TallTourist

Crap monkeys!?! 😂😂😂

Danny01

bugly64

The tires are Specialized Sawtooth 2Bliss. I haven't had any flats on them. I have had plenty of punctures, but I pull the thorn or whatever is out and the sealant just seals it up.

djb

Danny, that's one very clean, new looking bike, blingy hubs and very full Ortlieb!
How does it ride with the rear lower like that, and what did the dry bag and panniers weight come to?
Looks nice in any case.

RayLee

Updated my old 07/08 steel Marin Muirwoods for over night/weekend trips road and off road.

40 spoke wheels, WTB 2.0 tires,Microsoft levers, Soma Condor bars.

djb

those Soma Condor bars are pretty darn interesting. Never seen them before, its a pretty cool design, odd looking, but fascinating.

Danny01

Thanks. I believe the panniers were around 25lb each and the drybag was about 5lb. So ~55lbs total. The handling when loaded is a bit of a handful at lower speeds on rough terrain. Once I get it going above 6-7mph though its fine and rock stable on those 40mph decents.

djb

yowzer, pretty damn heavy for a rear load only. In the end, if it was stable at speed, then thats good.
At some point, you should try a front rack and panniers to even out the weight, it will handle a lot better going around corners and when on rougher stuff in general, plus it will make life a lot easier on your rear wheel, spokes etc.

cyclostam

Microsoft levers? Oh, these should be very high-tech levers!

Are those Soma handlebars comfy?

djb

command shift alt for upshifts, until they freeze.

RayLee

Guys they are really new to the market, figured it would be cool if I was texting like all the other people on the road
FYI they look just like MicroShift R8's

Only have about 100 miles on them, but so far they feel great and just what I needed for the longer top tube of the 29er vs a road bike.... with all the hight of the stem and bars it brings the hoods to level
with the the seat (maybe 10mm higher) and the drops are a "normal" riding position

jsigone

6 day cali tour on this rig

str

str

mstateglfr 

Recent 75mi 2 day trip with my oldest. Notable as this was the first time she carried bags on her bike. I know I appreciated having less to carry!

mattbur

Nice pics...Great way to spend time with your child. And a Pittsburgh fan also. Go Steelers.

esmith2039

From the 4 days last week on the trail. A sleeping pad will be coming next time. Did ok handling wise. Packed way too much food actually. The only mechanical failure was a tire split and I think a spoke broke, did't find it till yesterday. I'm hooked! Only able to do one long trip a year unfortunately.

mstateglfr 

Yeah, it was a really fun time- we do a couple of these a year either as a duo or as a whole family with the wife and younger daughter too.
A couple weekend trips each year are plenty to keep the idea of adventure in their minds without going full nuclear and packing up our lives to travel.

mstateglfr 

Did you ride the Katy?...you mentioned a trail.

esmith2039

Yup that was the trail.

mstateglfr 

My brother in law and i spent a few days doing that trail last September. Neat adventure. Not what I expected, but neat after some time and memories.

Did you ride out from KC using the new spur or start at a more traditional spot?

esmith2039

Started at Clinton and ended at St. Charles. Think I want to do it again and start at Kirkwood (Amtrak from KC) and ride up to St. Charles then Machens and all the way back to Clinton and then backup to Windsor and Pleasant Hill. Maybe hit the Columbia spur and a couple others. Need a new bike before then.. the old Trek barely made it on this one. Think I missed some on this one, it was dreary all but the first day.

phaxxon

Love to see all maxed out rigs! Did my first touring trip a couple of months ago, learned a lot on the way even though it didn't look as cool as many of the bikes I've seen in this thread.

A big issue for a first-timer like myself was the struggle with the right lock. I just brought what I always use - a D-lock and a looped cable, both from Kryptonite - but always though that the weight of the D-lock is an excessive add-on to an already heavy loaded bike, are there any clever options?

Also, where do you carry the locks you bring? I had my D-lock in the "big triangle", which meant I could only carry one water bottle on the bike frame in the said triangle. Surly there is a better way to carry the lock while on tour?

mattbur

I'm new to touring also. After my first outing I realized I needed to lose some weight from my gear.

One thing I changed was leaving my big D lock and cable behind. I went to the hardware store and bought some .130 stainless steel, not aluminum, cable. I also got the crimps and some clear plastic outer covering and a combo lock. I sheathed the cable in the clear plastic tube and I made loops on both ends and secured the loop with a crimp. That's one of the things I did to I save weight.

Now I coil it up and carry it in my panier.

Hope this helps you some. Tony

ksisler

Could ask if giving the bike a 3-finger salute will fix a flat??? 3 finger salute = "Control Alt Delete to Reboot" Honestly though I suspect the OP meant MicroShift brand vice Microsoft. Darn, but it is still funny. Chuckle is much appreciated.

/K