Trip preperations: The Bike

The bike I choose for the trip is a Surly Long Haul Trucker (LHT). The choice was based on many product reviews and recommendations, as well as my own test rides. The geometry of the frame is important in how a bike rides, and this bike is designed specifically for loaded touring with longer chain stays and a lower bottom bracket for increased stability. The steel frame is heavy by modern standards, but is still a good choice as it is plenty strong and durable, yet also flexible. Steel is more also more easily repaired on the road then aluminum or carbon fiber.

The bike is designed to be robust and durable, without many of modern or high end components.  Components such as the bar end shifters are also not the newest, but are chosen to be easily serviceable on the road. Perhaps the only modern component is the dual disk brakes which increase stopping power, especially when wheel rims are wet or dirty. I thought this was a worthwhile upgrade as I'll be riding with extra weight in mountainous areas.  

Other upgrades on the bike are front and back luggage racks. I chose the manufacture's "nice racks" to reduce the chances or clearance or other compatibility issues. These too are heavy steel tube construction and are durable to hang panniers or otherwise attach things. I added fenders to keep water and dirt down. I installed the "long board" fenders at the widest width the frame would allow. This gives me the opportunity to use wider, mountain bike style tires to reach more remote places. I also upgraded the saddle to a Brooks B17 leather touring saddle. Again, not high tech, but the most comfortable and durable in the long run. I've just about finished breaking mine in.

I've also added (or plan to add) dual SPD/flat petals for distance and casual about town riding. I also have two "Light in Motion" front and rear lights, both are USB rechargeable. I'll have three water bottle cages, one metal, two plastic. The plastic cages do better for the metal thermos and fuel bottle to reduce rattling and scratching. I also have a simple bike computer, and am working on mounting a GPS device. A detachable map holder can hold any document, including queue sheets. I thought about bringing a heart rate monitor, but let's not overdo it, right?

I had had a number of trips on my original LHT, but an unfortunate accident in October 2012 destroyed my front wheel, and actually bent the frame out of alignment. Taking this as an opportunity to learn more about my bike, I purchased the replacement parts, and got to the task transferring the usable components to a new frame. This turned my apartment into a bike shop for a good long while, with bike parts and empty Amazon boxes all around. In the processes I broke at least one tool, got a few grease stains on the carpet, but, importantly, I am confident things are going together well. I rust proofed the inside of the frame, and have thread-locked things in place to reduce the chances of things coming loose. I don't think most bike shops would take this sort of care. I am also learning about what tools I should bring for roadside repairs, such as cassette removers and crank pullers etc., and now have firsthand experience using them on my own bike. All in all I think this makes a good winter project, but I'm glad I'm not missing riding time for this.

I am also taking a crack at wheel building. After not being able to find a replacement wheel like the original (or to match the reused rear wheel) I bought the individual components online and got to it.  Breaking spokes is somewhat common problem in touring. In fact, my first attempt at bike touring  around lake Champlain ended with a broken spoke 10 miles into the ride. Now I'll be more ready for such situations with the tools and know how. The LHT comes with spare spoke holders built into the frame!

The new LHT build up in my living room. Reflective tape on the rear tire.

Taking a crack at spoke lacing.

 

 I'll post again when the bike is completed, as well as discuss equipment choices.

Trip preperations: Travel Knowlege

Since finishing school in December, I've spent much of the past month preparing for my trip. The first order of business was figuring out when, where, and how much time and money to spend. My work anniversary lands near my rent renewal date: May 2014. Leaving any earlier would require me to break lease, and leaving after my anniversary allows me to pick up (and cash in) a couple of extra weeks of vacation time. I'd also like to leave in the spring to have the most of the summer months when traveling.

I have spent considerable time researching travel arrangements. These include passport and visa requirements, Department of State travel advisories, vaccination requirements, and a wide range of other issues. One huge thorn in my side is the Schengen agreement, which restricts travel to Europe to 90 days in any 180 day period. This was a huge blow to my plans, as I was planning on spending most of my time in Europe, 6-9 months perhaps. There is the choice to deliberately overstay, and people do, but often face fines and other penalties. I noticed that the maximum fine of $1,500 was less then it would cost to legally return to Europe in airfare alone. Still I'm too much of a goodie two shoes for that. The only solution is to actually follow the rules, and make your way out of Europe, then come back in. I'm still somewhat irritate that these rules will have such an impact on my travel plans. I guess part of the agreement was forcing out paying tourists. I will spend much more time in countries with less strict rules, and other countries I may not have a chance to visit at all due to these time limitations.

Fortunately England and Ireland are not part of the Schengen agreement, so I plan to spend time there. Morocco Turkey, and other eastern European countries are not in the agreement, and I'll have to go there for some time before returning back into Europe.

The other important consideration is weather. Iceland and Switzerland are on the “must do” list, but both must be done in the summer months. Iceland is on the Arctic circle, and Switzerland's elevation gain makes it much colder then the surrounding countries. On the other hand, summer in Spain or Morocco (think western Sahara) is not manageable in the summer months. As such, these are my winter countries, along with Italy, and Greece, and perhaps Turkey (not a Schengen member). These ares are cool and rainy in the winter, but tourist crowds and prices come down a bit. Egypt was dropped from the list after a recent bombing.

Actual trip preparations have taken many forms. The most daunting has been actual trip preparation. Finding good quality, high resolution maps was a bit of a challenge, and many had to be ordered online. Large scale maps usually only show only highways and major cities, so I had to order multiple maps that show every side road and in a high level detail. The Ireland/England book is over 100 pages alone, but has mountain ranges, campgrounds, and other important features well defined. I figured having good maps was paramount in spending so much time on the road.

Still, most of these maps are designed for motorists, and contain extra information, or lack information for my needs. I've spent considerable time cross referencing other maps, such as bike trails, elevation maps, and other sources marking up the maps. I've been going through guidebooks and matching destinations, adding notes, and generally going through my options in a high level of detail. Clearly not everything is planned out, but I've charted some of the key things I want to see or avoid. Iceland and England are done, Ireland is in the works. Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, are queued up. Scotland and Wales need more attention also.

There has also been a lot of research into ferries, trains, and other forms of transit across borders, as well as practical things like trying to learn a bit of different languages. As you can see, I'm way overwhelmed with this work, and I feel like I won't get done with what I want in time.