Fuji Superia 400 36exp
Today I learned that my favorite, and pretty much the only 35mm film I use, was discontinued about 3 weeks ago. I bought the last rolls I could find. Gonna look for more tomorrow.
I love this film. very good, and a good price. sad now.
I was getting this for under $3 a roll
There are other options, the 200 speed in 36exp for a few cents cheaper. Or the 400 speed BUT in only a 24exp for about the same price. Still confused about why Fuji cut the 400 36exp??
Today I saw one of these and spoke to the owner about the build up. It had Salsa woodchipper bars, barend shifters, Thompson set-back seat post, a Tubus rear rack, triple crankset, and a nice Tange fork. Over all a good looking bike. I should have taken a picture. He said he was real happy but had it only for a week and was planing to ride to Montauk, NY. This bike, with a thought out build, looks very tour worthy.
2009 Specialized Tricross Comp 58cm
This is the bike I rode on my third tour. It did fine. Better than fine, it did great! And is an aluminum/carbon non touring specific bike at that. With a double crankset.
I had a sponsor at the time and the bike was a quick decision. I set it up about one week before leaving on a 60 day bike tour from NYC to LA. I did change the wheels to 48 spokes, added a rear rack, front fender and my pedals. This bike was not a cheap bike to buy new. I think i remember it costing $2200(i think most of that is in the carbon front a rear and the lighter weight parts group). So I was very lucky to be allowed to ride it. But what I’m thinking is this isn’t really a touring bike and it did all I could ever ask for in a bike. 4000 miles and no problems. It baffles me that people believe they NEED a Surly long haul trucker to do a bike tour. It’s just not true. You don’t need a bike as costly as this one either but it’s what i had. There are some things i would maybe change.. the carbon fork(but it held up fine) and the low spoke count radial front wheel (i did swap for a 4 cross 48 spoke) but who cares?
Get a bike that fits and ride it. Add some racks and the do-dads you need and then just go.
A small, light, infinitely reusable, coffee and tea filter with lid. I might ditch the lid and also drill a hole in one side of the handles so i can attach a key ring & mini carabiner.
After some tea and coffee testing ive learned this works really well with tea. Using this for coffee is good but attention to the grinds coarseness is at least a little important. I drink coffee because it is coffee not because i care much about what kind or style it is. So if this thing is light weight and durable but doesnt correct for variations in grind fineness or coarseness, well i can live with that.
On a short bike tour it might make sense to just buy $2 coffee whenever. On a longer tour saving a few cents or a buck on each cup will add up to something. And with that, the trip could be a extended little longer.
– after some use.. boil water, add grinds into pot, let sit and stir lightly, pour thru the mugmate into coffee cup(s). Most of the grinds stay in water pot. Can make as much or as little coffee as needed in one go.
Weight 1 oz
Cost: $16
Made in Germany
Today I was riding home and saw a guy riding one of these and chatted a bit. He said he just got it from Bianchi because he had a much older Volpe and kinda put it through hell. After writing a long winded letter about a cracked drive side chain stay drop out Bianchi sent him a new one. Must have just been the frame only because all the parts look different than this.
This is just the reason I want to get a new touring bike. As good as a bicycle is new, after years of miles on the road, loaded touring and being up & down coast lines the frame wont last forever. I worry that if I went out on another long ride the my frame would be the most likely to fail. Probably the drive side drop out because that spot endures the most stress.
I’m thinking about going the custom frame route and swap most of my parts over. But if i didn’t have a bike to tour on this would be the one I’d want to buy.
An Argus C3 is not my first film camera but this is the camera that made me want to shoot 35mm film regularly. Unfortunately, the copy that got me hooked was only a loaner and I was again taking pictures with my only camera at the time, a Canon DSLR.
At some point I figured out that my DSLR lenses would fit onto an older Canon SLR, so i found a used Canon EOS 3 to shoot film again. Auto focus, light metering and auto film advance is all good but there is something really nice about a 60 year old, all manual rangefinder.
I did finally find an Argus C3 for sale on the street in Brooklyn. I knew what to look for to be pretty sure it worked. The seller was asking $20 but took $15.
Mine has a 50mm f/3.5 lens. All of them are really heavy. I like having black and white film in this camera.
Pros: 35mm film, no batteries, 50mm lens, made in US, conversation starter(rare-ish, looks cool), low cost, very tough build, the feeling of shooting thru a 70 year old lens and getting rad pictures back.
Cons: heavy, very small viewfinder, difficult to focus, max shutter speed is 1/300th, no light meter, must wrap up to carry or it will win in a backpack fight with whatever it rustles around with (they dont call it “the Brick” for nothing)
Made in USA
I have one of these and only use it a little bit. But if i wanted to take a wide angle video camera on a bike tour this would be the one, versus a GoPro or one of the lesser brands.
I like the Drift HD for three main reasons.
1. It has a dedicated screen. Some of the others are catching up on this point but they are add-ons. Or phone apps that have a time delay. Drift got it right early on.
2. The lens can be rotated. There are so many places a camera this small can be mounted. And many more if it need not be mounted level to the horizon or even right side up. The sensor rotates with the lens. So if i mount this at an odd angle i can look at what I’m getting on the screen and rotate the lens until im getting the shot I want.
3. It has a standard 1/4″ tripod mount. I have no idea why, other than selling more plastic crap to their customers, any camera would NOT have a 1/4″ tripod mount. GoPro does not have this so theirs must be mounted with their shitty plastic mounts that break and fail all the time.
I mount this to just about anything with a nano clamp and mini ball head
The battery life is good. The video quality is good. The sound is good. Its size is good. It charges with a common cable. It costs about the same as its competitors. Its weather resistance is good. And Drift sells replacement parts, if you were to crack the lens cover.
