Which spare parts to get before riding into Central Asia?

[crazytraveler]

I have ridden 11,000 Km around Europe and soon I will be cycling into Istanbul and Asia.

I have quite a few spare parts with me and I am thinking what else should I get delivered while still in the European Union, so delivery is not that expensive, there is no customs and no hold ups.

My girlfriend and I are cycling self-supported, less than 5€ a day budget, with 2 Thorn Nomad bikes cycling around the World. My bike with the luggage weights around 70 kilos at the moment.

My main worry is when and where I will be able to get delivers or buy stuff at more or less normal prices.

We recently changed the chain and turn around the sprockets. And we have spares for the chain and sprocket. No needs there.

We changed Rohloff oil 6,000 Km ago, so we should be changing it in Central Asia, so I am thinking what is better to get... 2 little oil kits or the 250ml all-seasons oil and 250ml cleaning oil so I don't need to be buying oil when in the middle of Asia.

We have ridden 9,500Km with our Mondial tires and they look great, but I was thinking we might need to get spares already since they might break in the middle of Turkmenistan -for example-. What would you do? I can get them "cheap" now... Should I get 4 new ones and carry them all? Should I buy just 2 spares? Should I buy 4 new ones and change them all and keep 1 or 2 of the old ones as spare? Where I will be able to get "cheap" Marathon tires again?

I just changed the brake pads, maybe it would be good to get some new ones. Any alternative V brake pads for CSS rims that you would recommend besides the ones that came with the bikes?

I have tools to fix most of the stuff, spare inner tubes (I have never had to change them yet)... What else would I need?

[jags]

Ah you know that old saying ...if it ain't broke don't fix it.
or you could buy 2 of everything 2 be sure 2 be sure.

[richie thornger]

Where in central Asia are you going?

IMO I would order anything that is small and light now that you think you might need. Oil kits are tiny I would get them now.

I had a few things sent out to me in Turkey and Pakistan via DHL and it was major pain.
Although my stuff sent to me in Turkey was my own used gear the customs still wanted to charge me for it.
In Pakistan the parcel got as far as Lahore (1 x fold up dureme tyre) and they wanted me to pay tax. About £5. Trouble was I was in Gilgit which is a 24 hour bus ride away.
Fortunately I found someone in Lahore to go and do it for me but it could have been a major pain.

I won't use DHL or any courier again, I'll just take my chances with the post office. I've heard this of quite a few long term travellers.
Every Post Office in every country I visited got my parcels and letters out to me or arrived home safely in the time quoted.

Safe Travels

[crazytraveler]

Where in central Asia are you going?

IMO I would order anything that is small and light now that you think you might need. Oil kits are tiny I would get them now.

I had a few things sent out to me in Turkey and Pakistan via DHL and it was major pain.
Although my stuff sent to me in Turkey was my own used gear the customs still wanted to charge me for it.
In Pakistan the parcel got as far as Lahore (1 x fold up dureme tyre) and they wanted me to pay tax. About £5. Trouble was I was in Gilgit which is a 24 hour bus ride away.
Fortunately I found someone in Lahore to go and do it for me but it could have been a major pain.

I won't use DHL or any courier again, I'll just take my chances with the post office. I've heard this of quite a few long term travellers.
Every Post Office in every country I visited got my parcels and letters out to me or arrived home safely in the time quoted.

Safe Travels

Yeah! I have been dealing with orders already in the Balkans and it has been a pain in the ass, I can imagine how it would be in Asia... It is because of that I am thinking of ordering all kind of stuff.

I don't even know my route, I am going all around the world without much of a plan. But, most likely and because of visa restrictions, we would go in this order to Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Turkey, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, *stan, *stan... direction to China, Mongolia...

[richie thornger]

What passport do you have? Not British? No Iran if your British unless you want to pay £200 per day for a government approved guide.

[crazytraveler]

What passport do you have? Not British? No Iran if your British unless you want to pay £200 per day for a government approved guide.

