Touring suggestion?

[broncoza]

LC try Woodstock Cycles in Benoni they have some nice old school mudguards or Grant at cycletouring be is SKS agent

[Loose cog]

Thanks LG, simple but workable. I like the idea. Might just bend something up based on this. Need to get my roll bag away from the cables and may drop it to above my wheel and lower the weight distribution on the steering?  Your set up has unlimited possibilities.

 

I will post some pics of the stand tomorrow am! I have another bag too

[G.S.W]

Loved reading this thread!

 

My March ride between the Argus and Montagu. Need to find some mudguards and setup for my missus.

Hi

I have some mud guards that I'm not using that you can have.

Whats app me and I'll send a few photos.

0724828041

[JXV]

So I've been wanting to do a "tour" for a long time now. Finally decided to make it happen and start planning. Luckily I managed to convince a friend to do it with me. What I'd like to do is cycle from KZN North (Zululand) to Howick. By car it is approx 400km via Vryheid-Dundee-Ladysmith-Estcourt-Howick. On a bicycle via all the back roads it will be significantly further.

 

But jeepers it's difficult to plan a route on google earth! Ideally I don't want to do more than 100km a day, and then we obviously need a B&B of some sorts to crash for the night. I first tried 2 different routes more or less straight south, not heading towards Dundee but more towards Ulundi. Shortest route I could find is 130km with 2500m climbing. Which is doable, but it's gonna be a tough first day.

 

Thereafter I'm thinking to try a route towards Eshowe, next day head for Kranskop/Greytown, then Howick. It's difficult not knowing if roads are accessible, there might be a fence and gate that you can't see on google. So for the next few evenings I'll sit and map different possible routes to see if this is doable.

T4A (Tracks4Africa) gives you routable GPS maps based on actual gps recordings of routes that travellers actually used. Backed up by a large scale paper map printed on waterproof Tyvek. The mapping software is available for various platforms including Garmin GPS and Android so you can plan on your PC at home and then download the route to a phone, tablet or GPS for the actual trip.

 

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

Edited January 9, 2017 by JXV

[tubed]

I know navigation and connectivity are useful for instance to keep away from certain areas more than anything else, and if you need to find accomm, then tripadviser etc I find helpful. 

 

At the same time I find part of the 'adventure' is not being so tech enabled that you take the fun out of it, by that I mean ask a farmer or a storekeeper where the road goes, is there a quieter alternative, is water available? etc, those things you wont find on many maps other than a Slingsby.

 

For my ride I hauled out one of my dad's 1:250 000 maps of the area, printed in 1970, the year before I was born, so it didnt have the westcoast road or some of the other newer, faster alternatives, but those dont really matter if you are touring. It mainly showed the older roads and the farm boundaries, which is quite interesting because very few farm names change, so its quite nice to ride from farm to farm and read a bit into the route.

 

If there is a Slingsby available for any part of your route, then that is just so worth it, the info on that is just incomparable.

 

I put an old bike computer on my bike for this trip just to record the km's - apart from that and my phone thats about as tech as I get.  

[Sepia]

I know navigation and connectivity are useful for instance to keep away from certain areas more than anything else, and if you need to find accomm, then tripadviser etc I find helpful. 

 

At the same time I find part of the 'adventure' is not being so tech enabled that you take the fun out of it, by that I mean ask a farmer or a storekeeper where the road goes, is there a quieter alternative, is water available? etc, those things you wont find on many maps other than a Slingsby.

 

 

As Tubed says.  

All the pre-prep etc bores me as I am unable to download tracks, maps, weigh-points?????(old school)so I find it more interesting to wing it.  Really enjoy this solitude and not knowing "exactly" where you are.

I may come unstuck someday though.

Edited January 9, 2017 by Sepia

[leeubok]

Have any of you done tours solo? My riding partner doesn't seem overly keen on the tour idea, so I'm worried he's going to pull out. I've read in magazines several accounts of people doing it solo, but in SA it's a massive risk... I could have my family second me and wait at each day's endpoint

[Sepia]

I only tour solo.  Nobody wants to ride with a grumpy, unfit, sickly old man.

I  prefer it this way and I have no family to worry about etc.

 

Having people wait for you at the end of each day is like "supported touring" and maybe it is selfish to expect them to be waiting for you?

