Equipment
The Bike
Koga Miyata WorldTraveller 2007: 60 cm aluminum frame : wt. 44.5 lbs, comes fully equipped with: f/r Tubus racks, Brooks Flyer Saddle Men’s Black Top
Other bike equipment added:
Schwalbe Marathon Plus (front/rear)
Nashbar Trekking ATB/Hybrid Handlebar
Ergon GP1 Grips
RAM Mounting Systems Handlebar Mount (for GPS)
Phil Wood Touring Hubs (front/rear)
Garmin 010-00422-00 GPSMAP 60CSx 2.6-Inch Mapping Handheld GPS
Cateye CC-MC100W Micro Wireless 10-Function Bicycle Computer (Black)
Ortlieb ultralite handlebar mount mirror
Kinesis Top Tube Brevet Bag (for p&s camera)
Clothes/Items Worn:
Giro bicycling helmet
SweatVac Bandana Style Black
Oakley Flak Jacket Polarized XLJ sunglasses
Fox Racing Base Bike Jersey – Short-Sleeve
Louis Garneau Ergo Air Gloves
Louis Garneau Men’s Alveo Duo Shorts
Smartwool PhD Cycling Ultra Light Mini Crew socks
Shimano Bike Sandals
Left Front Pannier [18 lbs]
/Ortlieb Bike Packer Plus/
Anti-Shock Sleeve Case for Asus Eee PC (sleeve is then packed into Sea to Summit EVAC Dry Sack)
MSR Dragonfly Liquid-Fuel Stove
MSR Dragonfly Expedition Service Kit for Liquid-Fuel Stove
REI Ti Ware Nonstick Titanium Pot – 1.3 Liter
Utensils – REI polycarbonate spoon, fork, knife, spatula
Tupperware FlatOut 3-Cup Container
Ultralight wt shaving mirror
Camp Soap – 4 oz.
Walkabout Wash Kit
2 Towels – REI multi towels 1 XL, 1 sm
GI Type US Military P-38 Can Opener
Toiletries
Sanyo Eneloop Precharged Rechargeable Batteries
1 roll t-paper
Nashbar Bicycle Cover
Right Front Pannier [18 lbs]
/Ortlieb Bike Packer Plus/
Main food storage – food sits inside Ursack bear bag w/ aluminum insert
Ziplock bags with spices, salt/pepper, sweetner, etc.
Strapped to top of pannier:
Columbia Trail Meister hiking shoes – stored in waterproof bag
Left Rear Pannier [13 lbs]
/Ortlieb Backroller Plus/
Mountain Hardwear Lamina 0 Sleeping Bag (inside Sea to Summit eVent Compression Dry Sack)
Cables for computer, phone, camera
Zoom V.92 USB Mini External Modem
Right Rear Pannier [16.5 lbs]
/Ortlieb Backroller Plus/
Clothes all stored in Sea To Summit eVent Compression Dry Sack – 8 x 18
Cold Weather Clothing:
1 long sleeve Under Armor t-shirt
1 Wool Jersey Long Sleeve Jersey
1 pr Pearl Izumi Men’s Therma Fleece Leg Warmers
1 Patagonia Lightweight Capilene Crew
Turtle Fur Original Earband
1 pr Pearl Izumi Inferno Glove
Louis Garneau 2008/09 Cycling Helmet Cover
The North Face WindStopper Neck Gaiter
Patagonia R2 Jacket
Warm Weather Clothing:
1 pr extra long Cargo shorts Added in Belize to replace lost pants
1 pr board shorts Added in Mexico
3 pr Smartwool PhD Cycling Ultra Light Mini Crew socks
1 pr Louis Garneau Alveo mt bike cycling shorts
2 pr Under Armor t-shirt
REI Ultra Light Jacket
Handlebar Bag [7 lbs]
/Ortlieb Ultimate 5 Plus handlebar bag (had to use Bracket Extension)/
Olympus Stylus Tough-6000 10 MP Waterproof Digital Camera
Canon PowerShot SX20IS 12.1MP Digital Camera with 20x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch Articulating LCD
Apple iPod touch 32 GB (3rd Generation)
Surefire E2L-HA-WH Outdoorsman 6V LED Flashlight
iPod Touch 2nd Gen Armor Case with Aquapac Waterproof Headphones & Armband (Made by OtterBox)
SteriPEN Adventurer Handheld Water Purifier
Radio Shack AM/FM/WX/TV Pocket Radio Added 04/09 in Atchison, KS
Fisher Trekker Space Pen, Chrome (SC725)
Petzl Tactikka XP Desert Camo Headlamp Variation Parent
SanDisk SDCZ7-4096-A11 4GB Ultra Cruzer Titanium USB Flash Drive (Silver)
Insect spray (50% deet)
Potable Aqua® Water Purification Tablets
Ear plugs
Cell phone
Ka-Bar 2-3050-9 Mule Field Folder Knife
Mini Cyclist Journal
Sunscreen
SweatVac Performance Race Hat
Rear Trunk Bag [30.5 lbs]
/Ortlieb RackPack Large/ – secured with 54″ ROK Straps
Big Agnes Seedhouse SL1 Tent
3 spare tubes
First aid kit
The Travel Hammock Silk Sleep Sack