No, no British passport, I am Spanish and my girlfriend is Latvian. I am aware about it!

[Matt2matt2002]

Yeah! I have been dealing with orders already in the Balkans and it has been a pain in the ass, I can imagine how it would be in Asia... It is because of that I am thinking of ordering all kind of stuff.

I don't even know my route, I am going all around the world without much of a plan. But, most likely and because of visa restrictions, we would go in this order to Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Turkey, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, *stan, *stan... direction to China, Mongolia...

Nice route but I think you will find Iran difficult if you have a UK or USA passport.
UK folk need to hirer a guide to be with them the whole way.
Unless that has changed in the last month.

I hope to head in that direction next year. Do you keep a blog?
Good luck
Matt

[Matt2matt2002]

Ha ha
Ritchie beat me to it.
He's been there - so listen to him rather than an arm-chair tourist like me!

Good luck.
Got a blog?

Matt

[richie thornger]

Ah good, I'm very jealous. I was lucky I went to Iran in 2013 twice. I loved it. So easy to cycle tour there, Caspian Sea coast will drive you crazy though Helloooo Meeester!
I took spare brake and gear cables, 2 x rohloff oil , rohloff cog removal tool, spare rear cog, and that was it.
I ordered new Mondial tyres to replace my Duremes because I had a puncture on average every 3 days in Iran!!
My chain wore out and I just replaced it with a local one. £2 fitted in Sri Lanka Didn't last long though.

[richie thornger]

Sorry off topic..but http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g293998-i9139-k7232531-No_More_Independent_Iran_Travel_for_British_Canadians-Iran.html
will give you current update on the Iran situation.

[richie thornger]

Oh yeah and I had a cartridge bottom bracket removal tool as well. I think that's it.

[richie thornger]

I just realised i answered your question on warmshowers Pablo. I didn't realise

[crazytraveler]

Ha ha
Ritchie beat me to it.
He's been there - so listen to him rather than an arm-chair tourist like me!

Good luck.
Got a blog?

Matt

Yeah, I do. ;-)

My blog is http://en.thecrazytravel.com/ and if you understand Spanish you can get more updated stuff on http://thecrazytravel.com/ ;-)

But I am trying (on my tasks list) to write as often in English as in Spanish.

[crazytraveler]

I just realised i answered your question on warmshowers Pablo. I didn't realise

I saw! ;-)

Oh yeah and I had a cartridge bottom bracket removal tool as well. I think that's it.

Ah good, I'm very jealous. I was lucky I went to Iran in 2013 twice. I loved it. So easy to cycle tour there, Caspian Sea coast will drive you crazy though Helloooo Meeester!
I took spare brake and gear cables, 2 x rohloff oil , rohloff cog removal tool, spare rear cog, and that was it.
I ordered new Mondial tyres to replace my Duremes because I had a puncture on average every 3 days in Iran!!
My chain wore out and I just replaced it with a local one. £2 fitted in Sri Lanka Didn't last long though.

Haha, I was backpacking 6 months around SE Asia, I am too used to the Heeellooooo Meeester! haha

I am thinking to get spare brake cables, I only carry gear cables. Being 2 I am considering buying the big 250ml oil instead of the little 25ml, it is cheaper... but heavier. I have the removal for rohloff and tools for bottom bracket and so on. I am considering buying another 4x Mondial tires and replace them when they start to fail, but carry the extra 3 kilos on spare tires for a while...

[richie thornger]

I guess it depends on how soon you think you will need the tires and carrying that extra weight vs possible problem with customs/extra cost.
Another idea is to get in contact with a warmshowers host in a destination you know you will be travelling and send it ahead.

Iran is sooooo much more Helloooooo Meester than anywhere I've ever been. On the coast road on the Caspian Sea I had more than ten cars queueing to wait and speak to me whilst I was cycling along.
Everyone asked exactly the same questions of course. I've never been that stressed by people being nice before. It never ends.
That said, I would go back tomorrow if I could