Hello All,
I had the urge to take pics of all my gear tonight while waiting for Lani to come over before our "long ride" which turned out to be a leisurely jaunt around
Lake of the Isles near my house. Lani came over trailer-less and lookin' real cute (i.e. not in the dorky cycling ensemble we usually sport on our lengthier hauls), so after an exhausting trip down the block to Chipotle and jamming our faces full of burrito we opted to just burn some cals and jam on some TUNAGE thanks to my iHome2Go, what's that you ask? Well...let's kick this gear list off then, shall we?
First...the bike. Trek 7600 Multi Track
Next comes the extras:
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| Six Six One bike shoes |
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| With SPD clipless cleats...baller. They are commuter shoes so you can walk in them and not slip around. It's bad enough I'm wearing the shorts...I refuse to be THAT guy. The one in the shorts with a crazy neon reflective vest clickin' around the grocery store or what have you. |
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| Lezyne Camelbak style hydration system. The original bladder for this was like a Ziplock so we replaced it with a 100oz Camelbak screw top bladder, not leaks...so nice with the bite valve. |
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| On Guard brand U-lock |
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| Colman one person bivy tent in it's carrying bag |
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| The tent assembled..don't let looks deceive you, 2 people are not meant to inhabit this tent at the same time. There is a rainfly for this, but I didn't put it on. Trust that it is waterproof |
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| Therm-a-rest self inflating sleeping pad, not exactly plush, but enough to keep the ground from sucking out the body heat and minimize jagged things digging into me |
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| Moisture Wicking Camp towel that will probably double as a pillow, blanket, sleeping bag liner, just sayin' |
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| Pack-a-seat camp stool, collapses down to a very small package |
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| Brown and Green waterproof tarp, used for covering the bikes at night or during a storm or to have a nice picnic on...multi use. |
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| 8 Liter Collapsing Water Jug, gotta stay hydrated |
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| Classic Coleman 1 burner camp stove |
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| 20 feet of nylon rope with caribeaners at each end, used for caching the food in a tree so bears/creatures don't get at it or to tie up would-be criminals |
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| Lezyne Alien II multi tool, cuz I know I'm gonna be breakin' some shit |
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| Inadequate Schwinn tire pump that will get replaced right quick |
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| Energizer Headlamp, real dorky, but so functional |
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| 35 liter Sea to Summit dry bag for storing clothes and caching food. Keepin' stuff dry |
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| Bell Faction Helmet with stickers to add flare, not pictured is the tiny helmet mounted mirror, so geeky, but also helpful |
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| Water bottle mount holder for iHome2Go |
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iHome2Go handle mounted remote control
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| iHome2Go Waterbottle Mount Speaker System |
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| Cat Eye Velo 5 Bike Computer, pretty essential, plus it tells you your MPH and I got up to 30 once. FREAKY! |
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| Planet Bike Front LED light |
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| Blackburn Rear LED light |
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| Bontrager Ergo Grips |
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| Flimsy ass side mirror I got for like 2 dollars online...does the job tho. |
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| Cannondale Brand waterproof panniers. |
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| Cannondale brand cycling gloves |
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Continental brand 700x28c touring tires
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| Matrix 700c rims |
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And this is roughly what she'll look like all loaded up. PRETTY intense.
As far as the bike components are concern they are all what come standard on a Trek 7600, shimano brakes, cranks, SPD pedals and housings, grip shift gear shifters and all that. Brent at Recovery Bike Shop did just the right amount of pimpin' and hooked me up with a new stem and riser handle bars to bring me to a bit more upright biking position. Now I'm smooth as buttah...in Brent's words. I believe the seat was also changed from the factory Trek seat to an Avocet touring saddle. The bike also came with the bar end grips with foam covers for any combination of grip options to keep things spicy.
As soon as she can Lani will be takin' pics of her gear and posting it up here. A lot of the gear is communal and will therefore be distributed amongst the 2 of us without regard for who the actual "owner/user" may be. What's mine is hers and what's her's is mine, ya dig? I can take smaller things, that may be heavier, like the stove and tools and computer, while Lani is able to trailer the larger items like the 2 gallon jug of water, sleeping bags and pads, tents, etc. We are still working out all the details of how we will be carrying things, but suffice it to say that we will make it work.
As far as clothing is concerned this is something we are still trying to wrap our heads around. We want to be as prepared as possible without going overboard. As of now I know I'm bring 2 pairs of padded cycling shorts, poly pro long john bottoms and 2 tops, under armor tank top, 2 t-shirts, 1 pair of nylon cargo shorts, 1 pair of hardy jeans, 1 American Apparel zip up hoodie, 1 beanie cap, northface mittens, 3 pairs of cycling socks, 1 pair of vans slip-ons, 1 pair of flip flops and 2 sports bras. I've taken it upon myself to stop wearing underwear because I just don't see the point on a voyage such as this, just one more layer? one more thing to wash? Ehhh...to hell with that RIGHT!? |
There will also be a few art materials, such as a sketch book, journal, drawing pencils, etc. type pouch I'm bringing for those times on the road when a creative outlet is a must.
As the trip progresses I'm sure some stuff will be added and subtracted, with the subtracted gear going to a good cause (i.e. a charity, goodwill, fellow biker) and hopefully we can procure new materials without a lot of extra cost.
Hope this was more info than you needed on my gear, but it's my home and who isn't proud of their house?
Peace, love, and waterbeds,
Maggie
