Squirrelli

Yikes, 3 CO2s...good thing you guys survived.

Open a thread in the touring place and link us back? Or just start one here then put some PBR/Hpstr grl/ironic moustaches then it'd be SSFG acceptable.

Higher Class

Like I said, we learned a LOT. lol. Nothing like first-hand experience.

zoltani

^truth

zoltani

I'd never rely solely on CO2 for a tour. Maybe a day ride, but when you have to prepare for the unexpected over multiple days, no way. One of the things I like most about touring is self sufficiency.

Higher Class

Yep, definitely doing it differently next time. I've owned a hand pump before; paid $35 or so, had really bad luck with it. Kind of turned me off to small pumps. I'm probably dropping some dough on a nicer one for the next big ride. The guy at my local shop told me straight up that the ones they sell are kind of crappy (I'm a pretty steady customer), so I'll probably have to buy online. Any suggestions?

I feel like I'm derailing this thread... or am I contributing? What do you think squirelli?

tFUnK

Well done, guys.

As for an air solution, Lezyne makes a pretty nice mini pump with a hose. Fits inside a larger saddle bag.

Prabuddhadg

Thanks for your reply. While I enjoy long tiring rides, I keep worrying about setting a ratio that is too low or too high. I have a flip flop hub, but my drop out can accommodate only a +/- 2 cogs of difference. I suppose I need to learn to sustain a cadence of 110 or 120.

Also, do you think it makes it convenient to convert to a qr hub with a fixie?

Squirrelli

It really depends on the terrain and what you will be carrying; for something flatter with slight rollers, I'd gear in the high 70s but with something with a lot of hills, gear it mid 60s to low 70s.

We had a discussion of turning puppy's front hub into a quick release, it would make transportation SLIGHTLY easier. It all depends on how often you take your wheels off and if it is really worth it to go through the trouble.

Steev

Lot's of people on the road forum recommend the Topeak "morph" pumps. I had a mountain morph and really liked it, but went and dropped it on a dark commute.

puppypilgrim

Prabuddhadg that is exactly the reason I chose to do the ride on a fixed gear - "You makes yer choice, and yer live by it." Telling you what ratio to use is pointless. Only you know your own strength, fitness and the terrain you plan to ride. The most important lesson here, is you never know until you try. One you have experienced it, you know. So plan a route, study the elevation in advance if you can using something like MapMyRide and plan accordingly.

Use programs like Rabbit to understand where your cadence will be for certain speeds, execute, observe, adjust, rinse and repeat.

Most dropouts\trackends will only accommodate a =/- 2 tooth difference between cogs without adjusting chain length. So choose to the two ratios that you think will serve you the best. On my bike, I end up with 72 gear inches for general purpose riding. I can climb all but the steepest hills. Generally if it is a long 10% grade or more, I can't do it on 72 gear inches. Anything shorter or less steep is fine. But that is for me.

The other side of the hub gives me 81 gear inches. This is fine for flats, short inclines and mild, low grade hills, or just short steep rise which has a straight before it.

puppypilgrim

Now with 120mm stem and Blue Continental Ultra Sports tires. Rear rack removed.

EpicSchwinn

I didn't realize how close I live to u sqrls. I'm in the states about 15 min from the Peace Arch boarder crossing and get to swear at you guys for always driving either 50 or 90mph on I5.

puppypilgrim

Them state troopers love handing out speeding tickets to Canadians who speed on Hwy 5 ... heh heh. Gotta contribute to state revenue I guess...LOL

striknein

What fenders are those, Squirrelli?

Squirrelli

Oh right! You asked me in your brake thread; they are some Axiom el-cheapo ones. The front squeezes a bit when I brake, but it does not interfere with the braking performance.

For what it's worth, I'm using a R350 Tektro with a 25c Specialized tire and I still have a tiny bit of room.

striknein

Awesome, thanks.

Prabuddhadg

Thanks for your reply. I know what you are saying, but what confuses me is that the same climbs that are done on the road bike on say 39 X 22, I can manage without dying on a fixed gear at 39 X 12 (26" wheels).

The only thing I am certain of is that the more I ride a fixie, the stronger I get. So, I guess I have to just venture out with what does not scare the wits out of me, and ride.

JesusBananas

Bumping this old thread because I have been away for awhile, and this thread is awesome.

You brought FOUR spare tires? Did you really bring more tires than tubes, or is that a typo?


Topeak Road Morph. Built-in pressure gauge, pumps up to 120 psi, and awesomeness all around. Never broke on me even once.

Also, I wonder if the bananas were jesusbananas or just lame regular ones...

Squirrelli

We actually did brought 4 spare tires, ended up using 3 of them. We had 5 tubes in total though.

Those bananas were jesusbananas, that's why the horse wanted it.

streetdude

Squirrel: Is that the Thomson X4 MTB stem? If so, how do you like it for the road?

Squirrelli

It's a Truvativ Hussefelt and I like it, it fits my tiny torso better.

streetdude

Ah, thanks. I'm in a similar situation, although in truth my bike is just a bit too big for me.

rithem

i wish I could ride my bike to hot spring .... damn plate tectonics.

JesusBananas

Over 3700 miles, I only changed my tires (both of them as a set) once, which means that I spent the first half of the tour on the crappy stock tires that I should have switched out to begin with. I did not know that tires could wear out so quickly, so I thought it was a typo. Or maybe you had crap tires.