JULIEN & TITUS' CYCLING TRIP

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"Titus" (the bike)

Seven Cycles custom built titanium touring frame (Muse) with steel fork (Independant Fabrication) and drop handlebars

The straight gauge 3/2.5 titanium frame that Seven built appeared pretty stiff at first, but with 55 pounds of gear on it was just flexible enough for a comfortable ride. I had it built without any decals on the frame and once road dirty, it didn't attract theft, though I was in the habit of locking it up with a sturdy U combination Kryptonite lock (KryptoLok Combo) supplemented, when I felt I needed it, with a 6 foot steel cable (KryptoFlex by Kryptonite). In addition, I use allen key skewers instead of the quick releases on the wheels (Mavic T520 rims, 36 holes, Shimano Ultegra hubs). In retrospect though, a steel frame would be easier to repair (weld) in the off-chance that I suffer a cracked frame (titanium isn't easy to weld), but I have cycled for some 40 years and have never broken a frame.

Shimano Ultegra triple build group (52-42-30 crankset and 12-27 9-speed cassette, STI shifters, cantilever brakes)

This particular gearing was very adequate to the task. I had trouble with steep hills on the first 1,000 kms of my first tour and had to push the bike up sometimes, but once I got my legs used to the effort, I had no problems in the Pyrenees, Rif & Middle Atlas, Norwegian Mountains, Alps...

The STI shifters were a charm; I haven't experienced any problems with them (much rumours of flimsy construction and rattles....), and found it convenient and particularly safe to be able to shift without leaving the handlebars.

Shimano is the way to go on an extended tour... They're everywhere if you need parts... My only complaint is with their chainrings, the aluminium they're made of just isn't good enough for extended tours and after 12,000 kms the middle one was so worn that the chain would skip when straining on the pedals. For my second trip I used Shimano Sora steel chainrings.

With Campagnolo (I have old Campagnolo toe clip pedals) I even had trouble finding pedal bearing caps in Italy ! So I wouldn't leave on a long tour with a Campagnolo groupset. Though I liked these old pedals, I switched them for Shimano A-550 platform and toe clip pedals for the second trip. They should be comfortable, with a large flat surface for the ball of your foot and no bearing cap to loose. The toe clips help pedaling efficiency while avoiding the need to bring an extra pair of shoes... Hiking with clipless cycling shoes just isn't comfortable. So I pedal with a regular pair of hiking shoes (I happen to like the Vasque brand myself and also take along a pair of Teva all plastic sandals.

Selle Royale Contour Forma Sport saddle

I can't enough stress the importance of having a comfortable saddle... I tried 3 different ones and this saddle is extremely comfortable. I was spending about 5 hours a day sitting on the bike and was never sore. My only gripe with it is that its skin is not quite tough enough and tears relatively easily (I've used 2 saddles in 15,000 kms) but a tear can easily be fixed with a bit of duct tape.....

Panaracer Pasela Tourguard 700x35 tires

Beautiful touring tires. Slick enough for low resistance on paved roads, yet wide enough for adequate mild off-road performance. The Kevlar belt performs well (not too many flats, the front lasts 12,000 kms and the rear 6,000 having most of the weight) and if you get the Kevlar beaded tire, they fold compactly to carry with you as spares. The funny thing though, is that the steel wire version of this tire is significantly bigger than the kevlar belted version (wonder why ?).

On my trip accross the Americas, I'll also be bringing along a pair of Schwalbe Marathon XR 700x35 foldable tires since I'm anticipating some rough roads in Central and South America.

Rack & Panniers

Blackburn Expedition rear and lowrider front racks

What can I say... Blackburn's sturdiest rear rack (I even had the old model with 4 braces instead of the 3 on the new Expedition model) just can't hack it. Mine had weld failures after only 6,500 kms. Since they're aluminium, it took me a couple of days to find someone who could weld the material in Scotland. Since, I've switched to Tubus steel racks. They're very sturdy and easily welded if they fail, though they haven't yet.

Panpack customized front and rear panniers

Very tough construction and good water resistance, but one gripe... The bungee cord fixture to the front of the rack on the rear panniers is inadequate and I changed it with a standard nylon compression strap. I like the convenience of their being convertible to a backpack... I had them customized with added 'nylon strapping' at the tops so that I could easily attach additional baggage on top of the rear and front panniers and 'nylon strapping' on the backside so that I could attach blinking lights. Clothes and other water sensitive stuff is packed in waterproof bags inside the panniers. This also provides better organization of my stuff.

