It is indeed. In fact that's the book recommendation that came along with the link Andy sent me to this article.
He ran out that way over Easter and took some great photos of it:
Search found 47 matches
- Mon Apr 27, 2015 10:22 am
- Forum: General banter
- Topic: Vintage bike mud/trudge epic
- Replies: 3
- Views: 1404
- Sun Apr 26, 2015 4:35 pm
- Forum: General banter
- Topic: Vintage bike mud/trudge epic
- Replies: 3
- Views: 1404
Vintage bike mud/trudge epic
This story from 1900 will have familiar elements for anyone who has bikepacked in less than favourable cirumstances:
https://archive.org/stream/wideworldmag ... 4/mode/2up
Highly recommended!
https://archive.org/stream/wideworldmag ... 4/mode/2up
Highly recommended!
- Wed Jan 07, 2015 2:01 pm
- Forum: General banter
- Topic: Rovaniemi 150
- Replies: 399
- Views: 68272
Re: Rovaniemi 150
RE: Brakes... I would avoid hydraulics, myself. I think Jeff Oatley used them in the ITI, but he lives in those conditions so he can make sure his setup works. Unless you take both and test them before the race (and have the conditions you want for testing in that time), you're taking a risk. The ad...
- Tue Nov 11, 2014 2:11 pm
- Forum: General banter
- Topic: Tour Divide ... thinking out loud.
- Replies: 36
- Views: 7166
Re: Tour Divide ... thinking out loud.
I think a lot of the angst about people riding the Divide is because the rules were good enough for "us". In the sense that the people who wrote them, and the people who were first attracted to ride the trail didn't need more detail and complicated clauses, and everything nailed down in de...
- Mon Oct 20, 2014 4:19 pm
- Forum: General banter
- Topic: waterproof shorts
- Replies: 10
- Views: 1706
Re: waterproof shorts
Cut-off army gore-tex is quite flappy around your knees and does tend to slip down off your hips.
I once made belt loops out of cable ties and used string as a belt for the full-on hobo look. Pro
I once made belt loops out of cable ties and used string as a belt for the full-on hobo look. Pro
- Fri Aug 15, 2014 5:40 pm
- Forum: General banter
- Topic: Q's for Fatbike users
- Replies: 35
- Views: 5819
Re: Q's for Fatbike users
For snow, I'd go big. The difference in riding the Iditarod on 65mm Large Marges vs 100mm Clown Shoes was enormous. To begin with on the 100s, I kept almost tripping myself up. I was bracing myself to plough into the soft stuff and lose momentum, but it floated so much better that I could just keep ...
- Mon Jun 30, 2014 4:45 pm
- Forum: General banter
- Topic: So - bibtights and bivvy bags. A bad idea?
- Replies: 11
- Views: 2103
Re: So - bibtights and bivvy bags. A bad idea?
For me, bibs every time. You'll likely spend a lot more time riding than sleeping, so get the comfort right for that. I'll unhook the bibs as soon as I stop for the night, then put on whatever upper-body layers I need while setting up. Once I'm in the sleeping bag, I pull them down but keep them aro...
- Mon Jun 23, 2014 11:43 am
- Forum: General banter
- Topic: new pump??
- Replies: 17
- Views: 2609
Re: new pump??
I used to use a Mountain Morph, but it does take up a hell of a lot of space. Since I was hardly getting any punctures, I decided to save some space with a Lezyne alloy drive. It works well for me, doesn't take up much space, and even went with me on the Iditarod where I had some big tyres to inflate.
- Wed Jun 11, 2014 12:51 pm
- Forum: General banter
- Topic: EWE 2014
- Replies: 15
- Views: 2488
Re: EWE 2014
Hello all... Yes, Rich is currently the only brave soul on the list. I've got other aims this year: The Yukon 1000 canoe race http://yukon1000.com/y/index.php , and trying to get over the cost of the Iditarod. It will be great if Rich can make it and keep EWE alive! There will be some minor route ch...
- Sat May 24, 2014 2:50 pm
- Forum: General banter
- Topic: Highland trail 550!!
- Replies: 391
- Views: 56482
Re: Highland trail 550!!
I think the "late" starts will just be down to the intervals in Spots (successfully) sending out their position. If yours sent just before the start, Trackleaders wouldn't know you've started until the next position gets sent some time later. And it will clock you as already being down the...
- Wed May 21, 2014 3:30 pm
- Forum: General banter
- Topic: Dakota 20 bar mount
- Replies: 8
- Views: 1640
Re: Dakota 20 bar mount
I'm still using the Dakota with that bodge.
Works well for me on and off road.
The mounts seem to be slightly variable. I have two and one was a much better fit out-of-the-box than the other. So that might explain why some folks have no problems.
Works well for me on and off road.
The mounts seem to be slightly variable. I have two and one was a much better fit out-of-the-box than the other. So that might explain why some folks have no problems.
- Thu May 15, 2014 11:49 am
- Forum: General banter
- Topic: Deore brakes?
- Replies: 16
- Views: 2340
Re: Deore brakes?
I had always used XT, but I have Deore on the Puffin.
The pad retaining pin is a split pin on the Deore instead of a screw-fitting and they don't have the adjusters on the levers.
But they work great... I'd struggle to justify going beyond Deore in the future.
