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Search: Posts Made By: afrowheels
Showing results 1 to 50 of 120
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Forum: Touring
03-23-24, 12:40 PM
Replies: 55
Views: 2,652
Posted By afrowheels

My favourite touring tyres! You say they are...

My favourite touring tyres!

You say they are not immune to flats but on my first long tour through East and Southern Africa and over 6,000km I did not get a single puncture - even on dirt roads...
Forum: Touring
03-04-24, 03:21 PM
Replies: 18
Views: 706
Posted By afrowheels

New rule for Ecuador land border crossing

I'm not in the region any more myself but having recently completed my tour I still get some travel updates. Apparently in January Ecuador introduced a new regulation requiring people crossing at...
Forum: Touring
11-13-23, 03:07 PM
Replies: 21
Views: 1,147
Posted By afrowheels

Absolutely. My total trip was about 10 months and...

Absolutely. My total trip was about 10 months and that week was easily one of the highlights. And the road being closed was actually a blessing of sorts because there was hardly any traffic, when...
Forum: Touring
11-12-23, 01:01 PM
Replies: 21
Views: 1,147
Posted By afrowheels

A belated update

In case anyone wonders what happened.

I didn't make it through the pass because it stayed closed for a week, so I cycled up pretty close to it and then turned back (after spending a couple of days...
Forum: Touring
09-01-23, 09:24 AM
Replies: 67
Views: 4,767
Posted By afrowheels

But the sock is supposed to be waterproof...and...

But the sock is supposed to be waterproof...and people are apparently riding in sandals and waterproof socks.

Protecting the top of the boot is another problem I'm having right now but separate...
Forum: Touring
09-01-23, 08:13 AM
Replies: 67
Views: 4,767
Posted By afrowheels

Well, it does depend on conditions. Recently I...

Well, it does depend on conditions. Recently I found that I was fairly comfortable cycling in simple rain gear (the kind motorcyclists have in developing countries) on flat terrain in temperatures...
Forum: Touring
09-01-23, 08:10 AM
Replies: 13
Views: 1,011
Posted By afrowheels

I wasn't aware of that trickle down approach. But...

I wasn't aware of that trickle down approach. But yeah, when I put together my first touring bike I was caught up in the hype about XT being so much better. Having experienced both I am more likely...
Forum: Touring
08-31-23, 05:55 PM
Replies: 21
Views: 1,147
Posted By afrowheels

I have a lot of layers (maybe too many!) but some...

I have a lot of layers (maybe too many!) but some of them are fairly basic in terms of quality.

Useful point re ice that mev also made.

Definitely don't have time to order in studded tyres....
Forum: Touring
08-31-23, 05:46 PM
Replies: 21
Views: 1,147
Posted By afrowheels

Thanks, that's all helpful. Good point about the...

Thanks, that's all helpful. Good point about the ice.

I do tend to feel the cold more than some, but I also build up heat when cycling/exercising more than most - it's a difficult balance to...
Forum: Touring
08-31-23, 05:37 PM
Replies: 21
Views: 1,147
Posted By afrowheels

Unfortunately I have a bit of a tight schedule so...

Unfortunately I have a bit of a tight schedule so if I'm going to ride it then it will have to be in whatever conditions are in place at the time.

I'm generally cautious about letting people know...
Forum: Touring
08-30-23, 06:18 PM
Replies: 67
Views: 4,767
Posted By afrowheels

Useful perspective. Unfortunately top range gear...

Useful perspective. Unfortunately top range gear is pretty expensive, especially when you hardly ever use it - so it won't be an option for most tourers I imagine (including myself). About the...
Forum: Touring
08-30-23, 06:02 PM
Replies: 21
Views: 1,147
Posted By afrowheels

Snow and very cold conditions

I'm coming to the end of my long tour, with one major remaining obstacle ahead of me: a mountain crossing with variable weather conditions, including snow and very low temperatures. I have attached a...
Forum: Touring
08-30-23, 05:49 PM
Replies: 29
Views: 2,019
Posted By afrowheels

The way this worked out was that I experimented,...

