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anyone here done any bicycle touring? just wondering... |
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I biked 50 miles one day. I want to do this though, unfortunatly, I don't have the money to fall back on. |
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i love to mountain bike love it love to ride all over town never though on any trips more than 50 miles, about that but no forest gump, cross county shite. |
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That would be awesome though! |
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i am awesome you cunt |
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I kno, rite? rite guyz? |
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Never done it by pushbike, but I've done a fair bit of backpacking and a lot of motorcycle touring and the principles are largely the same between all 3. I've also done some proper mountain biking and had to carry/fit pushbike spares. On a push bike, you'll want a pump, puncture repair kit (and depending on the terrain you'll be going over, spare inner tube(s)), alun key set for your bike, leatherman/swiss army type multitool, spare brake cable (depends on the bike, but you can often get away with just carrying a spare rear brake cable and cut it down if it needs to be used on the front). Backpacking stores will be a good place to get small, light tents (I use a 1.5kg 2 man tent that folds down very small) and compression sacks, as well as small stoves, etc. I reckon you should aim to fit everything you need for the bike in an underseat bag (don't know the proper name) with the pump tied to the frame, then 2 throwover panniers for your camping/personal kit. Avoid carrying anything on your back, except for a camelback, and/or fanny pack round your waist as it's uncomfortable/tiring. site is an invaluble resource for packing light. I really has reduced the amount I carry by about a third. One other packing tip, "don't carry anything you either don't know how, or aren't prepared to use". EG no point carrying an extensive first aid kit if your first aid knowledge is limited to plasters and bandages, likewise, no point splashing out on (and lugging around) a tool wrap if you have no mechanical skills. Try avoid overloading the bike as it'll cock up the handling and make braking distances longer and increase the chances of a skid, as well as being slower/more tiring to ride. When packing in panniers, put the heaviest, most infrequently used stuff (stove etc.) at the bottom and front of the pannier. This will help keep the mass of the bike centralised and have the least effect on handling. Likewise, spread things evenly between both panni |
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..spread things evenly between both panniers, or it'll handle a bit funny, particularly at low speeds. |
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My Leatherman has saved me many many many times...! |
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Yes, they're superb, far and away the best multi-tools IMO. The fact I often use it for real jobs (rather than just as a portable/emergency substitute) instead of my real 'proper' tools is indicative of their quality. Last for ever, never rust, you'd need to make a concerted effort to break them, etc. They make genuine Swiss army knives seem flimsy and poorly made in comparison. I have an oldish one (had it for well over a decade), but I've never had any need/inclination to replace it. |
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Seconded! Here's mine... |
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Here's mine Leatherman Supertool (original version, not the '200'): |
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Nice! What amazed me most was the sharpness of the knifes... Cut like a katana! |
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Yes, my first experience of a leatherman was a badly bleeding finger when I (ever so gently) tested the sharpness of the blade (as I have done with pretty much every other knife I've handled, without cutting myself)! They never seem to dull either, even when you use them for things you shouldn't like cutting paper. The wood saw is also obscenely good for its size. I have actually cut through sizeable logs with it by cutting a 'v' into it using the saw(as you would with an axe) to narrow it then going into it normally. On yours, how do you release the blades? Is it a thing you push in sidewards with your thumb? Mine uses an odd system whereby you have to partially open another blade to fold the blades in. If you fold them all out by accident (not easily done- I only did it to test I could reset it), you need to use an external knife/screwdriver to 'reset' it and put the blades back in. In a pinch, you could do it with a stone/strong stick, so it's not a problem, but it's the only 'imperfect' thing about it. I've just realised I've never oiled the joints in mine, but it still doesn't drag at all. I'll oil it when I'm next in the garage though. Since using my leatherman (and friends' ones) I've realised what overkill most of the big swiss army knives are in terms of features. It's much better to have a few good blades that can be used for several things and which are good quality and will never break than something like monstrosity. |
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In mine u can open and close the blade alone. When open, there's a thing in the side that locks the blade in open position to avoid accidental folding (possibly with your finger in between). U have to push the side button to be able to fold it. No need to unfold anything partially. Also used the wood saw in several ocasions to cut small logs and stuff from trees... also never oiled mine, and seems to me the bastard tool doesn't need it... And wtf's that swiss army knife? Is it for real? Jesuschrist... I can destroy any swiss army knife in three months of use... |
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I also remember when comin' back from La Havanna... I forgot to pack my Leatherman and went inside the plane with the bastard on my hand bag. And that was post world trade center shit... I could have killed several people and done almost anything to the plane. When we arrived and I went through spanish customs and scans, the operators where like... WTF is that motherfuckin' thing? Where the hell do u come from? Me: Cuba! Them: Lazy crazy bastards! I had to send the knife thrugh the mail system to my own house! |
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The swiss army knife is sadly real. I haven't seen one that big in the flesh, but I have seen one about half as wide when I was in Switzerland last year. Utterly pointless, so big that it negates the whole "compactness" of a swiss army knife. You could fit a proper big single bladed survival knive, compact wood saw and a leatherman in the same space as that monstrosity. The only swiss army branded knife I have these days is a waiter's tool (because as flimsy as they are, they're more robust than most waiters tools). Like you, I knackered all the other ones I've had. The waiters tool one seems quite solid, it seems the wider they are, the more flimsy they are. I also have a cheapo imitation one (that I don't care if it's stolen/lost) under the seat of my motorbike for day to day use, but that's replaced with a leatherman when I'm actually touring. RE: At the airport, at least they let you post it to yourself. I had a (minute) antique bottle opener on my keyring that was a family heirloom and the bastards wouldn't even let me put it into storage to collect when I was back in the country. They just conviscated it, in spite of the fact the 'blade' was under an inch long and incredibly dull and that glasses/pens are far more dangerous. |
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awesome |
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