During my tour of New Brunswick (Canada) in the summer of 2005, I have had to change my front panniers since the rack attachments (velcro) were so worn that with any slight bump the front panniers would detach and drag... (What can I say... they served me well for 20,000 kms... but are now tired). After a bit of shopping, I decided to change all 4 panniers to Arkel's and have been happy with them so far. Very sturdy attachment system.

Serratus Aqua-Not waterproof handlebar bag

Very waterproof and wear resistant except for the clear vinyl map pocket on the top, which just doesn't last. They tear up where the fold is.... But they're available separately and cheap, so they can be replaced.

Bicycle tools

Topeak RoadMorph pump, multitool and Leatherman mini visegrip tool

I also brought some spare spokes, chain pins, a spare tube, tube and tire patches, cone wrenches, crank extractor, and had to buy a cassette removal tool when some spokes broke on the cassette side of the rear wheel.

Cycling clothes

MEC Venturi cycling tights with Gore-Tex front and Vuelta without the Gore-Tex front.

Great when it's a bit cool or drizzling.

MEC SuperMicroft cycling jacket.

For protection against cool winds and light drizzles else I'll just wear a MEC Slicker jersey.

Andiamo cycling specific padded underwear

Just love 'em... They're inconspicuous and provide good padding. They dry fast when washed. And you can wear them with your favourite shorts or pants. Available at MEC

MEC Bernoulli Gore-Tex cycling suit (pants, jacket)

Tough construction and very waterproof. Breathability enhanced with underarm and back zippers, leg zippers on the pants. I also used Serratus cycling overbooties and a Gore-Tex cap (made by OR ), which also can cover the ears... And OR lobster claw mitts for the hands. This whole outfit keeps me very dry even in a downpour....

Nylon shirts, pants, socks; polar sweater

You just have to love nylon. Very wear resistant, cool on warm days but wind resistant and with a tight weave even mosquito resistant. They're a breeze to wash and dry very fast. Lots of different makes and models in outdoor wear shops.... I like the pants that zip out into shorts ! For socks, I like Ultimax. I also bring a polar t-shirt for cold days

Full complement of camping gear

OR Bivy bag tent

Pretty basic for a tent, but I don't spend much time in it and at less than a kilo it isn't much to carry. I also use a ground sheet cut to size from a polyethylene blue tarp to extend the life of the bivy floor, and provide additional insulation. The bivy's neat in that two small poles support the top above my face so that I can also read if I'm not sleepy. For this, I use a small Ptzl Tikka LED headlamp.

On my European tour, though handy, I found the bivy to be a little claustrophobic. So, on my Americas tour, I also took a Hennessy Ultralite Backpacker A-Sym hammock. Having both was a charm... I could use the bivy when it was really cold (freezing temperatures on the Blue Ridge Parkway) and the hammock when the weather was nicer and appropriate anchoring points were available. The hammock is very comfortable !

On my New Brunswick tour, since I was cycling with a friend, I decided to bring a 2-person tent... the BigAgnes Seedhouse SL-2 tent. At just about 3 pounds, it's lighter than having to bring both the bivy and the hammock, and a lot roomier than either. I liked it a lot and even though I'll be travelling alone on my Australia and New Zealand tour, this is the tent I'll be taking with me.

Thermarest sleeping mat

Western Mountaineering Ultralite sleeping bag with a MEC Mummy cotton sleeping bag liner

Primus Himalaya MultiFuel stove with a set of titanium pots, cup, spoon, fork and Victorinox SwissChamp pocket knife

Katadyn Pocket water filter

Only used it in Morocco and Mexico so far. Everywhere else, I drank tap water.

Adventure Medical Pro-Light & Abrasion Road Rash First Aid Kits

Specific to cycling. Contains all you need for minor cycling injuries such as road scrapes, etc.

Photography gear

Nikon F4 camera

With an f1.4 50mm, 28-105 f3.5 zoom, 70-300 f4 zoom Nikon lenses.

Gitzo magnesium tripod with a Manfrotto magnesium head

Out of 55 lbs of "baggage" (excluding the bike), about 20 lbs of it was the camera gear. But I had to bring back pictures...