Re: your worst touring bike

Hello Scott,

As I recall Lloyd Sumner did his first round the world trip starting  
out with the best bike in the world he thought; a Schwinn Varsity.   
He rode it from Charlottesville, VA to Greensboro NC and figured he  
needed a much better bike.  And what is much better than the 38 Lb  
Varsity; well a 36 LB Schwinn Continental of course!

My first bike was a Xmas gift when I was 13 or so in 1971; A Jacques  
Penyay 10 speed with a 26x1-3/8 inch steel bolton wheels with a  
trendy lugless (butt welded) orange steel frame.

I did a Club Century where I rode to the start and got lost during  
the ride in company finishing with a very long 130 mile day. First  
ride over 35 miles. With this confidence I mapped a route to my  
family farm 130 miles away.

I had 12 DOT county maps for reference 36 x48 inch rolled into a  
three foot long tube strapped next to a floor pump strapped on my  
fabulous Pletcher rear rack.  I had almost no money for equipment and  
started on nearly worn out tires and had lots of flats; patching the  
patches after I ran out of tubes.  Finally with the tube exposed  
through a worn tire section I loosened the brakes and tied several  
rags I brought along to clean the motor oil from my hands that was  
liberally applied to protect "rustless" chain. It cleared the frame,  
made the rear brake unusable and bucked like a bronco but it got me  
there.

I started at 6:00 AM on a late December morning and arrived somewhat  
tired around a very dark 8:00 PM.  Never looked back from there.

<<Message: 4
Date: Sat, 19 Feb 2011 10:48:13 -0500
From: Scott Loveless <[email protected]>
Subject: your worst touring bike

Hi Phreds!

Just for the sake of conversation, what's the most ill-suited bike
you've ever taken on a tour?

Every once in a while I'll gaze upon my old Schwinn Continental (now
my fixed gear machine) and think that I could easily turn it into a
racked and bagged touring bike with just the parts I have laying
around.  It's all just a mental exercise, since it hangs on a hook
next to the LHT.  There are, of course, stories about folks riding the
bikecentennial on a stock Varsity with a Pletscher rack, or men riding
around the world on pennyfarthings or Raleigh DL-1 roadsters, etc.  So
I was simply curious - what's the heaviest, clunkiest, non-touringest
bike you've taken touring?

-- 
Scott Loveless
http://www.twosixteen.com/fivetoedsloth/>>

Yours in Cycling,

Gilbert Anderson

North Road Bicycle Imports
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