Author Topic: My upcoming world tour Nomad and kit  (Read 9881 times)

dereksheph

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Re: My upcoming world tour Nomad and kit
« Reply #15 on: March 01, 2017, 03:20:28 PM »
Just received an Abus Granit X plus 540 300mm Dock from a friend as payment for work done. Looks very solid...if a little heavy. Good reviews though. Nice 😊
« Last Edit: March 01, 2017, 03:22:11 PM by dereksheph »

Javier

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Re: My upcoming world tour Nomad and kit
« Reply #16 on: March 01, 2017, 03:47:12 PM »
Any suggestions for a lock ? Ta.

If I were you I would take a long cable (KryptoFlex 710 Double Loop Cable) and a good medium size padlock (Abloy 330). This configuration will allow you to lock the bike to any fixed object (trees, fences, rails,...) and at the same time securing the front wheel, frame, saddle and rear wheel (make a slip knot with one of the ends of the cable to secure the front wheel, pass the other end of the cable through the frame, saddle rails, a fixed object, and secure the rear wheel with the other end of the cable and the padlock). This configuration also allow you to secure the frame and pass the cable inside your tent when you are in dodgy camping sites.

In developing countries is difficult to find bike racks so u-locks and other small lock devices are useless.

Can someone cut through a KryptoFlex 710 Double Loop Cable using a bolt cutter?, yes, absolutely, with ease. Rural areas are problably the safest places across the world, but keep a close eye when you are in towns.

Do not leave your bike unattended at anytime, take it with you to your accommodation whenever you can. Take it inside the supermaker when you are shopping, or with your pal outside the shop when you are in. If you are constantly aware that someone can pinch the bike at anytime your bike will be ok.

Have a save trip.

mickeg

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Re: My upcoming world tour Nomad and kit
« Reply #17 on: March 01, 2017, 05:13:07 PM »
A couple more comments in addition to the ones I made above.

I see you have a handlebar bag.  Good plan.  I keep all my valuables in a handlebar bag or in my pocket.  When I go in stores, restaurants, or leave the bike for any other reason, the handlebar bag becomes a shoulder bag and stays with me.

I carry a small one ounce squeeze bottle of chlorine bleach.  Theoretically if you have clear but potentially contaminated water, 2 drops per liter should be enough to disinfect it.  I prefer to rely on a filter, but I carry the chlorine as a backup.  And filters might not be adequate for viruses where chlorine is.  I am in USA, thus the source I am citing for chlorine bleach is from USA.
https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/emergency-disinfection-drinking-water

I do not have the experience with the Steripen that others have, so I can't comment on that.  I own one but never used it as the trip I bought it for, I always found tap water.

I had to attach a photo (partially for the humor of it) that I took last week of my friends bike when we were on a bike tour.  He has a Titanium frame, expensive Phil hubs front and rear, lots of expensive carbon like a carbon fork, and to bring his bike up to full touring weight he carries a chain that he thinks will be adequate for the task.

ADDENDUM ADDED A FEW HOURS LATER

In some countries, bags are not provided when shopping, you are expected to bring your own.  Some small lightweight folding bags can come in very handy for grocery store visits, etc. 
« Last Edit: March 01, 2017, 05:42:52 PM by mickeg »

dereksheph

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Re: My upcoming world tour Nomad and kit
« Reply #18 on: March 01, 2017, 09:18:26 PM »
As ever, overwhelmed with the generosity of spirit and sound advice on this forum. Many thanks. Lots of great tips and ideas. I'm looking forward to the steepness of the learning curve. There's a lot of kit - especially mech tools that I don't have experience with as I've not undertaken such a long trip before. I've always bought the best kit I could afford and been lucky (?) not to have encountered any major dramas.....yet. Fortunately, I'm fairly good with my hands and a lifetime of repairing my own kit suggests I'll be OK. I'd like to do a diary of the trip, blog etc but have no clue as to where to start. Thinking about starting a Facebook account solely for the trip and uploading photos and blurb on a semi regular basis. I definitely do not do complicated or involved internet stuff...just the very basics.

John Saxby

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Re: My upcoming world tour Nomad and kit
« Reply #19 on: March 01, 2017, 09:25:54 PM »
Quote
I'd like to do a diary of the trip, blog etc but have no clue as to where to start. Thinking about starting a Facebook account solely for the trip and uploading photos and blurb on a semi regular basis. I definitely do not do complicated or involved internet stuff...just the very basics.

Derek, occasional posts and photos here will be very welcome!

Also, a number of us post our stories on www.crazyguyonabike.com  It's pretty straightforward.  (Some of us, like me, are more basic still, writing our stories with pen(cil) & paper, and post after the fact.)

Enjoy your great adventure!

mickeg

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Re: My upcoming world tour Nomad and kit
« Reply #20 on: March 02, 2017, 03:49:15 PM »
Agree with Saxby, Crazy Guy on a Bike is a very good place to post trip reports.  And you can give your friends the link once you start one so they can keep track of what you are doing.  Some people have their own website, but I think they try to get advertising revenue.  The Crazy Guy site is not that user friendly, but many of us go to that site first when trying to research a location that we have not traveled before.  My last two trips, I first researched the locations on the Crazy Guy site to see what others had to say.

I do not know if you know how to true up a wheel with a spoke wrench or not.  If not, I really think you should find a bike mechanic and ask them to teach you to true up a wheel with a spoke wrench.  And I think you should carry the spoke wrench you need for your size spoke nipples, there are different sizes.  Then if you break a spoke you know what to do.  I noted above you should carry spare spokes.  The rear wheel spokes are more important to carry than the front because they take a greater load and the rear spokes are a very unusual length that a lot of bike shops will not have in inventory.

Many other tasks, such as oil changes for the Rohloff, cable replacement for the Rohloff, etc., can be learned from you tube videos, those tasks can be learned later.  The Thorn video for oil changes is quite good, even though my Nomad is 4 years old, I still watch that video before I change the oil to remind myself of the process since I only do an oil change once a year.

From what I saw, it looked like you had every tool you may need, but just to make sure you might want to look at your bike with your multi-tool in hand and make sure that everything on the bike has a matching tool.  The odds are that you do not have a T20 wrench, that is needed to replace the Rohloff cables and also to remove the shifter from the handlebar.  Thus, you should get one if you do not have one.  (I am assuming that Rohloff has not changed their bolts since my hub was built.)

That said, there are a few tools that I think nobody carries on a bike, such as the tools to remove a bottom bracket, as if you need a bottom bracket you will likely be at a bike shop so they can provide that tool.  Crank arm puller, I do not carry one of those on my Thorn Sherpa when touring because if I have to remove a crank arm I will probably be at a bike shop.  You said you have a chain whip, but that would be on my list of tools to leave at home for the same reason.  A bike shop however might not have the special Rohloff tool to remove the sprocket, so that tool should be carried.

You said nothing about your touring partner's bike.  The two of you will only go as fast as the slowest rider, the two of you will only only enjoy the trip if both bikes work well.  So, everything I said about your bike applies to the other bike too.

RST Scout

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Re: My upcoming world tour Nomad and kit
« Reply #21 on: March 02, 2017, 10:44:03 PM »
Hi
This book might help you. There are lots of good tips and hints.https://books.travellingtwo.com/downloads/bike-touring-survival-guide-ebook/
Stay safe and enjoy yourselves.

Janet
Scout & Bettina's slave!