Reducing pack size for credit card tour

[Vorpal]

Deodrant - any tips on reducing from a roll on?

If you are credit card touring, can you shower every day and just leave the deoderant at home? Or take a small piece of deoderant soap, instead?

I seldom use the stuff, myself. My skin doesn't like it, but I know that some folks struggle with body odour if they don't use it.

Otherwise, try a health food / natural products shop. They usully have some deoderants that come in a pot &/or can be applied like a cream.

[Brucey]

FWIW you turn the wheel forwards to unscrew the cassette, once the tool is in position. You can do this by pedalling forwards in low gear, or even just wheeling the bike forwards. Obviously you need to turn in the other direction when reinstalling the cassette. I don't recommend running with a cassette that isn't reasonably tight (sprockets that move around much eventually wear even a steel freehub body) but it will quickly ruin an aluminium freehub body.

There's more than one way of skinning a cat though. I usually carry cone spanners on tour, and my plan in the event of a broken spoke (which happens, well, hardly ever on my bike - about 35 years ago was the last occurrence) is to remove the freehub body complete with the sprockets (not all hubs allow this BTW) using a 10mm hex key tool. I have even built a lightweight hex key tool for this purpose.

BITD with a screw-on freewheel, I expected to have a mighty struggle any time the freewheel had to come off, so I used large flange hubs and a freewheel that I could remove the sprockets from (the sprockets that really made the freewheel tight on the hub were splined).

cheers

[hamster]

There's more than one way of skinning a cat though. I usually carry cone spanners on tour, and my plan in the event of a broken spoke (which happens, well, hardly ever on my bike - about 35 years ago was the last occurrence) is to remove the freehub body complete with the sprockets (not all hubs allow this BTW) using a 10mm hex key tool. I have even built a lightweight hex key tool for this purpose.

That's a neat trick!

[Brucey]

re NA's concerns about loading on the dropout; these are (IMHO) well founded



the load is applied about 1/2" away from the axle centre, thus if the lockring requires 50 ftlbs to shift it, the load on the dropout is 1200lbs. Even if the lockring only needs 25ftlbs (which leaves the sprockets moving around IME) the load on the dropout is 600lbs. This is more than I'd want to apply.



The older 'hypercracker' tool has a longer arm on it; it can still cause damage but the loads are proportionately lower, about 1/4 the size for any given torque.

Unior make a small tool ( 1669-4 (= URT201? ) ) too

https://uniortools.com/eng/product/1669-4-2-in-1-pocket-spoke-and-cassette-lockring-tool#44729

https://bikerumor.com/2019/03/13/review-uniors-tiny-multi-purpose-pocket-lockring-tool-saves-the-day/

which has the same loading issues because it is short. However it also contains a half-decent looking spoke key so if it fits your spokes then it may be a good tool to carry.

BTW some of these tools will also let you remove a centrelock disc lockring, but only if the centre bore is both unobstructed and large enough. But at the rear, you will probably need to improvise a spacer because the lockring is usually set further away from the dropout.

cheers

[bigjim]

This all seems a lot of hassle for a broken spoke. I'm heavy and ride correspondingly heavy bikes. I've only ever broke a spoke once. That was on a 36 spoke wheel and I never noticed it affecting the ride. I just taped it to another spoke and carried on. Surely a high spoke count on a well built and trued wheel a broken spoke would be a very rare event, unless one is riding with a hell of a lot of luggage. As the OP is talking lightweight touring, I doubt it would be an issue.
Oh. I'm telling lies. I have broken spokes but that was on wheels with galvanized 30 yr old spokes. They just seemed to have rusted away. Can Galvanized rust? Stainless these days don't have that problem.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,

FWIW you turn the wheel forwards to unscrew the cassette, once the tool is in position. You can do this by pedalling forwards in low gear, or even just wheeling the bike forwards.
cheers

My bold?

[Brucey]

My bold?

I may have cross-posted; your point?

cheers

[mnichols]

Vis-a-vis the spoke I'm happy with my middle ground. on each bike i have 3 spokes (1 of each length) wrapped and stored in the seat post. In the event of a break i then just need to get to a bike shop and present them with the wheel and the spoke and hope they will help.

I also have a spare chainset, complete with cranks and pedals cellotaped to the top of my helmet, but I think we all do that, so hoping this is less controversial

[Brucey]

I also have a spare chainset, complete with cranks and pedals cellotaped to the top of my helmet, but I think we all do that, so hoping this is less controversial

what, its not a halo then.....

cheers

[mnichols]

Just done a test pack, and my luggage, excluding what I'll be wearing or carrying directly on the bike (Water Bottles, Garmin, lights, phone) and excluding the actually bag it's self is 2Kg. 600 grams of that is bike spares (tubes, patches, multi-tool, etc), 1.4Kg is clothes, toiletries, waterproof, electricals, etc

I added some waterproof socks to the list

I've then put it all in my Carradice, added the rear light and weighed the whole thing and it's under 3Kg and loads of room in the bag

I'm going to get some lighter inner tubes, shorter charging cables, but that's the setup

So next weekend I'll be cycling from Kent around the coast to my home in the West Country, and then in August I'll be flying into Edinburgh and cycling to London....and that will complete my lap of the coast of mainland UK

[roberts8]

Really interesting and making me think about my packing for a five day trip to Suisse Normandy. I notice you do not include a lock so are you ok about nipping in somewhere or overnight without locking up?

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,

Hi,

FWIW you turn the wheel forwards to unscrew the cassette, once the tool is in position. You can do this by pedalling forwards in low gear, or even just wheeling the bike forwards.
cheers

My bold?

You turn the wheel forward it free wheels.
Nothing happens?
To undo the lock ring you need two tools one for the ring one for cassette.
The chain with this type of tool acts as the other tool, and will need to be turned forward to undo the lock ring.
I might of misunderstood the way you phrased it.
Or I have simply got it wrong.

[yutkoxpo]

Just done a test pack, and my luggage, excluding what I'll be wearing or carrying directly on the bike (Water Bottles, Garmin, lights, phone) and excluding the actually bag it's self is 2Kg. 600 grams of that is bike spares (tubes, patches, multi-tool, etc), 1.4Kg is clothes, toiletries, waterproof, electricals, etc

I added some waterproof socks to the list

I've then put it all in my Carradice, added the rear light and weighed the whole thing and it's under 3Kg and loads of room in the bag

I'm going to get some lighter inner tubes, shorter charging cables, but that's the setup

So next weekend I'll be cycling from Kent around the coast to my home in the West Country, and then in August I'll be flying into Edinburgh and cycling to London....and that will complete my lap of the coast of mainland UK

As a four pannier kinda guy, I'm a little bit in awe of your list! The idea of Edinburgh to London with that kit both excites and terrifies me!

Can I ask your average daily distance and speed? And for accommodation.... is that planned out in advance or do you seek it out on the fly?

Many thanks

[Brucey]

Hi,
You turn the wheel forward it free wheels.

of course it does. My brain fade!

cheers

[Cunobelin]

Don't forget Smith's 3rd law of cycle touring.....


The item that you remove will be the one you need on dark wet night miles from anywhere!