Ty0604

Correct. My brakes are mounted on the fork in the center of the tire. Excuse my lack of term knowledge.

Ty0604

Can't use a handlebar bag due to the location of the brakes. I need a little extra space due to the fact that my route takes me through a 2 or 3 day stretch without a store and then a few 1 or 2 day stretches.

Ty0604

I hammock camp too. Do you use a pad with yours? So many cyclist do but it's extra weight and I've never used one even in normal hammock camping. I hear a lot of them say it protects you from the breeze from underneath but my sleeping bag is plenty warm enough.

fietsbob

I could figure it out , but I cannot do it for You.

Hint : Klick Fix and Ortlieb bar bag mounts both have a forward extender to move the Bag forward of the bars

if you need the top mount brake levers to feel secure when your hands are on the tops.

Rob_E

You have time. When I was setting up my touring bike, I had similar issues with OMM racks: I felt like the Cold Springs suited my needs, but was way more than I wanted to pay. Fortunately, like you, I was in no hurry. I set a price that I was willing to pay for the rack, and watched eBay. Eventually I had my rack at a price I could afford.

I used to carry a pad with mine. It was difficult for me to stay on top of, and it almost always ended up being thrown out of the tent early on in the night. Now I have insulation that hangs underneath my hammock, and it makes it very toasty down to temperatures near freezing. So far, I haven't had any desire to camp in temps colder than that. On my last trip, I put my hammock and bedding into a dry bag and tied the dry bag on to my handle bars. I used a piece of an old pad to wrap around my dry bag to protect it from the straps. It's the first time I've traveled with a pad in years. Although a pad would likely come in handy if you ever couldn't find a way to hang your hammock and had to sleep on the ground.

Ty0604

Yeah I'm not in a rush. I have 5 months before I depart. I do leave for Germany soon though and my bike will be in storage until I return for my bike so am trying to take care of as much as possible right now.

Where do you find insulation that hangs below your hammock? I wasn't aware they made such a thing. I have a Eno Double Nest. How much does your complete hammock set up weigh? Mine is around 2lbs including the bug net, rain fly and ropes. I imagine the insulation doesn't add too much to it? I tried using my mattress pad on a trip over the summer and had the same issues; it kept slipping out from under myself and sometime during the night I would open the bug net and toss it out. By that point I was too tired and couldn't careless.

I was homeless for a period of time as a teenager and while I have no intentions of reliving those days sleeping on the ground in a sleeping bag wouldn't be new to me

Ty0604

Thanks for the info. I will take a look. Where on the coast are you if I may ask?

Rob_E

I have a Hennessy, which has an under-insulation kit available as an add-on. It's unlikely to be compatible with other hammocks. You should check at https://hammockforums.net/
I think the most common way to keep yourself warm in a hammock is to use a quilt, rather than a sleeping bag, to put over you in the hammock, and then to have another quilt that hangs outside of the hammock to keep you warm underneath. A sleeping bag works for mild temperatures, but when it gets colder, the fact that you're laying on and compressing all of the insulation, combined with the the air underneath you, can leave you fairly chilly. By using an under quilt and over quilt, you are basically splitting your sleeping bag in half and putting the bottom half outside of the hammock where your body weight will not compress it. On the Hammock Forums you will find various vendors and instructions for making your own.

fietsbob

Astoria ..Our LBS Bikes and Beyond | Since 1988, the leader in bicycle sales and service on the North Coast.

But they dont stock much German made stuff .. which is where those things I mentioned is Made.

Ty0604

Thanks! I'll check out the link. I have heard about it before but haven't ventured there yet. I almost got a Hennessy. Seems like a quilt would be much heavier than my 1lb sleeping bag but could be wrong? The cold doesn't bother me much. My sleeping bag is rated for +40 and anything +35 or above I usually have it unzipped and have used it in temps as low as around +10 and was comfortable in it. I don't imagine it'll get that cold on my trip.

