Cycling UK Forum

fastpedaller wrote:OUCH - looks like a steel frame (rather than aluminium alloy)?

When I bought it I knew nothing about bikes or bike touring. I said to the man at the long gone bike shop "I need a steel framed touring bike" (I'd heard that steel was more comfortable) "You need a Trek 520" he told me and I've been happy with it ever since. I now call it Theseus (Google it) the only original components are the seat post and the back brake. I broke the seat post clamp on tour in France, Arnsider will remember that, so even that's been replaced.

Just so we all don't get too depressed I have a happier story. After 54K+ miles my Trek 520 did this

I took it back to the Trek dealer, a big bike shop in Seattle; the place I originally bought it having gone out of business years ago. The dealer asked for proof of purchase for a warranty claim on the frame which of course I didn't have. I called Trek customer service and talked to a very helpful chap there who was quite entertained at the amount of touring I'd done on it and sent him some pictures of the bike in various places in the US and Europe. Trek decided they would honour the warranty without proof of purchase.

There is a bit of a wrinkle. I got the new frame today the same nominal size as the broken one. Unfortunately they changed the design in the last ten years, the top tube doesn't slope like the old one and the stand over height is too high. So I've taken it back and the dealer assures me they will get me the next size down. This last is a bit of a pain but altogether not a bad experience.

I had thought of taking the bike without batteries and getting batteries over here but that might get complicated with the airlines: is it an electric bike or not? plus the weight limit on bags is 23 kg (50 lbs) And I may not be able to find replacement batteries. It looks like renting is the way to go. Thanks for your input.

Edit. Before today I've had counter staff insist on checking the weight of my boxed bike. It was close: 45 lb. I knew my Trek 520 was a heavy bike, 35 lbs, so I thought I was OK but the box, helmet and tools added another 10 lbs or so. So I don't think a lecci will be under the limit.

Oder people are attracted to touring by a sense of urgency in my opinion, after you've been to a funeral or two you and your bathroom cabinet is a mini pharmacy one gets to thinking "if I don't do it now....". As well as having the time and money to do it when retired. Sorry if this is indelicate.

ibbo68 wrote:

Pete Jack wrote:For clipless pedals I cannot believe that any overshoe will keep your feet dry for any length of time even if the tops are sealed by overpants.

The Velotoze ones in my first post have done exactly that.I've only done 2.5-3hrs in the wet in them but I really wouldn't want to voluntarily ride any longer than that in the wet anyway.

Interesting. I've never heard of Velotoze before. What makes them different from Izumi, Sugoi etc.? They must have a hole in the bottom for the SPD(or whatever). How do they prevent the capillary business? Mind you, if you're touring you may not be able to avoid 3+ hours in the rain.

For clipless pedals I cannot believe that any overshoe will keep your feet dry for any length of time even if the tops are sealed by overpants. In a downpour capillary action will wick the water up the inside of your overshoe, onto your sock and down inside your shoe. At least that's been my experience with several brands. What overshoes do do is keep your feet warm. Having been a caver I've learned to live with warm and wet feet as long as the rest of me is comfortable.

I have a friend who rides an electric bike in the UK that I'm trying to persuade to come here for a tour. If anyone has done this I'd love to know how it went, which airline they used, any problems with e.g. batteries. Any issues with electrical stuff once you got over here? I've made the trip several times myself with a regular bike (Trek 520) so we know about boxing up and such.

A couple of things. I definitely have to "use the facilities" more often than I did 50 years ago - less of a problem in rural areas. Also I like to tour solo and have met up with friendly young people who I've found myself telling not wait for me as their comfortable pace is faster than mine and I don't want to spoil their fun. Sometimes I've met them at the end of the day, sometimes not.

If you have an Ortlieb bar bag they sell an adapter you can mount lights, GPS, etc. on. I wouldn't recommend them I've broken two: one when my bike fell over, the other just riding across root bumps, the thing just snapped. And they are quite expensive IMO

If it raises any question in your own mind don't take it in your hand luggage. The staff who check this stuff are very busy and not interested in bike maintenance. As far as they are concerned there's too much at stake to let anything remotely questionable on. I once had to persuade a mate who was arguing with a N. Ireland ferry person who wouldn't let us take diving cylinders on board that it was her call and she could disallow anything she chose and if we didn't like it we would have to lump it. Or not get on the ferry. In the end we found a pub to look after them for a week and rented cylinders over there.

jacksonz wrote:The ride down the Rockies is certainly my favourite. I had a great sense of "freedom" in the Rockies. Not so much in Europe. The Rockies still have the "wilderness' feel. The scenery is unbelievable, especially the Canyon lands.

Can't deny that. In addition between Jasper and the US border you can stay in pretty decent hostels all the way. But March sounds terribly early, it's been known to snow in July on the Icefields Parkway. And carry bear spray, it's not likely you'll need it but I had a grizzly walk in front of me just before Bow Summit the highest point of the Parkway. Fortunately he or she just looked at me and went his way. Once you get in the US hostels are as common as hen's teeth but there's no shortage of camping and motels if you follow the ACA Sierra Cascades route. It will get hot and very dry in Southern California by the time you get there. One day somewhere in the Bakersfield area near Sequoya NP the temperature on my mates computer was 118F (48C).

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/11/13/magazine/design-issue-redesign-challenge.html
A design for a better bike lock that looks interesting and potentially very expensive. The designs for other stuff are entertaining.

Edit. Sorry the first link didn't work. You should have better luck with this one.

I'm not sure what caused most of the flats, a couple were obviously glass because it was still in the tire but the rest I don't know. I looked diligently for steel wires from truck tires but found none. (As you say Willem these are very common; I even carry a Leatherman tool with needle nose pliers for pulling them out.) At one stage I stuck a Park Patch over an area where I thought I might have missed something but the bumping got too annoying so I took it off; it made no difference, the next flat was nowhere near it. If the weather had been OK I might have lived with the Compasses but thoughts of more flats in the middle of rain and 30 mph winds were spoiling my fun.

I notice someone is using Compass tires (sic). I rode down the Pacific coast on Compass Bon Jon Pass tires the largest my Trek 520 would takes (35s) after 650 miles and 6 flats I'd had enough and replaced them with Ribmo 700 X 28, the only 700 road tire the bike shop in Crescent City had, and no more flats. That said, they do roll really nicely, I rode for bit with a bloke on Schwalbe Marathon Pluses and every time we coasted downhill I had to brake to not overtake him but those flats... one day 3 in 20 miles. Well, my LBS chap did say he didn't sell them because "they get a lotta flats".

For those interested, thanks for your concern, I recovered physically quite well. Psychologically? Well I now ride with two rear lights and a safety triangle.

The bike frame was straight according to my LBS man and he put it back together with a new back wheel. I've just completed a ride from Seattle to San Fransisco, about 1000 miles, on it and it performed perfectly. The Compass tyres were a disappointment, 6 flats in 650 miles, so I tossed them and put Ribmos on instead - no flats for the rest of the trip. Normally I can live with a few flats but the weather was abominable and I had some serious climbs coming up. The worst day I had 3 of them in 20 miles.

The Compass things do roll well, I definitely felt some drag with the Ribmos, but the flat thing killed it for me. Apparently Compass have sacrificed puncture protection to get suppleness.

Edit. No I didn't re-use the hub.