Equipment

Here are some pictures of my magnificent beast:

Nude

Packed

Everyone needs drivers.

Windows 98 USB Drivers for the Optio 555 can be found here...

Zio! SD Memory card adaptor readers can be found here...

On any bike ride the most important bit of kit is of course, the bike.

My bike is a Shogun Trailblazer 3. It has a small frame (as I am a small person) and shimano gearing. Some modifications that I have made include 'bull horns' (extra handle bars). I have found that this relieves some of the tension in your hands and shoulders for long rides. It also assists in the uphill parts. I also have a ladies seat, a very loud bell, lights, pump, drink cages and more! So many accessories! I would not consider attempting this tour de indochine without my own bike. I know what my bike can do (and what it can't), and what its little problems are and how to fix them. It has also taken a long time to get the bike to fit me to make riding comfortable. I wouldn't like to try that again on a hired bike!

Gypsy Moth? I have named my bike the Gypsy Moth after the biplane and the ship which were ground breaking forms of transportation travelling the world over.

The Gypsy Moth: Nude

The Gypsy Moth: Packed and ready to go

On Bike ToolKit

• Spare tubes (x2)


• Puncture repair kit


• Glue free patches (x2 boxes)


• Tyre levers (x2)


• Pocket knife (leatherman)


• Spare chain links (x4) *


• Chain breaker *


• Chain lube


• Cable ties (x10)


• Gaffer tape *


• Cleaning rag


• Cleaning brush


• Spare brake pads *


• Spoke tensioning tool


• Spare spokes + nipples (x6) *


• Rear brake cable *


• Rear gear shift cable *


• Pliers


• Screwdrivers (Phillips head + flathead)


• Allan keys


• Spare nuts and bolts (x4) *


• Hand cleaner (in film canister) *


• Shifting spanner


• Pedal spanner

On Bike Accessories

• Good quality pump


• Water bottles


• Cycling computer


• Pannier rack


• Rear panniers (+ shoulder straps)


• Handle bar bag


• Ockie straps


• Head light


• Tail light


• Lock


• Bell

Clothes

• Cycling Knicks (x2)


• Cycling jersey


• Cycling shoes


• Helmet


• Dress / Temple clothes (long pants / shirt)


• Sarong


• Undies (x3)


• Socks (x2)


• Off bike shorts


• T-shirts (x2)


• Good ol' aussie thongs


• Sandals


• Sleeping bag liner

Personal

• Passport


• Extra passport photos


• Vaccination book


• Bank cards (eftpos + MasterCard)


• Notebook + Pen + Important phone numbers


• US Dollars


• Travellers cheques


• Camera, SD Memory, Charger


• Sunglasses


• Mosquito net


• Photocopy of passport, bank details, phone numbers (x2) (leave a copy with family)


• Picture of bike + serial #'s (x2) (leave a copy with family)


• Lonely Planet Guide


• Good road map

Toiletries

• Toothpaste


• Toothbrush


• Deodorant


• Small Towel (chamois)


• Toilet paper

Medical Kit

• Sun block (big tube of 30+)


• Insect repellent


• Lip balm / chap stick


• Pain killers


• Deep heat


• Bandages


• Syringe (for high pressure water squirting)


• Bandaids (various sizes)


• Nappy rash cream


• Small talcum powder


• Disinfectant


• Gauze


• Tape


• ???

Packing materials

• Bike Bag (the body bag)


• Large Zip-lock bags for inside pannier packing


• Cardboard (to wrap frame during freight)


• Bubble wrap

We just got a pair of clip in Diadora cycling shoes from SHM - Simple Harmonic Motion. Hopefully this will make cycling up the hills of Northern Vietnam a breeze. Ohh joy! Problem is that these shoes are only available in a black/red combination so we both have the same colour shoes. I can hear the whispers already, "Awwww, what a cute couple, they've matching shoes".

