Touring Equipment

Just did a mini camping tour and my top three touring tips are:

1. take a compass
   
2. take cable ties
   
3. if you are a girl, cheapo ballet pumps weigh fuck all and can be crammed into the corner of a pannier while still making acceptable off-bike footwear
   
   

Also the Ortleib bar bag with map holder was ace. My days of riding one-handed while attempting to read directions off a scrap of paper that's been shoved in my pocket repeatedly are Over.

Talking a mental note about those ballet shoes...

What size are you? I have some spare.

Also the Ortleib bar bag with map holder was ace. My days of riding one-handed while attempting to read directions off a scrap of paper that's been shoved in my pocket repeatedly are Over.

Great idea and been said so many times. I've had sheets of google maps shoved in my pockets before.

Also plimpsoles work fine I picked up a pair cheap, they are actually really comfy to cycle in too.

Sorry to spoil anyone searching for a excuse to wear ballet footwear, but check also** Feelmax** shoes.

zip tie save my life many time, they're quite possibly the most useful human invention in the recent thousand years.

that and duct tape of course, duct tape is great to repair panniers (especially those irrepairable Ortieb).

Gaffa tape all the way for me. Industry standard, innit.

1. take a compass
   
2. take cable ties
   
3. if you are a girl, cheapo ballet pumps weigh fuck all and can be crammed into the corner of a pannier while still making acceptable off-bike footwear
   
   
   

1+2: I keep one of those little Recta button compasses zip-tied to the bars. It's really handy.
3: Also, Vibram FiveFingers do likewise and give you awesome Dr. Who monster feet.

regarding compasses, yes they are essential, and I know these things are a bit anti, but a few people have recommended them for touring...

And here's the Boardman in light touring mode, with some panniers I found in the cupboard under the stairs! Don't seem great but will do until I come to doing some serious travelling... It's such a pleasant bike to ride, just bowls along tarmac between 20-25mph with barely any effort.... Rando cross tyres were alright on the off road as well as rolling alright and being comfortable on the road. Got a thorn puncture though and a large knick from some glass, pretty unimpressed with that! Think I will be going down the marathon plus route when it comes to building the touring bike.

(those looking at the seatpost thinking i need an inline one, yes it came yesterday waiting to be fitted...)

zip tie save my life many time, they're quite possibly the most useful human invention in the recent thousand years.

Possibly my favourite scoblism so far, needs a meme...

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Re attaching the compass to your bars... bad idea to do this with steel bars. Also keep it away from your frame if it's steel.

Compasses, how do they work?

I've got an app for that...

I wish I had a dynamo hub to make use of it.

regarding compasses, yes they are essential, and I know these things are a bit anti, but a few people have recommended them for touring...

Here's another option that I recommended.

a handlebar bag;

And put the compass under the transparent cover;

as modelled here, albeit on me moto...

http://www.lfgss.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=40688&stc=1&d=1307234083

Note place names and road numbers scribbled on back of receipt.... le organisatíon!

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If you're trying to break the round the world record then you should be strapped in. For any other kind of touring you should wear whatever is most comfortable for you. If you want to clip-clop around the world in cycle specific footwear - that is up to you.

Thank you, i'll strap myself to the garmin instead of having it on the handlebar, very useful tips.

You can always fit a 11-28t cassette (and a longer derailleur) to compensate, give you a little bit more range.

Hah, the reason for the cassette + derailleur is that it work out a bit cheaper than a triple crankset and give a similar range, although with the triple you get more choice of ratios.

With the 11-28 cassette, you get a gear inches of 32 to 121.

With a triple chainring (using your original 11-25 cassette), you'll get a gear inches of 32 to 121 (using the Shimano Tiagra 30-39-50 cassette as a reference).

I think the Shimano Sora shifter work with double and triple, will double check that at work today, however what about bar-end shifter? you can have the option of indexed and friction at the same time, a great option if the indexed is out of tune, simply switch it in friction mode solved this.

I know the Dura Ace one does, but not sure if the Ultegra do as well.

How do I find out if I've got 3400 shifters? Can't find it online will it be on the shifters them selves, I've noticed when I change chain ring there in one 'stop' on the shifter which isn't being used - maybe this is just to tune it though?

And thanks for the help Ed, I await your response!

Right thanks for the help Ed.

I've decided on the following;

New 105 shifters,
105 triple chainset
tiagra front triple derailuer
tiagra rear derailuer
105 10 speed cassette
10 speed chain

I've worked out it will come in at about £250 - not bad for a 10 speed triple upgrade.

Half the reason for going for 10 speed shifters and cassette was that it future proofs it somewhat. I don't really want to chuck £150 on 9 speed shifters and find out they are obsolete in a few years time.

I've read a few forums on people audax/touring on 10 speeds and they've got along just fine so that's not a worry either.

You'll regret when that flimsy 10-speed chain fails you in middle of desert.

When I take my bicycle to the desert I'll think about that one. All of my touring at the moment is done on roads around Europe or the USA, all developed countries that means if there was a problem I wouldn't be without my bicycle for too long.

There's s certain limit to how many cog you can fit on the back wheel, I highly doubt 9 speed will disappear in the future, plus you need to use a 10 speed specific crank/chain/etc. Wether 9 speed (or 8 even)are much easier to get ahold of and.sort out.

Even in developed countries, 10 speed may not be that easy to get.

Shame there isn't some kind of company that can, you know...ship anything, to any part of the world.

That's exactly how I roll too.

Fuck those garmin and their electronic gizbot, ol' paper and compass still work wonder despite being a lots less convenience.

Ed...How much proper touring have you actually done? Serious question.
How many miles have you actually put in on any of the equipment you recommend...how many centuries/double centuries/multi day rides/camping rides?

I'm not trying to be a dick here...but I haven't read any ride reports from you on any of the touring you've done.
It's one thing to tell people that you recommend this and that and that certain things are difficult to get or will break or are so comfortable or uncomfortable....but if those opinions are only formed by reading things on the internet or taking a certain product out of the box in evans, fitting it to you bike, and taking another photo of it, it's not experience....it's personal opinion.

Fair play to you that you're planning this ride of yours in south America or wherever...but until you've done it, even you don't know how well the equipment you have is going to work for you or anybody else.

I know you love bikes, but you seem to spend more time convincing yourself that you need another specific bike to do a specific thing, and then buying all these specific components that you never actually seem to go on any long rides to test them out properly.

Why don't you settle on one bike for a while and one set up and give it a good amount of time on some actual tours so that you can give some proper, real world experience based opinions on how good or bad they are?

As i said, i'm not meaning any offence, but there are times on here where it's like the deaf leading the blind
...and i know you have a sense of humour so will know i mean that tongue in cheek. :]

Pretty much every bike you've put together in the past year would be perfectly fine for doing some touring on...so why not do some?

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that there are people that have toured all over the world on some of the shonkiest equipment around, and they would put us all to shame with their achievements....they don't worry about whether they have the right this, or the perfect that...They use what they have and enjoy the riding part of....if something breaks, they fix it...if something is no good, they don't use it again.
There comes a time where you need to stop worrying about every single little detail and just go out there and ride and enjoy yourself and gain your own experience.
Nine times out of ten when you tell people they should 'sell this bike' and 'buy that bike instead' and 'change to this handlebar' and 'use a barbag'...they would probably do just fine with what they have...and would be able to spend the money on having fun in all the places they could ride to.

Whatever happened to 'It's all about the ride' ?
Lecture over. :]