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The Lounge / Re: Where is everyone at in life?
« on: October 11, 2020, 10:01:34 AM »also i made a FB group in case this site goes dark one day
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2626492957668461
Just joined.
3
The Bike Shop / Re: Road touring gear? Touring advice?
« on: May 01, 2017, 08:04:01 PM »Let's talk drive trains. I'm not too savvy with road gear & brands but I don't need anything crazy. I know sram gear is nice....?
My needs may differ to yours of course but this is how im set up. I plan to do super long tours in the future.
I chose a lower tier MTB groupset simply due to ease of use and cost of replacing it. Anything over shimano 105 in the road section is overkill imho.
Shimano deore xt rear derailleur and steel chainrings and cassette. Shimano Sora front derailleur. Shimano LX hubs. Cranks are some random mismatched mtb triples.
My mindset is I don't need the best, lightest parts when i've 40kg of stuff strapped to my steel framed bike. I like my setup to be compatable with parts I can find in a tiny bikeshop in the backend of Africa. I want to be able to replace my whole drivetrain for less than €200. I want it to be heavy duty and dependable, and when something goes wrong I want to be able to fix it with some string and a screwdriver until I find a place I can replace it for €20.
Don't be afraid to buy into the lower Shimano groupsets like Sora. Touring is hard on a bike and youre gonna wear stuff out quicker. Shimano stuff is simple to work on too. I regreased and serviced my hubs with basic tools on a train station platform and it took 25 minutes. I don't think I could of done that had I ran Chriskings or something just as fancy.
I prefer the 'old reliable Jeep' rather than the 'full loaded Porsche Cayenne'.
4
The Bike Shop / Re: Road touring gear? Touring advice?
« on: January 13, 2017, 08:59:53 AM »
Bring spare tubes as well as a patch kit. I would swap the tube out on the side of the road and patch the old tube later when you get to camp.
Bring spare nuts and bolts for your rack, chain oil, wrenches/allen keys/bike tools. I did bring a spare rear derailleur but it depends on your route.
Thomson stuff is pimp. I had their seatpost and stem.
Bring spare nuts and bolts for your rack, chain oil, wrenches/allen keys/bike tools. I did bring a spare rear derailleur but it depends on your route.
Thomson stuff is pimp. I had their seatpost and stem.
5
The Bike Shop / Re: Road touring gear? Touring advice?
« on: December 04, 2016, 12:43:43 PM »
Anyone here riden Alaska to Argentina? I think that's my next tour.
6
The Bike Shop / Re: Road touring gear? Touring advice?
« on: November 30, 2016, 06:50:35 PM »
I ran Old Man Mountain racks front and rear on my Surly LHT with Ortlieb panniers and then strapped a load of shit ontop of them. Bring a small bag of extra nuts and bolts that mount your rack to the frame. Weigh nothing and saved my ass in Sardinia when they shook loose and fell out.
For cooking I have a Coleman 533 Sportster stove. Runs on unleaded petrol which I could find anywhere and is way cheaper than buying butane canisters. Dried food isnt cheating. You'll be thankful of meals that require no prep after a long day in the saddle. Bring some dried pasta or something that you can cook anywhere and that wont go off in the bottom of your bag. I ate a lot of bread and cheese and cured meats so having a stove isnt essential unless you're in remote places but it was a godsend when I arrived in France on a Saturday night not knowing everywhere was closed a Sunday.
Try carrying more water than you think you need. Nothing worse than running out in the middle of nowhere. You can also drink a surprising amount of beer throughout the day in between water bottle refills and not get too drunk. I would shotgun a beer before every decent hillclimb haha.
Sleeping outside is easy. I brought a tent (MSR Hubba Hubba) and a sleeping bag (Polerstuff Napsack). Used the tent alot when the weather was shit but it really depends on your climate. Once the weather got warm id just sleep on a sleeping mat in a bush or something. (bring a lightweight waterproof bivvy bag)
Rule of thumb is a 1 man tent is too small for yourself and your gear. 2 man tent is perfect. (I was fully loaded though. Never did lightweight touring).
Try setting up camp when its starting to get dark and be gone early in the morning. Early starts wont be a problem because you're gonna be so excited to get back on the road and explore.
I'd take my panniers off and bring them into the tent with me and lay the bike down outside. Clip my helmet onto the seat rails and close tent door with the shell of the helmet in the tent and the strap going through a gap in the zipper. If someone moved the bike the helmet would snag on the door and shake the tent, awakening me.
Never had any problems though.
