Search found 484 matches

by shane
10 May 2016, 5:14pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Long touring without front panniers
Replies: 46
Views: 6850

Re: Long touring without front panniers

simonhill wrote:Thanks for saying that bikepacking luggage makes bike handle better. That explains some of it.

.

Handles better (especially offroad), no panniers snagging on rocks or bushes when doing single track(or bouncing off the racks). More importantly in my case, the overall weight is less (baggage plus bike is around 25kg) so its easier to lift over fences, walls, fallen tree's and other obstacles when doing mtb type routes (also easier to load onto busses, trains and trucks, because all the bags stay on the frame in my case). Its also now (after much faffing around) nicely balanced when I carry it too, very convenient when the tracks become too steep, or unrideable.

ImageIMG_2300 by Shane Cycles, on Flickr

For me bike packing has opened up routes that would not be possible (or very difficult) with a standard set up. My taste in trips has changed, and this is a solution to that problem. I now couldn't imagine doing endless 1000's of miles on tar roads like many of my previous trips.

ImageIMG_2316 by Shane Cycles, on Flickr

gloomyandy wrote: In the first photo of your post there seems to be a couple of bags on the floor, where do they go on the bike?

Its a lightweight backpack.

tatanab wrote:Frame bag as shown above - It looks wide enough to me that one would have to ride with knees quite far apart.


I made it myself, so its fits perfect. The knee area is about 6cm wides and expands to about 8-10 when overfilled, which is just do-able. outside the knee area its fans out to about 15-20cm.
There's a lot of marketing going into bike packing. But, for most folks a classic 2-4 panniers will work better and probably be cheaper.
by shane
9 May 2016, 8:33pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Long touring without front panniers
Replies: 46
Views: 6850

Re: Long touring without front panniers

Totally agree with the veterans here, I've often travelled with the standard set up and wasn't sure what all that BIkepacking non-sense is about.

Ironically several years on, my packing basics haven't changed. I need about the same gear for a weekend or a month, its just a question of which season. Now I just need a lot less of it :D

The definition of " long touring" maybe be the key. The difference between a holiday or a long trip or a lifestyle. The choice of taking the laptop/tablet, the extra blanket, fancy clothes, more spare parts, more serious tent, thicker sleeping bag. We all have our comfort zones and comfort blankets and should travel on the limits of them to keep things interesting. For some thats 40kg of junk, for others its 5kg of junk.

But, like the others I digress, for the OP. Yes you can get by without front panniers, frame bag and the other bike packing non-sense is optional.

This is my current setup for a month trip with towns most days:

ImageIMG_2218 by Shane Cycles, on Flickr

Same trip length 5 years earlier looked like this
ImageMr Hyde by Shane Cycles, on Flickr

And this set up plus 2 rear panniers could be perfect for the OP:

ImageP1030328 by Shane Cycles, on Flickr

Horses for courses, smiles not miles :D
by shane
11 Apr 2016, 9:45am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Bikepacking bags
Replies: 5
Views: 961

Re: Bikepacking bags

I make my own :) Bit of a hassle but very rewarding and flexible....

http://www.shanecycles.com/make-your-ow ... frame-bag/
by shane
6 Apr 2016, 4:04pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Lowest gear for touring including load-pulling
Replies: 77
Views: 5659

Re: Lowest gear for touring including load-pulling

Thought I'd use Sheldon's calculator to see what I get with my Rohloff (32x17)

13,7"- 71,8"

Pretty low then, and I travel really light at the moment too 8) With this set up there's nothing much I can't climb, and by the time I think I want to go even lower, its more efficient to just pick my bike up and walk :)

ImageIMG_2300
ImageIMG_2330

Ironically the top end isn't too bad either, I can still pedal top to about 35 km/h. Anything above that I don't care anymore because obviously gravity or wind are doing their magic...
by shane
5 Apr 2016, 6:16pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: bikebacking
Replies: 12
Views: 1058

Re: bikebacking

Yup, the snow was lying above about 1200m.
by shane
5 Apr 2016, 5:06pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: bikebacking
Replies: 12
Views: 1058

Re: bikebacking

Be very careful travelling light on the basis of a weather forecast.

I'm just back from Backpacking in Spain where is should of been between 8-15 degrees

ImageIMG_2312 by Shane Cycles, on Flickr

Good fun though :)
by shane
26 Nov 2015, 11:54pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Winter bike - do you bother?
Replies: 49
Views: 4283

Re: Winter bike - do you bother?

Dave W wrote:Are you happy to ride a bag of nails through the winter?


More than happy I switched over to my bag of nails this month. (also has a rear mudguard and lights now :D )

ImageBatavus Singlespeed by Shane Cycles, on Flickr

I think it will now also be my summer cycling to work bike too 8) Though If I carry on I don't think my legs will fit any of my jeans anymore :wink:
by shane
26 Nov 2015, 11:46pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Touring Southern Spain in January
Replies: 6
Views: 2241

Re: Touring Southern Spain in January

Ironically found this thread while googling something else, then spotted my name :oops:

My Spain blogs are here >>> http://www.shanecycles.com/category/bikepacking/ and the transandalucia website is worth a look too >>> http://www.transandalus.org/index.php?lang=en

If you're more into an on road route then just connect the towns they mention via quiet roads. Malaga and Granada are beautiful if you don't mind a lot of climbing.

