Hey Rob, I ran a SON dynamo to my eTrex 30 in TD'13 and my Garmin failed spectacularly and decisively coming down Boreas Pass into Como just after the Gold Dust Trail, and I suspect that I fried the unit by always having it running off my hub. Don't know, and others have run the same setup with no problems.

Wow that sucks. What interface were you using between dynamo and GPS? Ewerk? I was planning in running a very similar setup this year (Sp PD-8x hub with etrex 30 and probably an ewerk interface or similar). Has anyone else had their GPS unit fail like that while being run off a dynamo hub?

I've been through a lot of hiking shoes trying to find the best that work with flats. I've settled on Canfield crampon pedals with a nice pair of low top columbia hiking shoes and that is working best for me. It is tough to find the proper lug pattern on the soles of the shoe that mate perfectly with pedals, but the extra long spikes on the crampons, combined with a relatively flat tread of the shoes work perfectly together. I need a hiking shoe sole to be stiff and rounded like a rocking horse on the front of the shoe for it to work well for extended hike a bike (bad ankles from too many injuries) so hiking in 5-10s just doesn't work for me since the soles are so flat and the calf muscle is engaged too much with every step.

the newest spot is lighter, and has custom modes that save a ton of battery by sending signal less often. Im upgrading for those reasons.

order placed-- thanks for putting this together!

I posted this in the other dynamo thread-- didn't know there was a dedicated one to this topic!

What options are out there for rigid carbon forks that can be used with The Plug II? I am building up a cheap carbon bike from xmiplay and was going to use their fork as well: http://xmiplay.en.alibaba.com/product/1445165663-214087827/2014_Newest_15mm_thru_axle_29er_carbon_fork_carbon_29er_rigid_fork_carbon_29er_mtb_fork.html

Can I just use a drill and put a hole in it for the wiring? What forks are people using with the Plug? Did they need to be modified? Anyone using a rigid carbon fork with a Plug II?

Anyone who runs a The Plug II topcap usb converter-- did you have to drill a hole in your fork crown for cable routing? I have never seen a fork with a hole in it like they describe on the site and am curious how to make this work

Here is the fork I am getting for my new generic cheap china carbon rigid bike. I hope they're compatible together!
http://www.xmiplay.com/ProductDetails1661

[not]

I've never timed how long my Revo runs when stopped, but it's not an hour of light bright enough to be of campsite use. Perhaps 10 minutes with a usable light output. No turning on or off either. It just fades away when stopped. After I bike home today, guess I'll try to note how long the light illuminates while sitting in our living room.

Thanks man. Thats enough info for me if you dont get the chance. I knew the whole hour of light had to be too good to be true. Ill buy it anyway

Just found a site with the Exposure Revo on sale for $178 so I think Ill pull the trigger with the sale, but a quick question. "The Revo is equipped with Stand Light Technology, an auto dimming feature. When you pull up to a stop light, the Revo dims, and will remain lit for ten minutes. For extra light once at your destination, the Exposure Revo Dynamo Light can provide up to an hour of light on it's own."

Can anyone confirm that it provides decent light for an hour after stopping? Staying lit for an hour after stopping gets huge points in my book. Thats enough time to setup camp, eat dinner and pass out and maybe not even need another light on a trip. If you only ran it for a few minutes after stopping for the night, can you turn it off and then turn it on a few hours later with the remaining charge without having ridden anymore?

So, besides the SP PD-8X, and SON 28 15 what other options are there for thru axle dynamo hubs? I am about to start piecing together a new bike build and am excited to make this one dynamo capable

I wish the new cuben fiber seat bag was up for this. Oh well...

I also just did it DC to Pgh over the summer, at a 5 day touring pace with the girlfriend.

Time wise, I think it would be faster to go Pgh to DC since the GAP is so easy I'd rather have that be the uphill part at the beginning when I was fresh, cruise the 20+ miles downhill to Cumberland, refuel and have it be (ever so slightly) downhill the whole way to DC. Although it was nice to have the smooth crushed gravel of the GAP on sore rear ends after a few days in the saddle. Funny you bumped this today, I was just trying to figure out what the record was last night.

I just pre ordered the new Niner RLT9 and right when it gets here I am going to try to solo this and see how quick I can get it done. Realistically, I think it is pretty easily doable with two long days in the saddle, a nice long sleep and tons of food in Cumberland between the GAP and C&O. I don't think one would really have to push it very hard to do it in under 48, or even 36 hours. Wouldn't surprise me at all if the record was sub 24 hours.

Im thinking about running a fully rigid Niner One 9 RDO with SRAM X01 or XX1 setup on next years tour divide. Anyone have success with a 1x setup last year? Wish you did something differently?

Thanks. 5 days seems to be "normal" and there were lots of folks that I talked to on that itinerary. Nice balance of miles and down time.
I can imagine the summer can be buggy. I was covered in gnats that were swarming beside the bogs (old canals) on the C&O.
The foliage was just starting to turn and the maples were brilliant yellow.

Hahaha. Yeah the bugs were horrendous!

We brought all of our camping gear and planned on camping every night with maybe one hotel to take a shower in Cumberland, but the trail was so wet and muddy, we got rained on so hard every single day, and the bugs were just so terrible that we mailed home our camping gear immediately on the second morning and stayed in B+Bs every night. Was a lot of fun to do the trail with very little gear and have a shower and a bed every night. I'd like to go back and do it in the fall when the nights are colder and it doesn't suck to camp every night

Congrats on a great trip. I did this trail in a leisurely 5 days with my girlfriend over the summer and had an amazing time. I think I'm heading back in a few weeks to try to do Cumberland to Pittsburgh in a day. GREAT trail

Great thread. I am going to run a dynamo hub for a front light, and to charge GPS batteries and cell phone on next years tour divide so this has been quite helpful

I've got vacation October 25th-November 4th and if it hasn't snowed too much by then I might come try the grand loop. Anyone else thinking about doing it this fall?

I have been meaning to come to Israel for many years now, and the ride looks like a great way to see the country. I finish school just a few weeks too late or I would be all over this.  Maybe next year.

Any idea os an approximate breakdown of how much of the route is singletrack vs dirt road vs paved?

Congrats everyone! Hope I can actually make it to meet you all next year.


Matt-- How did you Strava that whole ride? Did you export data from your GPS and upload it there? I didn't know that was possible, but I assume there is no way you had your iphone on that entire time?

Anyone order one of those limited large gas tanks from revelate and not getting any use out of it? If so, I will take it off your hands

Thanks

Can the revelate mesh Spocket attach easily to the Porcelain Rocket Booster Rocket seat pack? Anyone tried?