Bikes and Bits

As promised this is the boring bit where I share information on the kit we’re using during the trip. Ok, so now I’m talking to myself but who knows, somebody may stumble across this site and be interested to know all the toys that I’ve wasted the kid’s inheritance on. The idea is that, at the end of the trip, I’ll review the kit and let my reader know where to pick up the rubbish bits on ebay .

The bikes are Specialized Vita Sport and Specialized Sirrus Elite with Shimano A530 Pedals and Schwalbe marathon plus tyres. Bikes were chosen on the advice of friends and from research on the net. I wanted drop bars and the full road racing bike image. The reason being that, as a kid, I had the all steel  Raleigh Special with full chain guard, full mud guards, dynamo, saddle bag, bell, and a cycling proficiency flag fixed to the handlebars. My brother had the Falcon road bike. I looked like a ship yard worker while he looked like he was on his way to the Tour de France. Unfortunately, this time round, common sense made me choose the Specialized hybrid and now I look like an old demented shipyard worker in his lycra long johns. We did 4,000 km last year and they’re very comfortable and reliable bikes.

We thought long and hard whether to go for trailers or panniers. Trailers won and we chose Carry Freedom - Freedom City Trailers. They’re light, versatile, stable and don’t look out of place being wheeled into an hotel. The hitch to the bike is innovative – a lump of polymer.  If it falls apart in less than 7500km, I’ll not be a happy Easter bunny.

In the next exciting instalment, I’ll tell you all about our tent. …..

Bye the way Mary’s doing fine.