Oben BD-0 Mini Ball Head and Manfrotto 386B Nano Clamp + 1/4″ – 3/8″ work well together. They do need a male 1/4″ To 3/8″ Adapter Stud to be attached but this makes a versatile low-weight way to mount a compact camera, or Drift HD action camera, just about anywhere on a bike. And at about any angle one could want. GoPro sucks with their limited, proprietary, plastic mounting system. I might tour with a small camera next time.
Cost for the set up: about $50
Weight: 5.9oz (169g)
Bontrager RXL road shoes
Good shit. fit great.
I can eat oatmeal out if this too but it’s an extra H2O reserve when not toting coffee.
Also saves me from needing paper of plastic cups, ever. And it went over well in Machias at the Beehive. One less mug to be washed after 60 people eat and drink then leave dishes for whoever has to wash. Also they seemed to be running low on mugs. Said they were walking away and not coming back.
A roommate moved out and left this in the refrigerator, it lived there for another year before I officially adopted it.
Free and no idea where it was made.
Late 90’s Cannondale Overland panniers.
I bought these over quite a few years ago. Not water proof but breath well dry fast and don’t stink. Four tours these have seen. Going strong. 3 outside zippered pockets, 1 mesh pouch and the large main compartment on each side.
I bought these at a local bike shop in Ohio. Think I paid $170 for the pair.
Hand made in USA.
6/14 edit: These have seen better days. Sun faded, weakened stitching, torn edges and beat up zippers. I’m going to try to sew new bags and re-use the inner frames and hardware.
I used to think things like – don’t use too much sunscreen because you dont want to run out – but na I need to use it. If I run out I’ll get more. Plus using it is like drinking water out of your bottles. It might be in or on you but it’s not on the bike any more so that a little less weight to be carried.
Outlier has many items I want to have with me on a long tour. Clothes determine comfort. They keep me warm, they keep me cool, they keep me dry. This tank has a simple classic look. It reminds me of something from the 30’s or 40’s. Plus it serves two uses, I can wear it alone if the temperature is high or if it’s very cool this makes a great base layer.
Here is the story from Outlier.
A sleeveless henley style baselayer, perfect for warm weather or year round simplicity. The Super 100 merino rib minimizes skin contact to enhance merinos natural cooling and moisture wicking performance. For added cooling ability unbutton it down to the sternum. It’s counterintuitive for sure, but we find that it’s more comfortable in hot and humid climates to wear a Summer Merino Baselayer plus a cotton shirt than it is to wear the cotton alone. The New Zealand merino is Super 100 grade (18.9 micron) and Zque certified. Soft, dry and insanely comfortable, a summertime classic for cool layering.
One thing about Outlier, and I may have said this before, they make small batched so some items sell out and may or may not come back the next season. A few of the articles I have are no longer available. When I think about that I’m glad I got in in time because these clothes are the best I own and having them determines my comfort in a positive way. For people new to their products, if it seems expensive, remember these are the best quality fabrics, made in New York, and owned and operated by people who care about their products and the customers who wear them.
Made in USA
I’m bringing one pair of pants and theses are the ones. I thought about bringing my Outlier Workwear pants because I think they have a more durable fabric but I think the climbers are better because they have more stretch. The Climbers are still durable, this cloth has so many good qualities. It’s light, warm, repels water but dries fast when wet and seems to just stay clean after many wears. But mostly because I see myself squatted over a camp stove and these are really good for biking in as well because of the 4-way stretch. I’ve gone on hikes in varied terrain and they never felt encumbering. They fit me close but not tight although I don’t really need to roll the leg up while on the bike.
Like everything Outlier makes, these are the shit. A perfect pair of pants for bike touring.
Made in USA
Brooklyn Machine Works is a frame builder based in Brooklyn, NY. I have a couple BMW’s one set up for the street and one for bike pol0. Good bikes. The guys are real nice and make a good product. A while back they did a shoe with Adidas, I have a pair.
These look a little funny if you don’t know what they are from. It’s a throw back to some 70’s cycling shoe.
Made in Vietnam
I made some last minute changes to my system of carrying my tent, pad and bag. I was going to shove it all in a large Bailey Works Messenger bag and I had a friend modify some straps so I could cinch it to the rear rack. That would have worked and it would mean I could use the messenger bag as a backpack if I ever needed one. Plus the other little pockets in a Bailey Works bag would be nice for organization.
But then I wanted to get a water-tight sack for my down sleeping bag, and keep it in a sack, in the bag to really keep it dry. I bought a 35L so not to stuff it into too small a bag diminishing it’s loft. But then I was only using ½ the volume of the sack to still get into the messenger bag. Maybe lose the mess bag?
The stuff sack that came with my tent is way too big for the tent so I wanted to get a better fitting one for that. 9L is just right.
The stuff sack that came with my sleeping bag is tiny, as in back backing tiny, and I’m no longer using it for my sleeping bag but it works great for my air pad (that did not come with a stuff sack) and the sheet cover I made for it.
So now I needed some good straps because bungeeing multiple things is not very secure.
Sleep pad and cover in small sack tied to top of front rack. Sleeping bag in dry bag, tent in new stuff sack, Poles in stock pole bag and ground tarp folded, flat underneath it all. This is all double strapped by two “hook release” accessory straps that encompass the whole mess. But it does not look messy. It looks right and is lighter than adding a messenger bag into the mix.
Also bought a silk liner to save the sleeping bag from my dirt.
The only bummer is that I did this all a little too late to find the made in USA options.
All this shit is made in China.
