So I just picked up a SuperMid and am planning on using on a bike tour. Being that I won't have trekking poles, what are my other options for the center pole? It's quite surprising that a google search yields no quick answers(hint, hint for you cottage people). Thanks.

How about a telescoping aluminum paint roller pole?

Fibraplex carbon fiber pole.

--B.G.--

Ruta Locura

it comes in two sizes and the price is right.

You can use a carbon fiber fishing pole. These are the panfish poles about 10' in length. They can slip when assembled, so a small pin needs to be drilled in to hold them. The first lenght is also usefull as a hiking staff. Note, thay CAN be cut, the narrow section slips into the wide section and pulls together. About 3 1/2oz for a pole up to 5' long can be made up in 4-5 sections. Cost is about $5.99 plus your fiddle time, of course. Check Shakespear or the like for quantities of 8...(also good for tunnel tents.)

The lightest option is two down branches lashed together as a bipod, supporting the mid externally from the center of the poles. Be careful none of the branches have sharps sticking out which will puncture the fabric while pitching.

Great suggestions so far, thanks!

I think I'm in favor of a production pole made from CF or Aluminum. I know that may make me not SUL, but I can carry an extra 3-10 ounces especially when the weight will be split among atleast 2 people. Any other suggestions before I hurry and buy one?

At one point Seek Outside was selling CF tent poles but i don't see them on the website anymore. You may want to give them a call.
http://seekoutside.mybigcommerce.com/

Other than that I would second Ruta Locua. You'll need the beefier 0.600 pole.

You could just use a trekking pole anyway. That way you don't have to buy anything

I have a GoLite SL5 which is pretty similar to the supermid in size. I wanted to save some weight with the pole and looked at the Seek Outside and Ruta Lorca options and stuck with GoLite.

I don't see the seek outside pole anymore, but I think it was quite expensive for not a while lot of weight savings. I think the Ruta Lorca pole would need the extender for your supermid (66" is too short for the SL5). With the extender you are looking at saving 7.125 oz for about $90. That is a substantial weight savings, particularly when you add in the weight savings from your wallet.

The GoLite pole is right now 17.50 on sale.

"You could just use a trekking pole anyway. That way you don't have to buy anything"

Paul, did you read his initial post?

--B.G.--

has a 1.5 oz. 48" carbon pole for, I think, $22. I'd go that route, maybe add a pole jack if need be. Always wanted to try a bike trip, never have gotten more than one county or parish out of town though.

you likely aren't bothering... but on the last bike tour I did (more years ago than I will admit) I brought a tripod because this was in the day that if you wanted decent color slides, you were shooting ASA 50, or at most 100. The tripod extended made an excellent center pole weighting in at around 2.5lb.

--Mark

Bob, yes I did. It's a bike tour. May still have trekking poles at home, in which case, use them.

I'm just going to use my trekking poles for a bike tour next weekend for my Duomid. I'm pulling a cheap heavy trailer for the two of us going. The difference in weight of a pole is so negligible at this point. 45 lb recumbent tricycle, 16 pound trailer, + gear for 2 and at least one 20% grade. Every UL fiber in my being is going to be cursing me for this one...

On my bike tour this summer, I just used a .625 aluminum pole from BPWD, and it worked great. I don't use trekking poles when hiking those either, so that's what I use on the trail too. You might just want to consider bringing the trekking pole, as it probably doesn't weigh much more than the aluminum tent poles.