I readily acknowledge that by taking the GDMBT I will be pushing, pulling, cursing, and crying for some portions. I've encountered similar grades as Fleecer with a much heavier load in a training ride, though not for .3 miles. The reason for this post is that I know I need to cut some fat so that sections such as Fleecer will not break me. You mentioned low riders? Is there something about low riders that makes steep grades or rough terrain more difficult?

It's short for Wobbly, a nickname for members of the Industrial Workers of the World. It's a democratically ran, anti-capitalist union.

Frankly, as you are touring is a first world region, there is probably no need to sweat the details that much -- whatever is missing can probably be purchased on the road, whatever is useless can be discarded or mailed back.

As weight is largely overrated, I would suggest that you want to err on the too-much-stuff side. You'll learn to get rid of unnecessary items in due time.

1. I would draw your attention to the bear canister, though -- it is mandated in several national parks. See here to find out what REI has to say about this. Even if you were to avoid National Parks, you might want to ask yourself why the NPS requires bear-proof canister rather than merely throwing a bag over a branch (bears are good climbers).

2. You plan to pack flannel Ts and pants. If by flannel you actually mean brushed cotton, I would bet that you'll come to regret your decision. Cotton is arguably one of the worst fabric for outdoor activities. (It weighs a ton once wet, and takes forever to dry). Synthetics or merino (I personally prefer the latter -- more comfortable and not as likely to smell (not so) funny).

3. If you can figure a way to ride without a computer, you'll save weight and, more importantly, worry less about theft/damages (shocks, water, etc). A fairly cheap tablet gets you a long way on the road to connected living.

4. Some people like to navigate with the help of the sun and stars (and the occasional road sign). I can't help but rely on a dedicated GPS. I would forget maps downloaded to a smartphone as a primary nav tool (unless you can positively recharge it every single day, or are comfortable with the occasional low-tech navigation). Bike GPS also has to be recharged every day, but if/when you run out of battery power, you still have your smartphone somewhere in your kit, and can use it in an emergency. (it means GPS + downloaded maps to your phone + tablet).

5. Somewhere among the comments, someone has suggested getting rid of the mug/bowl -- I would not. You want a pot/kettle to "cook" (boil water added to whatever you'll eat) and something else to drink tea or coffee. If you want to keep weight to an absolute minimum, look at the seppou insulated titanium mugs. Will keep your luggage light, as well as your wallet

have fun. should be great.

As R&B said it is short for Wobbly which is what we call members of the IWW union. Not only are we democratically run but we are a union for all workers of any industry. However we are not a union for bosses and those in power and we tend to have better songs!

You can destroy a couple of links by breaking and twisting a chain or something. Just cut your chiain and put it back together with your chain tool. You'll have to be careful about cross-chaining (Big/Big), but otherwise it should be rideable. Apparently if you blow out a derailleur, you can bypass it and choose a gear that will get you to most of where you have to go until you can get to town.

I think the Surly LHT has horizontal dropouts, which allows a single-speed configuration in a pinch.

Technically you're supposed to splice 9s and better chains using special chain pins (Shimano brand, use whatever brand you need) So far, I have had good luck just pushing out pins (never past 90%), and pushing them back in with my 9s chains, but an extra pin or two would be feather light, and could help in a pinch. Or, maybe carry a spare quick link.

As far as chain wear. I used to be be pretty relaxed about chain wear. But, as the chains wear, they "stretch". Essentially the bushings wear so they are no longer tight. Anyway, when you get about 1/16" stretch per foot, then it is time to replace the WHOLE chain. Not just a few links. Go much over that and you risk damaging your cassette and/or chainrings.

Chain life apparently varies considerably. Under pretty harsh conditions, maybe 1000 to 2000 miles per chain. Under ideal conditions, significantly more. Leave the chain on too long, and you blow out your cassette with the first chain (I think the new cassettes wear faster than the old freewheels).

So, 5000 miles, with a generally well lubed chain, mostly dry, mostly pavement (dirt?). You'd probably be pushing it to last for the trip. 2 chains would probably do it. Really bad, wet, dirty, muddy conditions, even up to 5 chains

As mentioned, for the kind of mileage you're wanting to do, start with good new consumables (chains, tires, etc).

Certainly upgrade. Once you go ExO you won't want to go back. The only time I wear cotton undies is sometimes at home if I am going nowhere and out of laundry. The nice thing is I can wear my ExO stuff for a week and it doesn't stink as bad as cotton undies do after a day or two. However I don't recommend wearing undies that long unless you need to, I did it to test it out and now if I am traveling I wear and wash two pairs.

