Good places for info on UL *road* bike touring?

[JeffOYB]

I'm having a bit of a time finding info on UL *road* bike touring.

I'm also thinking of touring as racing. Self-supported long distance road-bike racing. Like Chris K's proposed Trans Am. Or, if not a race, a fast crossing attempt, a record attempt (14 days since 1958).

The Backpackinglight forums people have an unused bike touring thread that suggests coming here.

The Bikeforums has a touring section but no ultra section.

?

I'd think that UL credit-card type touring with roadbikes on pavement and dirt would be way popular these days. ?

[Slowerthensnot]

go do it.... plenty of info that would cross over..... but bike and credit card isn't alot of gear.... not much to discuss there   the parks route from adventure cycling would be my first choice for a route like that!

[bmike-vt]

Poke around the web, you'll find info on people doing long trips ultralight - tent, tarp, stove, type stuff.
That's what I'm working on along with some future bikepacking. Lots of dirt and gravel and quiet roads nearby...

Here's a link to an overnight shakedown cruise with some new gear.



Add a Jandd frame pack to the bike, a 3rd bottle for cook kit, and a Wingnut Hyper 3 to my back for frequently used items and I can get all kit, minimal food / water / etc. on it for a fast tour. (fast for me, slow for the ultra racers)

I'll dig through my links - I know I have some stuff bookmarked on people trying to get away from 4 panniers and the heavy touring setups... I'd love to go west (when the toddler gets older) and do a parks trip like this.

[JeffOYB]

PS: I see that the Bikeforums folks do include "Ultracycling" in a section. Now, they frame it in terms of events, but I see they've been trying to deal with distinguishing "long fast rides" from "touring." To me it's not always cut'n'dry. UL road touring might find a home in the cracks and seams there.

It might be worth noting that only 5-10% of TD is on trail. So that route is pretty much a road route -- albeit on dirt/gravel.

I wonder if a neat, low-traffic backroads, dirt, gravel route could be strung across the continent E/W. ? Maybe one already is...

Personally, I'm into the armchair action at present (kids, no $) and promoting the concept more widely among the doers. My own doing ends up close to home, which is fine. So I end up having a slight feel for things, but not as much as someone who's really into it.

[bmike-vt]

Two links:
http://wheelsofchance.org/2010/02/02/ultralight-setup/



http://ultralightcycling.blogspot.com/

[bmike-vt]

Pete Heal, around Australia. 300k days for 48 days:

http://www.sydneycyclist.com/profiles/blogs/poits-triumph?xg_source=activity

on a bent.

[Groundshine]

It might be worth noting that only 5-10% of TD is on trail. So that route is pretty much a road route -- albeit on dirt/gravel.


I wonder if a neat, low-traffic backroads, dirt, gravel route could be strung across the continent E/W. ? Maybe one already is...


[/quote]

I considered doing the TD on my cross bike...  then thought I might switch to cross tires at some point in the race.   It never happened.  The route may be 75% on "roads" but these are rocky, bumpy, sandy, muddy, thorny, slippery roads. In many places I had to slow down to prevent ripping a tire or rolling off the road on the loose surface.  For a while I was calculating how much of the route could be done in a car vs a Ford F250 vs a 4-wheeler...  but I lost count....  I wouldn't do it without a mtn bike.

For a low traffic E-W route check out the Trans Canada Trail
http://www.tctrail.ca/tlocator/tlocator_en.html   

see photos from my trip Vermont to PEI here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/parisbrestparis/TCT2009?authkey=Gv1sRgCO65rO7ir7DIVg#