't paste a link or attach a photo. I'm sure plenty of folks remember those maps. The original Pacific Coast Bicentennial bike route signs were blue and red on a white background. They all ended up in bike shops, garages, and hanging on rider's walls at home. Everyone who rode that route stole a sign. Caltrans gave up replacing them and so we have the ordinary green signs today. Search Google Images for 'Bicentennial Pacific Coast bicycle' and you'll see a number of riders posing with their pretty stolen signs.

My touring experience in California put me in the right place at the right time to find inspiration for setting up a touring bike that could navigate off pavment. In later years I tended to ride into the far north to get away from civilization. The best 700c bike I put together I will never forget. I think it was in '90 or '91 that Cannondale made their 'ST' frame. It used a mountain bike style U-shaped front fork and the chain stays were relieved so that you could fit a fatter tire than usual. I used the then newly released Specialized Nimbus tires on that bike, maybe 700x45? I built a set of 48 hole tandem wheels for it using Phil Wood hubs. The combination of super-stiff Cannondale aluminum frame (huge eggshell thin downtube) and those bombproof wheels meant that every ounce of pedal pressure went straight to the rear wheel with no flex whatsoever.

I carried 100lbs on that bike at times in Yukon and Alaska. Those rides were challenging. The further north you go, the later the snow melt. You'll be riding dirt roads in the summer with meltwater everywhere. You couldn't filter the silt out of the water so effectively you were riding in desert and had to carry lots of water - plus food, tools, and spare parts. The Cannondale did the job. After that bike I went to 26" wheels. The Fuji I posted pics of in my album is the first 700c bike I've had since that Cannondale. Had to sell the Cannondale to pay for doctor bills. I ended up sort of paralyzed from the waist down just a few weeks after flying out of Anchorage with the Cannondale to get back to Seattle. I was getting snowed on in Alaska. A year later I was able to start walking again. Maybe the fellow who purchased that Cannondale in Seattle will read this thread. His eyes sparkled like xmas lights when he saw the bike. It was one of my favorites.

The next bike I purchased was from the LBS in Seattle's u-district while I was stuck using two of those arm-brace crutches to (barely) get around. The guys in the bike shop thought I was a real whack-job since I couldn't ride the bike, let alone get my leg over it. Some months later I was able to get a leg over and to coast down the alleyway. Eventually I got the legs back and was back touring again doing even more radical off-road tours. Eventually I became worried that attempting to constantly escape civilization was not mentally healthy. That led me to following National Historic Trails. Spent two years doing photography and historical research on the Oregon-California Trail using a Trek aluminum frame with 26" rims and a state-of-the art Manitou suspension fork. How far we've come with suspension! That ancient fork used elastomers - no oil, no air. The bike was loaded with camera gear, maps, books, very early GPS, and all the usual lightweight backcountry gear. Much of that ride was on pavement, but quite a bit was dirt and just plain raw desert and praire. Also managed the Nez Perce trail and Lewis and Clark in subsequent years.

Now, how many of you have tried to get over Lolo Pass using the original native trail? Take it from me, the highway is easier. The big problem with using the Forest Service road and trail route was the lack of water. The native people's had been using that route for millenia. But today the natural springs that made it possible to navigate those mountains have been destroyed by cattle grazing. Water can be a big problem even in places where you think it won't be.