I think the union will forever pull through any drama and set backs. Over 110 years and still kickin' ass for the workin' class!

I believe this practice is what cost me a new rear derailleur and a new derailleur hanger. All our bikes are now running Sram chains.

I've broken, maybe 5 or so chains in my life without ripping off the derailleur, all before I transitioned to 9s chains, but perhaps it depends on exactly how it fails, and what you do as your bike is falling apart.

When I started re-using 9s pins, I also started marking them, so if one happened to fail, I'd know which one.l

Really old stuff has thick less-tapered teeth. Teeth on modern cogs allow for smoother shifts (probably important now that most people are using indexed shifters), but are much more narrow at the contact points.

1979 cogs:



2004 cogs:

prolly won't have a problem with gear/brake cables, but they're light,
carry one spare long one each....do cut off the unusable end before
you leave. but cable housing? no.

that pedal/headset combo is a beast. leave it. need more hex keys,
go over all the bolts on your bike, including on the bag attachments.
you got a torx to adjust your disc brake pads, or remove the disc?

you got more electronics that i got in my whole house. how much do
you really need? selfie stick? just. say. no.

Low riders can present ground clearance issues. And you lack of a front shock should make things interesting. Make sure you stop into the Wise River Club in the Montana town of the same name. Decent fish & chips along with other things. And the 25 mile descent into town is very nice. The Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway is one of the paved sections of the GDMBR. It used to be dirt but was paved back around 2008 or so. I have ridden that part twice and have plans to do it again this June. The alpine meadow section a bit beyond Crystal Park is beautiful. Make sure you have bug spray. The mosquitoes were so bad we couldn't stop for more than a quick photo. Even when I rode it in 2014 and stopped at the summit in the rain to put on rain gear I got attacked.



BTW...Make sure you can lift your bike. You are likely to encounter a situation like the one I faced on the Mickelson Trail last June:



There was no way around the blockage.

Thanks for the replies!

I've been hiking and camping without ever having any problems with bears. Most bears I've seen were scampering away very quickly.

National Parks are a bit different as the bears get so much human interaction that they loose the normal fear of humans.

I did find some boats up in the mountains that someone had tied in a tree. 1 rope between two trees, with the boats hanging from the middle. The highest one was just fine. The lowest one, the bears used it like a tetherball. Needless to say, while the boat remained tied above the ground, it no longer appeared to be airtight.

Someone had the bright idea to reintroduce the Grizzly to one of my favorite hiking areas in Northern Idaho, but it has been a while since I've been back there. Otherwise, there are very few Grizzlys in the USA. Yellowstone?

The black bears in general aren't aggressive, except maybe in the national parks.

In my experience bears are far more likely to be a problem in the parks than elsewhere. In the parks I have toured through that have serious bear problems you are typically required to stay in campgrounds that usually have bear boxes. I never been anywhere that the places I camped on bike tours required a canister in the campgrounds.

I have met scores (hundreds?) of bike tourists on the road and can recall precisely one who was carrying a bear canister.

That said, if you must take a canister, the BV450 at 2lb 1oz, $70, and 7.2 liters is a nice size for bike touring. I love mine for backpacking, but only use it where required.

Bear canisters are required only in the backcountry of these Western NPs, primarily used by long-distance backpackers. John Muir Trail is a perfect example of an area where everyone will carry food in a canister. In the main visitor area of these NPs where all the tourists, including 95% of the bicycle tourists will camp, bear canisters are not a requirement. Established camping areas in the frontcountry of all NPs in bear country are equipped with steel bear-proof food lockers. It is very unlikely a normal bicycle tourist would ever need or be required to have a bear canister in a Western NP, or anywhere else.

WRT to GPS/navigation, there are a number of low-cost tablets with gps circuit that are more than adequate for GPS navigation, provided the user has installed appropriate software and learned how to use it. The free OSMand app is one such software that will provide reliable GPS mapping and automatic, voice-prompted navigation, even while "offline" with no cellular or wifi connection. This software works by downloading suitable map databases before travel, then relying on the device hardware capability (gps circuit) to locate position, movement and associated points of interest within the mapping database. There are perhaps half a dozen GPS nav apps that come in android and IOS versions with offline capability. Obviously this software functions on all gps-capable smartphones too, but it is easier to use on larger-screened tablets.

If he does the large section of the GDMBR (Salida, CO to Columbia Falls, MT) as he plans, he will effectively be in the backcountry at times, not that that means he will need a beak canister.

