Doug64

32 mm tires will handle most conditions encountered on a "road" tour.

The road was too muddy to ride on

MassiveD

Good point. I think part of the reason my head twisted off it's stem is because I think there was mention of 2 inch rims in here somewhere. Part of the trick to radical gear choices is to make the right ones. What about some NOS Bontrager 36 hole MA2s for the cool factor.

TallTourist

I haven't ridden a department store bike since I was a kid, what are they like as an adult? I bet they are stiff as hell which is good in my books since I'm so tall and heavy.

Did you find that there was something that kept breaking on them or were they pretty sturdy all-around?

TallTourist

Doug 64:

Oh man, those pictures make me want to go touring.

gpsblake

Usually they need some adjustment when you first buy one. And of course with any other bike, they will need adjustment about a month afterwards. The one area where I find Walmart bikes to be the weak link is the plastic pedals. I always replace them with a firm set of steel pedals. However, if you are tall (say 6'3 plus), fit will be a problem on most Walmart bikes. The Schwinn brand is better in my opinion then the Roadmaster brand.

The one I currently (Schwinn Sidewinder) have has around 12,000 miles on it. Still on the original chain, original gears, original cables, original rims, never have even broken a spoke. Just did a tour from Williamsport MD to Pittsburgh PA and back on it.

They are heavy, very heavy, but the frame is built like a tank.

Stuff like new tires, new brakes, a new seat (torn) and other maintenance stuff of course, greatest bike I have owned. Very good bike to tour in my opinion, comfortable smooth ride.

Here is a picture of it on tour in May

TallTourist

Yeah there's no hope of me finding a stock bike that's a good fit. I'm 6'8" or 2.03m. I'll get a custom bike built for me for my next tour. One of the advantages is the top tube height will be 101cms so good luck stealing that, lol. I know the bike thief would have to be tall.

I was just curious how the cheaper bikes are. I've owned some ridiculously expensive bikes and they were NOT remotely worth the money.

apolloturner

I just finished my first 450 mile tour and have a few suggestions. #1 bring a chain brake tool (I was very happy I had a portable one on my multi tool when I broke mine climbing a big hill. Was a new chain ) #2 get good gloves. I bought some good gloves 1/2 way in and they greatly reduced hand fatigue. #3 bring more water and more money than you think you will need.

Walter S

Broke a new chain? I've never broken a chain. Was this the only such experience you've had?

trainsktg

Over a full day of biking, I'd say you might be able to sustain an average of 10-12mph on flat pavement with the ECR and Knards. If you are not in a hurry, I don't see anything wrong with that. There are several blogs out there highlighting guys' cross-country touring trips on chunky/fat bikes.

I've got about 450 miles and 34k of climbing on local gravel log roads on my ECR since I bought it at the end of May. I can top it out at about 19 mph on flat pavement, down to the 2's on some really steep rocky grades.

Keith

apolloturner

Was a SRAM chain and broke right at the Master Link. I suspect was a faulty link. We were climbing a huge hill and I had ~70 pounds on my bike. I don't blame the chain as it had just rained a few hours earlier and we had been riding though muddy slush all day. I am almost certain it was fatigue and the chain broke at its weakest link. I remember being at the bike store before I left thinking I should bring a few extra master links and then forgot. Would have been an easy fix had I had any extras.

mstateglfr 

Curious- have you used or will you plan to get a bike that has 2 top tubes to help stiffen the frame since the headtube will be so long?
I am 6'5, ride 80s steel, and the only downside is the flex that comes from a frame being so large. Obviously thicker tubing now helps reduce the flex, but ive read that 2 top tubes help a lot too. \

If you haven't had one, what did you ride and was there a lot of flex in the frame?

TallTourist

I've never used a bike with two top tubes, I don't like the look of them. I think what I'm going to do for my next (hopefully last) touring bike is get an additional tube placed right down the center of the front triangle. Hopefully it doesn't look as dorky as the double top tube. Might even get the same thing on the rear triangle but I'm not sure.

