Hmm, never thought of the knot in the cable trick. Is the knot really strong enough to prevent the cable from pulling through? Rocks just seem so much more solid :p

Honestly I never had to do this before - I just think it's a neat trick. The only time I ever had a cable bust I was just a few miles from home on the road bike so I huffed it in the 11t. But looking at this, I'd say it's enough to hold in the gear you want, as there actually isn't very much resistance in a derailleur spring.

I always use a large cup. After my meal, I have some tea. The hot beverage does wonders on the leftovers, and the teabag makes a good scrubbiest!
Cheers!

In Colombia, they cyclists drink water and eat bocodillo, which is a guava, sugary treat wrapped in a leaf. I can buy them in NYC too and they seem to substitute for gu and other cycling energy foods

Little more info please for those, cough cough, less informed?

Recently I’ve start putting a rotation arrow on my inner tubes. I always line the tire logo up with the valve and the arrow on the tube help finding whatever caused the flat.

By 'scrubbiest' you are referring using tea bag to scrub / clean the pots? If so, excellent idea!

"Inbus"- I had to look this one up....Apparently, the registered name, in Germany, for what we Americans call "Allen" fasteners. Never knew that one until now! But more to the point, the industry has been already shifting over to Allen fittings for some time now. Converting the remaining hex head bolts makes good sense.

Thanks, nickw,
Should have been "Scrubbie". And YES, I use the teabag. Once it dries out you can save a couple grams weight ;-). Or, if you have a fire, burn it!
(And, no, I'm not really a weight weenie, but I've long ago gone to a simple silicone coated tarp in place of a tent. The kid is doing so as well.)

On all tours, long or short, I carry a patch kit and a pump.

On a long tour, I bring a replacement inner tube. On a short tour, or if I am going out for just the day, I may or may not carry one.

But going forward, I will always bring an extra inner tube. I just experienced a rare failure: the nut on the presta valve snapped off while I was inflating the tire, which rendered the valve useless. The only solution: a new inner tube!

The moral: Unless you are OK with not being able to cycle on a cycle tour, always carry one or more replacement inner tubes.

I'd go further and say don't eat where you sleep. Stop before you camp and do your dining. Then, if bears are a real concern, hang your food bag from a tree.

Oddly, this is actually not that rare, especially when affixing a pump to a valve. In this case it would be well to have an extra valve core or two handy, as it's easier to put a new core in than it is to change out a tube.

Touring lessons I am still learning!
 

1. It's easy to underestimate how much water you might need while touring. If you are planning on carrying one bottle, double that!

2. Carry enough food, and eat frequently. Your body will need fuel if you are exerting yourself.

3. Even if rain is not in the forecast, bring rain gear. (I ignored this advice for yesterday's five-hour outing. Thunderclouds unexpected rolled in, and we got soaked.

4. If you use sunblock, apply sparingly to your forehead so it doesn't drip into your eyes.

5. Carry clean tissues or paper towels or something similar to help clean up. (See, 4, above!)

6. If your energy starts to flag, take a break. Even five or ten minutes gives tired muscles some much-needed recovery time.

What do you get for your significant other who enjoys bicycle touring ? Probably only the greatest bicycle accessory ever !

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...30e6c838d.jpeg

Rollers? Gosh you pack heavy, where's the kitchen sink? :) Andy (written in the best humor)

When i tour, i like to bring a hiking backpack instead of panniers. i attach a plank to my cargo rack, then i tie the backpack on laying horizontally.
Benefits: the backpack can be used to hike with during the tour. less air resistance while biking. everything in one place, so if you camp away from the road it's easy to bring it all with you.

Keep a big fat cotton ball in your tube patch kit for flats. Running it along the inside of your tire helps you find those tiny metal wires that might otherwise be missed. The cotton ball will snag on anything protruding, no matter how small. I've read journals that describe getting 2 and 3 flats in a row, most likely from a missed thorn/wire. It will also keep the glue, chalk and patches from rattling around in their little box. Repairing a flat should be an organized methodical procedure, all the way to ensuring your quick release is properly tightened and wheel aligned, trying the brakes and freespinning. Pumping the tire up to pressure is best done by counting strokes- my tiny pump requires 170 pumps to achieve the 90lbs I prefer. I pause in 100 meters to spin the wheel and double check myself.

