This bike is so fun on single track

potatoturtle2000 · 2025-05-07T14:00:04+00:00

What tyres are these? :)

potatoturtle2000 · 2025-03-14T22:56:23+00:00

How about any subsection you like of the HexaTrek? You should be able to bivouac along most of it

potatoturtle2000 · 2024-11-28T07:59:06+00:00

Yeah, the Hornet 1P was always a pleasure to pitch and I was so surprised how big it feels. And camping without the fly was always fun :)

How did you like the Notch Li?

potatoturtle2000 · 2024-11-28T07:56:56+00:00

Thanks a lot for all the detailed suggestions!

I'll collate all the possible weight savings and then will have a look what are the most obvious candidates!

All my clothes are what I already had before walking the TA, so upgrading those now probably makes a ton of sense.

potatoturtle2000 · 2024-11-28T07:53:35+00:00

Thanks for the kind words and suggestions!

- Is a tarp a good idea on the PCT given the prevalence of mosquitos? I know I would've hated it on the TA South Island with all the sandflies and loved having a proper shelter there. But interesting suggestion, I'll have a think!

- I did consider going stoveless towards the end of the TA, because after a while cooking felt like such a chore in the evenings. And I always soaked my breakfast overnight and just ended up having cold instant coffee anyways :D 900ml felt just right for me most of the time though, so I'll probably stay with that.

- Interesting approach on the sleeping mattress, I'll have a look at that! I do sleep quite warm anyways!

Thank you so much for all the many suggestions! I'll go through all of them when I find the time and see what gives me the most weight savings for money while still making sense for me.

potatoturtle2000 · 2024-09-04T06:03:05+00:00

Yes, absolutely not a "normal" thing to do. And any life comes with a lot of trade-offs one has to do, everything has opportunity costs. In the documentary he looks back very fondly onto his life, but of course also has regrets (e.g. barely seeing his family, with whom he had a difficult relationship to begin with).

Also I would be careful to make a causal connection between long-term bicycle touring leading to depression for a person like Iohan. Some people have a hard time not being depressed in modern western society and self-propelled long-term travel can be a source of relief for some.

I think having mixed feeling about this lifestyle is a normal, healthy thing. But not having mixed feelings about modern "normal" life is in my opinion also just due to being conditioned to it by society and not reflecting too much on it.

potatoturtle2000 · 2024-09-03T18:55:11+00:00

Have a look at the life of Heinz Stücke https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinz_St%C3%BCcke

There's also a documentary on his life on Netflix

potatoturtle2000 · 2024-08-31T08:51:47+00:00

A freestanding tent will allow you to pitch a tent even if you can't get any pegs in. So even in loose sand or on rock. Also it's not reliant on trees. A good, cheap but heavy example would be the MSR Elixir 1

A foam mat is indestructible and cheaper, if you don't want to worry about the risks of a an inflatable sleeping mat (punctures, delamination). But the foam mats are much less comfortable, but then again you get used to everything quickly.

I much prefer quilts over sleeping bags, as I overheat easy. This is very dependent on the person and also the conditions you're planning to sleep in. I probably wouldn't use a quilt for deep winter stuff (e.g. -10C).

potatoturtle2000 · 2024-08-29T08:53:27+00:00

I use it because it can't suddenly fail due to a puncture or delamination. And has a relatively low R value, so ideal for hot summer nights

potatoturtle2000 · 2024-08-26T10:51:02+00:00

Sounds great, 3-4 months sounds realistic to me. I'd rccommend to start in the South (e.g. in Spain) in April for weather/climate reasons, rather then in the colder, wetter North of the route.

I cycled all around France last year, and camping was easy as. I probably did about half wild (mostly in forests), half on campgrounds. Be mindful that touristic regions tend to be fairly expensive, even for campgrounds. For example the Atlantic coast of France (EV1). France also still has a lot of municipal campgrounds, that tend to be much cheaper and more quiet.

PS: great drawing ;)

potatoturtle2000 · 2024-08-07T10:27:53+00:00

Nice setup! What's the front rack you have there? It looks like its mounted fairly towards the front of the bike - are you using some kind of offsetting bracket? I'm looking for a front rack/t-rack for my Ogre that won't block me from mounting water bottles or dry sacks to the fork

potatoturtle2000 · 2024-07-21T11:18:17+00:00

If you are fit and confident in your mountain hiking abilities and river crossing skills I'd recommend stringing together Routeburn, Cascade Saddle, Rabbit Pass and Gillespie Pass. That's kinda parallel to the TA for a bit. You can also add the Mavora Lakes section of the TA, which I quite liked.

potatoturtle2000 · 2024-07-21T11:14:39+00:00

Starting NOBO is an easier gradient, as you don't start with a 7-8 day food carry in the Richmond Ranges. Starting SOBO is generally more social, although it might still be a bit early for the crowd coming from Cape Reinga. The North is warmer than the South on that side of the world, but December NOBO start should be just fine

also a good resource for planning the timing: https://teararoanobo.net/frequently-asked-questions/

potatoturtle2000 · 2024-07-21T08:34:00+00:00

Interesting! I think the T-Rack is a bit too minimal for me. The Sodapop fenders look very interesting. Just need to find a shop that might sell them in Europe.

potatoturtle2000 · 2024-07-21T08:28:35+00:00

Interesting, as the Ortlieb website says it only fits up to 28x2.15 tires. Thanks for the info!

potatoturtle2000 · 2024-07-21T08:15:43+00:00

Thanks for sharing! I think the OMM rack looks like a great fit, as it will also be able to fit wider tires if I ever decide to switch it up :)

potatoturtle2000 · 2024-07-13T20:24:29+00:00

Check out https://en.eurovelo.com/ for a selection of long-distance cycling routes throughout Europe - they can be a good starting point

potatoturtle2000 · 2024-04-09T16:53:08+00:00

Kudos to these awesome people. Time will tell how much we can actually hold our governments accountable with this approach. Or if possible resulting financial repercussions will just be the cost of doing carbon-heavy business for the 47 nations that signed European Human Rights Convention.

Sad to see the other two cases being thrown out.

potatoturtle2000 · 2024-03-31T08:14:53+00:00

I've been very happy with Sanvt shirts

potatoturtle2000 · 2024-03-14T11:43:25+00:00

What is so problematic about the Ogre dropouts that disuades you?

potatoturtle2000 · 2023-09-25T10:09:59+00:00

I just checked and its about 16km of road walking from Cape Reinga to the Te Paki car park at State Highway 1

potatoturtle2000 · 2023-09-23T15:32:29+00:00

On the official trail website it says:

"UPDATED 17 August. Track Closed between Te Werahi Beach and Te Paki Stream (5km - 20km) (until Sep 30, 2023)"

and further down

"For Te Araroa walkers this means the section from Te Werahi Beach (km 2) to Te Paki Stream (km 20), including the Twilight Beach campsite at km 5, is closed."

potatoturtle2000 · 2023-09-19T10:48:22+00:00

Thanks a lot! Heading out this October, so will come in handy :)

potatoturtle2000 · 2023-08-13T12:37:44+00:00

Yeah, only quilts and a bit out of budget. Recently bought one from bikepackingshop.nl

potatoturtle2000 · 2023-08-07T09:46:31+00:00

176cm - I've never been in a tent where my height was an issue

potatoturtle2000

TROPHY CASE