On 03/02/2010, at 9:46 AM, Jon Louis Mann wrote: > > This time I don't want to deal with a derailleur and all those gears so I > will go with an internal hub system with only enough gears so the lowest > ratio will get me up those mountains.
Cool - Rohloff Speedhub 14 is the daddy. Got one on the trike, it's done 25,000km now and hasn't missed a beat. If you want extra range, get a mountain drive (internal bottom bracket hub which changes with a tap of a button with your heel - awesome bit of kit). If that's above budget, SRAM 8-speed hub and a dual chainring. > I will probably order a bike from bikesdirect.com and have it shipped ahead. Hmm. I'd be wanting to get it at home, and play with the set up on a couple of mini-tours (couple of hundred km to run the bike in and see how it all goes together) before you go for real. > I want to be REALLY light with two panniers, Goretex sleeping bag, Bivysac > with Thermorest, a really good helmet torch and of course iPod and iPad. Last > time I was weighed down with books, tape player and cassettes and a one man > tent that was a pain to erect. I like your suggestion for either a dynamo or > little solar charger. Swag-style 1 man cycling tents are cool - roll them out, shove a hoop in the head end, sling your sleeping mat in, and get in. Panniers - the Arkels I had for my tour (Canadian-built) are the absolute bomb. Other than some sun fading, they're as good as new after a lot of kms. You *must* have front and rear lights, so either a battery set for bad weather/occasional after dark rides, or a dynamo so they're always available - I have a Busch & Muller 12V set which is car-dipped-beam bright, but that's 5 years old now and LEDs are brighter and way more efficent than halogens these days. Riding with a helmet light is at best frowned upon, and may be illegal (it's certainly illegal to dazzle other road users...). So a head-torch is vital for camping but I'd never ride with one. Books - loads of second hand bookstores, and all campers swap books about. Carry one or two and trade them! :D Carry the essential library as ebooks on your netbook/ipad. I don't ride with music most of the time - need my ears too much to listen out for cars and trucks. iPod was only used 3 days on the road out of 181 days, but used in the tent a lot of an evening! Now you've got me thinking about touring again - I should get the trike roadworthy again (one of the brakes no work) and get outback for a few days. Charlie. _______________________________________________ http://box535.bluehost.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l_mccmedia.com