Strapped to top of trunk bag: – stored in bright yellow mesh bag
Novara Stratos Bike Jacket – Men’s
Novara Stratos Rain Pants – Men’s
SealSkinz Waterproof MVT Socks – Unisex
Louis Garneau X-Warmer Booties (XL fit my size 13 shoes perfectly)
Strapped to top of trunk bag:
Schwalbe Marathon Plus
GoLite Chrome Dome Trekking Umbrella
Therm-a-Rest Z-Lite Sleeping Pad Added 08/09 in Fairbanks, AK
Ortlieb Outer Pocket for Panniers
Topeak Alien II 26-Function Bicycle Tool
Tire levers
Patch kit
Rope – 50 ft nylon/polyester cord
Tools – 6″ adjustable wrench, brake/derailleur cables, 2 sets brake pads, extra spokes, rubber gloves, extra chain links/pins, zip-ties, chain lube and rag
Tire pressure gauge
Kool-Stop Tire Bead Jack w/ Handle
Out Of Service
Streamlines Tideland casting handline Shipped to Atlanta from Guatemala, never used
Sunlinq 12 watt Folding Solar Power Panel Shipped to Atlanta from Guatemala, could not use after Tekkeon battery broke
Canary Wireless Digital Hotspotter HS-20 Shipped to Atlanta from Guatemala, obsoleted by iTouch
Windmill – Delta Shockproof Lighter, Matte Green Gave away in Guatemala, never used
1 pr REI Sahara Convertible Pants Lost in Mexico
Tekkeon MP3450 myPower ALL Rechargeable Battery Broke in Mexico
Dog Dazer II – Ultrasonic Dog Repeller and Trainer Broke in Mexico
Inclinometer Tossed in Guatemala, never used
3′ bamboo stick (dog deterrent) Lost in Guatemala
Big Agnes Emerald Mountain SL3 Tent Left in Atlanta, too big for limited camping, main zipper broke
Pedro’s Universal Bicycle Crank Remover with Handle Left in Cookeville, TN, never used + heavy
Brooks saddle cover Wore out after six months
Leki Super Makalu Anti-Shock Trekking Pole Lost on Katy Trail, MO
Pacsafe 120 Anti-Theft Backpack Shipped to Atlanta from Missoula, never used
Big Agnes Insulated Air Core Mummy Pad – Long Tossed in Fairbanks, AK, too hard to fix holes on the road
Big Agnes Emerald Mountain SL3 Vestibule Left in Atlanta, GA, never used
Pacsafe 85 Backpacker Medium Shipped to Atlanta from Council Bluffs, never used
Hennessy Expedition A-Sym Hammock Shipped to Atlanta from Grande Cache, loved it but rarely used
Granite Gear Vapor Trail Backpack Shipped to Atlanta from Council Bluffs, never used
Apple iPod classic 80 GB Black (6th Generation) Sold in Monterey, upgraded to iTouch
Otterbox Waterproof Case for Ipod Classic Sold in Monterey, didn’t fit iTouch
Coast Camp Light Left in Atlanta, GA, never used
Pentax Optio W30 7.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom Lost in Tepic, Mexico
Walkstool Comfort 22″ inch XL Compact Stool Portable Folding Chair with Case for sports & travel Photography Left in Atlanta, GA, never used
Big Agnes Cyclone SL Chair Kit – 20” – need to type on laptop in tent and this helps a lot. Left in Atlanta, GA, never used
JBL On Tour Portable Speaker System ( Black ) Sold in Cookeville, TN, never used
Canon 40D DSLR Camera Sold in Monterey, CA, at the time I felt it was too “high profile” for where I was traveling to, regret selling it now
Tamron 18-270mm Zoom Lens Sold in Monterey, CA
Canon BG-E2N Battery Grip Sold in Monterey, CA
Coleman Fuel Filler Tossed in Alberta, Canada, never used
light wt lexan cutting board – 50g Tossed in Canada, never used
Ortlieb Hip Pack Sold in Monterey, CA, sold with Canon camera
Halt! Dog Repellent Tossed at Canadian border, should have tried to bring it across
Safety Triangle Tossed in California, didn’t use once Ortlieb bag that it attached to was sold
iSun BattPak 3-Way Battery Charger Broke in California
Western Mountaineering Flight Vest Shipped to Atlanta from Monterey, CA, didn’t think I’d use it in Central/South America
Suunto Core Wrist-Top Computer Watch Died in California after water seeped inside
Total Weight of all gear: 91.0 lbs (41.3 kg) No longer accurate. Best guess is 60 lbs as of October, 2009.