 

I find it better to stop where I want to stop and overnight instead of having a plan and MUST stick to it.

 

But then, this is just me, little left field I suppose.

 

Even on your own, just do it.  Now.

Edited January 9, 2017 by Sepia

[leeubok]

I guess you can try make it as safe as possible. Use the fenix 3 livetrack function, make contact with family every 2 hours, have them wait at each day's endpoint and so on. Still, it would be much more pleasant with a friend

[cat-i]

Have any of you done tours solo? My riding partner doesn't seem overly keen on the tour idea, so I'm worried he's going to pull out. I've read in magazines several accounts of people doing it solo, but in SA it's a massive risk... I could have my family second me and wait at each day's endpoint

 

I cycled from JHB to Cape Town in 1999. Maybe that's too long ago to be a realistic gauge for nowadays.

 

But for what it's worth: I travelled N12, then N1, then R62. Once or twice slept in the 'wild' - asked at the police station for the nearest campsite, response was that there's none but they'll show me where I could pitch my tent - a working tap was all that was needed.

 

The first time that I felt unsafe was at the Ultra City at Worcester (the one that's discontinued now) - a dude in a bakkie just asked too many questions about my route, expected arrival time etc - so I stayed at the Ultra City for a very long time.

[eddy]

Have any of you done tours solo? My riding partner doesn't seem overly keen on the tour idea, so I'm worried he's going to pull out. I've read in magazines several accounts of people doing it solo, but in SA it's a massive risk... I could have my family second me and wait at each day's endpoint

 

 

I have done two 3-4day tours solo.

 

I wore a bracelet with next-of-kin details on it and hit the road,  calling someone each night  to say where I was overnighting.

 

No problems.

[Sepia]

I cycled from JHB to Cape Town in 1999. Maybe that's too long ago to be a realistic gauge for nowadays.

 

But for what it's worth: I travelled N12, then N1, then R62. Once or twice slept in the 'wild' - asked at the police station for the nearest campsite, response was that there's none but they'll show me where I could pitch my tent - a working tap was all that was needed.

 

The first time that I felt unsafe was at the Ultra City at Worcester (the one that's discontinued now) - a dude in a bakkie just asked too many questions about my route, expected arrival time etc - so I stayed at the Ultra City for a very long time.

And you have done some serious trekking in your time.  Great to hear from those who have done extended trips.

[Sepia]

I have done two 3-4day tours solo.

 

I wore a bracelet with next-of-kin details on it and hit the road,  calling someone each night  to say where I was overnighting.

 

No problems.

As Eddy says......

The only way to "hit the road".  Well said Eddy.

Edited January 9, 2017 by Sepia

[GingNinj]

Have any of you done tours solo? My riding partner doesn't seem overly keen on the tour idea, so I'm worried he's going to pull out. I've read in magazines several accounts of people doing it solo, but in SA it's a massive risk... I could have my family second me and wait at each day's endpoint

 

I've done both and I feel they both have pros and cons. Going on an adventure with someone else has brought plenty of awesome memories. Took my aunt on her first bikepacking adventure and did the gentlemanly thing of carrying her heavier pack, only to find out that she had two pieces of frozen steak and a pile of briquettes at the bottom of her bag for the first night. Moral of the story is I now only ride with my own kit and carry on by my ace if people drop out. That said I find being out in the sticks with only the sound of my bike and no-one else around one of the best feelings. I always use my ICE bracelet when I'm riding.

[cat-i]

And you have done some serious trekking in your time.  Great to hear from those who have done extended trips.

 

Whahaha I like the way you say 'in your time'.

 

I was hoping to do another adventure (not solo) in the northern parts of the world later this year - still very much in the research phase, but will ask advice from hubbers when I've cleared affordability and know what the leave constraints are

[leeubok]

I've done both and I feel they both have pros and cons. Going on an adventure with someone else has brought plenty of awesome memories. Took my aunt on her first bikepacking adventure and did the gentlemanly thing of carrying her heavier pack, only to find out that she had two pieces of frozen steak and a pile of briquettes at the bottom of her bag for the first night. Moral of the story is I now only ride with my own kit and carry on by my ace if people drop out. That said I find being out in the sticks with only the sound of my bike and no-one else around one of the best feelings. I always use my ICE bracelet when I'm riding.

That is hilarious! At least you had a lekker braai the first night!?