Cycling Gear Review

A lot of 2011 riders have asked for veteran's views of "what to bring" as they are busy (as we were at this time last year) planning for and stocking up for the tour.  Here are my thoughts - actual results may vary - these are just my preferences, and persoectives on my gear...  other veterans may haver a completely different view.  I hope this helps in your "education."

Bike:
Specialized Roubaix Expert with Compact Crank – I was one to two riders on a Roubaix Expert on the tour, and have absolutely no regrets on it. The carbon fiber frame and fork held up extremely well despite some very rough roads, and provided a very comfortable ride. The seat (a standard Toupe, which is sized to your pelvic width) while a narrow “racing seat” was very comfortable and I had no problems with it – it did take about 3 weeks for callouses to develop on my “contact points” with the seat (two postage stamp-sized areas at the ischial tuberosity or more aptly named the “sitz bone”).
10 out of 10 - an amazingly comfortable ride for a road/race bike in a "touring" situation.

Lights:
As a habit, and after too many “encounters” with cars where the driver’s excuse was “They didn’t see me”, whenever I ride I have lights (front and rear) flashing, regardless of the time of day.
Front Light: I used an annoyingly visible (that is the main point isn’t it) Cateye HL-EL135 light. The two AA batteries lasted about 2 weeks 8 hour days of riding. Very reliable, even in the wettest conditions.
10 out of 10.
Rear Light(s): I used two Planet Bike Super Flash lights, one mounted on my helmet, and the other on the seat stay. They as well provide an annoyingly visible flashing sequence, and run on 2 AAA batteries each which lasted about 3 weeks.
10 out of 10

Wheels:
Mavic Ksyrium SL – the wheels are a racing wheel with bladed spokes which again held up well. Over the course of the trip I broke two spokes (both drive side rear). Regardless of the wheels you use, bring extra spokes, and carry them with you during the day (I stuffed mine in the main tube of my seat post rack). The little plastic spoke wrench provided by Mavic with the wheels is totally useless. I replaced it with a Park Tool Wrench made especially for Mavic Wheels after my first broken spoke. The second time a spoke broke, I was able to true the remaining spokes enough so that I could ride the remaining 40 miles into camp where I replaced the spoke and re-trued the wheel.

On the downside, this particular wheel design requires that the cassette be removed to replace a broken rear drive-side spoke. If I were buying new wheels I would opt for a similar Mavic wheel in which a rear drive-side spoke can be replaced without removing the cassette, as cassette removal is not an option unless you are at the campsite and have access to the tools in the truck.

As an added safety measure, I added 3M reflective tape (silver and the same color as the rims) on the rim between every alternate spoke nipple, and on 4 of the bladed spokes. On rainy days, you can also tell when a car is approaching from the rear as the tape on the rim of the front wheel will reflect the headlights.

Tires:
Hutchinson Tubeless Intensive – of all my choices of equipment, this was the most controversial, as I made the decision to go with a tubeless tire only two weeks before leaving for Vancouver. The decision was driven purely from a comfort perspective. Going “tubeless” allowed me to run my tires at 90 – 95 PSI as opposed to 120 PSI for tires with inner tubes. Lowering the tire pressure by 25 – 30 PSI meant that the softer tire absorbed an amazing amount of road vibrations and bumps.
Note: This is not a recommendation - you need to make your own decision on if you want to put tubeless tires on regular rims - read the disclaimer at Stan's NoTubes.
Although my rims are not “officially” approved for tubeless tires by Mavic, I have had no problems (other than what is described below) with them in 6,000 miles of riding- actual results may vary.
The only thing I had to do was to purchase a special valve stem for each wheel, and sealant (from Stan’s No Tubes). The tires can be a tight fit on the rim, so make sure you carry “tire irons”.

