Help A Newbie - Critique A Bike!!

[VickoRano]

Hey there, my name is Vicky!

Since this is my first post on this forum & since I'm a complete beginner at bikepacking, (I haven't consistently ridden my bike since High School so I'm very weak & out of practice,) I decided I it would be best to start things off by just showing you my bike & hearing what everyone has to say.

Little bit of background on this bike:  my parents bought it in 2007 after my old mountain bike got stolen, so I'd have a quick way to get around campus when I started college. It's a Schwinn Skyliner women's style frame that I rebuilt back in August of 2017 with the help of my father who was, at the time, receiving chemotherapy for leukemia, which had been diagnosed just a year prior. It was probably the last time I got to do anything like that with my dad, as he was never able to recover. He passed away here at home on Dec 12 2019 at 10:45pm. I was with him.

I replaced the handlebar grips, the entire gear shift assembly, the brakes & pads, chain, sprockets, took apart the wheels to clean & regrease with brand new ball bearings (my dad had to help me with that - still had his strength in spite of the long hospital stay & chemo!) I put on heavy duty slime tubes, tire liners & Kenda Kross semi-slick mountain bike tires (hybrid tires that roll smooth but the edges have a toothy tread.) I chose those three options for the tires because I had a few accidents riding around the city, having a tire pop & walking the bike home for an hour. Also, fuck slippery gravel.

Now, it's a pretty heavy bike. I'm going to remove the luggage rack, as I see lighter sling style alternatives on here & I make my own hiking/camping gear all the time, so I'll be able to craft whatever I need. I also need to get into the suspension & clean/regrease because I totally missed that somehow...

Also, it's dusty because I'm not in shape from completely giving up on everything from depression & anxiety between 2016 & 2020. Losing my dad has been the hardest thing I've ever had to deal with. I have been so mentally sick that I've become physically sick & I'm really trying to figure out how to get back to life. I'm actually going back to college next fall to become a paramedic. But in the mean time, I'm hoping to set up my bike properly & hopefully find some people who might wanna team up for my first bikepacking adventure. (Preferably people who are patient & not on a strict time limit.)

I'm hoping for suggestions & insight about my bike, pack options, essential gear lists, novice bikepacking advice, first-time experiences, small female experiences (physical, mental, social, safety; I'm 4'11" & 120lbs - which is why the seat of my bike is as low as it can go), food, terrain, exercise for biking, etc... I don't expect everyone to give me a full course instruction but I'm hoping I can piece together all the information anyone leaves to create a custom plan for myself.

Thanks for reading!

[offroute]

It is awesome you are making a go of it! My condolence on your loss. Riding a bike sounds like the best thing you could be doing, whether bikepacking or just short spins.

I reco keeping an open mind and not getting super locked into any "correct" way of bikepacking. Keep riding your bike. Going from riding a lot to bikepacking takes the edge off getting into it. As you ride more and different terrain you'll develop preferences. From those preferences you can devise a short bikepacking route. Short rides and bikepacking cross-pollinate and then you're on your way. The technical details will work themselves out.

Adventure Cycling Association website and publications are a gold mine of info. Bikepacking.com has a lot of useful info. REI has had bikepacking classes. Power on...

[Bobonli]

Bikepacking.com (and their videos on Youtube) is a literal encyclopedia of knowledge. Don't worry too much about your bike; "ride what ya got" is a common message. Ride lots to build endurance and skills. Pedaling with gear attached takes more effort than unloaded so you have to work up to it.

You'll need camping skills. I think it's easier to learn one thing at a time, so find someplace local and go for an overnighter to learn how to set up a tent, cook etc. You can do this in your yard, but the backyard makes it tempting to go back into the house! Find a park or local woods that you can drive or hike to.

The make the same short trip with the bike. Ride5-10 miles, camp and come home. You'll know pretty quickly whether this if for you before spending money on a lighter bike, bags etc. You do not need a lot of stuff!

Shelter: tarp, small tent
Sleeping bag or quilt, ground pad
Something to cook on and food
Water
Head lamp, toiletries, cell phone
Maybe a change of clothes to sleep in if you don't like sleeping in your riding attire
And a working knowledge of your bike: what to do if the chain comes off or the brakes rub etc.

5 mile, sub 24 hour overnight to somewhere local. Rinse, repeat....next trip is 10-15 miles and so on.

[VickoRano]

offroute -
Thanks very much for the encouragement! Getting out has been really difficult for me; I've been stuck in a rather moderate anxiety loop where I've just been, essentially, too scared to go outside alone. Do you know of any popular and active resources where I can get in touch with local groups or individuals who are planning a trip? I know there's a section on this forum and there's MAYBE (?) a group on Facebook? Strangely enough, it's kinda' hard finding anyone close to where I live, in Northwestern PA.