Ty0604

Thanks! Doesn't have to be German. I was in Astoria last month for the Great Columbia Crossing. We camped at Ft. Stevens and got the tail end of that nasty storm that came through. Cute town and enjoyed the race.

fietsbob

Just that is who makes them ... Ortlieb bar bag extension example https://www.wigglestatic.com/images/o...sion%20ul4.jpg

https://www.ortlieb.com/wp-content/u...estigung-2.jpg

Ty0604

Thanks, I'll take a look when I get home!

Rob_E

Don't think patchwork, heavy, decorative quilt. It's really just a blanket stuffed with insulation, just like your sleeping bag. No zippers might make it a little lighter even. I don't know because I just use a mummy bag that I drape over me instead of zipping up. But if you have a system that works, use it. For me, no matter what bag I'm using, if the temp drops below 60 or so, I get cold underneath. The bag gets compressed, the insulation is compromised, and the air underneath steals my heat. That's what the pad was for originally. It's a cheap source of insulation that does not compress as much when you lay on it. I found it uncomfortable. More uncomfortable than being cold. But if you're staying warm with what you have, no problem.

seeker333

The Blackburn Outpost should work, with an extra long skewer and P-clamps:

https://www.amazon.com/Blackburn-BB11.../dp/B00GCB4V10

https://admin.blackburndesign.com/bl...ack-Manual.pdf

Buffalo Buff

I've never used my pad with my hammock, I only use it when I'm tent camping or sleeping on a bench, the ground etc. I can comfortably sleep in 30 degree weather with my 50 degree bag, my hammock, and a tarp to block the wind. I use a thin hammock (Grand trunk UL) and its fine. With my 30 degree bag I could go down to the single digits.

Can you post a picture of your bars? I bet we could figure out a way to load a few things on your bars.

Last tour I started out with a stuff sack on my bars with a paracord loop. You could make another loop around the head tube for added stability.

LeeG

TY0604

what kind of wheels does the bike have, how heavy are you, how much gear do you want to carry, what's the largest tire you can fit on the bike?



swapping out the fork to carry a low rider rack, front panniers and larger tire would be best.

LeeG

Disc brakes?

LeeG

No it isn't but it'll probably cost about the same to get a new front fork and rack installed as it would be to get the Extrawheel and install it yourself.
I'd suggest considering removing the top brake levers. They aren't a necessity.

https://www.biketrailershop.com

https://www.biketrailershop.com/extr...er-p-1377.html

MassiveD

Getting your axle to crown measurement is easy enough:



It is the 483 on this humongous fork. Place a pencil in the fork axle area estimate the CL measure up to where the paint disappears. Exactly the same isn't a big deal, but there are a lot of forks to chose from.

Tange often shows up cheap in some stores. I have one of their forks for a 26er.

Nasbar has good forks for both 26 and 29/700

Soma
Champs Élysées Low Trail Touring Fork | SOMA Fabrications

Nashbar has a good touring fork, that is very reasonable, but I don't see any sign of it on their site at the moment. It comes and goes with stock sometimes. Their cross fork in steel is really rugged, for discs. It would easily put up with hardware for a front rack, and at 45 dollars is also ideal for someone who wants to try their hand at brazing on their own BOs.

Columbus Tusk is a really nice carbon touring fork kinda pricey, but one can find it at well under 200, at times. I was looking online at Shinny, but they seem to be down at the moment, if they were for real in the first place.

SJS:

Cheap, good for someone who likes to do a little work:

Steel Fork 1 1/8 Inch Steerer for 700c Wheel - £9.99

Ty0604

I'm 155 and I'll have ~20lbs of gear. I forget the actual size of the tires but they can't be any larger.

Ty0604

No. The brakes are mounted on the fork in the middle of fork even with the tire.

Ty0604

They are when they're the only brake levers you have

Ty0604

Thanks but at that price it's cheaper to get a new fork since I'd also have to get new panniers.

Ty0604

The brakes can be moved in a little but not out at all.

I tried as I said but didn't like it. I think I'll be okay with my 40 degree bag. It works for me in temperatures down to +10 and I doubt it'll get that cold on my trip.