Day 4.
4 days is a nice span. It is enough time to be out there. It is enough time to feel the break from "the world". It is enough time to fully appreciate the niceties of returning.
People often ask me, "Dick, how do you pack so much stuff on that bike?" Leaving aside the more relevant question as to why one would pack all that stuff, here is a partial answer. In pictures:
Start with some bike platform capable of hauling. I like the Surly Big Dummy. It rides like a bike. It can handle fairly aggressive terrain (depending on how and how heavily it is loaded), and my use leans much more to taking my kids camping with me rather than pavement. Prior to the Dummy, I used the Xtracycle, and it is wonderful for transforming a disused bike into a used bike, but it is real flexy. The Dummy is flexy too, if you load 150lbs of crap on it, but it significantly more stable than a bolted together Xtracycle.
So. Start with that. Then you'll need a bunch of straps. And prolly someone to help hold the bike stable.
Then you just tighten up.
Come on, tighten up bass. Come on!
I do not like low front loads. You pavement nerds can love that shit all you like and kid yourself it doesn't twist the front end up with every steering input, but the fact remains. And, low hanging loads snag brush and get caught up in ruts. Just don't do it.
Other bikes are loaded some, too.
Also, I learned about proper short length.
That's especially important for the return to civilization. Looking good!
4 days is a nice span. It is enough time to be out there. It is enough time to feel the break from "the world". It is enough time to fully appreciate the niceties of returning.
People often ask me, "Dick, how do you pack so much stuff on that bike?" Leaving aside the more relevant question as to why one would pack all that stuff, here is a partial answer. In pictures:
Start with some bike platform capable of hauling. I like the Surly Big Dummy. It rides like a bike. It can handle fairly aggressive terrain (depending on how and how heavily it is loaded), and my use leans much more to taking my kids camping with me rather than pavement. Prior to the Dummy, I used the Xtracycle, and it is wonderful for transforming a disused bike into a used bike, but it is real flexy. The Dummy is flexy too, if you load 150lbs of crap on it, but it significantly more stable than a bolted together Xtracycle.
So. Start with that. Then you'll need a bunch of straps. And prolly someone to help hold the bike stable.
Then you just tighten up.
Come on, tighten up bass. Come on!
I do not like low front loads. You pavement nerds can love that shit all you like and kid yourself it doesn't twist the front end up with every steering input, but the fact remains. And, low hanging loads snag brush and get caught up in ruts. Just don't do it.
Other bikes are loaded some, too.
Also, I learned about proper short length.
That's especially important for the return to civilization. Looking good!
1 comment:
thats a pretty tight game....
Post a Comment