12hr Photo Project 8 Nov 2007

Jeremy has started a cool photo project taking place on 8 Nov 2007 from 8am to 8pm. Click here to read more about it. We can use a few more people to join in the project.

Fhloston's Front Basket

I gotta admit that Fhloston has a much nicer front basket than the milk crate on my LHT. I may have to put some energy into a new basket this winter.

Surly LHT or CC Selection Advice

Both the LHT and the CC are great bikes that would work for the majority of riders. This is one of the challenges in picking one over the other. There are very few situations where only one would be suitable.

LHT [specs]

• Designed for fully loaded long distance touring
• Long chain stays
• Front and rear rack mounts
• Relaxed geometry
• Heavy & stiff frame
• Low bottom bracket
• Clearance for wide tires & fenders
• Vertical drop outs [135mm]
  
• Two wheel sizes
• 54cm and smaller uses 26” wheels
• 56cm and larger uses 700c wheels
  

CC [specs]

• Designed as a versatile cyclo-cross bike
• Medium chain stays
• Rear rack mount
• Less relax geometry [quicker handling]
• High bottom bracket
• Lighter frame
• Only 700c wheels
• Semi-horizontal drop outs [132.5mm]
  

Pick the LHT if:

• You’ll be doing fully loaded tours
• You are short and prefer the fit offered by 26” wheels
• You want a very relaxed slower handling bike

Pick the CC if:

• If you’ll be riding off-road
• If you prefer a lighter faster handling bike
• If you want 700c wheels and you ride a 54cm or smaller frame
• If you want to be able to build a single speed bike

Keep in mind:

• People have toured across the US on CCs
• People have done club rides with their LHT

Sizing Advice

See the Surly website.

John's Kogswell

Very nice!

Dinotte Light Sale

E-mail from Dinnotte Lighting...

"Customer appreciation weekend. We're having a big sale on our AA headlight and AA taillight.

DiNotte Lighting invites all customers and non customers to participate in a very special offer. Starting on Friday at midnight we will have two items available at unprecedented prices.

DiNotte AA headlight - Our full featured 200 lumen headlight, standard 12 inch cord length, including the headlight, battery holder, and handlebar mount only (batteries, charger and helmet mount deleted) for a weekend only price of 99.00 USD + shipping and handling. (International orders MUST go EXPRESS mail)
Link: http://store.dinottelighting.com/Product55

DiNotte AA Taillight - The Taillight everyone raves about that never goes on sale is on sale this weekend only. System includes taillight engine, battery holder and taillight mount (batteries and charger deleted) $100.00 USD+ shipping and handling. (International orders MUST go EXPRESS mail)
Link: http://store.dinottelighting.com/Product56

If you have any questions regarding either of these products, please view our website and store.

This item is the perfect gift for someone who needs a light, a spare light. This sale starts on Friday at 12:01 am GMT and will run through Sunday. No other items will be on sale over the weekend and no substitutions can be made. Simply visit our website at www.dinottelighting.com and click on online store, then select Pro-Series (AA) Lights.

All product will ship Friday, Saturday and Monday. This is our premium product, not a factory second or last year's model.

No phone orders please. This offer is internet only and will not be extended. Any placed but unpaid orders will be canceled when the sale items are taken off of the web store.

Thank you
DiNotte Lighting"

Dinotte Light Extension Cord & Additional Battery Packs

Cletus has a nice set of instructions on his website for extending the short cord on the Dinotte light 200L that comes with the 12" cord. This will allow you to move the battery pack off your helmet and add additional batteries if you wish longer run times. Click on the diagram above to jump to his site.

Bicycles to Australia

Mark & Juliette have a nice site about their tour from the UK to Australia. The section on equipment and maintenance will make a gearhead shed some tears of joy...=-)

Thorn Porn 2

I found some more pics of Thorns on tour [as well as LHTs and other bikes] at "The Fully Loaded Touring Bicycles" site. I was going to post some of the better ones, but 'd probably get sued!!!...=-)

photo above by Eleanor

Braking a Tandem

The Thorn website has a great article of how to effectively slow down a tandem on long downhills. It turns out that going faster is a better way to get rid of the potential energy from a descent than to keep your speed low to begin with. Although aimed at tandems the article applies to anyone who is concerned about what to do with all the heat their brakes can generate on a long down hill run.

I've never had this problem because I hardly ever use my brakes, but I seem to be in the minority on this issue.

Thorn Sherpa Review

Cycling Plus magazine reviewed 3 "adventure touring" bikes, including the Thorn Sherpa. Click here to read the article.

Alaska

I hate the cold. I'm never going to ride a bike in the winter in Alaska like Jill & Mike, but the pictures sure are pretty!

photo by Mike

Canning Stock Route by Bike

Jakub rode the 2000km Canning Stock Route completely unsupported in 33 days. He has a great site with some stunning pics that are well worth a look. His accomplishment is pretty amazing as a 4WD vehicle will typically take 14 days to make this journey.

Jeremy did you know he was riding a Surly Pugsley???

Riding the Spine MKII

Another great pic from the Riding the Spine Crew. This one is for Jeremy....it is your destiny!

Riding the Spine

A Pan-American bike tour with a focus on off road exploration. Click on the pic to check out their site.

Malric's World

Malric built his own CF highracer and rode it successfully in PBP this year in just over 80hrs. He has a nice blog that is worth a look.

Toronto Anyone?

I'll be working in Ontario [near Ipperwash] for the next month or so. Unless the shit really hits the fan I should have weekends off and I'll be heading for TO to see my parents. If anyone in the TO area wants to hook up for a beer/wings and talk bikes just let me know. I won't have a bike with me..=-(

Pocket Touring Bike

I've had folders on my mind lately and can't help, but think it might be fun to tour on one. Low and behold Dahon makes just such a bike the Speed TR.

My friend BOB

...he loves to yak and haul stuff.

Raleigh Sojourn

Lyndon mentioned this new bike from Raleigh on the Surly LHT/CC List. It would make a nice commuter/errand bike. Click on the pic for more info.

More B2B Tandems

Trip posted links to these two B2B bent tandems on BROL.

Vertical Tandem

Posted on Bike Forums by Rohorn.

Fujin E w/ Day Rack

Image courtesy of Kelvin @ Angletech.

The Last Mountain Ride of 2007

Effendi TRL

Bjorn & Jenne built this very nice midracer with 18.5" seat height and dual 26" wheels. Looks very refined for a prototype and I think the dual large wheels and low seat height marry the best aspects of the lowracer and the highracer.

Check out their website.

Wilm's New Hurricane SL

Wilm from the Challenge Bent Group rec'd this new Hurricane SL recently.

Very nice looking bike!

Machka gets bent...

Charlene Barach is an Alberta Randonnuer with an extensive website about her DF riding adventures. Little did I know she has tasted the dark side of the bicycle force and ridden a SWB recumbent. Perhaps she will be lured back to the bent-side of the force? Time will tell...=-)