Sixty Fiver

My Twenty has been re-configured for touring duty and handled my little 200km trip really well.

Don't let the small wheels fool you... it is a serious bike that performs nearly as well as my touring bike and will get even better in the coming weeks as I do have a few more modifications planned.

It should be mountain worthy as soon as I add the road double.

AaronJohnTurner

It's pretty cool that you outfitted your bike that way. I'll probably be buying the same rear panniers, a couple small front ones, and maybe a handlebar bag to carry snacks and a camera.

Sixty Fiver

Aaron - My Twenty is going out to Arvon Cycles next week and after the frame is sandblasted I will be doing a little custom brazing work to add bottle bosses, will build and fit my new stem, and will tidy up some of the stock welds.

Might need to fabricate some custom racks too.

Make sure you get good racks... avoid the double stay models and go for the triple... MEC's stock rack is what I am using on the Twenty and it has held up to some extreme use.

AaronJohnTurner

Thanks for the advice. Took a ride into the city and back (89km) I ended up purchasing 60L Axiom Panniers. They were just about $10 more than the MEC 50's. Had I wanted the MEC's, even with the oversized clips, I would have had to purchase a whole new rack.

Picked up some great basic alloy bar ends. All that's left to get for the trip is a couple smaller front panniers, and a nice little tent I have my eye on. Aaand maybe a handlebar bag. I'll have to get some pics up once I've got it all set up before I leave.

And fainally, grabbed an EBC membership.

miro13car

the biggest issue for you would be passing cars which pass close to 100km/h 2-3 meters from you on typical primitive Alberta roads/I don't even call them highways/.
they don't even have full width sholder.
But if you are into military I understand you are person who like takes risk including death .
I would be scared to death - just think about it - every passing car .....
One thing is ride on 60km/h city road, another is riding on 110km/h roads.And on 90km/h Alberta road driver typically drives 100km/h.
Of course the biggest speed difference the more danger.
MC


Your safety wiould be issue.

Sixty Fiver

I ride our "primitive" highways all the time and was commuting on highway 16 last week... the shoulders are adequate on the main highways and the biggest risk is crossing on/off ramps as you have to factor in that oncoming cars may be travelling at 110kmh plus.

Invest in a reflective safety vest as this will make you highly visible at any time of the day and have noted that cars gives me lots of passing room when I am wearing this... so much so I worry that they will swing so far out that they cause a hazard to oncoming cars.

On the highway vehicles can see you from a long ways off and I am more comfortable riding here than I am in the city where drivers are more distracted and clearances are even tighter.

Once you clear the city the riding gets a lot more pleasant.

groovestew

Second everything Sixty Fiver said. I've talked to several people who are freaked out about riding the main highways but I don't really mind.

As for on/off ramps, in BC, they have signs directing cyclists what to do, and they make a lot of sense to me. Cross as near as possible to where the pavement splits or joins. So if coming up to an exit ramp, stay right as long as possible, and cross back over to the highway just before the pavement splits (and when safe, of course. Don't expect cars to slow down for you.) When approaching a merge ramp, shoulder check and cross over as soon as the pavement between the merge lane and the highway join. That way, you avoid any problems with people making last-second exits, or early merges.

neil

Ummm...troll much?

I've traveled extensively and have rarely found locations with better roads than Alberta. I have my issues with Alberta - a big one being too much focus on building roads and not enough on other transportation infrastructure - but road quality ain't one of them.

I dislike highway riding in the core of the province because of the noise, not because of any danger factor.

Sixty Fiver

miro - Do you even live in Alberta or actually have any touring experience ?

One thing that Alberta is known for is it's excellent road quality... you can always tell when you pass into Saskatchewan and don't even have to be looking at the road signs as their road quality is very poor compared to ours.

Aside from the high traffic flow, the QE highway is a really nice place to ride as the shoulders are really wide and very smooth and I often take 2A from Leduc to Wetaskiwin which has a narrower shoulder but is also very smooth.