Bobonli -
Thank you for your suggestions! I'm relieved to receive ~general~ approval of my current bicycle, he he... I actually do a LOT of hiking and camping, so I've got pretty much all the gear I need for some fairly remote tent camping. But as it is, everything is a bit too heavy and bulky, so I'm in the process of sewing an ultralight 1-person tent which utilizes hiking poles (the fiberglass tent poles of my current tent weight a TON...) I also have quite a bit of bike maintenance experience, as well as extra tubes, patches, tools and portable gear. (For a little extra weight, I have a battery pack that doubles as an air-compressor!)

As for getting out and training, I'm really hoping to find some local riding buddies. As I mentioned, I'm a tiny lady and I just don't feel secure going out on a long journey like that alone. It's a different story with a vehicle, but a bike is just too exposed, dangerous, risky... I'm almost compelled to wait until I've got a pistol and firearms training. My insecurity is trauma left over from everything that happened while my dad was suffering from leukemia... I guess it's gonna take a while to get over that. But that's part of why I want to push myself to go bikepacking in the first place, so... I dunno.

Also PA is really damned hilly and I've lost all my teenage biking-might, so having a riding buddy would help encourage me to exercise, heh...

[Bobonli]

If you think riding your bike is "too exposed, dangerous, risky" that you are contemplating bringing a firearm, then please stay home. I've been hiking and biking a long-ass time (almost all of it solo) and never felt the need to bring a gun. In my humble opinion (and I am not anti 2A) this is not the place for a firearm, riding buddies or not.

You've mentioned your loss and anxiety a couple of times. I hope you have someone professional to talk to.

[offroute]

offroute -
Thanks very much for the encouragement! Getting out has been really difficult for me; I've been stuck in a rather moderate anxiety loop where I've just been, essentially, too scared to go outside alone. Do you know of any popular and active resources where I can get in touch with local groups or individuals who are planning a trip? I know there's a section on this forum and there's MAYBE (?) a group on Facebook? Strangely enough, it's kinda' hard finding anyone close to where I live, in Northwestern PA.

I'm pretty hopeless for info about groups, as I prefer solo if my wife isn't available. I understand your reluctance to throw yourself out on a trip, but I agree with Bobonli that a sidearm is not a solution. I'd suggest working through your temporary reservations and not forcing a new endeavor to be the route to wellness. Just ride your bike and keep it fun.

[freespirit]

Hi, VickoRano
Sad, that I've found this thread only now. You got a decent bike, Schwinn is a perfect brand, got a gravel hybrid bike from them(review).
There are a lot of info here and on Youtube
How are you? What about your upgrades and experience?   
All the best!

[VickoRano]

Hi, VickoRano
Sad, that I've found this thread only now. You got a decent bike, Schwinn is a perfect brand, got a gravel hybrid bike from them(review).
There are a lot of info here and on Youtube
How are you? What about your upgrades and experience?  
All the best!

Thanks so much!! I've always loved this bike... my dad picked it out for me, he knew my tastes. I always thought the black & silver looked really slick... in any case, it hasn't failed me yet, the frame is strong, no rust or defects. I think I might need to service the shocks because I failed to do so initially. But it's a pretty trusted manufacturer & a classic design, so I'll be elated to do whatever I can to make this bike work.

Do you have any specific resources in mind that might help worth a heavier framed bike? I finally realized there's a weight balancing issue that's been making it difficult to ride properly.

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[VickoRano]

If you think riding your bike is "too exposed, dangerous, risky" that you are contemplating bringing a firearm, then please stay home. I've been hiking and biking a long-ass time (almost all of it solo) and never felt the need to bring a gun. In my humble opinion (and I am not anti 2A) this is not the place for a firearm, riding buddies or not.

You've mentioned your loss and anxiety a couple of times. I hope you have someone professional to talk to.

You're totally correct on this. I've been indeed working with a therapist on my issues & a lot of it is trauma induced self isolation & insecurity. The current state of the world doesn't really help, either. You hear all these kidnappings & people going missing while out hiking... it just adds to the list of reasons never to go outside. Even if it's unhealthy. Even if it's just self sabotage. I see more clearly now & understand my misgivings on a deeper, more objective level.

I personally have never experienced any imminent danger while out hiking, (except when, two days of creekwalking in row, a random large dead branch crashed 50ft to the ground just where I had been walking...I swear the forest wanted to kill me and all I was doing was photographing frogs...)

I've only ever had positive experiences camping & usually camaraderie with fellow campers (usually moms & dads teaching me new things while their kids acted forever embarrassed...)

And I know enough about primitive camping to be very confident & comfortable in relative wilderness without much but the essentials. I have a decent GPS (albeit a bit outdated, the Garmin GPSmap 62stc) that works well in almost any environment, so even with amateur map reading skills I can't get lost...

So really, the simple solution has been to worry less about all the negative what-ifs & not to allow myself to convince myself not to go outside. Because that's what's been happening. Having my gear all packed & ready to go streamlines the process because I don't have as much time to stop & think before I go, if everything's already prepared.

I suppose I'm just here looking for reassurance that the worst case scenarios aren't as bad in reality & practice, as they are in my true-crime-addled brain. I really just want to hear everyone's objective experiences & to know that the precautions I need to take are moreso to do with bike maintenance or weather, than murderers & thieves. 😂

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