If you're touring in New York State, you can camp for free in most state forests managed by the Dept. of Conservation (DEC). Details about 'primitive camping' here: www. dec. ny. gov/outdoor/camping. html . While the page talks mostly about the Adirondacks and Catskills, primitive camping is allowed in most state forests managed by the DEC: www. dec. ny. gov/lands/34531. html . Click on a state forest near where you want to go, and the page will tell you if camping is permitted within the state forest. Note that camping is not permitted within most wildlife management areas.

Free camping is also allowed along New York State's canal system: www. canals. ny. gov/trails/camping. html . The page lists the sites available along the canals, but you may also be able to camp for free at any of the locks along the canal system. Call ahead to the lock - www. canals. ny. gov/wwwapps/boating/locks. aspx - and ask the lock personnel if you may camp overnight there.

Tip regarding canal camping - railroads often run through the valleys parallel to the canals and they often run all night long. If you think the sound of the trains and the horn blasts will keep you awake, bring along some foam ear plugs like construction workers use.

(Apologies for the "links" in text with the clumsy inserted spaces. It seems I may not post links until I have 10 posts...)

i know im 2 years late but, its essentially a sweetened guava paste. (you can find it under guava paste in more places than under bocadillo. also they tend to drink agua de panela instead of water, basically a block of pure cane sugar that you dump in your water bottle and squeeze a lemon into.

also just finished reading this entire thread, hoping to so some touring this summer so this was pretty usefull

Do most of you guys camp? No one goes from AirBNB to AirBNB?

If you bike toured like that I'd like to know.

I don't. From experience there's a overhead checking in and out of AirB&B that makes a one night stay unappealing. If you stay for a few days then it's a different story.

I mostly camp, often taking a hotel rom every fourth or fifth night. It give me a chance to recharge electronics, do some laundry, watch so TV nd take a rally long shower. The availability and quality of camping resources also determines how often I camp or 'credit card'. When I rode across the desert, I stayed in hotels whenever possible.

mo

DIY Single Packets of Chamois Cream
 

I'm just getting back into biking. I'd like to get to the point where i'm packing my camping gear. I'm almost 50 and my body hurts and I get sores when biking too far. My buddy turned me on to chamois cream. I started buying the packets in order to re-apply while on the road. Those run about $2 to $3 per .3 oz packet. That's about $6-$10 an oz!!!! So.... i make my own now. This is on Youtube. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to drop a link. Don't want to get in trouble, but here's a screen shot of the video. These packets are the bomb!
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e18abbf00b.png
Hope this is a helpful trick that is worthy of this thread.

Good question! Thanks!

One more thing about oatmeal. I mix my before hand with powdered milk and protien powder. I like the vanilia especially. It may be an acquired taste though.

On the KATY Trail in Missouri... from St. Charles until Jefferson City there are bed and breakfasts, small hotels and AirBnB rentals about every 10 miles or so. We like to park at Jeff City and take the Amtrak train (which will let your bikes ride with you) east to Washington, then bike further east to Augusta, spend the night, then start working out way over multiple days to Jeff City. Or there are bike taxi services which will come pick you up and take you anywhere you want, which is more flexible than Amtrak. Saint Charles is a wonderful town. Using a bike taxi lets us park anywhere and start anywhere. And we only stay in bed and breakfasts, small hotels and AirBnB rentals. We take two pairs of bike clothes and wash one in the sink each night. We eat in diners, restaurants and the many wineries that are in that first 100 or so miles of the trail. The only things we pack are a few clothes, some snacks and some sunscreen. Credit card touring is the best.

carbide
 

I have a good one.....carbide lamps.......the kind miners use to wear on their hats ....and old brass bicycle lights ran on carbide.......carbide is a little rock when water drips on it it releases a gas that burns very bright......every time we were in wilderness areas the carbide lamps would be lighting our way WEEKS after all our batteries were dead.......the old bicycle lights had a glass lens so it could be used as a good headlight.....they have a long historical association with bikes.....the miners version has no lens but great for camp use.....a can of carbide will give you months of light......a cyclist shouldnt leave civilization with out one

Repurpose/reuse tubes
 

Something I have done for some years is to use old tubes when worn out, too many patches/holes to make my own extra long bungees. They are great and make easy work of securing just about anything to a rack. I collect the nylon clips off of worn out broken packs, computer bags, luggage, etc. that people have thrown out and use them to make the bungees adjustable and easy to use. I cut the tube both sides of the valve and then into long strips; or, you can use the tube not cut into strips if required. You just make them the way you want or need.

Any tips on repairing a Shimano 105 brake rubber cover?

https://i.imgur.com/OvbThzM.jpg?1