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touring advice- balancing a bike, dogfights and spd sandles

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  • 28-03-2008 5:06pm
    #1
    conor rowan
    Users Awaiting Email Confirmation Posts: 108 ✭✭


    hey lads (and ladies)

    in eagerness at the arrival of spring i posted home my front panniers as id thinned my bags sufficiently to fit everything into the rear panniers and a schoolbag.
    the question is though, how best to balance the bike?
    do i
    (a) put the bags on the weaker front rack and all the heavier stuff in the rucksack?
    or
    (b) tie some stuff onto the front rack eg sleeping bag and thermarest and put the panniers on the more secure back rack

    i tried (b) going over a 2400m pass and (a) going over a 3600 m pass and prefer the better weight balance that (a) gives but unsure as to whether or not theyll be secure going at decent speeds on descents.
    also whats more aerodynamic? any thoughts

    my spds shoes have fallen apart after a tough 6 months, the rubber soles peeling off and the hard plastic in the right shoe which the cleat is set in has cracked which makes clipping out way more difficult than it needs be.
    thinking of getting spd sandals as were gonna be in the heat in china for the next 5 months. anyone use them before, can recommend any particular pair?


    and lastly
    have had a lot of run ins with dogs recently. didnt think theyd actually ever nite but one sunk his teeth into pauls rear pannier. what do most people do?

    i used to squirt the water bottle at them , but when waters scarce this isnt an option. also the pump is clipped in to stop if falling off over bumps. so recently ive just taken to just racing my fist and shouting ****OFF DOG!
    really loudly which seems to stall them long enough for me to get away.
    (have tried a similiar tactic with trucks but they run you off the road all the same)


Comments

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    #2
    Raam
    Registered Users Posts: 14,317 ✭✭✭✭Raam


    man, I wish I was on your trip. There's a dog that chases me every now and then. Next time he does, I'm going to kick him in the face because he's already nipped me twice. Some people have mentioned pepper-spray. That's bound to halt the devils.

    For the sandals, Blorg wears them and likes them, so they must be good. His are Shimano, I think.

    I can't advise on the panniers.

    enjoy the rest of your trip

    P


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    #3
    BlackMirror
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18 ✭BlackMirror


    conor rowan wrote: »

    my spds shoes have fallen apart after a tough 6 months, the rubber soles peeling off and the hard plastic in the right shoe which the cleat is set in has cracked which makes clipping out way more difficult than it needs be.
    thinking of getting spd sandals as were gonna be in the heat in china for the next 5 months. anyone use them before, can recommend any particular pair?


    I have the Lake SPD sandals. I love them. With wools socks and toe covers, my feet have stayed warm (and sort of dry) in some very cold and wet weather. And nice and cool in the summer too.


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    #4
    conor rowan
    Users Awaiting Email Confirmation Posts: 108 ✭✭conor rowan


    thanks for the help lads

    its been an amazing experience so far and now that were through central asia the hardest part is over.

    some photos on bebo biketobeijing2008.bebo.com -some of the roads in kyrgyzstan were unbelievably bad.

    gonna have to glue the shoes back together for the moment, no spds shoes in kashgar so ill have to wait till i get to urumqi 1200km up the road.

    thanks
    conor


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