Gear on Velodromedary

Custom Frame Bag

Thu, 23 Mar 2023 18:24:30 +0000

Sewed a custom frame bag in a weekend workshop at Swift Industries up in Seattle. An impractically-small one, for the partial triangle on one of my bikes. Hey, I think it looks nice, and it can hold a pump, snacks, money, keys, and a light jacket…

Packing for Bike Trips

Sat, 26 Mar 2022 16:32:00 +0000

Every bike tour is a learning experience, in many ways… and part of that is keeping track of what I packed but didn’t use vs. what I’d wished I’d packed. A few friends have asked for a copy of my packing list, and before a trip I’m always looking for my random notebook of “ideas for next time”, so I’m jotting down a few of my lists here:

Universal “On The Bike” List
Light Packing List (Self-Supported + Hotels)
Moderate Packing List (Vehicle-Supported + Hotels)
[todo] Moderate Packing List #2 (Self-Supported + Camping)
[todo] Heavier Packing List (Vehicle-Supported + Camping)

Packing: Van-Supported + Hotel Tour

Sat, 01 May 2021 07:50:00 +0000

(part 3 of 5) I’m gradually going through past trip notebooks and jotting down all my packing lists down in one place. I’m writing out my packing list for an upcoming trip now so I figured I might as well copy and paste it onto the blog as well…

In 2022 I went on a multi-week vehicle-supported stay-in-hotels tour: a ~1200 mile ride through Vietnam and Cambodiawith TdA Global Cycling. Typically for this type of trip there’s a support van that transports one large duffel bag to the next night’s hotel for you, freeing you to just carry daily essentials on the bike.

Packing: Self-Supported + Hotel Tour

Mon, 29 Mar 2021 14:51:00 +0000

(part 2 of 5) I’m gradually going through past trip notebooks and random Google Docs and jotting down all my packing lists in one place.

For a week-long ride like Berlin->Copenhagen which is self-contained but involves staying in hotels every night and is not far from civilization, I pack fairly light, since I have to carry everything on the bike and don’t have to carry camping gear or significant food or bike repair tools. This type of trip often involves a few days after the riding in a city, so I want clothing I feel comfortable walking around or going out to a restaurant in.

Packing: Universal "On The Bike" List

Sun, 28 Mar 2021 08:45:00 +0000

Packing: Universal “On The Bike” List

I’m gradually going through past trip notebooks and jotting down all my packing lists in one place.

For pretty much any tour, whether supported or self-contained, camping or hotel, there’s a minimum set of gear I carry on the bike. These fit in the combination of an under-seat saddlebag (tools/medical/jacket), and a small top tube or stem bag. A typical example:

My standard list:

Bike Tools

new (fat) bike, mural, 24th st all the way east to the bay

Sun, 11 Nov 2012 18:22:51 +0000

new (fat) bike, mural, 24th st all the way east to the bay

wide tires. really wide. freakbike.

Sun, 11 Nov 2012 01:29:58 +0000

wide tires. really wide. freakbike.

Free-standing 2-bike rack for the apartment.

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 00:06:00 +0000

Free-standing 2-bike rack for the apartment.

the bike-mounted cooler I made rides again, this time carrying 2 lbs of marinated beef, tubs of pickles, and beer, to a camping...

Sun, 29 Jul 2012 00:11:00 +0000

The bike-mounted cooler I made rides again, this time carrying 2 lbs of marinated beef, tubs of pickles, and beer, to a camping trip…

Bike, Plane, Soft Case

Fri, 11 May 2012 23:15:28 +0000

About 30 minutes to pack the first time (including reading instructions), about 20 minutes to unpack and assemble:

Overhauling an old bottom bracket, in photos. Three specialized tools, just to do something no longer needed on modern bikes....

Mon, 07 May 2012 04:08:00 +0000

Musings on Travel Bikes, Cases, and so on

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 15:30:00 +0000

If you don’t like long text posts, stop reading now.

