My touring rig - post yours

[roobs]

Wow, your machine looks like it's ready to go 'everywhere' and anywhere.
Like Hartley, I too dream of one day having a Rohloff hub.
And there it is.

[garyper]

Seeing the images of you unpacking your new Nomad has made me even more excited. I just ordered two Thorn Raven Tours for the wife and I......sold my sailing boat to pay for them

[mylesau]

Great bikes garyper, hope you're lucky like I was and they slip through customs.

Rode it to work for the first time today - considering the tyres I've got on it, it was pretty fast. I've still got to find somewhere to buy some narrower (1.75 or 2") Marathon Supremes for commuting on. What tyres are you getting on your Raven Tours?

[garyper]

I asked for 1.6" Supremes as we both used 1.5" Marathons (standard ones) on our old MTBs for commuting and they where pretty good.

It would be nice if Customs didn't notice two bikes but they aren't Nomad's that can be broken in two so I am not getting my hopes up. I dont mind I still think they are good value especially with our exchange rate at the moment.

Cheers
Gary

[fkp86]

Congrats on the Nomad, looks the business.
There`s a crazy guy journal by a bloke riding around India on one which you might find interesting. With the way airline policies are heading, having the couplers will be an increasing advantage.

[garyper]

I better post a picture if my current steed. 2008 Cannondale T1, Schmidt dynamo, Tubus front rack, Zefal mudguards, B17. Had to raise the bars with new stem and still it's not a perfect fit. That and we want to do some more adventurous trip helped us decide to get the Thorns....oh and I just want a Rohloff



Hopefully in a couple of weeks I'll be posting another entry.

Cheers
Gary

[Zac150]

Here is my rig (semi trailer) on the Murray to Mountains RailTrail.

[hartleymartin]

I take it that you load up the kiddy-trailer with your camping gear - or do you take kiddy with you touring?

[il padrone]

Another version for touring for us was this rig with our tandem:



Location was the Savage River bridge in western Tasmania. Trek T100 with Tubus racks, BOB trailer and full Ortlieb bags. It was one heavy beast and some of the hills we rode down were terrifying

[Zac150]

Hartley M - yes kiddy comes with us, we have been taking her with us since she could walk (about 10 months); we have toured on rail trails and off road in Kosciouszko NP. She loves touring, and isn't phased by the bumps.

The extra space in the trailer really came in handy on the rail trail; it was needed to carry the wine we brought along the way. Very civilised way to tour on a bike.

Rail Trail


On road to Wheelers Hut Kosciouszko NP.

[X-wing]

There are some great set-ups here, and it has opened my mind as to what constitutes a 'bike for touring'.

Can I also say, Zac150, that the first photo made me go 'awwwwww'. Great photo, with the bottle and the doll and the book... she looks very content.

[hartleymartin]

+1 Aawwwwww!

[Zac150]

Yeah I always look at the photo and think how nice it is when she sleeps, then I remember the chasing I do when she is awake.

As X-Wing says this thread has not just "opened my mind as to what constitutes a 'bike for touring'" but also what constitutes a "bike tour". Riding with kiddie in tow we tend to stay off the road, so have kept to mountain trails and rail trails and in doing so have come across some great places.

This may need a different thread but would love to hear about peoples favourite bike tours and / or best camping sports.

[X-wing]

I was kind of wondering about that when I saw the photo, wondering what sort of roads or places you would take her out on. I get nervous enough with my daughter out with me, and she is a very sensible 11 year old (going on 32!).

[rustguard]

I think it is awesome that you take your family with you, speaks volumes of your character.

[il padrone]

We started our son in a Winchester Originals bike trailer (later renamed Koolstop Originals trailer) about 17 years ago.



Eventually we had both kids in it, then when the payload got to be too great one went onto a tandem with kiddie-cranks and later the youngest rode a tag-along behind a single bike. We rode on bike paths, country roads, forest trails, early rail-trails and suburban streets. I well remember riding alonng Dorset Rd near home, not a quiet road at all. Many parents would be horrified at riding this road, but with the trailer it was such a high-visibility vehicle that all cars gave us a huge margin of room - all changing a full lane clear. We never had any concerns about traffic when riding with the trailer.

[Zac150]

Xwing - the trailer can pretty well handle most fire trails, and the suspension makes it easier on the kids but you still need to avoid the worst of the rough stuff. The only issue riding off road is that the hills are steaper and with less grip on rough roads it can be pretty hard work but worth it in the end when you get to a great camp site.

I am really looking forward (hoping) to more rail trails opening up as these are great for touring with the family.

Character? My family would suggest it shows my stubborn side! But seriously I think it is great to get kids out and about and experiencing something different.

[V17L]

+1 for the kid touring, that's fantastic.
Wish I had done that with our kids, but I have only got into riding recently.
great stuff, great rigs as well
cheers
steve

[Mike Ayling]

2007 Surly LHT. Tubus duo front rack, Minoura rear rack, Bontrager Race Lite 622 X 32 slicks.

mod edit - fixed image

[Aushiker]

Hi

Here is my evolution ...

Giant Boulder SE (now sold)



Current setups are now a

Giant XTC 2 for off-road touring



and a Surly Long Haul Trucker for road touring





Regards
Andrew

[MTBRuss]

Here's my tourer evolution.

Don't own a roady, so my dually with suspension locked out had to do. This photo on a salt lake just off the road near Norseman.



A sacrificial lamb; $50 buck bike did the job just fine on Fraser Island:



... And a couple of photos from the CSR from this ride: http://adventuruss.com/blog1.php/2009/03/12/gallery:





Sorry I don't know how to size photos here.

[Aushiker]

Sorry I don't know how to size photos here.

Hi

Thanks for sharing. I resized your images for you using http://cyclebucket.com .

Regards
Andrew

[mylesau]

Some picks of my Thorn Raven Nomad in the wild - 120 km day trip - the soft sand nearly did me in...


In the bush.

On the gravel track.

On the gravel track II.

Out of the sun for a little while.

Free standing in soft sand - the only way through this stuff is to get off and push - unless you've got some Surly Endomorph's maybe

[Mike Ayling]

MTBRuss

Those are some kick ass tyres on your desert bike!

Mike

[il padrone]

I think they are probably the Surly Endomorph 26 X 3.7 tyres designed to be used on their Pugsley frame with super-wide rims. For snow, ice and sand riding.