The way this worked out was that I experimented, half-heartedly I admit, with some improvised substitute hooks but ultimately ended-up carrying on for a few weeks just using cable ties.

I should...
Forum: Touring
08-30-23, 05:45 PM
Replies: 13
Views: 1,011
Posted By afrowheels

For anyone who's wondering how this turned out....

For anyone who's wondering how this turned out. The XT kept giving problems, so I eventually did replace it. Surprised to have managed to install the Alivio successfully myself. It was a little...
Forum: Touring
06-25-23, 05:44 PM
Replies: 13
Views: 1,011
Posted By afrowheels

Short version: took the bike to a new...

Short version: took the bike to a new bikestore/workshop and they got the old derailleur working again but I bought an Alivio 9spd anyway just in case.

Long version:

Not much of this is making...
Forum: Touring
06-25-23, 05:13 PM
Replies: 13
Views: 1,011
Posted By afrowheels

That looks pretty bombproof, but yeah probably...

That looks pretty bombproof, but yeah probably would not find one. Did find an Alivio 9sp M3100 new. Full update below.
Forum: Touring
06-23-23, 06:55 AM
Replies: 13
Views: 1,011
Posted By afrowheels

Thanks. What would be the downside of the shadow...

Thanks. What would be the downside of the shadow version?

Apparently the hanger is straight: they checked it while I was there. Had been straightened out previously as well.
Forum: Touring
06-22-23, 08:30 PM
Replies: 13
Views: 1,011
Posted By afrowheels

Swapping 9sp Alivio for dinged 9sp XT?

That point in the tour when problems are accumulating... Hit a bump a week or so back that completely messed up my rear gear indexing. Couldn't figure out why but fortunately had the Gevenalle...
Forum: Touring
06-16-23, 10:01 PM
Replies: 0
Views: 466
Posted By afrowheels

Cuenca to Lima in a month: which route?

Greetings,

I have taken too long on my South American tour so far, with various great diversions and stops, and some time constraints are biting. I need to get from Cuenca (Ecuador) to Lima (Peru)...
Forum: Touring
06-14-23, 09:21 PM
Replies: 29
Views: 2,019
Posted By afrowheels

Realised I hadn't replied to this. Yes,...

Realised I hadn't replied to this.

Yes, heavily loaded: 50kg+.

The picture doesn't have the insert in because I didn't want that superglued in. But actually the insert I had in that hook had...
Forum: Touring
06-14-23, 09:14 PM
Replies: 12
Views: 1,553
Posted By afrowheels

Update on PanAmerican highway to Cuenca via Aluasi

Further to the landslide by Aluasi. The PanAmerican is still closed as far as I could tell - bodies still being recovered over 6 weeks later. However there is a gravel diversion that is open - as...
Forum: Touring
06-09-23, 10:23 AM
Replies: 29
Views: 2,019
Posted By afrowheels

Thanks. I may not be able to rig up something...

Thanks. I may not be able to rig up something quite that good but gives me some ideas and there are generally a few hardware stores in these parts that could assist.
Forum: Touring
06-09-23, 10:22 AM
Replies: 29
Views: 2,019
Posted By afrowheels

Ah, not just me then. I got a reply from the...

Ah, not just me then. I got a reply from the Colombian distributor who said it would be too expensive to send a replacement to Ecuador...Not very impressed by that since they are neighbouring...
Forum: Touring
06-07-23, 01:06 PM
Replies: 29
Views: 2,019
Posted By afrowheels

Yeah it's the upper one. Photo is not great but:...

Yeah it's the upper one. Photo is not great but:


https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikeforums.net-vbulletin/936x1248/img_20230606_150748_small_a442f8cf4da1c7c7b3ca73408467c86cc92e7497.jpg
Snapped...
Forum: Touring
06-07-23, 12:29 PM
Replies: 29
Views: 2,019
Posted By afrowheels

Yeah I was pretty surprised that it snapped - it...

Yeah I was pretty surprised that it snapped - it is the QL2.1.