In theory tubeless tires will not “flat” as frequently as tubed tires, as they are filled with a messy sealant (Stan’s no tube sealant) which seals punctures. In practice, this is true – there were a couple of times where I picked up a steel wire in the tire (like a staple, but from the steel belt of a tire) and the sealant worked marvelously. We rode fairly frequently on gravel roads, crushed stone road beds with gravel, etc. In these conditions, I got a number of “sidewall” cuts, for which the sealant tried its best, but given the size of the cut, would only hold about 40 to 60 PSI of pressure in the tire, if that. In addition when “sealing” the tire sprayed out sealant onto my bike/brake calipers which made for quite the mess to clean up. That said, I never got stranded by a flat, although on some occasions, I had to put a tube in the tire to get me into camp – defeating the benefit of tubeless for that part of the ride. As well I became quite proficient at repairing sidewall cuts with a patch. Actually one patch was not enough, so I had to apply a second patch over the first to prevent “blistering”. I am not sure if this is either recommended or “standard” practice but it served me well, and allowed me to get full use out of the tires (which run about $70 each!!!).

I ended up using 4 tires over the trip – wearing out the rear tires after 2,500 miles.

If I had to do it again, despite the added hassle of going tubeless, I would do so in a heartbeat as the comfort provided was well worth it.

Pump:
Topeak Road Morph - a great little pump that is able to pump up tires to high pressure (100+psi). It attaches to the valve stem cleanly and the little "foot pad" provides a means to secure the pump when pumping.  The hose even extends a few inches for added versatility. I probably used this 10 - 15 times on the ride under all types of conditions.
8 out of 10  ease of use, pressure, etc.
If you are buying a pump, get the Road Morph G which is the same as the Road Morph, but has an added pressure guage.

Shorts (all bib shorts):
If you have never tried a “bib” short, you will not regret making the switch. They provide unparalleled comfort, eliminating the waist cinch/pinch of a regular short, as well as any potential for a “plumbers funnel” for folks following you. As well, you can tuck stuff (like Cliff Shots, etc.) in the bib for easy access on the ride. I switched over to bib shorts about 10 years ago, and would never consider going back.

Specialized BG Pro RBX - Definitely my “go to” short for the longest days of cycling, and when the temperature is in the 70°s F and above. This short proved to be the most comfortable of the four pairs that I wore - if there is anything missing from these shorts it is the addition of reflective panels.
10 out of 10 for comfort and fit

Pearl Izumi Pro Thermal Bib Knicker - Just as comfortable as the Specialized, but designed for when the temperature is below 60°F for most of the day, or for providing that added warmth when it is raining. The light thermal lining, and coverage below the knees were perfect. They have reflective panels at the front and back for added visibility on those rainy days.
10 out of 10 for comfort and fit, especially on cooler rides.

Pearl Izumi Pro Bib Short – A great short, but for some reason, I did not find them as comfortable as the Specialized. Perfect for the days when the Specialized were queued up for laundry.
8 out of 10 for comfort and fit.

Gore Xenon Bib Shorts – These are made by the bike clothing arm of the makers of Gore-tex. They are a good short, but for some reason, I did not find them as comfortable as the others in my baggage. I typically wore them when all other options were exhausted.
5 out of 10 for comfort and fit.

Bike Shoes:
Specialized Body Geometry Pro Road Shoe: My choice of shoe was driven primarily by the fact that I have wide feet with high arches, and Specialized make a shoe which fits my foot very well (comes in an EE width, and supplemental top straps to accommodate my high arches). Prior to starting out in June, I purchased some Specialized Body Geometry High Performance Footbeds – they come in three profiles and you choose the one based on your foot profile. They offer excellent support for the entire footbed, and were instrumental in making sure my feet were comfortable day after day of 85+ mile riding. They were well worth the cost (~$50), and I would not consider doing a ride of this nature without them. The only problems I had with my shoes were wear – you do a lot of walking on gravel and rough paths, and over the course of 5,000 miles you will probably, as I did, wear out the sole at the heel. That said, the shoes gave me 15,000 miles of use over the past three seasons, so they owe me nothing – I am waiting until spring to replace them and will buy this year’s equivalent model.
Update Jan. 3, 2010 - apparently I am not the first to notice the problem with the shoe heel pads wearing out - Specialized's new 2011 model of the shoe have a replaceable pad (aka "heel lug"). Kudos to their design department for recognizing a shortcoming  and addressing it!!!  My new shoes arrive in a few days :)
Update Jan. 17, 2010 - for those looking for a better fit to your bike shoes, without changing the shoe,  Sole Custom Footbeds sell a variety of moldable footbeds which offer great support.  They have a fitting tool in which you enter your profile and it recommends the best insert to meet your needs. I have used a pair of these for my hiking shoes for the past 5 years - they offer excellent support for my high arches, comfort and durability.