This is a scratchpad for thinking I’ve been doing about travel bikes, S&S couplers, bike cases, and related topics (inspired by a lot of recent travel without a bike), to jot it down somewhere outside of browser bookmarks and chats with friends.

Bringing a bike with you on a trip shouldn’t be as expensive and logistically complicated as it is. I’ve been tempted by S&S couplers or the Ritchey Breakaway, two methods of having a frame that you can break apart and pack down into a box just small enough to check as luggage on an airplane, saving fees.

Interesting bike softcase for flights

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 16:23:16 +0000

Interesting bike softcase for flights

Bay Area bike maps-- a few-paragraph review. Google Maps and OpenStreetMap both have decent bike path coverage in the Bay...

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 03:29:00 +0000

Bay Area bike maps– a few-paragraph review.

Google Maps and OpenStreetMap both have decent bike path coverage in the Bay Area, but they’re not perfect, and they often don’t show hills or road conditions. They’re also both weak when it comes to off-road bike trails. Here are a few notes on the other bike maps I’ve picked up over the years (starting in the upper left and going clockwise):

Bay Trail maps (6-map set, though I’ve read there’s a single-map version now as well). These cover the present and planned multiuse paths that run around the Bay, from SF down the peninsula, up the East Bay, even to Richmond. They’re an interesting set, with trivia on the back, and useful for finding hidden little parks in nooks along the bay… however, they don’t have bike route coverage once you get away from the Bay, and many sections of bay trail aren’t fully connected. So I’ve only used them a few times.

Beer Growlers by bike. Sure, it would be easy to just carry them in panniers or mesh bags... but for the heck of it, I made...

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 17:10:00 +0000

Beer Growlers by bike.

Sure, it would be easy to just carry them in panniers or mesh bags… but for the heck of it, I made some minimal webbing-and-elastic structures custom fit to Speakeasy growlers, and which clip to a rack with three-point restraint so they don’t bounce around. Started a few weeks ago, but finally found time to finish (and test!) them.

People at the brewery were amused. And the coffee porter made it to a friend’s party without getting too shaken up.

Re-Cyclery Bike Thrift Shop

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 07:01:00 +0000

I recently went on a solo ride to San Rafael, and checked out the Re-Cyclery Bike Thrift Shop (and fundraiser for Trips For Kids) while I was there. Quite a place.

Outside, a classic Schwinn (for sale for $125):

The back patio had many more used bikes, in both adult sizes and kids’:

There were many other sub-$150 used bikes:

Front handlebar bag (no rack)

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:01:00 +0000

A rare “gear” post: A few people have asked me about my handlebar bag. It’s the Rivendell Brand V Boxy BarBag.

Unlike most decent-size front bags, it doesn’t require a rack for support, which is nice, it’s easy to access while riding, and fast to detach and bring indoors at a stop. I keep my valuables, camera, small jacket, snacks, maps, and so on in it.

Winter is coming... time to put various accessories back on the bike.

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 05:06:00 +0000

Winter is coming… time to put various accessories back on the bike.

Quick lunch BBQ in a park with a friend, by bike.

Sun, 18 Sep 2011 23:22:00 +0000

Quick lunch BBQ in a park with a friend, by bike.

Made a very simple bike-mounted cooler. Arkel pannier hooks plus two bolts, fender washers to spread the force, rubber washers...

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 03:15:00 +0000

Made a very simple bike-mounted cooler. Arkel pannier hooks plus two bolts, fender washers to spread the force, rubber washers to help seal the holes drilled through the side, and some webbing at the bottom of the cooler to help a hook hold the bottom of the cooler against the rack (not shown).

new bike

Sat, 10 Sep 2011 22:36:00 +0000

new bike

Good news: just put a new leather seat and small seat bag on my 1960s french road bike (a.k.a. "the little bull"), and rewrapped...

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 02:40:00 +0000

Good news: just put a new leather seat and small seat bag on my 1960s french road bike (a.k.a. “the little bull”), and rewrapped the handlebars.