Unfortunately the South American distributor I bought from in Colombia (Ochomiles) do not appear to ship to Ecuador, neither does the...
Forum: Touring
06-07-23, 12:11 PM
Replies: 29
Views: 2,019
Posted By afrowheels

Bright ideas for replacing snapped Ortlieb pannier hook?

One of the pannier hooks on one of my (3 month old...) Ortlieb back-roller classics snapped the other day when I hit a bump. Tried superglue and cable ties but it snapped again (unsurprisingly given...
Forum: Touring
06-01-23, 01:48 PM
Replies: 10
Views: 869
Posted By afrowheels

Yeah, it is a bit on the heavy side. But for a...

Yeah, it is a bit on the heavy side. But for a 2-person, 3-season tent I am not sure about finding something better that's cheaper. Interested to hear a specific recommendation though. I recall...
Forum: Touring
05-29-23, 07:07 PM
Replies: 10
Views: 869
Posted By afrowheels

Marmot 2 person tent on sale

Just bought this in Ecuador for a much higher price to replace my very old MSR Hubba Hubba which I had been unable to re-waterproof:...
Forum: Touring
05-28-23, 07:26 PM
Replies: 4
Views: 655
Posted By afrowheels

Thanks for the replies. Still wasn't sure about...

Thanks for the replies. Still wasn't sure about it so decided to take the tarmac route east and then south.



Thanks. Yeah, political situation is interesting... I have been keeping an eye for a...
Forum: Touring
05-24-23, 06:59 PM
Replies: 4
Views: 655
Posted By afrowheels

Trans Ecuador on a heavily loaded bike?

Greetings,

I am hoping to get back on the road soon after a long sojourn off the bike. Recently came across the Trans Ecuador route (https://bikepacking.com/routes/trans-ecuador-dirt-road/) and I...
Forum: Touring
05-14-23, 08:22 PM
Replies: 13
Views: 997
Posted By afrowheels

One of my favourite things about bicycle touring...

One of my favourite things about bicycle touring is people in vehicles getting somewhere they cannot imagine anyone travelling under their own steam...and then appears the lone, loaded cycle tourer.
Forum: Touring
05-14-23, 08:17 PM
Replies: 12
Views: 827
Posted By afrowheels

It's always interesting to see how roadies* react...

It's always interesting to see how roadies* react in these situations. I've been observing the different reactions I've had here in Colombia and Ecuador. Sometimes they are really enthusiastic,...
Forum: Touring
05-14-23, 08:09 PM
Replies: 45
Views: 1,909
Posted By afrowheels

+1 on the Ortlieb handlebar bag with insert. I...

+1 on the Ortlieb handlebar bag with insert. I started off my current tour with improvised padding but managed to find the Ortlieb insert at a small discount in Bogota and would definitely recommend...
Forum: Touring
04-02-23, 08:38 PM
Replies: 44
Views: 2,752
Posted By afrowheels

For anyone who finds this thread at some later...

For anyone who finds this thread at some later date, just to say: this gearing combination (48-36-24 and 11-34) has worked well for me. I definitely needed the extended lower range for climbing...
Forum: Touring
04-02-23, 08:35 PM
Replies: 14
Views: 814
Posted By afrowheels

Thanks for the replies. andrewclaus I do not...

Thanks for the replies.

andrewclaus I do not recognise any of those acronyms 😅 so I suspect we are on different missions. Impressively light touring weight nevertheless. I wonder if our...
Forum: Touring
04-02-23, 08:17 PM
Replies: 39
Views: 2,693
Posted By afrowheels

I'm not especially good at gearing calculations...

I'm not especially good at gearing calculations but some of the answers to this previous thread might also be helpful:
https://www.bikeforums.net/touring/1259653-does-gearing-change-make-sense.html...
Forum: Touring
04-01-23, 08:10 PM
Replies: 14
Views: 814
Posted By afrowheels

Footwear combinations for long tours in varying conditions (+hiking)

I'm interested in other people's experiences that might help inform a change in my current approach. I've looked at some other threads but they tend to be about individual issues (cleats vs toeclips,...
Forum: Touring
04-01-23, 07:47 PM
Replies: 12
Views: 1,553
Posted By afrowheels

Thanks, appreciate the info 👍 I'd missed this but...

