Originally Posted by
Tourist in MSN
If you have clipless pedals, you can attach your shoes with the cleats to the pedals, that gives you a pretty good way to see where heel worst case scenario for heel strike is. Add an inch of space to make sure.
I'm still in flatland. Kind of self preservation on the unicycle, and I figure if I can do a century on them there, I can on the bike of current plans as well. Plus on two recent group rides I've watched the same person fall painfully on her side once per ride while trying to get used to them.
Not sure why your are doing this, there are low budget options for panniers. But if you really want to make some, go for it.
I'll admit as of the moment the number of things I'd need to accomplish before heading out makes doing the upcoming ride with light bulky clothing in the single borrowed ortleib is looking tempting.
Thought about that, noticed some cheap wastebaskets in the store yesterday that were temptingly shaped, but more for replacing the milk crate on my grocery bike than for my gravel bike plans.
Stiffener, have you considered Coroplast? In some communities it is often used for political lawn signs. I bought a big sheet at Home Depot a few years ago, when I have another project I still have left over.
I have an eye out for it, stuff is sadly expensive if one can't find castoffs. I can get the more traditional HDPE, shipping just doubles the price of it.
I hope you realize that many if not most people buy a different saddle for touring instead of the stock one on the new bike. It is not clear to me if your first day is 85 miles on a brand new saddle on a brand new bike that you have not tried for much distance yet.
The distance doesn't really feel like a stretch since I've been doing 50 anytime on whim all winter and over 200 total last week including a 78. But yes, new bike does raise some concerns. I have a 35 mile ride on it so far and 49 total, and yes, it's a little different than what I'm used to. So thanks for making me not feel so silly about the plan of stuffing the cheaper, firmer saddle I did a 78 miler on last week in one of the panniers so that I can switch to that if I need to. Also, there is theoretically an option of diverting halfway through the ride and hopping on a train that will meet the already planned train leg. Or I suppose just turning around and heading home from about the point 30 miles in where I'd make that diversion.
I do figure I need to do a few miles test ride with an equivalent amount of stuff in whatever I'm packing it in the night before setting out.