31
votes
Best E-reader for a touring bike?
How's this for ultimate lounging - you could add a projector that projects onto the sail, not only could you read ebooks while you cycle, but also watch the occasional movie! very nice ergonomics, no ...
- 12.7k
29
votes
Is it possible to do 50 km distance without any previous training?
A fit person can do 50km without too much difficulty, though they'll probably be sore from the effort if they don't cycle much, just because cycling uses different muscles to, say, running. It wouldn'...
- 16.9k
26
votes
How can I prevent bicycle theft while bikepacking?
With multiple bikes, locking them together prevents them being picked up or ridden off. The latter is often the biggest risk when camping - simple opportunism.
A reasonably long cable lock would lock ...
- 55.8k
25
votes
Accepted
What explains 9 speed cassettes price differences?
In most cases with bicycle parts, more expensive means lighter. There can be exceptions, especially when you get to the super low end parts where cheaper can also mean cheaper construction.
Since you ...
- 404
23
votes
Accepted
Why do cyclists use thin bottles?
Inertia. Bottles are about that big because that's how big bottle cages are, because that's how big bottles are.... repeat.
Another cause is that a 10cm bottle would be larger and harder to hold/...
- 120k
19
votes
Accepted
500mile bike tour?
First, congratulations on trying to do this, and doing some research before your try.
The bike really doesn't matter very much. You can ride 500 miles carrying enough stuff to be comfortable on just ...
- 23.2k
18
votes
Touring with kids - tag along and kids trailer behind same bike
Sounds like a bad idea. The biggest concern would be how the setup would act under hard braking, especially when going down an incline. There will a lot of mass to stop which means your stopping ...
- 75.3k
18
votes
Touring with kids - tag along and kids trailer behind same bike
Those of us who tow bike trailers have generally encountered a situation where some other road user underestimates your total length.
If your road-train bike was three units long there's more ...
- 120k
18
votes
Accepted
Touring bike with good support network in India
This is a problem that is not particularly specific to India, but common for anyone touring a long way from home and primarily through small towns and rural areas, even in major industrialized ...
- 16.1k
16
votes
Accepted
Is it possible to construct an overnight shelter using a bike as the upright?
Yes, its been done before, there are various configurations.
Google for 'Bikepacking tarp shelter' for many ideas.
Good resources for this type of thing are
bikepacking.net forums and in the UK Bear ...
- 18.2k
16
votes
How to mitigate the risk of riding on highways
Google is probably not the best tool for this, it's not tailored to the needs of cyclists. I would always use BRouter, here is the route it produces when I ask it to give me a safe route. The route is ...
15
votes
Accepted
I'm an absolute beginner in bike touring, about to buy a bike. Is it worth it to hire a bike fitting service before the purchase?
Welcome to the cycling world. This is a good question. It may not be possible to answer entirely objectively. My vote is not to get a professional fit now, but I'll outline some considerations that ...
- 28.6k
14
votes
Is it possible to do 50 km distance without any previous training?
It's probably not a great idea. Start with a shorter route and see how you do. Pick a flat route without hills. Make sure you have a bail out and a way to get home (public transport, a friend, Uber ...
- 75.3k
13
votes
Should I attempt a long trip?
180 km is a long way for someone who only normally does 20-30km (to quote @PeterH in chat).
To my way of thinking, you could do it, with some pre-conditions
Do some longer rides, where you ride 30km ...
- 17.2k
13
votes
Accepted
Charging eBike Battery with Solar
A 100 watt solar panel is nominal watts under ideal situations. You'll be lucky to get 25 watts tied to the back of your bike - and this would be only for a few hours of the day, from 11a to 3p.
Given ...
- 28.9k
13
votes
Best E-reader for a touring bike?
I think it's obvious that you'll need a heads-up display in order to see the road through the text you're reading. Safety first and all that.
So you're going to want to combine this project with a ...
- 28.5k
13
votes
Narrow or comfort saddle?
You should ride whatever you find comfortable. If the old saddle was good, swap it to the new bike.
If you intend on riding both bikes, keep eyes open for a second saddle of the same brand/model. ...
- 120k
13
votes
On road repair for hydraulic brakes
There's really nothing one can carry to repair hydraulic brakes, short of workshop tools.
Instead, do your maintenance well before leaving on a long trip, and have a couple of short bed-in rides ...
- 120k
12
votes
Accepted
How can I fix the hook of a weather proof pannier?
I just used a 5mm bolt with locking nut, and a ~15mm wide washer on the inside when this happened to my Ortleib. If you use stainless steel bolt, nut and washers it won't rust and the pressure against ...
- 23.2k
12
votes
Is it possible to construct an overnight shelter using a bike as the upright?
In the current situation I have time on my hands to try things, but only at home (hence the cramped pictures below, with garden toys in). An injury meant last year's trip didn't happen as planned, ...
- 55.8k
12
votes
Touring vs race bike
Don't buy a €3K first bike! Instead, split your budget and get one for <1K. There are plenty of good advice here already (my vote goes to randonneur-type bike), and each of the suggested types can ...
- 1,028
12
votes
Is it possible to do 50 km distance without any previous training?
To answer your questions -
"Is it possible to do 50 km distance without any previous training? -
Yes, it is possible, assuming by no previous training you mean
cycling training. If a person has ...
- 19.9k
12
votes
Best E-reader for a touring bike?
A serious answer - consider an MP3 player and an audio-book instead.
While sound-isolating headphones are bad for awareness, a single (ie mono) speaker can work quite well.
Personally I use two ...
- 120k
11
votes
Accepted
Touring with little kids?
I think you have the right idea - build up slowly. I've seen a few people with little kids out cycle touring, and did a couple of weeks with a group that included a mother and pre-walking infant. The ...
- 1,203
11
votes
500mile bike tour?
I'm going to attack this backwards. First of all, camping is the only way you won't have to worry all day about where you're going to sleep. Provided you don't take a route through inhospitable areas, ...
- 6,186
11
votes
Cyclocross bike as a touring bike
The Crossrip line isn't quite a cyclocross bike; its designed somewhere between a commuter bike and a cyclocross bike (more relaxed and heavier than most cyclocross bikes; also, rack+fender mounts). ...
- 46k
11
votes
Best E-reader for a touring bike?
What is the best E-reader to use on a touring bike? What will mount well on a drop bar, withstand the vibration, and not jiggle so much that you can't read it?
Something like Google Glass (yes, The ...
- 19.9k
10
votes
Why do cyclists use thin bottles?
As noted above, the reason for not using fatter bottles is being able to have a firm enough grip on them to grab them, drink and stow them again with one hand while riding. The best solution for ...
- 4,921
10
votes
Accepted
Should I use a Trek Domane SL5 for touring?
People tour on all kinds of bikes. That said, if you're going to tour on the Domane, you'll need to figure out how you'll be carrying your gear, since (as Argenti mentions in his comment), it doesn't ...
- 28.5k
10
votes
How can I prevent bicycle theft while bikepacking?
I would suggest a Pacsafe Security Web or similar product to cover your gear. It is basically a net made of small gauge steel cables. It is designed to cover a backpack along with a long cable to ...
- 18.3k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible