Touring Equipment

chopping a toothbrush/ buying a kids one is a bit ridiculous.

all you should need is a credit card and jacket. such a distance is a good opportunity to show yourself how little you need. for me at least, it's enjoyable doing distance with nothing/ as little as possible. if you have even a small feeling you might find it rewarding, give it a go! x

just read again... yeah carradice is good but attachments stay on your bike. ortlieb better if you'd prefer to keep frame clean x

I am intending on doing some light touring around the end of August beginning of September from Philadelphia to New York. Route is about 160 km. I've done longer stints with rear and front panniers all full of gear but won't need to this time as I intend on doing it in a day and have friends in New York I'll be staying with so no camping. I don't want to take a rucksack and feel panniers would be overkill for a day trip.

Also don't want to spend a fortune for such a short trip so any suggestions regarding either handlebar bags or saddle bags?

I don't use attachments for my Carradice bags.

^ rebel.

Hi everyone. Very nice thread!

I'm planning on doing some touring in a few weeks around Brittany and northern France. When I was younger I used front and rear panniers, both with p-clips and a real rack, but now i'd like to try the tralier method. I won't be taking too much, just a tent, some supplies, tools, change of clothes.

Does anyone know where I can pick one up second hand?

What are my options for fitting a bar bag. Forks are caliper brakes, but have mudguard eyelets if that makes any difference.

Honestly, it'd be more straightforward to just get a klickfix bag instead, also much cheaper.

Unless you're that set on having a rack/bar combo, Velo Orange's own decaleur and rando rack (or rando rack with integrated decaleur) is your best option, with p-clips if necessary.

Not set on anything really, I'm only after a small bag for a bit of food and to hold some directions/map, maybe a jacket.

Anybody have any recommendations?

You can get away with a small cheap Altura I reckon, like the Arran.

Or the Revolution barbag.

http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/products/revolution-adventure-bar-bag-3l

chopping a toothbrush/ buying a kids one is a bit ridiculous.

No it's not.

Receeding gums are a bigger problem than plaque and all toothbrush bristles are too hard (because if they were 'correct' they'd be so soft you'd have to throw them away each month). Studies have shown for years the standard grip on a toothbrush allows too much pressure onto gums, holding it lightly with a finger along the back is better. So weirdly a shorter handle and softer bristles (like a kids brush) is probably the best toothbrush for us all. Buying the softest brush and halving the handle is the next best thing, touring or not.

Go figure.

I have one of those travel toothbrushes that go back inside a case. Like you get on airlines.

Hygienic.

I punched a hole in the lid of a film canister; toothbrush pops in fairly snugly and is much more secure than the clamp on types that one can buy in drugstores around here.

What's the weight of the film canister like compared to the cover you get with the toothbrush?

Film caniser must be at least twice the size as well.

Do you guys take lanterns when touring so you can read at night n tings? I've seen quite a few varieties. Any recommendations?

Torch surely?

Head torch

Kindle paperwhite, fuck reading with a torch (head or not).

Head torch would be nice indeed. I've had some shitty moments with my bike light in my mouth while drooling all over the place, trying to rub that Sudocrem under my balls without getting it on my sleeping bag.

Oh Ed that's nice. Are there many different models? From first Google they seem quite expensive. How long to they last? I need one!

About a month of battery usage, go for the 3G model as it's nice to buy and download more books at 9pm in the middle of nowhere (if there's signal).

Head torch would be nice indeed. I've had some shitty moments with my bike light in my mouth while drooling all over the places.

Hah! Pitching tent with torch in my mouth was not fun, especially making sure the ground is (almost) free of th‪orns.

About a month of battery usage, go for the 3G model as it's nice to buy and download more books at 9pm in the middle of nowhere (if there's signal).

If, hypothetically, a friend had one of these and this friend would, hypothetically, download books from an unvalid source, would this friend in this hypothetical situation be able to read them on his Kindle Paperwhite?