The pad retaining pin is a split pin on the Deore instead of a screw-fitting and they don't have the adjusters on the levers.
But they work great... I'd struggle to justify going beyond Deore in the future.
- Tue May 13, 2014 1:53 pm
- Forum: General banter
- Topic: Multitool recommendation
- Replies: 38
- Views: 5892
Re: Multitool recommendation
Damnit! The chain tool on the Hexus 2 is driven by popping off one of the tyre levers from the side of the tool, and that lever has an allen key bolt in it. The allen key bolt just sheared out of the tyre lever while fixing a client's bike on a guided ride. Grrr. Maybe the old Alien style where it s...
- Tue May 06, 2014 11:37 pm
- Forum: General banter
- Topic: Freak failures
- Replies: 48
- Views: 6496
Re: Freak failures
Some good near misses for me... After weeks of winter night rides on the cross bike, the face-plate of my stem broke off on the way to the curry house. 5 minute walk from home. Just after doing a gap/drop with about 7ft height difference, I was chatting to a friend and one of my cranks fell off. And...
- Wed Apr 30, 2014 4:10 pm
- Forum: General banter
- Topic: Multitool recommendation
- Replies: 38
- Views: 5892
Re: Multitool recommendation
In the past, I used a selection of allen keys stuck into a bit of plastic packing foam, and a chain tool separated out from an old multi-tool (weighs less than specific chain tools). That worked OK, but I ended up switching to a Topeak Hexus 2 for a number of reasons: Having exactly what you need fo...
- Thu Mar 27, 2014 11:03 am
- Forum: General banter
- Topic: RatRace Crossing - Am I missing something?
- Replies: 17
- Views: 2405
Re: RatRace Crossing - Am I missing something?
I did their Scottish coast-to-coast (run, bike, kayak) a couple of years back. I did it with my wife as a trip rather than a race and it was down-right odd to be turning up at a designated campsite. And before sunset. And with a tent. All that hanging out when you could have got to the other coast i...
- Tue Mar 18, 2014 11:48 pm
- Forum: General banter
- Topic: For all you visually impaired fat bike riders.
- Replies: 15
- Views: 2070
Re: For all you visually impaired fat bike riders.
I seem to have some orange ones on the way. Sam will never forgive what I'm about to do to the Puffin
- Tue Mar 18, 2014 10:47 am
- Forum: General banter
- Topic: Brands?
- Replies: 43
- Views: 5753
Re: Brands?
I avoid Scarpa boots because they're typically used by know-it-all Mountain Leaders. I can justify it since they're expensive, but know-it-alls are the main reason.
- Fri Mar 14, 2014 7:59 pm
- Forum: General banter
- Topic: "What I learned at the bikepacking 101 seminar"
- Replies: 15
- Views: 2511
Re: "What I learned at the bikepacking 101 seminar"
I would take their "Camp near a water source" advice and turn it into "Don't camp near a water source". Only a small change but it has a number of benefits: Less mozzies If you don't sleep where you cooked (probably by the water) you're less likely to get eaten by bears You shoul...
- Sat Mar 08, 2014 8:21 am
- Forum: General banter
- Topic: Alpkit Bikepacking Storage
- Replies: 16
- Views: 6145
Re: Alpkit Bikepacking Storage
Andy was really happy with the backpack here for his DSLR
http://www.privateer.cc/2012/06/grenzst ... e.html?m=1
http://www.privateer.cc/2012/06/grenzst ... e.html?m=1
- Tue Feb 18, 2014 8:02 pm
- Forum: General banter
- Topic: Really good egg wanted - and a SPOT tracker
- Replies: 10
- Views: 2103
Re: Really good egg wanted - and a SPOT tracker
If anyone else needs to borrow a Spot for the Highland Trail, mine is available. First generation, so its a bit of a brick, but it works. SteveH - you do need a subscription for it to work. But if you borrow from someone who has a subscription, they can set up a profile in your name when they lend i...
- Sun Feb 16, 2014 3:17 am
- Forum: General banter
- Topic: Training thread
- Replies: 60
- Views: 7963
Re: Training thread
This thread is really interesting. For what it's worth, I'm not sure that most sports science targeted at cycling has much useful to say about performing well at multi-day bikepacking events. I've talked to professional coaches about it, and they admit that they don't know what really works. So you ...
- Tue Feb 04, 2014 7:29 pm
- Forum: General banter
- Topic: CTBM Swanage
- Replies: 8
- Views: 1382
Re: CTBM Swanage
Charlie The Bikemonger
- Fri Dec 06, 2013 3:51 pm
- Forum: General banter
- Topic: Rovaniemi 150
- Replies: 399
- Views: 68272
Re: Rovaniemi 150
You could fill a book with musings about winter racing, but specifically on the point of low-temp grease... On the basis that if your freehub fails to engage, you're a bit stuffed, I've always just degreased the freehub and run that dry. Everything else I run with stock grease. I don't want to do mo...
- Fri Sep 13, 2013 12:18 am
- Forum: General banter
- Topic: Replacement rotor recommendations?
- Replies: 4
- Views: 1328
Re: Replacement rotor recommendations?
Note sure what to recommend, but I would think twice about using KCNC or Ashima lightweight rotors. I've had both and they wear through really quickly. There's so much drilled out of the middle of the braking surface that it wears into a groove, which then wears out your pads more quickly. Then, aft...