2 Hammocks used twice and then went back to the ground. They have been just sitting in my closet. My wife and I just moved our daughter out of the house and are selling everything and taking off on our tandem. No need for hammocks.

$45.00 each

2 for $90.00

Steve1127@gmail.com

SOLD

I see you rode a single speed. What size chainring and rear sprocket did you use and would you change it to do it again? I am planning on riding the Blue Ridge this year on a single speed but don't know what gears to use yet. I am leaning towards a 30 front 20 rear since most of the Blue Ridge is climbing, 4 hours of climb to 10 minutes of descent. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Steve

Chrisx,

Living in Portland you must have some familiarity with rain and wet. Do you have a pic of your bag as a roll top sounds like a great way to go. There is a reason I imagine why most lightweight waterproof bags are roll down types. I am experimenting with a large fanny pack with the weight being supported by a jury rigged support behind the seat. The weight is not fully on the bike and not fully on me. I put close to ten pounds of stuff in it yesterday and cruised some local singletrack and didn't even notice it was there. On the downhills, I sat way back and the pack just went where I went. It looks promising for future trips but still needs more tests.

My bike multi-tool works pretty good as a mini hammer if necessary.

Not having ever used one but  thinking of making one, are there any suggestions as to what fabric works best? Has anyone used silnylon? The reason I asked what goes in a frame bag is to determine what strength of fabric is needed. If clothing or soft stuff is all that goes in then a very light weight material could be used but if again water and tools are carried there I am assuming a heavier fabric is used. Any advice would be appreciated. I find the information on this site to be extremely useful and appreciate everyone's experience and the willingness to share with beginners such as myself.

If it is really muddy, fenders are a real pain as they get clogged up with mud and leaves. This past fall I must have been carrying at least five extra pounds of mud and leaves in my fenders. In reality though the mud is only bad in a few places,(from my experience) mainly between White's Ferry and Harpers Ferry. The rest handles rain pretty well. I am going to go again as soon as the weather breaks for my first bike camping trip of the year. No fenders this time!

I have ridden the canal fully loaded on a single speed 1970's schwinn with 1 1/4" tires and did just fine. I also hiked it and then did it on a tandem pulling a trailer. It can be done with ease on any kind of bike or tire. I am doing it again this spring on my mountain bike with big wide tires to absorb the bumps.

I have been thinking of making a frame bag. It would be approximately 4-5 inches wide. What generally do people put into these bags as they seem to be very narrow and limited in size? I have done much backpacking and some bike travel but with a trailer and panniers. Now I am thinking more off road, singletrack trails and see that most people are trying to get more weight (actually less weight) onto the bike and off their backs.