Re: [RBW] Ride Report: Appaloosa Overnighter
Congratulations on your Appaloosa! My first Riv was one and I absolutely loved the ride. This bike is made for adventures like yours, which I loved reading about. I wish you many years of great adventures and thanks for the write up and pictures. Roberta Philadelphia, PA, USA On Wednesday, May 1, 2024 at 6:12:28 AM UTC-4 Dan wrote: > Thank you for the kind responses everyone. > > Randy, Nicholas: I'd love to see photos of your Appaloosas set up for > touring, if you haven't shared them already. > > Patrick: I enjoy reading the reports from the foreign lands of the USA too > ;) > I wish I could see mountains on the horizon! > > On Wednesday 1 May 2024 at 04:12:22 UTC+9:30 Patrick Moore wrote: > >> Thanks for more very interesting report and photos from worldwide >> Rivendell riders. The rangeland looks much like the US Southwest but >> without the inevitable mountains on the horizon. >> >> On Sun, Apr 28, 2024 at 5:44 AM Dan wrote: >> >>> I bought my Appaloosa because I wanted a bike for adventures. I wanted a >>> bike that could take me and my things anywhere, on or off road. A bike that >>> was comfortable enough to ride all day for days. >>> >>> To that end, one month after my new Appaloosa rolled out of the shop, I >>> departed with a friend on what would be my first ever overnighter! >>> >>> >>> *Disaster strikes* >>> >>> On the morning of the ride I felt great. I was packed, I’d made it to >>> the 7:28am train, and I was waiting at another station to join my friend on >>> a train that would take us to the end of the line. Looking at my bike, I >>> noticed the seat was a little crooked. I loosened the bolt, straightened >>> the seat, and tightened it. The train arrived, I hopped on, said hi to my >>> friend, and noticed the seat was still moving when I tried to twist it. So >>> I attempted to tighten it some more. >>> >>> >>> **SNAP** >>> >>> >>> The seatpost binder bolt had snapped. I stared in disbelief at the >>> broken bolt in my hands. No! >>> >>> I recalled reading on the Analog Cycles website that Rivs use a standard >>> bolt for their seatposts, so we spent the remainder of the train ride >>> frantically searching for an open hardware store. Unfortunately, it was the >>> ANZAC Day public holiday and so all shops only opened at 12pm. We were out >>> of luck. Defeated, we resigned to train back to town so I could swap my >>> gear over to my Straggler. >>> >>> As we neared my front door, my friend had a brainwave. “What if you see >>> if you have the right bolt at home?”. It turns out that I did - on an >>> unused post-to-IS-mount disc brake adapter - and the Riv was on the road >>> again! This time, I made sure to grease the bolt before install, and it >>> tightened smoothly and snugly. >>> >>> >>> *On the Road* >>> >>> Our destination was a series of seaside holiday towns on the south coast >>> of South Australia’s Fluerieu Peninsula. We started our riding at the end >>> of the train line, in the picturesque wine region of McLaren Vale. After a >>> well-earned coffee, we rode through autumn-hued vineyards before reaching >>> the escarpment - our big climb for the day. I learned that even a 24x36 low >>> gear doesn’t make for an easy climb of 10+% gravel grades, and we enjoyed a >>> walk up the hill in good spirits. >>> >>> >>> Following lunch at the top of the escarpment, we made our way through >>> the rolling landscape of the peninsula, passing through a forest plantation >>> and several conservation parks on the way. After an unexpected creek >>> crossing we ran in to a family of campers, whose comment of ‘I couldn’t >>> imagine two bikes better set up for adventure’ left us in smiles. We even >>> felt good about the next hour or so of alternately walking and riding >>> through the sandy scrubland! >>> >>> >>> Despite the late start, we made it to the coast at the perfect time - >>> just as the sun was setting. I’d planned the last few km to follow the bike >>> path along the coast, and it was sublime. >>> >>> [image: IMG_1195.jpeg] >>> >>> [image: E0C3AD72-4167-49D8-95CC-B6678632E349.jpg] >>> >>> [image: IMG_1221.jpeg] >>> >>> [image: IMG_1233.jpeg] >>> >>> >>> >>> *Day Two* >>> >>> I’m one of those people that just can’t ride the same way twice on one >>> trip. My rides have to be loops. Our return leg was longer than the first >>> one, eventuating in 90km of riding with some 1,400m of climbing. We set out >>> early took our time, enjoying the expansive vistas from the gravel farm >>> roads, and finding our zone in the long, gradual climbs. Memorable moments >>> include meeting some people hiking the Heysen trail while we had stopped in >>> what we thought was the middle of nowhere to have a snack, and coffee and >>> scones in the cozy, wood-panelled cafe in the tiny town of Inman Valley. >>> After passing through the Myponga reservoir and enjoying a beer and >>> much-needed fries at the adjacent brewery, we made one last climb
