I knew it!!! When I got to Argentina there were 2 things I was really looking forward to: seeing Patagonia and eating delicious, healthy grass-fed beef. Imagine my disappointment when, 2 months later, I’m finding that the steaks here don’t taste any better than the grain-fed fatty crap in the States. That’s because most of the cows here are also grain fed!
Actually the steak in the US is usually better because they know it is crap and they put all kinds of spices/sauce on it to hide the taste. Here they just fry it up and serve it.
This town is pretty cool. They have a street called Paseo Alfredo Caspani which is like Lombard Street in San Francisco (extremely steep). It certainly seems as steep but I don’t think it’s as long. I rode up one street that may have been a record for me. A couple people even came out of their stores to watch. Glad I didn’t fall.
There also might be Nazi’s hiding out. In 1995 Bariloche made headlines when it became known as a haven for Nazi war criminals like the former high ranking official of the SS ‘Hauptsturmführer’ Erich Priebke who had been living here for years. Priebke had been the director of the German School of Bariloche. An Argentine author even claimed that Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun lived in the area after escaping from Berlin in WWII. That one might be a little far-fetched though.
I have a new tire already. It’s another kevlar folding tire from Maxxis, a company that I never heard of before this trip. It’s 2″ wide which should make the ash/sand/dirt sections a bit easier. The bike shop guy said it was hard to get good tires into the country because of customs. They can get Nazi war criminals in but they can’t get Schwalbe touring tires in? That seems messed up.
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Had a set of Maxxis “Detonator” tires on a used bike I bought in the spring…..Good name! Blew up without any warning right after I bobmed down a hill at nearly 40mph. Came to a stop and Boom! one inch long split right in the middle of the tread.
In thier defense it was a tire of an unknow age and a 700×23 at 120psi so probably wont reflect at all on what you have.
Still enjoying the blog.
Thought about making a offer on the Hennesee I think you left at your dads (I live in Atlanta). May still after I recover from my wifes Xmas shopping.
Safe travels.
Eric
Hey. This guy (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/716359-Speed-wobble-with-treaded-tires?highlight=maxxis+ranchero) had the same tire so I checked his blog to see if it blew up. They didn’t but I think I have more stuff than him. We’ll see. I miss my hammock. It would have been a riot if I still had it while riding through the desert.
Couple buddies of mine spend a couple weeks a year hiking the Appalachian trail and swear by the Hennesee. Did everythign he could to talk me out of gettign the halfdome I have and going with the Hennesse. They are very much minimilist in they way they go and swear by it.
I have mixed feeling about it due to not being able to pull the panniers off and have them handy and out of the weather but I do like the idea of being up off the ground.
Whats your nick on Bike Forums? I go by Grim mostly hang out in the Commuter and classic forum.
The Hennessy is probably perfect for the AT. If I was doing that hike (and I thought about it) I’d bring it for sure. You are dead on about the panniers though. For a bike tour I don’t think it’s a practical solution. Having your stuff next to you at night is the way to go just from a security standpoint and if there are no trees/poles to rig up the hammock you are stuck (OK you can use hiking poles and use it as a tent but that’s just uncomfortable). Hennessy does have a huge fly you can get which does a great job of providing a sheltered area for cooking/dry storage. I’m scottfl on bf.
Stop your bitching!!!!
How long have you known me?