As I've done a bit of cycle touring around Victoria and New Zealand before, commute almost everywhere daily and love a rec ride on weekends, I've got a lot of gear already. But I've still been busy bargain hunting, trolling E-Bay and generally wasting time to get what I haven't got and upgrade whatever needs it. Here's a look at some of the equipment I'll be taking...
Like Ada I'm planning on cycling (pardon the pun) through about 3/4 outfits. As there'll be periods on the trip where we'll be camping night after night, clean (or at least cleanish) sets of clothes for on and off the bike will be pretty important. We want to keep some dignity and hygiene standards. I suppose you can get used to anything...
You'd be surprised how much is needed for all the different conditions, the heat, the cold, the wind, the rain, all have to be accounted for in a variety of differing cycling tops, shorts, leg/arm warmers, booties, vests, rain jackets, beanies, gloves and sunnies! In a nutshell: we're taking a bucketload of gear for whatever the elements throw at us.
The panniers I use to commute at the moment are Deuter's Rack Pack model, but the seams are starting to split and I'm not going to rely on them holding up over 6,000 km's. So I've got myself new front and rear Ortlieb Classics. They're tough, waterproof and pretty much perfectly designed to clip on and off the rack with ease and sturdiness. Have a geeza...
The shoes I'm taking are my Most mountain biking pair. Unlike road bike shoes they're easy to walk around with off the bike, they're designed more like footy boots with studs rather than the stiff and flat design of road shoes. For those of you unfamiliar, the shoes have cleats which clip into your pedals, making pedalling much more efficient. It's amazing how cold my tootsies seem to get on the bike, so as usual I'll be wearing an insulating pair of booties most of the time, with a backup waterproof pair for when it's bucketing down. Check em' out...
Like Ada I've splurged a bit on sleeping gear. Comfort and warmth will be paramount in the desert environs, especially with sore and tired bodies. I've bought a Neo-Air Thermarest (the warmest, thickest and lightest inflatable mattress of the market) and a Sea to Summit Trek 3 sleeping bag (down filled, comfort to -8 degrees). Both are light and compressible, two qualities worth their weight in gold when hill climbing. Have a squiz...
So that's the long and short and boring of it. Of course we'll be squeezing more than this into our bags, so a complete equipment checklist will be up before we depart. Unfortunately the only thing it seems we won't be taking is my (other) pride and joy, my Look 555 carbon roadie. It'll be staying at home in the garage with strict instructions not to be ridden. Just to show it off...
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