Re: [RBW] Ride Report: Appaloosa Overnighter
Thank you for the kind responses everyone. Randy, Nicholas: I'd love to see photos of your Appaloosas set up for touring, if you haven't shared them already. Patrick: I enjoy reading the reports from the foreign lands of the USA too ;) I wish I could see mountains on the horizon! On Wednesday 1 May 2024 at 04:12:22 UTC+9:30 Patrick Moore wrote: > Thanks for more very interesting report and photos from worldwide > Rivendell riders. The rangeland looks much like the US Southwest but > without the inevitable mountains on the horizon. > > On Sun, Apr 28, 2024 at 5:44 AM Dan wrote: > >> I bought my Appaloosa because I wanted a bike for adventures. I wanted a >> bike that could take me and my things anywhere, on or off road. A bike that >> was comfortable enough to ride all day for days. >> >> To that end, one month after my new Appaloosa rolled out of the shop, I >> departed with a friend on what would be my first ever overnighter! >> >> >> *Disaster strikes* >> >> On the morning of the ride I felt great. I was packed, I’d made it to the >> 7:28am train, and I was waiting at another station to join my friend on a >> train that would take us to the end of the line. Looking at my bike, I >> noticed the seat was a little crooked. I loosened the bolt, straightened >> the seat, and tightened it. The train arrived, I hopped on, said hi to my >> friend, and noticed the seat was still moving when I tried to twist it. So >> I attempted to tighten it some more. >> >> >> **SNAP** >> >> >> The seatpost binder bolt had snapped. I stared in disbelief at the broken >> bolt in my hands. No! >> >> I recalled reading on the Analog Cycles website that Rivs use a standard >> bolt for their seatposts, so we spent the remainder of the train ride >> frantically searching for an open hardware store. Unfortunately, it was the >> ANZAC Day public holiday and so all shops only opened at 12pm. We were out >> of luck. Defeated, we resigned to train back to town so I could swap my >> gear over to my Straggler. >> >> As we neared my front door, my friend had a brainwave. “What if you see >> if you have the right bolt at home?”. It turns out that I did - on an >> unused post-to-IS-mount disc brake adapter - and the Riv was on the road >> again! This time, I made sure to grease the bolt before install, and it >> tightened smoothly and snugly. >> >> >> *On the Road* >> >> Our destination was a series of seaside holiday towns on the south coast >> of South Australia’s Fluerieu Peninsula. We started our riding at the end >> of the train line, in the picturesque wine region of McLaren Vale. After a >> well-earned coffee, we rode through autumn-hued vineyards before reaching >> the escarpment - our big climb for the day. I learned that even a 24x36 low >> gear doesn’t make for an easy climb of 10+% gravel grades, and we enjoyed a >> walk up the hill in good spirits. >> >> >> Following lunch at the top of the escarpment, we made our way through the >> rolling landscape of the peninsula, passing through a forest plantation and >> several conservation parks on the way. After an unexpected creek crossing >> we ran in to a family of campers, whose comment of ‘I couldn’t imagine two >> bikes better set up for adventure’ left us in smiles. We even felt good >> about the next hour or so of alternately walking and riding through the >> sandy scrubland! >> >> >> Despite the late start, we made it to the coast at the perfect time - >> just as the sun was setting. I’d planned the last few km to follow the bike >> path along the coast, and it was sublime. >> >> [image: IMG_1195.jpeg] >> >> [image: E0C3AD72-4167-49D8-95CC-B6678632E349.jpg] >> >> [image: IMG_1221.jpeg] >> >> [image: IMG_1233.jpeg] >> >> >> >> *Day Two* >> >> I’m one of those people that just can’t ride the same way twice on one >> trip. My rides have to be loops. Our return leg was longer than the first >> one, eventuating in 90km of riding with some 1,400m of climbing. We set out >> early took our time, enjoying the expansive vistas from the gravel farm >> roads, and finding our zone in the long, gradual climbs. Memorable moments >> include meeting some people hiking the Heysen trail while we had stopped in >> what we thought was the middle of nowhere to have a snack, and coffee and >> scones in the cozy, wood-panelled cafe in the tiny town of Inman Valley. >> After passing through the Myponga reservoir and enjoying a beer and >> much-needed fries at the adjacent brewery, we made one last climb before >> descending the escarpment we had climbed the day before. >> >> >> The descent - Old Sellicks Hill Rd - was long, loose and rocky. If I’d >> been riding it on my Straggler, I’d have been white knuckled the entire way >> and worn out the time I had reached the end. On the Appaloosa, it was a >> breeze. I took my time, going neither fast nor slow, and was even able to >> enjoy the views of rock formations, valley-bottom abandoned cars,