Pedals/Cleats:
I used a Shimano Ultegra Road Pedal with corresponding Shimano Cleat. The pedal/cleat combination worked very well providing a wide base for support and comfort. The only problem I had with the cleats was from the Saskatchewan “mud”. It seemed to collect everywhere despite my best efforts to walk on my heels. While in Saskatchewan, I had to stop a few times and scrape the mud out from the cleat so I could “click in” the pedals. Over the course of the ride I used two sets of cleats, swapping out at about 3,000 miles. As well on some of the side trips, the shoe/road cleat combination was quite treacherous - particularly the hike from the parking lot down to the pictographs at Agawa Bay on Lake Superior, on the rocky path where I ended up bare-footing it. Other than that I popped on the rubber protectors which seemed to work fairly well – except for the time one popped off when we hiked to the end of Moraine Lake and I had to walk back about ½ mile to retrieve it.

Bike Computer(s):

For the first half of the trip, up until day 45, I used a Polar 725 Heart Rate Monitor/Bike Computer. I really liked this because I could upload the day’s riding data into my computer, including a profile of the ride, and could monitor my heart rate while riding. Unfortunately, the unit was a few (4+) years old and died at or around day 45. Polar make great stuff and are #1 when it comes to heart rate monitoring, but they have a complex user interface – much like everything else, once you are used to it, it is ok. If I could do the ride over again, I would probably use a Polar RS800CX with the GPS add-on. Probably overkill on the “geek” side, but I like the idea of having a GPS sensor (Garmin) that you don’t have to charge each night.

After that I replaced it with a Bontrager 5W bike computer. It provided the basics – speed, distance, etc, but no altitude and/or heart rate. A good unit, but the buttons were a little finicky as was the magnet/sensor placement - it must be precisely adjusted or you get weird readings (unless I really was riding 75 mph up hill). It served my basic needs for the rest of the trip and I am still using it today. I did get the unit replaced by my local bike shop (Marty’s Reliable) because of the problems with the buttons. Great service considering I bought the unit in Canada, but they replaced it without question in the States.

Tools:

I brought a Park Tool CM-5 Cyclone Chain Cleaner, which was used on an almost daily basis by me or other riders – I tended to clean my chain only when it was noisy, or not shifting well. I used "Simple Green" as my chain cleaner - cheap, green, and effective and you can buy it by the gallon at Canadian Tire. For chain lube, I preferred a “dry” lube, and used ProGold ProLink Chain lube, applying a drop on each link pin, and then wiping off any excess after giving the chain a good spin to ensure that the lube penetrated into the links. I always had a bottle in my pack when riding and used it occasionally to lube the chain mid-ride.

I replaced my chain on day 46 after about 3,000 miles of riding – I brought along a replacement chain because I knew I would need to replace it at sometime along the route, and had my bike store remove the excess links before packing it – that way I just had to remove and replace, without having the mess of counting the links on the worn chain and the new chain…

One of the riders had an “old-school” Filzer Chain Wear Guage available only in Canada, which was a quick and reliable way to tell when it was time to replace the chain. I liked it so much that I bought one from MEC, along with a Filzer Casette Removal Tool, when I returned to the US.

As mentioned earlier the Park Spoke Wrench for Mavic Wheels was a must have if you have the Mavics.