Didn't bring a lock but I avoided big cities and rarely left the bike out of view. Kept all my valuables/documents in a handlebar bag that id unclip and bring with me everywhere. My loaded bike was heavy as fuck so id lock both brakes on and shift it into high gear when parking it in an attempt to hinder anyones attempted getaway.
Heres a few tips:
1:Bring condoms
2:Don't plan too much. Its an adventure. My plan was to go south. My map was a compass.
3:If using panniers, pack your valuable/fragile/food stuff on the driveside of your bike. Get used to lying your bike down on the non drive side. This includes resting it against a wall or something. Reduces the chances of damaging expensive gear/driveline/squashed bananas. Sometimes you have to drop the bike in a hurry to run into the woods and shit or something.
4: BRING TOILET PAPER AND REMEMBER EXACTLY WHERE IT IS. Prevents you from having to use your socks. (Ask me how I know).
5: Suitable clothing. Merino wool is fantastic. Doesn't absorb smells too much and easy to wash and dry. Dont be like me and wear cotton tshirts. You start to fucking stink after a while.
6: Try to snack constantly. Cycling a bike laden with gear burns alot of calories especially in the heat. Eat whatever the fuck you want too.
7: Look after your bike. I didnt bring chain oil and had to lube my driveline with olive oil when I was hundreds of miles from the nearest bikeshop and it started to grind.
8: Portable battery chargers. Bring one. Nothing worse than a dead phone battery when you want to take a photo or google where the closest supermarket is.
9: McDonalds is your friend. Good coffee and free wifi/electrical outlets.
10: You will have shitty days where you're miserable and want nothing more than to go home. Never make a rash decision like this on a long trip. Sleep on it and you're almost guaranteed to feel better in the morning. Cycling 100+ km a day is no easy feat. No one can do this day in day out and feel great 100% of the time but waking up in a new place each morning is an amazing and unforgettable experience. You're gonna love it.
Heres my rig when it was mostly new and shiny
http://imgur.com/a/qMUhz
I had never even setup my tent before I left. Once you spend a few nights outside the worry will go away and it can be very relaxing even sleeping on the ground without a tent. I slept in a alot of weird and wonderful places, under an overturned fishing boat, in an abandoned house half consumed by volcanic rock at the base of Mt Etna, on the beach, under bridges, next to motorways, old castles, graveyards just to name a few.
If you have any more questions don't be afraid to ask.
(also get Tinder. Girls are super interested in a guy thats traveling the world on a bike. Try to bang some chicks in every state or something. I managed 5 out of 7 countries/islands. Awaiting your result.
For cooking I have a Coleman 533 Sportster stove. Runs on unleaded petrol which I could find anywhere and is way cheaper than buying butane canisters. Dried food isnt cheating. You'll be thankful of meals that require no prep after a long day in the saddle. Bring some dried pasta or something that you can cook anywhere and that wont go off in the bottom of your bag. I ate a lot of bread and cheese and cured meats so having a stove isnt essential unless you're in remote places but it was a godsend when I arrived in France on a Saturday night not knowing everywhere was closed a Sunday.
Try carrying more water than you think you need. Nothing worse than running out in the middle of nowhere. You can also drink a surprising amount of beer throughout the day in between water bottle refills and not get too drunk. I would shotgun a beer before every decent hillclimb haha.
Sleeping outside is easy. I brought a tent (MSR Hubba Hubba) and a sleeping bag (Polerstuff Napsack). Used the tent alot when the weather was shit but it really depends on your climate. Once the weather got warm id just sleep on a sleeping mat in a bush or something. (bring a lightweight waterproof bivvy bag)
Rule of thumb is a 1 man tent is too small for yourself and your gear. 2 man tent is perfect. (I was fully loaded though. Never did lightweight touring).
Try setting up camp when its starting to get dark and be gone early in the morning. Early starts wont be a problem because you're gonna be so excited to get back on the road and explore.
I'd take my panniers off and bring them into the tent with me and lay the bike down outside. Clip my helmet onto the seat rails and close tent door with the shell of the helmet in the tent and the strap going through a gap in the zipper. If someone moved the bike the helmet would snag on the door and shake the tent, awakening me.
Never had any problems though.
Didn't bring a lock but I avoided big cities and rarely left the bike out of view. Kept all my valuables/documents in a handlebar bag that id unclip and bring with me everywhere. My loaded bike was heavy as fuck so id lock both brakes on and shift it into high gear when parking it in an attempt to hinder anyones attempted getaway.
Heres a few tips:
1:Bring condoms
2:Don't plan too much. Its an adventure. My plan was to go south. My map was a compass.
