ltrose

From an Oregon/Northern California tour this past summer. 840 miles from Eugene to Myers Flat and back.
Somewhere in the Rogue valley:

And the camping setup was pretty nifty:

Ryl

Just before my first tour back in June!

steve-in-kville 

What basket is that? That would work well with my daily commuter!

joetheun

Trial ride up to top of Reddington Pass Northeast of Tucson. The bike did well I was beat. A couple thousand feet on dirt road. Bike is old Cannondale touring frame modified with disc brakes.

Medic Zero

I'm quite curious about the small panniers at the rear as well. Berthoud? I've been looking for something that size, and hopefully classy.

mmeiser

Love seeing the road crossover bikepacking setups because I know how much fun it is to tour on them. 120 miles a day is suddenly easy. The sense of freedom is unparralleled. It really is the closest thing to the UL backpacking inspired adage... "like going out for a sunday stroll but you can just keep going for days or weeks" except we don't stroll, we ride.

Whole states in a day... and yet, it's not about the speed at all, it is most definitely about the freedom and lightness of being. The saying comes to mind, free like the wind.

I road toured over the last couple years on a sub-30lb aluminum and carbon bikepacking style setup, a blue Salsa Campeon. I also backroad / offroad tour on a salsa fargo, upgraded to titanium. Sadly cracked the road bike in a small non-touring-related accident, but on the bright side am replacing it with a dream touring bike, a carbon fiber cyclocross. I even have carbon wheels for it though those iI'll most likely be touring on a ultegra/mavic open pro wheelset. The cross bike should let me ride like the wind not only on paved roads but with a 34mm tire I should be able to ride any backrad in america, and i should still weigh in at under 30lbs, and yes that includes bike and gear.

Highly encourage everyone to join flickr and post photos on the many photo groups, most relevant is this one: https://www.flickr.com/groups/ultralightbiking/

I've posted a lot of pics to it: https://www.flickr.com/groups/ultrali.../84375973@N00/

Other relevant groups

https://www.flickr.com/groups/fargo_a...ation_society/
https://www.flickr.com/groups/stealthcamping/
https://www.flickr.com/groups/touringgear/
https://www.flickr.com/groups/rough-riders/

Disclaimer, I started all those. Other favorites include a couple of backroad biking groups, and there are slew of touring related groups.

-Mike

mmeiser

I have a cross-check I tour on. Was the bike that got me into touring. Have 30-40k miles on it. Love the short wheel base which climbs and handles quickly. Still love it though I don't ride it as much. The places we have been. It is in my mind one of the best values in touring, though most would prefered the longer wheel based LHT for loaded touring, I like you tour lightly. I don't CCard tour, am just an extreme minimalist and student of the bikepacking / ultralight backpacking thing.

My applause on rocking out without all the gear. It's a great way to travel no matter weather you're a loaded tourer or ccard. it's awesome. I have to think though that you're probably missing out on being idenitified / seen as a loaded tourer. I can't tell you the number of times people have sought me out. A loaded touring bike is the ultiate ice breaker. It just attracts people. Hard to explain how it opens doors and opportunities. It's got to be a lot like traveling before there were cars and hotels. People are so inviting and so genuinly interested in sharing their stories and lives as well as interested in yours. A very life affirming thing. I'm sure you get it some, but i'm also sure that 90% of people probably mistake you for people just out for a daily ride and just look right past you.

Anyway, one last thing. The way you list out your wife's bikes I'm thinking you're more proud of your wifes rides than you are of your own. "my wife is a total bike geek too", lol. I know I would be if I found a signficant other that into biking. Cheers!

One last thing, you should check out some of the flickr photo sharing groups I listed in the last post. Especially the Ultralight bike touring and bikepacking one.

tashi

Thanks! I'm a big fan of the Cross-Checks, this is my second one. I doubt I'll be without one again. Only thing lacking in my opinion is disc brake mounts, and I'll probably just have those added eventually. The LHT, while a great bike, has just always felt like a tank to me, and overkill unless you're really loading it down. My CC spends most of it's time as my cyclocross race bike, and my wife's lives as a road and commuter bikey. I love the versatility of these things.

Although I gotta come clean - we're not ultralight, nor even CC tourists when we go to foreign countries. We go with Tour d'Afrique for those trips! I can't say enough good things about these guys - they offer just the right level of support and adventure to allow us to focus on the riding, culture, and landscapes of the places we're riding without having to haul all our kit around or worry about where we're going to rest our heads at night or where we're going. I highly recommend them if you like riding and seeing very foreign countries but aren't quite sure about putting the two together entirely on your own. On the bike is truly the best way I've experienced a foreign country. My wife had been to India before, but the vastly preferred our trip with Td'A in 2010 vs. a few years previous with backpacks.

