Originally Posted by
Pavel
Consider me confused. Looking at the link, it states "expert gravel ride, very good fitness required" and then in contrast to that "suitable for all skill levels". Huh?
A full suspension bike is a pita in those places where it isn't expressly required, but when you need it, it's really needed, such as Ripio which I consider to be the worst. Contrary to what your experience has been, I've found that my hammock gear takes up volume quite a bit more that a tent setup and water is also tricky to carry on a bike like that, though you aren't really going anywhere off the path far enough to worry about that.
My difficulty with hammocks on a trip like yours is that it would be nice, though not essential, that every member of the group should have a hammock. that would go double with the bike and so it could exclude a great number of potential riders. Lastly ... 12 to 14 mph on mostly gravel for 148 miles overnight with moderate elevation changes? A hundred miles for a tree day is more like the ACA rides tempo for similar conditions. I remember riding a few days near the land between the lakes with a guy who scouted for ACA and he rode variations of the route over and over before it went to approval.
Good luck, hope I didn't sound too negative and let us know how it goes for you. I got into hammocking partly because of the benefits it can bring to cyclists but on a long tour I always make sure I can also go to ground - always.
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