Have also found that highway drivers give cyclists a great deal of space and statistically... you are at the greatest risk when you are riding in urban environments.

Sixty Fiver

This is hwy 814 south of Beaumont... please note the quality of the roadway and despite it not having a wide shoulder it is more than wide enough.

Many places can only wish to have such smooth ribbons of road to ride and drive on.

miro13car

piece of advice
Riding Alberta roads /I don't even call them highway/ is dangerous , they don't have even full with sholder, just narrow.
Again riding bike just meters from car going 110km/h ?
There is a reason town of Banf is constructing this bike path from Banf to Cocrane.
along Trans Canada BUT much away from sholder of that highway.
MC

groovestew

I know, don't feed the trolls. But I don't want irrational diatribes instilling doubt in anyone.

I feel more comfortable being "meters" away from a car doing 110+km/h than inches away from a car doing 60km/h, which happens often on city streets. In fact, on the highways, I love it when a big rig passes in the adjacent lane, especially on a windy day, because for 6 glorious seconds, you get a really nice draft.

AaronJohnTurner

I found the career choice relating to my ability to cope with the 'risks' of touring humourous. If I was looking for death a danger I'd join a circus or a stunt team.

Agreed groovestew. In my dozen or so trips into the city in the last couple months, I can say without a doubt that riding on highways with minimals shoulders, whether the speed limit is 80 or 100km/h, is more pleasant than the small portion of Edmonton drivers that miss you by inches, blast past you only to cut you off to make a right turn, etc. Drivers just seem to have some inate respect for slower vehicles on faster roads. And there's nothing better than when half a dozen semis pass you while you're riding against a headwind!

miro13car

why troll, just opinion
Because I don't brag how great province, blah, blah.
Just because I live in Alberta I should not be critical?
Feeling safe or not is just personal , very personal.
Again there is a reason city of Banff is constructing those pathways, why? Ask Banff concellers and they will tell you how many died near Banff.
just statistics, ,.
because somebody does not agree with others - is it troll?
Not at all.
MC
Nail,
you must be joking,
ever drove on highway in Germany or Holland?
ever drove from Banff to Jasper, it is disgrace for federal, province, I am not sure whose responsability it is I think Canada Parks. cracks in asphalt every 2-5 meter, that's quality?
In conversation with park warden she admitted that last 150km to jasper is bad, bad.
Mc

groovestew

As a software nerd, the biggest risk in my job is carpel tunnel syndrome, but I don't mind riding on the highways. Riding MUTs on a sunny Sunday afternoon...that's what I call dangerous!

Miro, express all the opinions you want; it's a free country. But express them as opinions. Implying that people who bike on Alberta highways must have a death wish is a lot different than saying you don't personally feel safe on Alberta highways.

By the way, while I don't think of Alberta highways as "Primitive" (another incendiary statement designed to illicit an emotional response, hence, trolling) I don't hold as high of an opinion of them as 65er or Neil. They're better than roads in Saskatchewan and Manitoba and Newfoundland, undeniably, but I've driven much better in other parts of North America. As for the Jasper/Banff Highway, it gets a bye in my books. The climate in the area is incredibly rough on roads, and closing parts to resurface them every year or two would wreak havoc with the hundreds of thousands of cars that travel that road every year.

Apparently, there was some kind of cable or something that was installed under the shoulder of Hwy 93 and then paved over. The paved strip is only a foot wide, but it's supposed to give cyclists a nice unbroken ribbon of smooth pavement to ride. This is second-hand info, though, not based on personal observation or experience.

AaronJohnTurner

Well, I thought I'd upload a current picture of the rig so far. My mom bought a nicely priced Sony Cybershot that shoots at 14.1MP. Pretty sweet for your average point and shoot.

Just some MEC barends. I won't be using the trunk bag on the tour.

