Awesome Bill! You'll be riding through the Flathead River valley wilderness- some of the finest that Western Canada has to offer- that teems with wildlife. The bike is perfect, and anyone who tells you that you need 3" tires and suspension is just trying to sell you a new bike (Nothing wrong with new bikes!). From the looks of your luggage is appears as though you're planning on taking a lot of gear- maybe more than you need. I'm with Deacon in that 'lighter and tighter' makes for a more enjoyable ride/push. But as an experienced tourer you already know this. Enjoy the ride, be safe, and if you're very lucky you may encounter the grizzlies for which the Flathead River is famous!
Cheers, John On Friday, May 11, 2018 at 3:52:24 PM UTC-7, Bill Schairer wrote: > > Just received final confirmation (on my 65th birthday) from AC that our > tour from Banff to Whitefish on the GDMBR is officially a go. I have been > excitedly prepping myself and my Atlantis for this adventure. Hanging from > the frame will be: > > > Bruce Gordon front and rear racks > > VO decaleur front rack > > 3 cheapo/clearance water bottle cages from Nashbar > > B17 saddle, very well broken in and so comfortable > > Sugino triple 46/36/24 > > Shimano A530 pedals (spd one side, platform the other) > > Suntour Cyclone FD > > Suntour VGT RD > > Suntour bar-end friction shifters > > Shimano HG-400-9 12-36 cassette > > Crane Creek brake levers on Specialized 40mm drop bars (swapped from > stoker position on tandem for Albastache) > > Shimano cantilever brakes > > Deore LX 32/36 hubs laced by RL to Velocity Synergy 700C rims > > Schwalbe Mondial 50mm tires (measure at 47-48 @ 40 psi on the Velocity > rims) > > > I’ve decided against fenders because clearance is so tight, I am not sure > I can fit them in the bike box, it will simplify break down and reassembly > (which I’ll be doing myself), and it will reduce toe overlap. I may decide > to borrow 40 hole, White Industries, Velocity Dyad front wheel from tandem > but probably not. I’ll box the bike myself in a Bikeflights cardboard box > and check for $25 on Alaskan Airlines. > > May opt for a smaller water bottle on the bottom - that’s pretty tight. > 40+ year old Kirtland handlebar bag, Beckman front and rear panniers. I > suspect there will be some modifications yet as I ride and fiddle. > Certainly, this is no UL rig but I can and have lifted it over obstacles as > much as 2 ft high. Maybe I'll be lucky and get a "whatever it takes" > comment. > > I have plenty of touring experience but do not have a lot of off-pavement > experience. I have been doing some practicing here in San Diego to try to > get ready. I have successfully taken this unloaded up a about half-mile > 15-22% gravel grade but only made it up about half way on my one and only > loaded attempt. Pushing the rest of the way was no picnic. I will try again > doubtlessly. I’m a little concerned about climbs like this at altitude but > one way or another, I’ll manage. Interestingly (to me), I’ve found riding > loaded on gravel is easier for me (except for steepest grades) than > unloaded. I don’t have to concentrate so much on keeping my weight back or > worry about lifting the front wheel. The load also seems to smooth out the > rough a bit and the ride feels more stable to me. It is harder to correct > my line if I lose it though, especially climbing. > > > As excited as I am, my wife is a bit peeved as I start on her birthday. > I’ve tried to explain that this is when the tour is offered so there really > wasn’t any choice and I’m getting to the point in life where I have to stop > dreaming of doing these things and just do them. > > > Oh, and other RBW content, MUSA pants will double as my off bike pants and > rain/wind pants. My wife even gave me another pair for my birthday because > she knows I like them so much. Sorry for the length of post but I’m excited! > > > Unloaded and loaded (projected) attached? > > > Bill > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
