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:
Continental Travel Contact DuraSkin Reflex ATB Bicycle Tire – 26 x 1.75 – C1320275 (front)
Schwalbe Marathon Plus (rear)
Nashbar Trekking ATB/Hybrid Handlebar
Ergon GP1 Grips
RAM Mounting Systems Handlebar Mount (for GPS)
Inclinometer
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)
Safety Triangle Tossed in California
Ortlieb ultralite handlebar mount mirror
Kinesis Top Tube Brevet Bag (for p&s camera)
Halt! Dog Repellent Tossed at Canadian border
Dog Dazer II – Ultrasonic Dog Repeller and Trainer (I really do like dogs; just not in my spokes or clamped to my calves)
Clothes/Items Worn:
Giro bicycling helmet
SweatVac Bandana Style Black
Oakley Flak Jacket Polarized XLJ sunglasses
Suunto Core Wrist-Top Computer Watch
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
Ortlieb Hip Pack [6.5 lbs] Sold in Monterey
Canon 40D DSLR Camera Sold in Monterey
Tamron 18-270mm Zoom Lens Sold in Monterey
Canon BG-E2N Battery Grip Sold in Monterey
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
Coleman Fuel Filler Tossed in Alberta, Canada
MSR Dragonfly Expedition Service Kit for Liquid-Fuel Stove
Streamlines Tideland casting handline
REI Ti Ware Nonstick Titanium Pot – 1.3 Liter
light wt lexan cutting board – 50g Tossed in Canada
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
Braun 370 PocketGo Battery Operated Shaver Shipped to Atlanta from Monterey
Sanyo Eneloop Precharged Rechargeable Batteries
American Red Cross FR350 Emergency Radio, White Broke in Paradise, MO
1 bottle chamois butt’r Tossed out in SE United States
1 roll t-paper
Nashbar Bicycle Cover
Strapped to top of pannier:
Walkstool Comfort 22″ inch XL Compact Stool Portable Folding Chair with Case for sports & travel Photography Left in Atlanta, GA
Big Agnes Cyclone SL Chair Kit – 20” – need to type on laptop in tent and this helps a lot. Left in Atlanta, GA
Right Front Pannier [18 lbs]
/Ortlieb Bike Packer Plus/
Main food storage – will try to squeeze everything into an Ursack bear bag
Ziplock bags with spices, salt/pepper, sweetner, etc. Plastic trowel Strapped to top of pannier: Columbia Trail Meister hiking shoes – stored in waterproof bag /Ortlieb Backroller/
Cables for computer, phone, camera Zoom V.92 USB Mini External Modem /Ortlieb Backroller/ 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 1 pr REI Sahara Convertible Pants 1 pr Pearl Izumi Inferno Glove Louis Garneau 2008/09 Cycling Helmet Cover Warm Weather Clothing: 1 pr running shorts – to sleep in and use as swim trunks if needed 2 pr Smartwool PhD Cycling Ultra Light Mini Crew socks 1 pr Louis Garneau Alveo mt bike cycling shorts 1 Short Sleeve Wool Jersey 2 pr Under Armor t-shirt REI Ultra Light Jacket /Ortlieb Ultimate 5 Plus handlebar bag (had to use Bracket Extension)/ Olympus Stylus Tough-6000 10 MP Waterproof Digital Camera Tire pressure gauge SteriPEN Adventurer Handheld Water Purifier 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 /Ortlieb RackPack Large/ – secured with 54″ ROK Straps
First aid kit The Travel Hammock Silk Sleep Sack Strapped to top of trunk bag: – stored in bright yellow mesh bag
Strapped to top of trunk bag: Schwalbe Marathon Plus Topeak Alien II 26-Function Bicycle Tool 2 spare tubes 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. Kool-Stop Tire Bead Jack w/ Handle Total Weight of all gear: 91.0 lbs (41.3 kg) No longer accurate. Best guess is 60 lbs as of October, 2009.3 pkgs dehydrated meals for emergencies Ate them at some point
OnGuard PitBull MINI DT 5008 Bicycle U-Lock and Extra Security Cable Shipped to Atlanta from MissoulaLeft Rear Pannier [13 lbs]
Mountain Hardwear Lamina 0 Sleeping Bag (inside Sea to Summit eVent Compression Dry Sack) Tekkeon MP3450 myPower ALL Rechargeable Battery iSun BattPak 3-Way Battery Charger Broke in CaliforniaRight Rear Pannier [16.5 lbs]
Turtle Fur Original Earband The North Face WindStopper Neck Gaiter Western Mountaineering Flight Vest Shipped to Atlanta from Monterey Patagonia R2 JacketHandlebar Bag [7 lbs]
Pentax Optio W30 7.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom – Lost in Tepic, Mexico
Apple iPod touch 32 GB (3rd Generation)
iPod Touch 2nd Gen Armor Case with Aquapac Waterproof Headphones & Armband (Made by OtterBox)
Radio Shack AM/FM/WX/TV Pocket Radio Added 04/09 in Atchison, KS Fisher Trekker Space Pen Windmill – Delta Shockproof Lighter, Matte Green Petzl Tactikka XP Desert Camo Headlamp Variation Parent
Canary Wireless Digital Hotspotter HS-20JBL On Tour Portable Speaker System ( Black ) Sold in Cookeville, TNCoast Camp Light Left in Atlanta, GAApple iPod classic 80 GB Black (6th Generation) Sold in MontereyOtterbox Waterproof Case for Ipod Classic Sold in MontereyRear Trunk Bag [30.5 lbs]
Hennessy Expedition A-Sym Hammock Shipped to Atlanta from Grande Cache Big Agnes Emerald Mountain SL3 TentBig Agnes Emerald Mountain SL3 Vestibule Left in Atlanta, GA Big Agnes Insulated Air Core Mummy Pad – Long Tossed in Fairbanks, AK–too hard to fix holes on the road Therm-a-Rest Z-Lite Sleeping Pad Added 08/09 in Fairbanks, AK Granite Gear Vapor Trail Backpack Shipped to Atlanta from Council BluffsPacsafe 85 Backpacker Medium Shipped to Atlanta from Council BluffsPacsafe 120 Anti-Theft Backpack Shipped to Atlanta from Missoula Sunlinq 12 watt Folding Solar Power Panel 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)Leki Super Makalu Anti-Shock Trekking Pole Lost on Katy Trail, MOOrtlieb Outer Pocket for Panniers
Brooks saddle cover Wore out after six months Pedro’s Universal Bicycle Crank Remover with Handle Left in Cookeville, TN
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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.