Biking from San Diego to Maui?

If you don't even know what a V-brake is, you might want to reconsider taking this trip--honestly, just stay off the road if you aren't prepared.

Jamie Cox29 said:V-brakes?
What on earth is wrong with my bike??
(

Honestly, nothing is wrong with it. It’s got more suspension than you know what to do with, which makes it perfectly fine for cruising around the neighborhood or taking the dog for a run through the park. Or are you joking? If you actually intend to tackle the route you're planning, you need a serious mountain bike with high-end components. For now, just strap that grasshopper onto a rear car rack; once you arrive at your destination, you can ride it locally.🤣

Back in the day, I used to drink cheap-ass rotgut from some local dive bar for like 15 bucks, so anything goes, I guess. But seriously, man, if you actually want to DRIVE instead of just suffering, grab something decent that costs at least $833. We pulled it off back then, but looking back, we were straight-up insane. God knows where we got the nerve.🙂
And yeah, I was dragging a trailer behind me too 🙂. Total madness.

You should definitely grab a decent bike 😉

I’m still not quite sure what a V-brake actually is...

😂
Man, those brakes are shot—absolutely toast

🙂

I don't find it funny when people are genuinely clueless. It’s a bit much when I’m getting grilled just because someone here might not know what a trochanter is or what poikilothermy means!!

It’s not even about you not knowing—that’s fine—it’s just kind of funny that you’ve been asking what it is for three days straight without even bothering to check Google.

because I’m feeling a bit lazy today😉

So you’ve either got rim brakes or discs.
The consensus here is to go with V because if you're buying a budget bike—anything under $600 or so—those cheap discs are basically useless.
Probably right, though, right🙂?

ruggedorca23 said:so you're looking at either rim brakes or disc brakes.
The consensus seems to be going with V because if you're picking up a budget bike—say, anything under $600 or even a bit more—those cheap disc brakes are honestly pretty useless.
Am I totally off base here?🙂?

Not quite, though I see where you're coming from. Usually, the real headache is trying to mount a rear rack on a bike equipped with disc brakes. Plus, since you'll likely be cruising at lower speeds on the road, even those entry-level discs will get the job done fine enough, so braking power isn't really the issue. A disc-equipped bike also tends to be heavier, and they can be a bit of a pain to maintain; every time you have to pull the wheel off to patch a flat, you're stuck readjusting the brake alignment all over again. On top of that, I don't think there are many affordable 28-inch trekking bikes out there with disc brakes—it's mostly just the 26-inch models.

What’s your take on the Avalanche 1?

Jamie Cox29 said:What’s your take on the Avalanche 1?

Look, that's an XC mountain bike equipped with disc brakes, specifically built for hitting the trails and forest paths rather than cruising down asphalt. If your main goal is just riding mostly on the road, buying that bike doesn't really make much sense—you'll likely end up spending more money in the long run and honestly, you're just going to have a harder time making the ride comfortable.

So, what kind of budget are we looking at for the bike itself, and what's the total amount you're planning to drop overall?

I live out in the woods. It’s a tiny little town where all the surrounding roads are basically just gravel and dirt tracks. Because of that, there’s really no point in buying a dedicated road bike. I can manage on what I have since my current setup is built for forest trails, and I'm used to the terrain. This one has rear suspension, which makes it a bit more of a handful to handle sometimes, but I’ve taken it everywhere, so it shouldn't be an issue.

This Avalanche doesn't have disc brakes because I prefer to steer clear of them; standard rim brakes work just fine for me. It cost $1333, and the components will eventually need
.

Jamie Cox29 said:I live out in the woods. It's one of those tiny little towns where all the surrounding roads are just gravel and dirt. Honestly, there’s no point in buying a dedicated road bike here. I can manage on the paths I have because my current setup is basically a forest trail bike, and I'm used to the grit. This one actually has rear suspension, which makes it a bit more of a chore to pedal on flat ground, but I've taken it everywhere, so I'll make it work.

This Avalanche doesn't have disc brakes because I tend to steer clear of them; standard rim brakes work just fine for me. It's priced at $1333 and you know how it goes—the gear eventually needs
.

If you do decide to pull the trigger, just make sure it has mounting points for a rear rack. You're looking for two screw holes near the seat post, something like this:

Got an extension with a washer for about a 1/4 inch bolt too...

Thanks so much. It’s absolutely beautiful—I can’t wait, especially once the weather starts warming up.😁

Sorry to crash the party here, but I was wondering what you all think of my bike—do you think it’s actually up for some serious riding, or is it just for show? 622 miles Travel, or rather, some kind of moderate journey?

electricotter9 said:Sorry to crash this thread out of nowhere, but I was wondering what you guys think about my bike setup? Do you reckon it’s actually decent enough for some serious riding, or am I just kidding myself? 622 miles Are we talking about full-blown, whirlwind vacations, or more of a laid-back, moderate way to travel?

Man, you’re going to have just as much of a headache dealing with those panniers as I did. I had a bike with a pretty similar frame setup—an Escape 2008—and even then, getting everything dialed in was a bit of a chore, though I eventually managed to get through it without too much drama. 808 miles Between planning the summer vacation and all the little things you have to prep beforehand, I’m looking at a total of... 2797 miles A year. It’s not exactly an eternity, but then again, it’s certainly not nothing either.

So, how did you end up installing those roof racks?