Thanks, appreciate the info 👍 I'd missed this but someone else also drew it to my attention.

I have only a vague sense of my routes until a few weeks in advance but had been thinking of going that...
Forum: Touring
03-22-23, 05:33 PM
Replies: 12
Views: 1,553
Posted By afrowheels

Definitely. I certainly appreciated the...

Definitely. I certainly appreciated the innovative solution. And the price was not unreasonable even if it may have been more than the locals paid.

Having said that, if the cable had snapped and...
Forum: Touring
03-22-23, 05:28 PM
Replies: 12
Views: 1,553
Posted By afrowheels

Good questions. I have heard two versions: that...

Good questions. I have heard two versions: that it's a one *hour* stop-go and that it's a one *day* stop-go. When I went through it seemed like it was all stopped. Because when I got over the valley...
Forum: Touring
03-20-23, 08:29 PM
Replies: 13
Views: 797
Posted By afrowheels

For others who are interested

For the benefit of anyone coming across this later. As GhostRider62 notes, nationality is a big factor. Residence is too. I did a lot of research before my trip and wasted quite a bit of time...
Forum: Touring
03-20-23, 08:19 PM
Replies: 12
Views: 1,553
Posted By afrowheels

In the end I did it without further information,...

In the end I did it without further information, since I had enough reports that it would be possible to get through.

For the benefit of anyone else doing this route soon, here's some information....
Forum: Touring
03-16-23, 08:34 PM
Replies: 12
Views: 1,553
Posted By afrowheels

Thanks 👍 I did look at Overlander but didn't see...

Thanks 👍 I did look at Overlander but didn't see that account, will take another look. Didn't know about that Facebook group either; will be useful.



Good thinking. My poor Spanish is a bit of...
Forum: Touring
03-15-23, 06:08 PM
Replies: 12
Views: 1,553
Posted By afrowheels

Any updates on Popayan-Pasto road in Colombia?

I am heading towards Ecuador and I know that the PanAmerican Highway was closed by a landslide between Popayan and Pasto but has been partially re-opened. However, I am hearing and reading different...
Forum: Touring
02-01-23, 08:56 PM
Replies: 52
Views: 2,554
Posted By afrowheels

🤣 Definitely stopping with replies at this...

🤣

Definitely stopping with replies at this point - the fictional narrative is getting too complicated for me.
Forum: Touring
02-01-23, 07:45 PM
Replies: 52
Views: 2,554
Posted By afrowheels

Better than arguing about something that's...

Better than arguing about something that's irrelevant because you haven't read the original post or even the subsequent ones properly.
Forum: Touring
02-01-23, 06:42 PM
Replies: 52
Views: 2,554
Posted By afrowheels

I've been cycling here 2 months and here you are...

I've been cycling here 2 months and here you are talking out your ass with 'I'm pretty sure that...' 🤣 Listen to yourself man.

And I never said I was from Colombia (or even Columbia or that I was...
Forum: Touring
02-01-23, 06:38 PM
Replies: 2
Views: 430
Posted By afrowheels

Thanks, that's helpful because I am hoping to go...

Thanks, that's helpful because I am hoping to go south (initial rough plan is Ecuador - Peru - Bolivia - Paraguay - Argentina - Chile) eventually.
Forum: Touring
02-01-23, 05:29 PM
Replies: 52
Views: 2,554
Posted By afrowheels

Interesting that I have all the relevant...

Interesting that I have all the relevant information but I'm also the one 'missing everything '. There's actually a lot you're missing e.g. I never said I'd stopped cycling, I said I'd switched to a...
Forum: Touring
02-01-23, 04:36 PM
Replies: 2
Views: 430
Posted By afrowheels

Information on bike touring gear and related in Colombia

X-posted from my slowly-developing blog on CrazyGuy: page here (https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=3d2&page_id=645952&v=G)

(There are obviously quite a few places in Colombia I haven't...
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