The Marketting Blurb:
The Overland is resistant to water, quick drying, extremely sturdy and has excellent ventilation. The upper is constructed from suede and synthetic leather, the ventilated areas are created through a sewn on water-repellent mesh. Lace Closure is secure and adapts to many different foot shapes. The Overland is low cut with reinforcements where you usually get the most wear and have tear points. It has an internal heel cup for support and a new sole made of Duratech rubber for a lightweight feel, and a comfortable walk. Compatible with SPD pedal systems. Color: Black/Red

For both of us, these are our first clip-in shoes so we had a competition to see who would be the first to "come-a-cropper". I'm not going to boast or brag, however, let's just say I won the competition -- and Toe has a couple more bruises to add to her collection. =)

Why take a bike bag? Well, as the legendary Mr. Pumpy so eloquently put it: "People freak out when the see a naked bike". Hence, we decided to order "the body bag" over the internet from Ground Effect in New Zealand to hide our bikes nakidity. Much respect to Ground Effect, their service was fantastic -- and it only cost me $5 to ship it to Australia and it was here in a couple of days! Nice work Guys!!

I couldn't help myself, as soon as it arrived I just had to try it on for size. Once I was finished it was the bikes turn...

The great thing about this bag (apart from it's size and weight) is that you don't have to completely dismantle your bike to fit it in. We only needed to remove the front wheel, seat post and Toe's bike horns (bar-ends). It was a neat fit but with a little coercion it slipped right in. Personally, I think not having to dismantle the bike is a big plus. Hopefully it'll save us a few headaches transporting our bikes around Asia when the hills get to big and we hop on a bus.

One thing to keep in mind though is that this bag doesn't really provide any "protection" so we will still need to use some cardboard or foam for bigger journeys and flights.

I decided to get rid of those old "came with the bike" tyres and get something a little snazzy for the trip to Asia. I didn't know exactly what I wanted but I knew I wanted something strong enough to take on the wilds of Cambodia but fast enough to zoom down Highway 1 in Vietnam. Secretly, I also wanted something made of Kevlar. Kevlar is strong, right? Don't bullets bounce off it (sometimes)!?

After much deliberation, I eventually decided on a pair of Serfas Drifters. They looked good, had an inverted tread for a bit of traction, and FPS technology. FPS, you say... That's right, the Ingenious Acronym Department (IAD) at Serfas came up with FPS: Flat Prevention System. In their own words "Our Flat Protection System offers an armor-like shield against flats, allowing you to enjoy the performance of our tires instead of spending time changing tubes". Nice! Not Kevlar, but an armor-like shield none-the-less!

I've had these now for a couple of weeks and I've gotta say they seem pretty damn good. I haven't got any punctures and I roll along at a pretty good rate - definitely better than the shop tyres. Mind you, even though the provide an "armor-like shield" I think I'll still by making a concerted effort to avoid the landmines in Cambodia. =)

Fact: If the Stay Puft Marshmallow man was to have a love-child it would look like the Michelin Man!

Personally, I couldn't think of any better reason to go with the Michelin Air+ inner tubes. Oh actually, maybe I can, they are Titanium reinforced, hold air 3 times longer, and are twice as resistent to punctures. I'm not sure where they get these figures from but I suspect the logic goes something like this... A normal tube has 0% chance of withstanding running over a nail, therefore we can say that this tire is twice as resistent to puctures because 2 x 0 is still 0. Excellent!

But, In all honesty I haven't had any punctures since installing these little beauties so maybe they have a point

Just for the record here is a comparison between Michelin Man and Stay Puft:


 

We have decided to go with the rather expensive but highly acclaimed Ortlieb bike panniers. They've set us back about $300 AUD but we figure we'd easily spend that much on a backpack and that's essentially what this is -- a backpack for the bike. I've read a few horror stories of people who's panniers have crapped out on the road and we just don't want that hassle. Hence the Ortlieb Back Roller Plus is for us.

Incidentally, I also discovered that if you trap in enough air it makes a pretty good pillow. neato!

We have decided not to use front panniers as we'd probably just fill them full of useless crap, however, we are taking handlebar bags for our valuables and maps etc.