3:If using panniers, pack your valuable/fragile/food stuff on the driveside of your bike. Get used to lying your bike down on the non drive side. This includes resting it against a wall or something. Reduces the chances of damaging expensive gear/driveline/squashed bananas. Sometimes you have to drop the bike in a hurry to run into the woods and shit or something.
4: BRING TOILET PAPER AND REMEMBER EXACTLY WHERE IT IS. Prevents you from having to use your socks. (Ask me how I know).
5: Suitable clothing. Merino wool is fantastic. Doesn't absorb smells too much and easy to wash and dry. Dont be like me and wear cotton tshirts. You start to fucking stink after a while.
6: Try to snack constantly. Cycling a bike laden with gear burns alot of calories especially in the heat. Eat whatever the fuck you want too.
7: Look after your bike. I didnt bring chain oil and had to lube my driveline with olive oil when I was hundreds of miles from the nearest bikeshop and it started to grind.
8: Portable battery chargers. Bring one. Nothing worse than a dead phone battery when you want to take a photo or google where the closest supermarket is.
9: McDonalds is your friend. Good coffee and free wifi/electrical outlets.
10: You will have shitty days where you're miserable and want nothing more than to go home. Never make a rash decision like this on a long trip. Sleep on it and you're almost guaranteed to feel better in the morning. Cycling 100+ km a day is no easy feat. No one can do this day in day out and feel great 100% of the time but waking up in a new place each morning is an amazing and unforgettable experience. You're gonna love it.
Heres my rig when it was mostly new and shiny
http://imgur.com/a/qMUhz
Like I said in my op I don't have much camping experience but I obviously want to be able to have a safe and comfy night out in nature with my bike.
I had never even setup my tent before I left. Once you spend a few nights outside the worry will go away and it can be very relaxing even sleeping on the ground without a tent. I slept in a alot of weird and wonderful places, under an overturned fishing boat, in an abandoned house half consumed by volcanic rock at the base of Mt Etna, on the beach, under bridges, next to motorways, old castles, graveyards just to name a few.
If you have any more questions don't be afraid to ask.
(also get Tinder. Girls are super interested in a guy thats traveling the world on a bike. Try to bang some chicks in every state or something. I managed 5 out of 7 countries/islands. Awaiting your result.
7
The Lounge / Re: New Random Thoughts Thread
« on: September 24, 2016, 11:39:21 AM »
32 miles each way for me. I miss cycling to work
8
Bike Gallery / Re: Fixed gear bikes/ Post your big bikes V2
« on: June 03, 2016, 03:12:36 AM »As of next week I'm buggering off round Europe on my bike. This is a very rough plan, based on where I have relatives, mates and having to be near Zagreb to get a train to Budapest for a stag do, plus a slight obsession with Corsica and the Balkans. Of course it'll all change but it's a start. 50 - 60 miles a day with plenty of scope for days off and changes is the plan. I don't have to be back until September. Also I think I now have shares in Ortlieb.
Shout out to Hugh - I know you did something similar last year. I think I remember that you used MAPS.ME app for navigation? How did that work out? I'm hoping to use that in combination for RWGPS when I need turn by turn.
Pictures on Instagram is anyone has any interest. www.instagram.com/martinoflockwood
Yep. MAPS.ME is what I used along with some paper ones. Didn't really navigate much cause I just pointed myself south and hoped for the best. Download all the offline maps before you leave.
Corsica is fucking beautiful. I did the west coast from Bastia>Calvi>Ajaccio>Bonifacio.
A word of warning: bring some water purification tablets. I got caught out in amidst those endless hills without a regular water supply. You want to be carrying atleast 6 liters. No bus or train service to take advantage of when you get fucked with food poisoning induced dehydration either.
East coast could be different.
Beautiful place though. Lovely people. I think I did 52,000 vertical feet of climbing in 8 days. Felt really accomplished after.
Are you camping?
Any other questions are welcome
Cheers Hugh! I'm in the South of France at the moment heading to Nice where I can get the boat to Corsica. Thanks for the advice, I didn't think Corsica would be that remote. I guess I have to think about which coast to cycle down.
I've been using RidewithGPS/MAPS.ME and paper crib sheets prepared in my tent the night before, seems to be working pretty well.
Awesome. Well it's not that it's remote when you look at a map, just the hills seriously hamper your mileage so it takes a while to get anywhere. Bring a mosquito net if you don't have one already. You can get them in that French superstore Decathalon for like €10.
