For this years touring I've made some notable revisions to my touring spec, making this the 4th generation of refinements and experimentation.
The bike:
Specialized Hardrock XC Rigid (2007). Unfortunately these are no longer made, but at the time it was the fully rigid option in the Specialized Hard Rock mountain bike range. These days they all come with new fangled suspension and disk brakes, with which I want no truck. This is, unquestionably my favorite of all the bikes I've owned (although the electronic sound effects box on the Raliegh Wolf Cub, was awesome) which is impressive given that it is also easily the cheapest of my three current bikes.Since I've had the bike I've gone through three sets of wheels, at least two drive trains, more tyres than I care to think about and completely replaced all the shifters and levers... so whether its the same bike I bought back in 2007 is open to some amount of debate, but the frame, fork, saddle
Notable additions:
- Extrawheel Trailer, following last years cracked rim problem I've opted for an "extra wheel" style trailer, which provides better weight distribution and doubles as a spare wheel.
- Classic "bottle" style dynamo, to charge the not so classic HTC desire (society calls it a phone, I call it a PDA). I've also adapted the Smart off-road head lamps to run off the dynamo if needed.
- Aero bars - essentially I got sick of not being able to lean forward into a proper aerodynamic position whilst touring.
- Third bottle cage - because you always need more water than you think when touring.
- Handlebar mount for my HTC Desire
Back:
Returning for this trip is the kick stand, which wasn't so much excluded from the last touring spec, as ripped off during a mountain biking incident and not replaced.The 2-way-radio, and handlebar mounted PTT system.
hitched:
The bar bag; finally got tired of negative effects on steering and limited riding positions (I like to lean forward over the bars)The full spec:
Frame etc:
- Frame & Fork - Specialized Hardrock XC Rigid (2007).
- Kick stand: (don't underestimate the effort required to pick-up and put down a 60Kg touring bike)
- Handle bars: Specialized Hardrock XC upswepped handle bar, with Specialized side bars and Profile Design Legacy aerobars added.
- Stem: Standard specialized stem, with "t bar" added to hold my GPS, cycle computer and the mandatory bell.Saddle: Specialized sadle.
Drive:
- Wheels - Mack Adams 26inc, rim brake compatible wheels built around Shimano Deore hubs.
- Tyres - Panaracer Mach SS. Technically an off-road Semi-Slick tyre, this has been my tyre of choice for predominantly road based tours for some time. The tread has a very low profile, except in the shoulders so it gives a very quiet ride and low rolling resistance, but on muddy or loose ground it's shoulder tread digs in for extra traction. It's major draw-back is it's soft compound which has the consequence of a shorter service life, but is also a major contributor to its p0erformance.
- Gears: Front: Standard triple chain ring from the Hardrock, with Deore derailleurs and shifter. Rear: Shimano Deore derailleur and shifter, with an 8 speed 25-11 road cassette (I go for a road cassette, with the mountain bike chain ring because it helps deal with the problem of "spinning out" on flatter routes, but doesn't sacrifice ground clearance)
- Brakes: Tektro V-Brakes, with Shimano Deore levers and Giant brake pads. I prefer v-brakes for touring, still more powerful than most brakes you find on a 700c wheeled bike, but doesn't come with the problems of rotors, which seriously constrain your options for pannier frames etc.
Touring specific stuff:
- Pannier Frames: Rear: Topeak , Front: Blackburn low-rider (http://www.wiggle.co.uk/blackburn-low-rider-standard-front-rack/). Many touring cyclists will opt for either front panniers or a trailer, but I've gone for both. The main reason is when climbing steep gradients front panniers can be quite helpful in keeping the bike planted (rear loaded bikes tend to want to pull wheelies, and makes it more difficult to maintain balance and a strait, efficient line). I've seen friends with rear panniers only struggle up climbs as the had to "tack" back and forth across the road to keep their balance.
- Bags: Front dhb, Rear: Altura Dry-line, Trailer: Extrawheel Expert Panniers
- Trailer: Extrawheel, 26" wheeled trailer
Misc:
- Rear ligts: 2 cateye ***** and 1 cateye ***** (I have them mounted on the seat post and two more on the back of the pannier frame using cateye belt clips, encouraged to stay in place with some bolts and washer)
- Front: I have a very old set of Smart 10w x 2.4W halogen head lamps, which I've spliced into the dynamo for power; the voltage output from a dynamo was the correct level for the lights, so it was just a case of rigging the connections) rather than lug around a hefty lead-acid battery.
- I also use a helmet mounted Exposure Joystick light; an incredible light which, if used sparingly, will provide strobing light and occasional illumination for the duration of a tour on a single charge.
- T-bar. Many countries across Europe have legislation that makes bells mandatory, with the need to mount a cycle computer, GPS (i.e. stuff that you actually need) in addition to the legally required bits this gismo gives a fighting chance of finding enough space for it all. It also allows the camera on my HTC desire to point forward when rotated into "landscape" mode, handy for capturing video.
"Revision History":
MK1 (Lon Las Cymru, 2007), The basic hard rock, with the same side bars, headlights and pannier frames as I have now, but a completely different set of pannier bags. PTT radios.PTT radios; fun, but of little practical value in exchange for perpetual getting tangled in the wires.
The attachment system for the rear panniers was a serious flaw, they didn't break on this trip, but the plastic brackets snapped and had to be replaced on various day trips; had it happened on a long tour it could have been seriously problematic
MK2 (Dartmoore, 2009), Switched to waterproof front panniers and changed to the Altura Dry-line rear panniers for their superior attaching system. Added the bar bag and t-bar. Removed the PTT radios
MK3 (Le Tour de France 2010), Attached Solar gorilla solar panels onto the rear rack. Added bell, because its mandatory in France.
The heavy load and rough nature of some of the route on this tour caused breakage of the front wheel and one of the bolts holding on the rear pannier frame sheared. Whilst the panniers fitted my load (just) it was a puzzle getting everything to fit, which meant a lot of time wasted squashing and fitting everything into its precise place. I also found not being able to lean forward into an "aero" position, due to the bar bag frustrating on the long flat sections.
MK4 (Le Tour de France 2011).
Dropped the bar bag, and added aero bars (in the hope that I could more comfortable lean forward). Added the extrawheel trailer to deal with the space and loading issues.
