What are we riding?

I've had a lot of people ask me what kind of bikes we are all riding, so here is a quick bio on each of us:

Nick Morin’s 2009 Specialized Allez + BOB trailer:


This is a brand new bike, really meant more for racing than touring, but a good bike is a good bike no matter what. Nick tow’s a one-wheel BOB (Beast of Burden) trailer, which has a large single waterproof bag for all of his stuff. We found out in the first couple of days that it’s VERY hard to do loaded hill climbs with a double-chainring on the front of the bike. The rig is set up for speed, not distance or hills. The solution was elegantly simple: put a dinner-plate sized rear cassette on the back gear, bringing the drive train ratio to about 1:1, and hills become A LOT easier. The bike is otherwise stock except for new puncture-resistant Continental tires.

John O’Toole’s 2008 Surly Long Haul Trucker ‘Fatties Fit Fine”

This is THE RIG for long distance bike touring. It’s solid as a tank, with a chrome-molly frame, 40-spoke wheels and beefy 37 mm tires. I just learned that ‘fatties fit fine’ actually means that those large-diameter tires will fit into the forks and breaks, an expensive problem to resolve in other bikes. John has outfitted the bike with a Brooks B17 leather saddle, new handlebar cork (padding), two HUGE Arkel pannier bags, and a handlebar bag to finish it off. The LHT is really the way to bike tour trouble-free.



Tony’s 2005 Giant Boulder SE:


Tony decided to refit his existing mountain bike to suit touring needs. He took his stock bike and added more-durable Deore LX derailleur and XT wheel hubs. These components are simply more heavy-duty, and intended to handle the weight of long distance riding. The front suspension fork is stock, but has been tightened to allow for almost no flex. Tony also has front and rear Arkel pannier bags, and a Brooks B17 saddle. I’m jealous of how smooth this bike cruises.

Amanda Michaud’s 2002 Specialized Allez:


Amanda is riding a borrowed race bike very similar to Nick’s and mine. It’s a light weight rig with a carbon front fork, and is stock with the exception of a new Cloud 9 saddle. She decided to go light and stick with only two rear Axiom pannier bags. Her gear seems to be growing in height, as there is nowhere else to put it. Her latest creation is a mobile snack bar. She has taken to strapping red vines, cookies and cereal to the side of her rig so that we can all come along and snack. Its pretty grand.

Doug Lybck’s 2008 Specialized Allez:


Despite many discouraging comments about my decision to tour on a race bike, I’ve been completely pleased. I’m towing a 14 lb Burly Nomad trailer which keeps almost all of my gear weight off the bike. I’ve replaced the stock wheel set with a bladed Vuelta pair with Bontrager Race Lite tires. My Brooks B17 saddle is keeping my butt happy. I’ve taped over all the identifying marks to keep it from getting stolen. No problems yet, except for 5 flat tires……