Comments on: Gear http://wheelsofchance.org A bicycle blog Tue, 13 Jul 2010 11:59:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: cstandley http://wheelsofchance.org/gear/#comment-207 cstandley Sat, 01 May 2010 12:51:58 +0000 http://wheelsofchance.wordpress.com/?page_id=125#comment-207 Hi Henry, It's great to read your comment and thanks again for that blog. I read it maybe five years ago and it got me off the four panniers, fully loaded bandwagon. Back then I was getting back into touring and and your blog was inspirational. Technology keeps moving on and I'm a bit of an equipment geek so tweaking my setup is something I enjoy. I was going to test it out in Iceland this summer, but those plans are on hold because of the volcano. Yeah Tai Chi shoes are a great second pair of shoes. When I as in college I did some kung fu and we would go running around the city parks so they seemed like the obvious choice for shoes to wear off the bike. Hi Henry,
It’s great to read your comment and thanks again for that blog. I read it maybe five years ago and it got me off the four panniers, fully loaded bandwagon. Back then I was getting back into touring and and your blog was inspirational. Technology keeps moving on and I’m a bit of an equipment geek so tweaking my setup is something I enjoy. I was going to test it out in Iceland this summer, but those plans are on hold because of the volcano.

Yeah Tai Chi shoes are a great second pair of shoes. When I as in college I did some kung fu and we would go running around the city parks so they seemed like the obvious choice for shoes to wear off the bike.

]]> By: Henry http://wheelsofchance.org/gear/#comment-206 Henry Sat, 01 May 2010 04:53:24 +0000 http://wheelsofchance.wordpress.com/?page_id=125#comment-206 Nice setup! Especially like the big water bottles. Also, thanks for the link to the Koopman story. Good one! On that ride (Vancouver Island to SF), all of that stuff (Rambouillet, 2-lbs tent, handlebar bag, etc... ) except maybe the sleeping bag and shortwave was borrowed from Grant, a very generous guy. It was about the nicest rig I ever toured with. Grant always has the best things, the niftiest tents, the nicest wool. The (old style, no longer available) Walrus Zoid tent was really snazzy (if coffin-like). But, the $30 China-made tent I later bought from rivbike.com is (almost) just as good! Me, I'm lucky to start each tour with a functioning bike. My tour prep list usually goes, you know, rebuild rear wheel, replace bottom bracket, new chain and cogs, replace tires and pedals... then, I'm leaving in an hour, and still need to pack. Sigh. Fortunately, I've found "Oh well, I'll buy one on the road" usually works out ok. The last tour, I stopped at Wal-Mart on the way out of town and bought an $8 child's backpack to use as a saddlebag, with the straps laced through the saddle rails. (The Carradice didn't fit my full-sus rig.) I remember another tour in the early 90s where I took some Tai Chi shoes as a backup to full Look road shoes. Wound up walking all over Europe in those things... wonderful minimalism! -Henry Nice setup! Especially like the big water bottles. Also, thanks for the link to the Koopman story. Good one!

On that ride (Vancouver Island to SF), all of that stuff (Rambouillet, 2-lbs tent, handlebar bag, etc… ) except maybe the sleeping bag and shortwave was borrowed from Grant, a very generous guy. It was about the nicest rig I ever toured with. Grant always has the best things, the niftiest tents, the nicest wool. The (old style, no longer available) Walrus Zoid tent was really snazzy (if coffin-like). But, the $30 China-made tent I later bought from rivbike.com is (almost) just as good!

Me, I’m lucky to start each tour with a functioning bike. My tour prep list usually goes, you know, rebuild rear wheel, replace bottom bracket, new chain and cogs, replace tires and pedals… then, I’m leaving in an hour, and still need to pack. Sigh.

Fortunately, I’ve found “Oh well, I’ll buy one on the road” usually works out ok. The last tour, I stopped at Wal-Mart on the way out of town and bought an $8 child’s backpack to use as a saddlebag, with the straps laced through the saddle rails. (The Carradice didn’t fit my full-sus rig.)

I remember another tour in the early 90s where I took some Tai Chi shoes as a backup to full Look road shoes. Wound up walking all over Europe in those things… wonderful minimalism!

-Henry

]]>