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Shake down advice and things you didnt need

Old 03-30-13, 06:18 AM
  #1  
chefisaac
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Shake down advice and things you didnt need

Hello all.

Soon I will be doing my very first shake down and want to see what you all learned on your first shake down . And if you could pass along any advice to a newbee on a shake down, what would it be?

What did you find, from your experiance, things that you packed that you didn't need?

Thank you all.
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Old 03-30-13, 06:21 AM
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chefisaac
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Sorry for the typo in heading. Fat fingures and small phone
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Old 03-30-13, 06:26 AM
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I already forgot what I didn't need so I wouldn't accidentally bring it along.
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Old 03-30-13, 07:03 AM
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On my first weekend trip I packed light and didn't regret anything I brought but I did forget a couple of items. If you think you might have trouble adjusting to sleeping in a tent you might want to bring a lightweight iPod or ereader because it gets very boring laying in a tent if you can't sleep. I also wished I would have had a baseball cap to wear off the bike (helmet hair). I would have preferred more sun protective clothing and less sunscreen. I also switched to a combination lock after the first trip so that I didn't have to worry about losing the key. I also learned that unless you have an SLR camera full-sized handlebar bags are overkill. The handlebar bag I have now is nearly a pound lighter and perfectly sufficient.
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Old 03-30-13, 07:22 AM
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I sort of eased into cycletouring by doing hub-and-spoke tours with my family starting when I was quite young. And in my early 20s I started camping quite regularly, and occasionally doing hub-and-spoke tours in combination with the camping.

Back then, I made lists during each camping trip to make a note of anything we didn't need, or anything we missed. You might try the same thing. Pack what you think you need, go on your trip, and on the second evening, jot down a list of what you would have found useful ... and what you really didn't need. It is a process of discovery, and that's the whole idea of shakedown tours.
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Old 03-30-13, 08:53 AM
  #6  
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Do you have a goal for the tour? Do you want to mainly cycle and make big miles, or mainly camp in nice places, or mainly play tourist and visit museums and restaurants? You may not know at this point what your "style" will be, and your pack will reflect that style. So will terrain, weather, traffic, your repair skills, etc.

Over the years, I've dropped nearly two thirds of the stuff I brought along on my first shake down. Shake-downs, for me, are mainly making sure new stuff works well, not necessarily for choosing what to bring. That process takes longer, I think. Have fun and good luck!
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Old 03-30-13, 12:25 PM
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put together a shake-down kit........small bottle of loc-tite, nuts and bolts and washers,
various sizes of zip-ties, duck tape, sections of old inner tube, baling wire. stuff is
gonna work itself loose. check bolts and racks every now and then. a small tube of
grease would be nice.......seatpost or stem will start creaking.

if you have a route planned, jot down the locations of post offices or ups centers.
you'll probably want to mail some stuff home.
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Old 03-30-13, 12:43 PM
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Landed Dublin Ireland, found the weather warmer in Feb, that year (97) than I anticipated.
so next day I shipped the down 'sweater' home ..

Gulf Stream of the North Atlantic at work ..

but it was really a shake down of the bike , not touring itself ..

I did shake down a brazed joint, had a welding project in Killarney..

Last edited by fietsbob; 03-30-13 at 12:47 PM.
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Old 03-30-13, 04:42 PM
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In the beginning....... I packed many things that I could have easily bought along the way if I actually needed them, most went unused. So go over your stuff and if you don't need it on a regular basis and can easily buy along the way, leave at home. It's also really easy to order over a smart phone or internet in a library and have items delivered to a post office ahead of you, that can eliminate some things as well. Example; I bring a light, folding tire to get me down the road in case of a bad blow out. I would order a full sized tire and have it delivered a couple days ahead and put the folder back away.

Usually there are 2 issues going on at once, weight and volume. (sleeping bags are light but take up a lot of space) Balance is the key, clothing is high volume, so don't be redundant. Example; For the coldest days anticipated you should be wearing ALL your cloths, not a single big jacket you packed just for that maybe occasion.

Anyway, hope that helps
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Old 03-30-13, 05:06 PM
  #10  
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Originally Posted by gregw
In the beginning....... I packed many things that I could have easily bought along the way if I actually needed them, most went unused. So go over your stuff and if you don't need it on a regular basis and can easily buy along the way, leave at home. It's also really easy to order over a smart phone or internet in a library and have items delivered to a post office ahead of you, that can eliminate some things as well. Example; I bring a light, folding tire to get me down the road in case of a bad blow out. I would order a full sized tire and have it delivered a couple days ahead and put the folder back away.

Usually there are 2 issues going on at once, weight and volume. (sleeping bags are light but take up a lot of space) Balance is the key, clothing is high volume, so don't be redundant. Example; For the coldest days anticipated you should be wearing ALL your cloths, not a single big jacket you packed just for that maybe occasion.

Anyway, hope that helps
Good input. Thank you (and thank you to everyone too).

Let me ask, what do you wear/do when it rains?
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Old 03-30-13, 05:42 PM
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Originally Posted by chefisaac
Good input. Thank you (and thank you to everyone too).

