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Tom Philp | 3 Jan 1980 19:16
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Touring Budgets - A philosphical bent

Gidday All,

>I'm not sure about the specific cases referenced here but it is 
important to
>remember that some folks HAVE to travel within a tight budget.  For 
them
>it's a matter of either being very budget conscious or staying home.  A 
few
>years ago we had a phred who finally responded and asked if we were all
>millionaires since he didn't understand how we could tour without lots 
of
>money, based on what he read on this list.  Fortunately, I think we 
were
>able to reassure him that it didn't necessarily take loads of money to 
tour.

To dive off on a bit of a tangent.

Just been watching a DVD of John Denvers "The Wildlife Concert" which he 
performed for the Ameriacn Wildlife Society. What a tragic loss when we 
lost John before his time. So, inspired by "Sunshine on my Shoulders", 
"Poems, Prayers & Promises", "Country Roads" and so on; I would simply 
say;

You're riding a bike. It doesn't matter how much you spend. It just 
makes me feel proud of us all that a planet friendly form of transport 
remains so popular. (And perhaps it makes me feel a little less 
paranoid/eccentric about still getting a buzz out of riding my bike when 
everyone else my age is tossing up which cable network to buy).
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Tom Philp | 3 Jan 1980 21:19
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touring budget

>Beans are a banned food while on our tandem. I don't have the foggiest 
idea
>why.

Isn't that just one of the wonders of cycling; one rider's tailwind is 
always another rider's headwind.

Cheers,
Tom

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Tom Philp | 3 Jan 1980 22:38
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Cycling - the brain food

Good evening All,

Caught up with some research today which probably won't come as any 
great surprise; endurance exercise (say cycling for instance) helps to 
produce more brain cells. Further, if you have to think a bit at the 
same time ( say dodging dogs, cars for instance) you increase your 
chances of maintaining these new brain cells.

The upshot is you also decrease the liklihood of contracting a lot of 
the degenerative brain diseases associated with aging.

For further info see the link below;

http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2005/s1340007.htm

Now, what was I doing again? 

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Tom Philp | 4 Jan 1980 05:02
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Handlebar bags and lights

Gidday All,

I can't find anything on the site records but apologise anyway if this 
question has been asked before.  

Are there any handlebar bags that allow lights to be fitted in a manner 
that the lights still work freely. It seems that all the handlebar bags 
I've seen are mounted fairly proud on the handlebars and so obscure (or 
partly obscure) the beam of any lights fitted. I've seen some extenders 
that can be mounted on the hanlebars to raise lights/computers etc, but 
is this the only alternative.

Can't help feeling this is a dumb question because so many people must 
have been able to find the answer (except me) but there you go.

Cheers,
Tom Philp

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Tom Philp | 4 Jan 1980 05:55
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Handlebar bags and lights

Evening All,

Just a note to say thanks to everyone who offered advice on my query. I 
now have some useful solutions to the problem that I can weigh up for my 
current circumstances.

Cheers,
Tom Philp  

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Tom Philp | 4 Jan 1980 07:47
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Re: Pancakes and the weevil problem

Gidday All,

I believe Johnny and Jim are both correct. Virtually all grain type products
you buy have weevil eggs in them. This includes rice, pasta, cereals etc and
it doesn't matter how well it's packaged (they're in the product). You won't
see the eggs but will see the weevils when they hatch.

However, if you keep the product in the fridge or similar cold place the
weevils won't tend to hatch, so Jim is again on the money.

Makes you wonder just how many weevil eggs you consume in a lifetime though.

Cheers,
Tom

----- Original Message -----
From: <Jwar11235@...>
To: <jimfore@...>;
<jonmein@...>; <touring@...>
Sent: Saturday, April 23, 2005 10:51 PM
Subject: Re: Pancakes

>
> In a message dated 4/22/2005 1:49:17 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
> jimfore@... writes:
>
> Mainly,  though, it keep weevils out.
>
>
>
(Continue reading)

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tom philp | 3 Jan 1980 14:17
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Re: Profile bars


----- Original Message -----
From: Jim Foreman <jimfore@...>
To: phred <touring@...>
Sent: Wednesday, January 25, 2006 1:45 AM
Subject: Profile bars

