Pre Trip Bike Configuration

After several trials and tests, I recently validated the final bike tour configuration. Changes based on the Breck ride validation include the downsizing of both the front and rear compression dry bags, downsizing of the cookware, new rear cassette, chain, rear derailleur, and f/r derailleur cables. The rear shock was rebuilt and tour-tweaked at PUSH, and tires were switched to the interesting looking/feeling/riding, reflector sidewalled and GDMBR recommended Schwalbe Marathon XRs.



As I leave in only a few short days, this is it. I hope two years of research and testing pays off downrange. It might be interesting to some to see how this setup evolves. See below for a captioned view of various items not 'organic' to the bike:

GDMBR Electronic Devices

“I must create a System, or be enslaved by another Man’s.”
-William Blake

GDMBR Electronic Gadgets

Power Supplies- All GDMBR gadgets are powered by AA batteries or the Brunton Solaris 6 solar panel. I went to considerable effort to standardize batteries to all AAs and added the solar panel to remote charge internal battery devices. The solar chargeable devices all have different power-in adapters, which has proved to be a challenge.

Music and Entertainment – Creative Zen 30 GB multimedia player. Somewhat heavy, but I have over 20 GB of music, comedy, and audio books uploaded to it. The Zen also has a nice radio function and is set up to charge with the solar panel. Testing has proved the Zen to run for about 2 riding days on a full charge.

Data Entry and Communication – HP IPAQ WiFi enabled PDA. Small, light, and chargeable via solar panel. Ports in SD memory cards for video, data, and photo management. All email, journal, data, and blog postings will be managed via this device and I will be plotting free wi-fi hotspot locations along the route for future riders. Charges with the solar panel.

Camera – Panasonic Lumix DMC- LS70 7.2 MP Digital. Runs on AA batteries and stores data via SD and SDHC memory cards.

Cell Phone – This real world torture device is coming along for emergencies and call-ins in the 10-15% of the route that will have cell coverage. Charges with the solar panel.

Data Storage – I have several 2GB SD memory cards and one 4GB SDHC card for interchangeable data storage and transfer. The GPS has a 2 GB micro-SD card with full SD adaptor for tracklog storage and transfer. I am also bringing along an SD card reader that can plug into a USB port, which treats the SD card as a flash memory drive in any PC. As the opportunity presents itself, I will be using this at library computers along the route to upload photos and other data items to the blog.

Navigation- Garmin 60CSx handheld GPS. It has a huge memory capacity relative to these type of devices and I have all the route area topos and the actual route (except for Canada) uploaded to it. I will use this to keep track of mileage and moving times per day as well. The GPS runs on 2 AA batteries. It is really more of a data collection device as I will primarily rely on the well designed Adventure Cycling GDMBR maps for navigation. My trust level of the GPS is limited based on army experience. I have my orienteering compass plus a compass on the bike handlebars as backups.

Main GDMBR Gear Package

Gear

Sleeping Bag – MontBell DownHugger #3 long size (“some men are longer than others.”)

Sleeping Mat – MontBell UL 120 3/4

Tent – Black Diamond First Light

Footprint –2 black trash bags

Outer layer jacket – MontBell UL Thermawrap Action Jacket

Rain Jacket – Sierra Designs Isotope

Wind Jacket (no hood) – MontBell UL Wind

Wind/Rain Pants – Golite Reed

Jersey – IBEX Wool Ventoux Lightweight Sleeveless

Base T-shirt – Patagonia UL Base layer wool silver

Arm and Leg warmers – Ibex Wool/lycra blend

Socks – Smartwool, 3 pair various blends for various days

Bike Shoes – Pearl Izumi X-Alp Low

Helmet – Giro Durango

Lightweight Sandals – Tevas

Tights – combo of Peal Izumi Microsensor and some nice, smooth Nikes

Overshorts – Patagonia UL tans.

Gloves – Specialized fingerless, Performance 2^nd layer, Mountain Hardware UL shells outer.

Beanie – Outdoor Designs Power Beanie

Sleep shorts – old ratty pair of purple Umbros from high school

Stove – Mini Triangia Denatured Alcohol stove without the pots

Pots – 1 SnoPeak Titanium pot, 1 Ti cup, 1 Ti Spork

Fuel Cannister – MSR Small

Dry Bags – Sea to Summit Event Compressor Dry Bag Large rear, Medium front.

Pack – Salomon Raid Race large (they don’t make this one any more)

Hydration Bladder – Ultimate Direction 128 oz.

Headlamp – Black Diamond older Xenon

Bike Light – CatEye HL-EL530 front, small Cateye Magnet Blinker in the rear

Bike Tools and Repair Items

Bike Tools and Repair items

I spread the tools out somewhat about the bike, most of the immediate repair items are stored in a tennis ball can mounted on the frame under the rear shock (tennis ball cans and bike water bottles have roughly the same diameter.) The 5.5 has very little clearance here and taking a water bottle in and out knocks the shock lockout lever over too much.

- Combined Ascent Mini-tool and ToPeak Alien. Went end to end on the bike and chucked any multi-tool parts not needed, just took apart the bare bones mini-tool and removed/added as necessary. Carry small combo pliers with flat and Phillips screwdriver handle tool…good chance you need the pliers and the screwdriver fittings to counter torque something else. Eliminated all unnecessary redundancy in tooling.

- Blackburn Mammoth hand pump

- Two Salsa LW tubes, tube patch kit and homemade tire boots.

- Extra PC99 chain section, three gold links, unattached chainbreaker from Topeak Alien.

- Extra cleat and cleat bolts. Various nuts and screws and a 10mm wrench for the OMM racks and Intense lag nuts.

- Presta to Schrader adaptor – nice for a service station compressor.

- Extra derailleur cable, extra set of (worn) brake pads.

- 50 ft of 550 cord for repairs and bear bag

- small roll of 100 mph tape (yes, OD green…hmm) and small roll of electrical tape, small vial of gorilla glue.

- 4 extra DT spokes stored in seat tube.

-Tire levers

- various length zip ties, two small and two medium rubber lined hose clamps in case of a broken frame or to lockout a blown shock.

The Bike's Direct Attachments

Racks – Old Man Mountain Sherpa Front and Rear

Bike Attached Accessory Bags:

- Jandd Handlepac 2,

- Profile Design LG Stem Bag backwards on seat tube stay (no it doesn’t rub my legs)

Six Salsa Sidewrap bottle cages

- two front rack mount, two rear rack mount, two on the frame

The Bike without Attachments

The Bike in Raw Form

Frame – 2006 Intense 5.5 EVP Infantry Blue

Cranks and Front Rings – Race Face Deus XC

Bottom Bracket – Race Face Deus X-Type

Rear Cassette – SRAM PG 99 11-32

Front Drl – XTR

Rear Drl – SRAM XO Med Cage

Shifters – SRAM XO Thumb Triggers

Chain – SRAM PC991 Cross-Step

Seat Tube and Stem – WTB XTC series

Saddle – Specialized Milano Gel

Head Set – Chris King

Handlebar – FSA

Grips – Ergon R1 Pros

Front Fork – Manitou Minute 3:00

Rear Shock – Fox Pro Pedal Float RL (PUSHED)

Wheelset – Mavic EX721 Black 36 spoke DT

Hubs – Hadley QR Front and Hadley SDH Rear 135

Brakes – Hayes HFX Mag Discs 8in front, 6in rear rotors

Tires – Schwalbe Marathon XR 26x2.25 "Tank Treads" with the obnoxious but very, very relevant reflective sidewall strips.