My last bike was a 1983 Apollo XL frame with a custom wheelset and jury rigged racks. It was wobbly when fully loaded at slow speed but I paid $60 for the frame so I wasn't complaining. It was stiff enough when going fast that I was able to counter-steer around sharp corners, scraping my panniers from leaning over so much; great fun! Ironically, I rode it over 6000 kms on a tour and when I got back to real life, about a year later, the seat stays broke at the seat tube from corrosion, lightly loaded and on pavement. Sure glad that didn't happen on tour

I previously owned a titanium Zinn road bike which was totally not worth the price, too much lateral flexing in the frame and extra-length crank arms. All the stock racing bikes I've had flexed and fit poorly.

One of my fave bikes was actually a cheap Del Sol that I used for around town. I abused that thing mercilessly and it never let me down. I guess we pay big bucks for fancy bikes and those fancy bikes tend to sacrifice reliability for speed.

ryanscottdavis

Sorry that I abandoned this thread for so long, many people replied and offered great help and assistance. I am now a week-ish into the tour, and it's going great so far! Here's a photo of the Long Haul Trucker I picked up, suited up for touring with racks, fenders, and dynamo hub/lights:



And here it was just yesterday, in Lake Raquette in the Adirondacks:



I'll post for information later, time to hit the road!

Fangowolf

Looks good. I have a brooks spring saddle that looks like what you are using. The nose looks a little high, I'm sure you know what works for you, just a comment if you have any ball problems .

motorapido

I love this post. I hope the OP takes it as it was intended -- stern, helpful advice. I agree with it completely.

ryanscottdavis

I agree! I started off the tour with a missing multi-tool, and couldn't find a store that carried any for a week. I think it only added to the experience. Had my first derailleur cable snap today, luckily only had to ride the granny-gear for 10 miles before getting to a LBS.

RedandBlack

I'm so glad to here it! That's a great looking, and very practical, bike. I'm impressed that you were able to get on the road so soon. Do you have a crazyguy journal going? Let me know if you pass through the Chicagoland area. Best of luck!

ryanscottdavis

Hello! I am done with this tour now. It was awesome. I'm going to tour again (duh). Here's a pablo picasso faux photoshopped manual map of my tour:































I made it to the Western bank of the Mississippi in Minneapolis and called it a year. Michigan's UP was great. Sleeping Bear Dunes was something I had wanted to see for years, and it was worth it. The bike culture in Detriot is just a lot of silly lights. Bike culture in Minneapolis is people wearing balaclava's in 50* just to get groceries. I stealth camped most of the time, forced my way into willing stranger's homes when I could. Ate a lot of rice. Saw a body of water each and every day. Had 4 flats.

My next plan is to tour again beginning early 2016. Route 1 from San Fran to San Diego. Then maybe Brazil after that.

bikemig 

Nice update of your trip. We need some pics of the bike though with all the panniers and stuff. How much gear did you bring?

veganbikes

That is how it happens, you do one tour and then you get back and realize you have a big bite on you and you are wondering what it is and you can't sleep at night because you want to go back on tour. That is when you realize it is the touring bug!

Glad you had a good time.

hueyhoolihan

OP has the right attitude and outlook for successful bicycle touring, IMO. obstacles are taken as they come, as a challenges to be overcome by perseverance and/or acumen and then reflected upon with satisfaction.

that ride from SF to SD should be a breeze. or hopefully a tailwind.

Squeezebox

Bring everything you think you need. Then send it home as soon as you realize you really don't need it.

hueyhoolihan

not a bad way to go about things...

in fact on a long tour starting in the winter and ending in the early autumn of the next year, i sent and received a few items from helpful family members along the way. sent stuff USPS and received stuff "General Delivery C/O HUEY HOOLIHAN" at a post office a few days travel from where i was at the time i requested it be sent.

Doug64

Sometimes mailing things home is pretty handy. On an extended tour, before smartphones and tablets, my wife and I relied on paper maps purchased as we traveled. We liked to keep the maps for a number of reasons. When we would accrue enough used maps to make mailing them home worthwhile, we would ship a batch. When we returned home we had a pile of maps that weighed 11 lb.!!

mtnroads

Great job OP, really well done.