Keith's Bike Travels: 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!