Careful setting up your tent anywhere obvious too. I was warned that camping in illegal in Corsica and there's a small group of people who don't take kindly to tourists on their island. i never had any problems but i met a Dutch family with 2 young kids bike touring on my first day. On my last day there I got talking to a British motorcycle traveller and he told me the family had a bomb thrown at them when they were sleeping. I don't want to discourage you but just thought I'd tell you to have your wits about you.
You going to Monaco I presume? Do the F1 track on your bike! It's epic fun.
9
Bike Gallery / Re: Fixed gear bikes/ Post your big bikes V2
« on: June 02, 2016, 12:56:35 PM »As of next week I'm buggering off round Europe on my bike. This is a very rough plan, based on where I have relatives, mates and having to be near Zagreb to get a train to Budapest for a stag do, plus a slight obsession with Corsica and the Balkans. Of course it'll all change but it's a start. 50 - 60 miles a day with plenty of scope for days off and changes is the plan. I don't have to be back until September. Also I think I now have shares in Ortlieb.
Shout out to Hugh - I know you did something similar last year. I think I remember that you used MAPS.ME app for navigation? How did that work out? I'm hoping to use that in combination for RWGPS when I need turn by turn.
Pictures on Instagram is anyone has any interest. www.instagram.com/martinoflockwood
Yep. MAPS.ME is what I used along with some paper ones. Didn't really navigate much cause I just pointed myself south and hoped for the best. Download all the offline maps before you leave.
Corsica is fucking beautiful. I did the west coast from Bastia>Calvi>Ajaccio>Bonifacio.
A word of warning: bring some water purification tablets. I got caught out in amidst those endless hills without a regular water supply. You want to be carrying atleast 6 liters. No bus or train service to take advantage of when you get fucked with food poisoning induced dehydration either.
East coast could be different.
Beautiful place though. Lovely people. I think I did 52,000 vertical feet of climbing in 8 days. Felt really accomplished after.
Are you camping?
Any other questions are welcome
10
The Bike Shop / Re: 36vs48h,,, here, have an anecdote
« on: May 18, 2016, 11:00:55 AM »
I got a 48H hubshell machined for my GSPORT Simian front hub. I'm debating having a batch of rears made as a personal stash.
11
The Lounge / Re: New Random Thoughts Thread
« on: May 04, 2016, 09:49:35 AM »
It seems to be a combination of private insurance companies being greedy cunts and us regular folk paying for all the insurance scammers that claim €20k plus in whiplash cases. Even my dads premium increased by more than 50% this year and he's 61.
Unfortunately now this causes people to just drive without insurance which is only making the problem worse.
For reference im a student working part time and make less than €11k a year before taxes. Most of which pays for education.
Unfortunately now this causes people to just drive without insurance which is only making the problem worse.
For reference im a student working part time and make less than €11k a year before taxes. Most of which pays for education.
12
The Lounge / Re: New Random Thoughts Thread
« on: May 04, 2016, 08:16:37 AM »Car insurance in Ireland has gone through the roof lately. Got quoted €8200 yearly for my 1.5 Honda. Fuck that.
I do have an urge for a Peugeot 106 Rallye though but they still want €5000 to cover me
.
8200?!? Christ almighty. How much for something like a new Merc / Audi?
On my mums 2010 BMW 320d. I'm a 21 year old male.
For those that don't know, third party coverage doesn't even cover the car. If I hit someone, they're medical bills/ car repair bills are covered. If I put the car in a ditch and write it off, I'm shit out of luck.
13
The Lounge / Re: Post your Car/Truck/Motor Vehicle V2.0
« on: May 04, 2016, 07:30:31 AM »
http://iconosquare.com/p/1241552935729572717_10400073
I bought a wagon. Honda Orthia B20. Took it out on a track day and it didn't do half bad.
I bought a wagon. Honda Orthia B20. Took it out on a track day and it didn't do half bad.
14
The Lounge / Re: New Random Thoughts Thread
« on: May 04, 2016, 07:26:52 AM »
Car insurance in Ireland has gone through the roof lately. Got quoted €8200 yearly for my 1.5 Honda. Fuck that.
I do have an urge for a Peugeot 106 Rallye though but they still want €5000 to cover me
.
I do have an urge for a Peugeot 106 Rallye though but they still want €5000 to cover me
.
15
The Lounge / Re: Alcohol.
« on: May 02, 2016, 06:33:33 PM »Alco-boy, what's ya snapchat? Time to share adventures.
aeffertz
Usually a shit show. Who else do I have on there? I know I have Billy, there's an Australian guy on here that goes by Hugh that snaps me all the time haven't seen him post in a while, though.. Oh and prestoisbesto! Let me know what yours is and I'll add ya'.
I'm Irish ya bastard
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