I'm hoping to go back and finish the route sometime between now and Easter.....
by shane
20 Nov 2015, 6:14pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Zuiderzee route LF 21, 22, 23 Netherlands.
Replies: 5
Views: 857

Re: Zuiderzee route LF 20, 21, 22 Netherlands.

This campsite in Zeewolde is always nice >> http://www.natuurkampeerterreinen.nl/en ... dasselaar/ and its only 10-15 minutes ride from a supermarket. They had digital check in when I got there this summer which was a little weird :)

I've also stayed at a couple(natuurkamperterein) in Friesland, but can't really remember much about those, so they can't be too bad :D

I hope you have a tail wind on the afsluitdijk, I never seem to and its hell :)

I have a couple of photo's of parts of the route here >>> http://www.shanecycles.com/48-hour-ride ... challenge/ I recommend taking a little more time than I did 8)

Have fun, its a nice mix of polders, dikes and sleepy villages.
by shane
10 Nov 2015, 10:53pm
Forum: Cycle Camping sub-forum
Topic: Pondering cycle camping on a Brompton
Replies: 7
Views: 1225

Re: Pondering cycle camping on a Brompton

Brompton is a great idea for starting out on shorter trips. Simple because if you've had enough you can jump on a bus home :)

If you have nothing better to do on a winter's evening, I have some idea's for luggage and trip reports here >>> http://www.shanecycles.com/category/brompton/
by shane
5 Nov 2015, 5:37pm
Forum: Cycle Camping sub-forum
Topic: Trouble deciding on a tent upgrade
Replies: 85
Views: 5844

Re: Trouble deciding on a tent upgrade

Jimstar79 wrote:I wild camped with a couple of German's that I met on Skye during the summer and one of them had an MSR dome tent and I was amazed at how much space he had inside. My hang up with MSR dome's is that they are to be light grey - which won't help much when wild camping! I was in touch with Cascade Designs last week to simply ask them why they decided to go with a colour that doesn't blend in with the natural environment but the guy I chatted with didn't seem to understand what I was getting at. A white/grey tent can be seen some 5 miles away. He did tell me that all newer models of the Hubba NX were going to be grey and that I should try and find one with a green flysheet soon as they were being discontinued.
.


Don't have any experience with the other tents you mentions but the MSR Hubba Hubba was my home for around 200 nights in Africa, it really is a roomy tent for the weight. I also now have a hubba for shorter trips nearer home.

Indeed the newer NX has a stupid colour and even worse, they've made it even lighter. For many folks a plus but I think the last generation of the green model was already pushing it if you want any kind of durability.

If you shop around a little I'm sure you can still find one of the green versions online and maybe even discounted (or ask for a discount) as its now officially an old model. I got lucky when I ordered my hubba in a sale last year as it was the older green version so still the slightly thicker material.

One advantage of MSR changing colour often is that you can fairly accurately guess which model of tent it is just by the colour :). (off the top of my head...Yellow 2011 and earlier, darkish green 2011 onwards, slightly lighter green (with re-inforcement patches here and there) 2012/3, silver 2014)
by shane
21 Oct 2015, 12:40pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Post a photo of your commuter
Replies: 29
Views: 2841

Re: Post a photo of your commuter

foxyrider wrote:
barrym wrote:I see that you are joking about lining up the valve, but I do that to help locate the cause of punctures if and when I get them.


Its standard practice even on new bikes apart from being in 'The Rules'!

So here's my daily commute pre August https://www.flickr.com/photos/92281886@N02/15441320060/ and after August it looks like this (minus the front rack)https://www.flickr.com/photos/92281886@N02/19808095501/


Now I know there's rules I'll do my best to break them :D
Where are all the photo's of beautiful bikes rather than non-sense about tire alignment?
by shane
19 Oct 2015, 8:46pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Post a photo of your commuter
Replies: 29
Views: 2841

Re: Post a photo of your commuter

Yeh, who would put a bike together like that and miss such important details :) I compensated in the photo by putting the valves at the bottom and pedals horizontal 8)
by shane
19 Oct 2015, 8:07pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Post a photo of your commuter
Replies: 29
Views: 2841

Post a photo of your commuter

Through the years on various posts there's been many photo's of many touring beauties.......

But what about the bikes you leave at home? What does your other bike(s)(commuter) look like? It seems a shame to always be talking about the mistress rather than the wife at home :shock: :D 8)

Naturally I only thought of this post as I've bought a (re)new) bike.

This is a 1973 Dutch Batavus road/touring frame converted to a single speed. Picked it up yesterday and just need to add mudguards, lights and slightly fatter tires so I can commute this winter and save my better bikes from the salt....and the irony of course is that its almost a waste to use such a classic bike as a salty sea dog....

Dubble butted frame, probably Reynolds 531. Not sure swimming pool blue is my colour but it could grow on my, its a pretty crappy paint job so I can always choose another colour in the spring 8)

ImageBatavus Singlespeed by Shane Cycles, on Flickr
by shane
14 Oct 2015, 10:34am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Russia in January advice
Replies: 15
Views: 1720

Re: Russia in January advice

Helen's got more recent experience in Russia, but here's some general winter tips and the blogs from my winter trips.

http://www.shanecycles.com/category/win ... e-touring/

-10 is fine if you have the right gear and stay sharp, -10 is beter than anything up to zero degree's in a lot of respects but thats another story. In January your biggest enemy will be the lack of daylight.

Have a blast!!