cntryislandboy

Any info on the seat and tube bag set up. I really like the idea of simplicity. Do you feel your able to cover more ground traveling this light?

Ritterview

I posted some info and pics on FB about this, here and here. Take a look at that to see if it helps answer your question. Yes, we were able to cover more ground, just like a group training ride.

Wheelmonkey

Aluminum frame with front carbon fork. No, I didn't have any issues with it, but I'm relatively new to this. Handled really well in the mountains.

BohicaX

Ah ok your bike just looked like it had a carbon frame and I was wondering what your impression was using a carbon framed bike for touring. I just haven't met anyone using carbon so I was just looking for some experienced first hand thoughts.

mdilthey

A lot of extreme distance records were done on carbon bikes. They're just fine for touring, although they last a few years less than Steel due to impact weakening the fibers.

You can realistically tour on anything, though.

BohicaX

mdilthey thanks I figured you could tour on them but wasn't sure how much you might have to baby sit a carbon bike. I tend not to take much notice of professionals and there comments due to the fact that if they have frame issues it's replaced at no cost to them or you don't hear of how often frames get damaged for what ever reason. Touring can be rough on equipment and in my neck of the woods issues with carbon would be the end of a tour for me because no way of fixing but there is always a welder to use.

mdilthey

Carbon Fiber is stronger than steel and aluminum, but if you do break it, you can't weld it. Additionally, on the microscopic level, road vibration, jarring, and pocking from kicked up rocks will break fibers. You won't be able to see the damage, but the bike will slowly weaken over time.

For most tourists, steel is the way to go, but carbon fiber definitely isn't wrong. What good is a bike if you don't ride it? Carbon bikes have the same 10-year lifespan of most bikes, although steel occasionally goes much longer when cared for. But nothing is perfect.

BohicaX

Thanks for the info mate that has filled a big knowledge void for me.

djb

Cant speak for carbon, but saying that most bikes have a lifespan of 10 years is certainly not representative of the bikes I have owned. Parts wear out, but with reasonable care and "normal" use (no crashes etc) bikes ridden like mine with maybe 2-3000 km per year are just fine after 10 years of use. Im talking the frame, other stuff wears out and gets replaced.

valygrl

You're doing it wrong. ;->

djb

what can I say, I try and try but dont usually do more than 5000km per season. I do ride two bikes regularly so it gets split between them, although the bike that usually gets ridden more is ye ol alu framed mtn bike, and its 15 yrs old, it keeps on doing The Timex thing for my commuting et al.

davidmikesell

Here's the bike in its unloaded, commuting form

and here it is on a recent tour through Georgia and Alabama.

here's the velospace profile for it.
https://velospace.org/node/46785

Medic Zero

Is that one of those "This bike is a pipe bomb" stickers? I'd be leery about having that on there. Unfortunately these days many people are paranoid weenies:

- wikipedia


I've been toying with setting up my girlfriends tourer with a low-rider rack like that and another rack mounted higher like you did. How do you like it?

Medic Zero

Amazing bike! As you say, not for everyone, but my hat is off to you.

Might I ask about the 11-41 cassette? Did you make that yourself?

Also, what is a "bog rapper"?

davidmikesell

the funny thing is, the frame came used with the sticker, and I happen to really like the band already. I lock this bike up around my university and i've never had an issue.

I really like the setup I have. Carrying the weight up front makes the ride surprisingly nimble, and a randonneur bag is just plain useful.

BohicaX

Hi MZ thanks it's a bike built and suited for me and my needs only I'm done with touring on a shoe string of gear I now like to tour in comfort but while still roughing it if you know what I mean...

No I didn't make the cassette I purchased the single 41T from the below link,

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/41-Tooth-...item3cd2ee3c1f

I use a Shimano XT M770 9 Speed MTB Cassette 11-34 and a Shimano Deore HG61 9 Speed MTB Cassette 12-36. On the Deore HG61 I grind the pins tabs to release the individual sprockets only using the 36T one. Using that sprocket allows for a smoother gear change to the 41T as there is no ramps on that dinner plate. From the link below I purchased those spacers to allow for making the single 9 speed cassette from all the parts.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Mountain-...item3ccc69402f

Depending on your rear wheel hub you might need those spacers so the dinner plate doesn't rub on your hub. Not only that but the spacers that comes with that 41T sprocket I think isn't enough to get the correct spacing in my case and I suspect others would have similar issues. Also to make sure that your locking ring can torque the cassette you may find you need the extra spacers to make for a good fit.