Entries (RSS)
I ended up here while searching for Cycling Shorts Chamois? Why? Beats me ask the search engine but anyhow I enjoyed reading your blog, thx for the info!
Damn dude. You are loaded up!
….where’s the beer?
I’m looking forward to following your journey, mostly because I’m planning to do about the same type of bike ride. ROCK ON! I might see you on the road
Just wondering if you ever thought about pulling a trailer?
Awesome adventure. Very jealous. Look forward to watching your adventure unfold. Good luck.
Woo, that’s a lot of stuff!
But despite what some others might say, it’s not too much. I rode for 3 months with bike + gear weighing 110lbs, and I met some (very experienced, long-time around-the-world cyclists) people along the way who had more. It just means you go a bit slower up the hills, no big deal
In my experience the dog repellant isn’t needed unless you happen to find a dog that is trained to attack. In my travels I’ve found that dogs will chase you as you’re riding away, but not as you’re approaching them– once you turn your back to them, they feel they have the upper hand, so will bark and make a big fuss. You just have to exert dominance– yell loudly, throw stones near their feet… and as much as possible don’t turn your back to them until you feel you’re out of “their territory”.
Best of luck, have fun! Hope you find lots of time to hang out without the internet and computers– it’s a fantastic experience.
Hey man, good luck on your trip. I rode the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route last summer solo, and it was a great experirence. I started out with a lot of stuff, but tended to prioritize the extra weight with stuff that would keep me safe, like a four season hilleberg tent, a water filter instead of drops, etc. Your trip’s terrain will be different, so I’m sure your packing needs are adjusted. However, as you go along down the road I have a feeling that you may shed at least 15 percent of the gear as you find it unnecessary. I rode along on the GDR with another rider who sent home at least 10 pounds of unnecessary gear on at least a couple of occasions, but I couldn’t bring myself to shed as much as he did. Good luck, I wish you all the best!
Now thats what I call preparation. It’s very impressive big guy, keep it up!
Great meeting you in Sioux City last night Scott. It was fun sharing a few beers and swapping touring stories with a kindred bagger and adventurer. Hope we didn’t keep you up to late. Keep your britches between the ditches and don’t forget that as you enter South Dakota today its not the end of the world, but you can see it from here.
you could have built a stronger and better bike using an old cromoly steel mtb frame, upgrading all transmission parts (bottom bracket, phil hubs, drivetrain) for maybe 500 euro
the myata is 2000 eur.. for a 28″ aluminum frame probably made in taiwan to same exact specs as any other regular cheap aluminum frame (probably a thicker one to make it stronger, a really cheap city bike frame in all likelihood)
Couple problems with this although I really do appreciate the feedback. First of all I don’t have the background to build the transmission parts so I’d have to pay someone to do it. The stock Koga touring bike comes with some of the highest quality components available. This is why it’s arguably one of the top 3 or 4 long distance touring bikes in the world. If I went with a steel MTB frame as you suggested I’d also have to buy new wheels, tires, a saddle, racks, lights, pump, fenders, and handlebar. I’d also lose the built-in lock that I love.
People have been riding on these bikes with ~100lbs of gear for years without having a problem. Koga will even overnight a new frame anywhere in the world if there’s a warranty issue. For someone riding in the conditions I am and with the weight I’m carrying I’d gladly pay the extra money and get something I know will be reliable.
i always use leg warmers during the winter months to feel comfy.~`’