Work evening: cutting soles out of special sneakers for recessed pedal clips, installing new leather saddle and Pitlock security...

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 06:28:00 +0000

Work evening: cutting soles out of special sneakers for recessed pedal clips, installing new leather saddle and Pitlock security skewers, re-taping handlebars. Dangit, sheared a bolt by over-tightening.

Bike-mounted growler carrier (the need for straps is inelegant) (PDX)

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 00:21:00 +0000

Bike-mounted growler carrier (the need for straps is inelegant) (PDX)

Rarely-in-stock Acorn Bags will have some bags on sale tomorrow morning

Fri, 20 May 2011 03:31:34 +0000

Rarely-in-stock Acorn Bags will have some bags on sale tomorrow morning

Replacing shift levers on a 40-year-old french road bike

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 03:37:00 +0000

It all started when I wanted to replace the completely functional plastic-coated downtube shift levers on my old french road bike:

With some slick-looking shifters a friend gave me:

Should be easy, right? Just cut the existing cables, replace the levers and string a new set of shift cables… wrong.

The old shifters and threaded bosses on the frame were an unusual, non-standard thread, M5x1.0mm, which as far as I can tell mainly existed on 1970s French bicycles and is no longer made. The standard metric screws near that size are M5x0.8mm or M5x0.5mm (the same diameter, 5mm, but a different thread pitch). I knew from Sheldon Brown and previous work on the bike that old French bikes are “special” and, for example, one of the bottom bracket cups is threaded in the opposite direction from pretty much every other bike ever made. But I didn’t think this applied to even small-size, standard-looking screws.

Custom panniers: done

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 06:59:03 +0000

Pattern and details to be posted at some point, but this evening I finally finished making the pair of panniers I’d been working on on and off the past few months. Time for the next project.

Fabricated: New & improved custom pannier made from marine upholstery, with compression straps, spring-loaded rack hooks, simple...

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 08:29:07 +0000

Fabricated: New & improved custom pannier made from marine upholstery, with compression straps, spring-loaded rack hooks, simple removable-for-security external pockets for wallet/keys/cell phone, and reinforced with webbing in key areas.

Custom bike panniers in progress. Prototype 1 is lumpy, but it's a start.

Fri, 05 Nov 2010 04:41:00 +0000

Custom bike panniers in progress. Prototype 1 is lumpy, but it’s a start.

Winter Biking: Tips and Clothing

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 02:29:00 +0000

[ It’s all about getting on the bike and riding: I’ll try to keep this blog 90% about the rides, but there will be an occasional side notes about gear or bike-related projects and events. ]

It’s the rainy season in San Francisco, though there’s also something fun about riding in cooler weather. Here are a few tips:

After the first few storms of the season, the road is especially slick, as oil floats to the surface– be careful. And metal in the road (manhole covers, grates) and some kinds of paint can be even more slippery.
Grooves and patterns in your tires don’t really improve grip. But wider tires and/or lower tire pressure give you more contact area with the road, which should improve traction– try dropping your pressure 10-20 psi.
Tap your brakes periodically while riding, to make sure they’re still working, to get a feeling how your bike’s behaving, and to clear some water from the rim.

For weatherproof gear, a poncho plus safety pins work in a pinch, and a $15 fender or rack will keep your tire from throwing a “rooster tail” of dirty water up your back.

What's wrong with Gear

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 02:07:00 +0000

Sometimes I dislike Gear with a capital G. Bicycling may be second only to photography in the obsession with buying Gear and Accessories and Upgrades for every niche application, and talking about how much you spent on them.

We don’t need all these specialized accessories. In case you can’t tell, I’m in the crotchety “don’t buy upgrades, ride up grades” camp. Hell, the Tour De France was won 50 years ago by someone riding a 50-years-ago-technology bike and wearing 50-years-ago-technology clothing, and he was still a far better cyclist than I’ll ever be.