As far as getting noticed, that seems to depend on the people more than the bikes. Rural central americans seemed to be pretty interested, but aside from the kids (who would run from their shacks screaming "gringa, gringa, gringa!") they weren't too forward. City folk don't really don't notice you. Indians on the other hand - wow! Everywhere you go you'll attract a crowd of at least 20 people, most of which want to know your name, your country, where you're going and what the little levers and switches on your bike does and if you know their cousin in Toronto if they know where that is. Something to get used to for sure, but pretty awesome as well.

fks

On a recent tour in Southern NSW in Australia.

Vagabundo

This was taken near Petoskey, Michigan on a trip I took last summer.

writetodave

From my Vancouver to Mexico trip..

Vagabundo

What time of year did you go, Dave? Did you take the Pacific Coast? I've been thinking about taking that ride, but am worried that it might be too crowded.

primedirective

I am in Sweden for the year doing research and I really miss my bike and touring ... so I am going to make you all look at it too! Post more pictures of your touring bikes! It helps me! This photo is from 17 July 2012 - I was hiding out from a thunderstorm under a bridge while in Green Bay. Cheers all!

djb

PD, if there for a year, have you considered purchasing a used bike and basic stuff to at least allow for some day or weekend trips? Important for the soul, as you know.

nascarjeff

The is my daily commuter (20 miles) and my weekend tour setup.(2 day 100 milers in Texas)

puntyboy

is that a dynamo hub that I spy? Is it for lighting only, or does it have other duties? Which hub,, what rim, built by whom, your overall thoughts, etc? Inquiring minds want to know.

primedirective

Hi Puntyboy, I don't have my book with me here, so I don't know the exact model, but it is a Shimano dynamo hub. I only use it for the light at this point, but I have thought about trying to charge other things, but a charging set-up is a bit more than I want to spend and I don't have quite the know-how to make my own. (I just use a cheap solar charger for my dumb phone at this point). That and the added weight.

The rim was built by my LBM (Revolution Cycles in Madison WI if you want to know) but I don't remember and I don't have my book with me - so I don't know the make. Sorry! I like the whole set up. I suppose it adds a bit of weight. But I don't really notice any resistance. On tour, I don't ride after dark, but it is nice to have on foggy mornings or if I ever had to ride late. When I am just riding at home, it is awesome too - the lamp (came with the hub and bike) is great - lights up the road well! And I feel like I stay visible. I worried for a while because it turns off when I stop, but I tend to have some much reflective gear on anyway. I think I would like to get a light that had a battery in it so it would stay lit when I stopped at intersections - I'd feel safer. Best of luck!

Djb: I would love to! I have a very cheap bike I bought (200 kronor - about 30 bucks?) but I don't have the money to get what else I need and it is really cold and I don't have my cold weather sleeping bag here. And everything is really expensive in Sweden. I am a graduate student on a fellowship - enough to eat and have place to stay. I will be back in the states and with my prime directive (my bike!) in a few months. Keep the rubber side down!

djb

right, I see. I thought you were going to be there all summer and such, so wondered why you didnt take it with you or want to do more while there. But yes, being in Canada with similar weather, now is not the best time to be riding, not until April or so...
you too as per safe riding.

LesC

Here is my little Surly Disk LHT. All set and ready to go.
We, as a family of 4, are looking at a massive trip starting in 2014.
Doing a blog at Here (www.8pedals.com) or on facebook Here (www.facebook.com/8pedals).

jaspurlin

This is my 1973 Schwinn Le Tour. Added a cheap sealed bearing bottom bracket, triple cranks,and squeezed a 6 speed freewheel on the back with a $15 Shimano Tourney derailleur. Used this for my Oregon to Missouri tour, 2009. 53 days, approx 2700 miles.

alexaschwanden

^ how did you get the bed roll to stay like that? It looks like a rear facing cannon.

jaspurlin

Oh, that. It was wrapped around an -ahem- umbrella that I really wanted to bring home with me. The umbrella handle was hooked to my seat post, I don't remember how I kept it bungied down.

rodar y rodar

it`s to ward off unwanted wheel suckers!

PeaceP@

I have recently went through my "Computer Gear" which I use to work as a web developer on the road and my "Kitchen Gear" and wrote reviews for all the gear associated with those two areas. I am working on the rest of my gear but I think the readers of this thread will appreciate what I use to live on the road while touring anywhere and everywhere.
THE BIKE TOURIST’S KITCHEN: COOKING ESSENTIALS. https://worldsbetweenlines.com/2013/0...ng-essentials/
WORKING WHILE TOURING: CORDS AND CHARGERS. https://worldsbetweenlines.com/2013/0...-and-chargers/





https://worldsbetweenlines.com/

PeaceP@

I also have created a little bicycle trailer movie of my tour. I am still touring and hope to create many more of these and ultimately create a full short documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrEGrmH3axs