Empowering The Bicycle Traveler

Bike Hermit®

2017 Surly ECR and Krampus

With the creation of the Krampus and the ECR Surly Bikes introduced a new wheel/tire standard; 29+. In 2017 they revamped both bikes in order to take advantage of some new technologies and hub standards. Krampus In regards to handling, the Krampus has always been the more playful sibling to the ECR due to a slightly Read More

Karate Monkey 27.5 Plus

Surly Bikes as a company cultivates an image of being comprised of hooligans who, between visits to the tattoo/piercing/beard parlor, drink beer and ride bikes through campfires and sleep under bridges. While this describes the surly lot I know, they are also smart business people and engineers who happen to love bikes and bike riding Read More

Tune-Up For Touring the Southern Tier

What should the cyclo-tourist do to make sure the bike is ready for a several week long bike tour? A brace of custom Independent Fabrications touring bikes were recently brought in to the shop to be prepared for a ride from Florida to New Mexico along the ACA Southern Tier route. These bikes have been Read More

Disc Brake Pads, When to Replace Them

Disc brake pads, like rim brake pads, wear out. But unlike rim brake pads which are out in the open and easy to see, disc brake pads are hidden inside the brake caliper housing and are a part of the mysterious (to some) inner workings of disc brakes. Out of sight, out of mind. It's Read More

NOTE: The Bike Touring News store carries the Esbit Alcohol Stove and Trekking Cook Set. We don't stock the other stoves mentioned in this post. If you have been thinking about buying a stove for bike touring, and one of the mentioned stoves appeals to you, clicking on one of the links will take you Read More