Using all those parts as I did you need to do some MacGyver work to the 36T cassette sprockets to make the 41T fit and have the correct spacing so it doesn't warp under torque from the locking ring. Those 5 nuts you see on the 41T sprocket are to rest on the next sprocket so before assembly you need to rotate the both the 41T and 36T on the splines to find the perfect fit. It's a little work involved and more work involved to get your derailleur set-up to clear the sprocket with the B screw as that screw will need to be pulled out and replaced with a 4mm x 25mm bolt to get the travel needed. BTW if anyone wants to do this I'm using a XT 9 speed Shadow derailleur and when all the little fixes are done it works without fault and is smooth. It's the only derailleur I have used this system on so I can't offer any other experience to how well it works on other set-ups but on my gear I chose not an issue.

Gauging my your wink I see I made a typo in "bog wrapper" and for those that don't know what bog wrapper is it's to clean one's self after taking a dump commonly know as toilet paper.

Hope that helps you out MZ on the 41T sprocket.

Nick The Beard

Really fun band live too.

Medic Zero

Thanks! Is that a Tubus Tara? What model is the other rack?

Medic Zero

Thanks for the info on how to make the 41 toother. Have you had any problems with freehub body failure? Seems like a lot of torque.

The wink was actually because the Aussie version of English is largely a mystery to us Americans and I really had no idea what you meant! Since there was a typo, googling didn't help either!

BohicaX

Hi MZ no problems on free hub failures but like anything I guess they have there limits and without a doubt your warranty is out the window with this set-up. All manufactures have there specs for safe work loads or torque and the numbers they give are to ensure that there not getting recalls from failures. Most safe work load numbers are well under spec and in most cases I bet you could double or triple that number before failure happens there just covering there butts.

Having said that I take responsibility for my own actions and if things fail so be it just suck it up and purchase again learning from your mistakes rather than become a whining customer. Again I can only make comment on two brands of hubs that this 41T has been on and that is "Industry Nine" hubs and "Hope Technology" hubs. (links below)

https://www.industrynine.net/

https://www.hopetech.com/

Added to that I run a 20T granny so hauling that rig up mountains without hub or free hub failure stretching the safe work load and torque well beyond manufacture specs I'm happy to make mention of those companies because in my eyes they have passed the test. I'm currently running Industry Nine hubs and spoke system as they have done the bulk of my long distance loaded touring.

Ok gotcha on the lingo I just noticed I made a typo hence why I thought you winked at my silly mistake. As your well aware we live upside down here and that might explain our English being a mystery to you Yanks. Understand though you northerners take a dump and it flows down hill and guess where we are situated geographically on that flow chart.......It's no excuse but it might help explain our English.

Hope that helps further answer some of your questions.

Cheers Mate

Jonnythecanuck

A recent trip with a furry friend through PEI, Canada.


IMG_3529 by jonathanreid85, on Flickr

Nick The Beard

Awesome shot! I wish my dog was that portable!

BohicaX

JC it must be nice travelling with your pet I'm a loner myself and have often though about a dog while riding as company. What sort of food do you lug around for him/her or is your location easy to purchase on a daily bases? Do you purchase food or use bush tucker to keep him/her fed?

Cheers

James Parrotte

balindamood

Snap shots from the shake-down ride. I picked up a Surly Ogre with the intention of doing some single-track oriented touring (lots of options for that around here). The problem that presented itself was the cable routing for the front derailleur interfered with the fenders. I chose to solve this with a Rohloff hub (wouldn't you?). The front hub is an SP PL-8 SON look-alike. The rims are bomb-proof Kris Holm XC Unicycle rims (37mm wide). The bars are Jones H. The lights are the new Bosch & Mueller Luxos U. I don't need it much in the summer other than for carging USB devices, but I am really looking forward to running the Rohloff through the winter to see how it does. Lights will be required then.

Second Cycles introduced last year their series of re-branded, recycled/re-manufactured frames, the "Bicycle." They have been selling well. I do not care for Surly graphics, so I replaced them with a decal set from them. Love the way it rides around town, hope to get it out in the back country in the next month.