>     Back in the days when I thought I had to go fast, I put a set of
> profile bars (may not have been that brand but aero bars) on the Eddy
> Merckx 7-11 bike and it was so unstable that I nearly fell the first
> time I tried to use them. Best I was ever able to do was one arm on the
> aero bar while holding to the handlebars with the other hand. Never was
> able to use them with both hands. Never tried them on any other bike.
>
> Jim Foreman
> jimfore@...
> http://www.JimForeman.com
>

Gidday Jim,

If I remember correctly our Australian World Time Trial champion rode in the
2004 Tour de France. In the first individual time trial he fell off on the
first corner. In last year's TDF the young American lad who was holding the
yellow jersey fell off in the first team time trial. (Maybe, the profile
bars weren't solely to blame; but hey).

I'd say this probably puts you in some pretty elite company.

Cheers,
(Continue reading)

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tom philp | 3 Jan 1980 16:06
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Re: Touring Digest,


----- Original Message -----
From: Jim Blair <jblair@...>
To: <gneuburg@...>; Gilbert Anderson <cyclestore@...>;
<touring@...>
Sent: Thursday, February 02, 2006 4:48 PM
Subject: Re: Touring Digest,

> Jerry wrote
>  About Gatorskins, I've never tried them. I've had great success with
> Specialized Armadillos and a little less success with Schwalbe Marathon
> Slicks.
>
> Gatorskins roll much better than Armadillos. Take a new Armadillo and
mount
> it and slowly rotate the wheel and you will see that the tire does not
have
> a constant shape. They come out of the mold that way.
> Jim
>

REPLY

I've used gatorskins in 700x23 and 700x28 on my "boy racer" and "randonneur"
respectively. I've found them to be a pretty handy, high pressure tyre.

However, they only last until you say to someone "Guess how long I've been
running these for"? Then you might as well throw them away because they
won't last another revolution. Never, never, never, try to tell anyone how
long it is since you had a puncture or how many kms your gatorskins have
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tom philp | 3 Jan 1980 14:44
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Re: Oh My!!!

Gidday All,

While this may be an unlikely scenario it's still a great question because
it does happen and the results can be catastrophic. As a Workplace Health
and Safety Officer who often rides with a child (trailer-bike and now
tandem) I've actually considered this matter among others with a view to
having some planned responses.

On the tandem I've had a drag brake fitted. This gives me 3 braking media
and the ability with the drag brake to control descent speed very well.

Re a standard bike I favour the option of sitting up high and placing one
foot on the chain stay and very gently rolling the shoe in to contact and
apply pressure to the rear tyre. You don't stop quickly but you can control
your speed. I do worry about over heating the tyre though. (I have tried
this in a controlled manner; though not careering down a steep hill)

Aswell;

- don't panic, and

- practice the chosen technique. (There's an old military saying " When the
proverbial hits the fan, you don't rise to the occasion; you fall to your
level of training")

Cheers,
Tom

----- Original Message -----
From: Keith Ayres <keith.ayres@...>
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tom philp | 3 Jan 1980 14:47
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Re: I'm past my expiration date

> About 1200 miles south of Japan (but part of it) are the Ryukyu Islands.
One
> of these Islands is Okinawa which I believe holds all the records for life
> longevity. Centenarians are very common and all the older folk seem to be
> seem to be very and mobile. There is virtually no obesity. No doubt diet
> plays a large part with fish plus locally grown vegetables and a much more
> laid back lifestyle than is found in the main Japanese Archipeligo. >
> Roy

Reply
Good onya Roy,

I can remember seeing a scientific study on this population where they were
trying to identify the relative importance of lifestyle and genetics to the
high local life expectencies.

In short they found that locals who left the island and lived a conventional
city life in Tokyo or similar, normally suffered a reduced life expectancy
(compared to the locals who stayed put) and lived no longer than the
national average. So, their life expectancy was not particularly influenced
by genetic factors.

As you say important factors were diet eg local fish, green leafy
vegetables, sweet potatoe (yams), social interaction (they were very social
and happy) and now for "touring content",
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. They all worked steadily in a stress-fee manner right
through their senior years. There were people of 80/90/etc still working in
the vegetable patches, fishing, doing martial arts and so on.

So Jim and company probably have it all under control by keeping on riding.
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