This past weekend I finally got a chance to try a S24O. What a great
idea! It was a gorgeous weekend in the Seattle area. I rode out to
Vashon Island from our house in the Mt. Baker neighborhood--one way
about 22 miles plus a nice ferry ride. Not epic by any means, but
perfect for my first time bike camping. I rode my 650B Saluki. The
draw was the Vintage Motorcycle Enthusiasts Isle of Vashon TT, a
vintage motorcycle rally I have attended for many years on various
motorcycles. I sold my last bike a couple months ago (<http://bigbirdcage.blogspot.com/2010/05/selling-my-motorcycle.html
>) but didn't want to let not having a motorcycle get in the way of
hanging out with old friends. For the last six years we've camped at
the Eagles Club, which always proves to be "interesting." A nice big
grassy lawn for tents, very cheap drinks in the evening and a big ol'
breakfast buffet in the morning. Nothin' like camping at the bar....;)
Here are some pictures: <http://www.flickr.com/photos/robharrison/sets/72157624837312162/with/4940395316/
>
A few things worked really well:
• I switched out my 8-speed 12-28 cassette and DA 7800-series rear
derailleur for a Harris Cyclery custom 13-34 cassette and an XTR RD,
along with a new SRAM chain. I was really glad I did! I was able to
shift into the 26T chainring and 34T sprocket and slowly toodle on up
the ~300' elevation gain from the ferry. The XTR RD shifts as well as
the DA. Took a little getting used to the low-normal, since it
reversed the function on the levers on the ErgoPower brifters. This
particular Harris custom cassette number CS837 (<http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/k7.html#8
>) has the following sprockets: 13-15-17-19-21-23-26-34. There's a
big jump between the 26T and the 34T, and that is the only problematic
gear change. It does eventually jump up there though. I may try
fiddling with the barrel adjusters, see if that makes any difference.
• With the rains fast approaching, I decided to switch tires, from my
beloved Pari-Motos to the Schwalbe Marathons I bought from Franklyn. I
put in a set of Schwalbe tubes while I was at it. While they don't
feel as nice as the Pari-Motos, I really appreciate the extra
confidence of knowing I'm unlikely to flat. This ride went through a
fair amount of industrial area with bad pavement, and not having to
worry as much about glass in the road was super nice.
• I'm liking the Trail Designs Caldera Ti-Tri stove. The whole thing
is super light and compact, and burns alcohol or wood. Nicest thing
about alcohol is it's so quiet!
A couple things I'll change when I can:
• The medium Wald basket is a touch small...though I wouldn't
necessarily want to carry a heavier load up front. I'm saving up for a
PlatRack, which I can take off more easily when it's not necessary. I
haven't found the basket as universally useful as I thought it would be.
• My yellow Ortleib Backroller Classic panniers worked totally fine,
but were a bit of a pain to get in an out of, and clash with the
butterscotch of the Saluki. (Oh NO! ;)) I didn't have a handlebar bag,
and I was using my Panasonic GF-1, which doesn't quite fit in a jersey
pocket. Maybe I'll try Grant's strap technique. Eventually I'd like to
invest in a SaddleSack Large.
• Definitely would like a lighter shelter. Looking at either making a
RayWay tarp and bug net, or a hammock. I like the Warbonnet Blackbird
hammock. Between cutting down the weight of luggage + rack, and a
lighter shelter I could probably take ~7 lbs off the setup. Which
would probably be made up in food, if I was camping somewhere besides
the lawn outside a bar....:)
Rob in Seattle
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