Sixty Fiver

I've seen that bike in person and it is rather sweet looking... would consider trekking bars over bar ends to give you even more hand positions without going to drops which is an expensive conversion.

groovestew

Nice! Thanks for uploading that shot.

Man, I'm feeling jealous of your tour.

AaronJohnTurner

Just did a quick image search on Google, they definitely look like they off lots of hand positions, not to mention a less-aggressive riding position than drops. Maybe that'll be something for me to look into before I leave.

AaronJohnTurner

I'll be sure to document it the best I can. Maybe a Flickr album for the multitude photos, and a journal/distance log, and hopefully some video!

GamblerGORD53

Have a nice trip AJT. Looks like a fast bike.
But, you need 2 more water bottles. There is lots of space under that seat for those duo post bottle holders.
It would help if there was i bit more weight up front. Going to use a small front bag at all ?
Hwy 16 has long barren stretches.
I don't mind those 3 ft sholders. Just try to ride about 1 ft. from the edge on any width. The Callahoo highway (37) has only 1 ft sholders.
I had passing cars flying at me a few times. Oh well. haha

AaronJohnTurner

Thanks for the well wishes, and hydration is definately key, I'll be grabbing one of the bottle holders you desribed, and my panniers have mesh compartments I could squeeze water bottles into, if neccessary. I will also be picking up a couple smaller panniers for the front too, and plan on using one to hold food in, in a tree away from my tent at night.

I meant to ask you all this a while ago, but I hope to pick up my tent next week, and was wondering if you guys knew of a campground between 80-125kms away from the St.Albert-Morinville area? I'd like to get an overnight practice trip or two in to get used to the tent and loading and unloading the bike on the road.

GamblerGORD53

I can't say i've stayed overnight at any of them in 35 years, but i've driven by some 10 years ago.
I'd say you are best to head west around Wabamun. Those big provincial campgrounds could be full on Fri/Sat.
But there is several private and roadside ones not too far away. That might mean a trip down the Hwy 37. oops haha.
1 ft sholders from hwy 44 to the west. Hwy 799 S to Stony Plain is nice. 7 miles upslope and 7 miles downslope.
CFers like to ride there. Then head west on the freeway.

Maybe Lac La Nonne or Ste Anne.
Hubbles Lake is nice, maybe costs more. Canoe rentals etc.
2 years ago i just rode thru Elk Island and it cost me $8 i think. Good camps there i guess, maybe more bugs there tho.

miro13car

Gambler,
Speaking of water bottles.
MEC shop in Calgary sells those 1,5 liters sofdrink bottle holders, they are great, because I never saw sofdrink bottle leaking and you have 1,5 liters in one bottle.
Trans Canada is almost like symbol one of the symbols of Canada for the world and what it became?
I saw pictures and spoke to old Canadians, it was like a dream in 1980ies.
Slow deterioration of surface and goverment crazy abouit reducing of defi9cit...
Sweden has severe climate also, Canada is not only one with severs winters.
And llok at the road from Stockholm to airport. I watch a movie which main part is happening in Stockholm and around and you should see roads there, but the do not choose cheaper contractors to pave like city of Calgary, they use special no black frost -resistant asphalt.
You have winter you got to spend for contractor who offer something winter resistant NOT to choose the cheapest contractor
Canadians are so polite they don't name the things. It is below G-7 country standrds that is for sure, infrastructure.
Is is not?
Compare Canada to other G-7 and you see what?
Love cycling, watch tour the France, do you see patched rods, cracked all of the place?
Of course low deficit comes with the price of primitive roads.
MC

MC

frymaster

oh please... canada is far larger than your average european nation and has a much smaller population. clearly the miles of highway to available tax dollar ratio here way lower than it is in holland or luxembourg or wherever. with all that said, the road system here is pretty awesome.

you're kidding, right? i could make a crack about the cobblestones, but that would just be cheap. wait 'til the pyrenees, though, and you'll see more than your fair share of potholes and cracks!