Let me ask, what do you wear/do when it rains?
Rain wear is really about staying warm in a cold rain. If it's warm enough, just get wet, if you wear a rain coat you will sweat so much you'll get wet anyway. Cool rain I wear a water resistant vest and arm and leg warmers. Cold rain, I avoid but prepare for if in the mountains or early spring / late fall, that would be an actual water proof jacket with hood and rain pants. But for me these are more emergency wear. These are the ones I use, cheap, light and pack down small. https://www.outsideoutfitters.com/p-1...Fa9aMgod7H0A6A they have pants too.
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Old 03-30-13, 08:38 PM
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Every tour is a shakedown ride. The big items are usually the same now, but some of th smaller ones get tweaked between trips. Actually every ride is a shakedown ride to make sure everything is working properly.

Showers Pass rain jacket (and it does breathe), REI cycling rain pants (these also breathe quite well), helmet cover. A short brimmed hat will keep some of the rain off glasses. Long fingered gloves in cold weather, regular gloves in milder temps. I carry a light weight pair of glove liners that can be worn under regular cycling gloves if the temps get too uncomfortable. Last fall we experienced several morning with temps near freezing on a month long ride.I usually don't worry about the feet, but if it gets cold and wet I put plastic grocery bags over my socks. We stopped at a park one time and got 4 of the doggie poo bags from the dispenser at the entrance to the park. They were only size 8, but they worked.

We had 35 days of rain on this trip.


My wife's rain gear is essentially the same. She likes a different modlel of Showers Pass jacket. A motel shower cap for you saddle; used for parking it, not riding.


In Oregon we wear our rain gear a lot. During the winter I wear it every week day riding to the gym whether its raining or not. In the dark and cold it makes a snug windbreaker. Besides the odds are that it will be raining when I'm finished

Last edited by Doug64; 03-30-13 at 09:05 PM.
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Old 03-31-13, 07:28 AM
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Yeah Doug, If I was in area that had that much rain, I would invest in a showers pass rain suit as well.
The other thing to keep in-mind is that even the most high-tech fabric is only marginally breathable. The key is moderating your pace to match the "breathing" and heat escape. Work too hard and you'll sweat through any jacket. The O2 wear jacket I linked to is about as breathable as any I've tried, they are just not as durable.
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Old 03-31-13, 07:34 AM
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We use Ground Effects jackets and have been quite pleased with them in the rain. They pack down quite small, which is convenient, and they are reasonably breathable and comfortable. The pit zips etc. help.
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Old 03-31-13, 07:34 AM
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I've gone back and forth, first with hood under the helmet, then helmet cover and now a days, back to hood under helmet. Can't stand rain down the back of my neck. Also I wear a helmet in size extra large and the cover barely fits, have to really fight it, then I look like a giant pumpkin head
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Old 03-31-13, 07:36 AM
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I use both (unless it is really hot). The Ground Effects jackets have good hoods, and I've got a decent helmet cover as well, with a brim that helps to keep the rain out of my eyes.
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Old 03-31-13, 07:49 AM
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Unless it's below 50 degrees (10c) I don't wear rain pants, just too hot for me. But I find leg warmers lapped over gortex socks to be a good combination. Start getting cold, up the pace, too hot, slow down.
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Old 03-31-13, 03:03 PM
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Originally Posted by Machka
I use both (unless it is really hot). The Ground Effects jackets have good hoods, and I've got a decent helmet cover as well, with a brim that helps to keep the rain out of my eyes.
Have a link? I found a few different ones.
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Old 03-31-13, 04:13 PM
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I reduced my footwear to trail shoes and sandals.
On one tour, I lost a medium towel and bought a small one. Now I use a microfleece one.
Make sure that you run out of consumables (soap etc) on the final day.
It doesn't really matter how much you take on the shakedown, you will discard lots.
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Old 03-31-13, 06:41 PM
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Originally Posted by chefisaac
Have a link? I found a few different ones.
Mine is the She Shell and Rowan's is the Storm Trooper ...

https://www.groundeffect.co.nz/products-RAI.htm



Only one slight problem with mine ... it seems that lots and lots of German Ice Creams caused it to shrink a bit and now it is too snug to wear with more than one layer.
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Old 03-31-13, 06:57 PM
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How many days is your shakedown?
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Old 03-31-13, 07:22 PM
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Originally Posted by Sachelis
How many days is your shakedown?
Respectfully, i think, how many days is the tour you're preparing for is maybe the better question. Any tour longer than the 10 day weather channel forcast will require the full compliment of touring "stuff".
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Old 04-01-13, 02:34 AM
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Originally Posted by Sachelis
How many days is your shakedown?
First tour will be overnight. The next will be a four day tour, the next another 4 day and then hopefully one more for the year which will be a week long.
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Old 04-01-13, 03:23 AM
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Originally Posted by chefisaac
Sorry for the typo in heading. Fat fingures and small phone
Typo fixed, can't help with fingures and phone.

When you're checking what you didn't need, pay attention to the "why didn't I need this" part. Some stuff you carry for insurance and hope you never have to use it (tools, first aid kit, clothing for extreme conditions).

The one item I always ponder about are my old binoculars. It's difficult to know beforehand if they would be useful on any particular trip. I've had them with me on many tours where I never used them, but also have missed them on quite a few tours when I left them home.

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Old 04-01-13, 05:22 AM
  #25  
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chefisaac, I look at a shakedown ride a little differently. The first ride on a new bike, or a recently overhauled/rebuilt old bike, is all about the bike. Nothing like a first ride to loosen anything on the bike. Once that's done I'll concentrate on fit and then move on to learn how the bike behaves with weight, ie everything is thrown onto the bike. By the time of your overnighter the bike and the adventure can be simply enjoyed.

Brad
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