Absolutely true. And I have maps on my tablet. But do not ride/hike with a tablet in hand. I prefer a GPS watch while hiking, and a bike GPS when riding. Question of autonomy and handling. I would use the tablet for the sole purpose of route planning.

Good points. I just meant that depending on the itinerary, a canister may be required.

One thing, maybe -- bears are most intimidating, but there are numerous critters ranging from squirrels to mice/rats, skunks and racoons that are attracted to trail food. I usually travel with tin cans in which I store GORP and fresh food items. How do you deal with food?

What about a water filter/purification system? There are multi-day stretches of the GDMBR where you will need to rely on ground water.

And have you read this and given it the serious consideration it deserves?: https://www.adventurecycling.org/rou...in-bike-route/

Yes, I have actually seen folks have more issues with raccoon problems on my tours.

How I deal with keeping critters out of my food depends on the locale. On the Pacific coast and in places like Yosemite, Sequoia, King's Canyon, and Yellowstone there are usually boxes in the campgrounds just for that purpose. Elsewhere I sometimes hang my food, but more often don't do anything other than taking the food bag out of the pannier so my panniers don't get ruined if something gets into the food. It depends on how I see the risk. Maybe I have been lucky, but unless there are known issues or at least reason to suspect a problem I don't worry too much.

In my experience critter problems are on tour are almost always in actual campgrounds or busy backpacking areas, so when wild camping most places I am pretty lax. Maybe I have been lucky but I have done a fair number of long tours, a lot of backpacking, and only once lost any food to critters (raccoon). In that case it was my own carelessness since I failed to hang my food on the supplied critter pole.

In deciding to hang or not in a campground, I look at whether the trash receptacles are critter proof. Any place that has serious bear problems will have bear proof lids on the dumpsters. Similarly places with a lot of raccoon problems are likely to latch the lids on trash cans. I typically ask whether there have been critter problems if it isn't obvious.

I have stayed two places where there were recent bear issues and hanging food wasn't an option. Once was a park where they recommended putting all food and toiletries in your vehicle. We made friends with a nice dutch couple who let us put our food in their car. The other was a spot with no place to hang food and a recent griz sighting in the ravine next to camp. In that case we stored our food in the restroom supply cabinet.

Good catch. I forgot to put that I have a Sawyer Mini for a water filter. Here's a question though. What's the best way to collect and use water with me setup? I was thinking of using the 3L Nalgene to collect the untreated water and then I can pour it into the Sawyer pouch or a random water bottle and filter while I drink. For cooking I figure I can squeeze the pouch to force the water through and into the pot. However, I'm a bit concerned about using the 3L Nalgene afterwards for drinkable water once I get back near civilization. Would rinsing it out with soap and water then letting it dry in the sun work? Would I need to take greater precautions?

the quote function seemes to be on the fritz.Grizzly bear population in the Continental U.S.A. according to Wikipedia:"Continental United States[edit] Only about 1,500 grizzlies are left in the lower 48 states of the US.[20] Of these, about 800 live in Montana.[21] About 600 more live in Wyoming, in the Yellowstone-Teton area.[22] There are an estimated 70–100 grizzly bears living in northern and eastern Idaho. Its original range included much of the Great Plains and the southwestern states, but it has been extirpated in most of those areas. Combining Canada and the United States, grizzly bears inhabit approximately half the area of their historical range.[7] In September 2007, a hunter produced evidence of one bear in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness ecosystem, by killing a male grizzly bear there.[23] In the North Cascades ecosystem of northern Washington grizzly bear populations are estimated to be less than 20 bears and only one sighting of a grizzly bear in the last 10 years has been recorded.[24] There is the possibility that grizzlies may begin repopulating in Colorado, although there has been no confirmed sighting of a grizzly in that state since 1979.[25]"Cheers

reply to Post #36 re blockage of trail.I have a saw blade from a bow saw and i made a lightweight aluminium bucksaw like takeapart frame for it just for situations like that. it's also very useful for cutting larger pieces of dead wood for a fire rather than trying to break or chop it. i've use this saw many times on a rail-trail after a big blow when a lot of trees were down across it. The saw weighs very little.Cheers

Personally I'd be inclined to clean the bottle with bleach.

You going to saw through an entire tree with that? From ACA's web site re: a portion of the GDMBR in MT:

The Morrell Complex fire burned over part of the Great Divide crossing the Morrell-Clearwater Divide, south of Clearwater Lake and north of Seeley Lake. The route is open again, but there are more downed trees in this area than usual and plenty of snags to come down in the future.