If you don’t live in Europe and want to order GripGrab products read below.

GrabGrab Arctic Shoe Covers

Cost: €49.90 (minus 19% VAT)

What the Company Claims: Arctic is the warmest shoe cover for cycling available. Made from 4 mm waterproof neoprene with a thick fleece. Comfort Zone 0 to -10 °C.

Why I bought them: They are the thickest shoe cover that I could find and despite the price tag after reading this review I decided to give them a try to see if they are as good as the company claims.

Link: GrabGrab Arctic Shoe Covers

GripGrab Polaris Gloves

Cost: €39.95 (minus 19% VAT)

What the Company Claims: Polaris gloves are both wind and waterproof with a comfort zone of +5 to -5 °C.

Why I bought them: My old ski gloves are getting a little worse for wear, plus I was already going to be paying for international shipping on the Arctic Shoes Covers so I thought I’d try them out.

Link: GripGrab Polaris Gloves

How to get GribGrab Products Internationally

It proved more difficult than I first thought as GripGrab products are only available in selected European countries.

After several dead-ends due to a lack of international shipping information, options, or English support, I finally found Sonja from B&T Bikestore in the Netherlands.

She was willing to go out of her way to help me, even though it seemed as if they did not usually fill orders out side of Europe.

B&T Bikestore shipped my order via TNT for €25.00 after a few months of stock shortage, during which time Sonja kept me updated – GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE!

Their website http://www.bikeandtravel.nl is in Dutch, however Google translate does the job. The companies contact information can be found here : B&T Bikestore Contact Information. One last piece of information worth mentioning is that they only accept Paypal and wire transfers from overseas.

Thank you Sonja for helping me get the gear that I wanted.

The Storm Trooper is by far the single most expensive piece of clothing I have in my touring gear, but totally worth the expense. I previously wrote about my initial impressions in a review here. Here are my thoughts 3 years later.

Pricing Note: Products that are shipped outside of New Zealand do not get charged 15% GST (NZ’s VAT). The price I quote below is what I paid while living in South Korea unless otherwise stated.

Shipping Note: Shipping of the orders cost between $5-12 NZD which is next to nothing for international. My orders generally took the standard 8-10 working days to arrive

Storm Trooper Jacket

Cost: Purchased Aug 2008 for $279 NZD + 5 Shipping (not GST free). The current price of the jacket has gone up slightly by $20 NZD. For shipping outside NZ it currently retails at $260 NZD.

Durability: AMAZING. 3 years of harsh conditions an no signs of wear. The velcro is still strong and I have had no problems with any of the zips. Have only cleaned it twice.

Likes: EVERYTHING. If I were to get into specifics, the shape of the hood is great. Their website states that it is designed to “fit snugly under your helmet – without blocking peripheral vision or restricting movement” I’d call it designed to not be bloody annoying and love this feature.

Dislikes: The only dislike which I have is the underarm zips are hard to open while riding, especially as I often have gloves on. They also get caught on the inside zipper flap. I noticed on Katies She Shell (female equivalent jacket) that bigger zips are on the newer version, so this is a moot point.

Overall Performance and Usage: My “Agent Orange” Storm Trooper has taken a beaten through rain storms in China to freezing cold temps over passes in Kyrgzstan and Switzerland. This jacket is made to protect in rainstorms (expect after 8 hours of constant downpour where only a wet suit would have done the job) but more importantly I have found it most valuable on cold windy days and long downhills. The light weight build of the Storm Trooper makes layering easy on those cold days. On my recommendation 3 friends have also bought this jacket, or the female version (The She Shell) and despite the initial sticker shock (yip it is expensive) absolutely love it.

Ground Effect has it spot on with The Storm Trooper. Light-weight, great shape and super waterproof, you can’t go wrong with it.

Storm Trooper Jacket in Action

Link to Product: Storm Trooper Jacket

Pricing Note: Products that are shipped outside of New Zealand do not get charged 15% GST (NZ’s VAT). The price I quote below is what I paid while living in South Korea unless otherwise stated.

Shipping Note: Shipping of the orders cost between $5-12 NZD which is next to nothing for international. My orders generally took the standard 8-10 working days to arrive

Ranchslider Bike Pants

Cost: Purchased Feb 2009 for $124 NZD + 12 Shipping (GST free).
The current price of the pants has gone up slightly on their site to $130 NZD + shipping.

Durability: EXCELLENT. I have used the pants for over two years including as my only pair of pants on the 6 month Eurasian tour. They make an excellent pair of off-bike pants for the end of a days ride too. I also use them for camping and hiking when I’m not biking. After 2.5 years of solid use the pants show little signs of wear. The velcro used to taper the pants at the ankle stopping chain suck is still holding strong.

Likes: They don’t feel awkward or uncomfortable when riding, nor do they ride up my butt. Great wind breaking performance. Dry Quickly. Using them as normal pants as well meant one less piece of clothing in my bike touring gear.

Dislikes: None, but the latest version of their pants does not have front zipped pockets. I find the zipped pockets on mine extremely useful and safe for keeping things in them while riding. The new pants have a zipped back pocket. I never use the back pocket in my pants, mainly because I am sitting on it, so I do not see the value in having the zip at the back. The latest version also doesn’t have adjustable pulls to tighten or loosen the pants which I find useful – Sure the latest version has belt loops, but that would mean having to carry a belt and riding with one. Another feature change is changing from velcro to a dome clip to taper the cuffs and stop chain suck.

Overall Performance and Usage: Ranchslider pants continue to be an excellent multi purpose addition to my biking gear and will be coming with me to Turkey next year. They are perfect for cold weather riding, completely blocking the wind and dry extremely quickly when wet. It should eb noted that they remain warm even when wet. I also found them very comfortable folded up as part of my pillow during the hot summer months in Central Asia. They would wick the sweat away stopping my Thermarest pillow for becoming soaked. Overall totally worth the cost.

Link to Product: Ground Effect Ranchsliders

For now check out the video of us dressed to the nines in Ground Effect Gear

Time For Some Reviews

Having put a wide variety of their clothing to the test for over 3 years now, through more than 20 countries and 20,000 km in every weather condition possible, I have decided that maybe it’s time I wrote a review or two on the durability of each item, usefulness, likes (a lot) and dislikes (there are some)

Ground Effect Gear I Currently or Have Owned

+ Body Bag (review soon…)
+ Rock Lobster (review soon…)
+ Berglar (review soon…)
+ Storm Trooper (read review)
+ Zig Zags (review soon…)
+ Half Pipes (review soon…)
+ Baked Beanie (review soon…)
+ Lucifers (review soon…)
+ Toe Rags (review soon…)
+ Quickdraws (review soon…)
+ Baked Alaska (review soon…)
+ Two Timer (review soon…)
+ Ranchsliders (read review)
+ Supersonics (review soon…)
+ Sputniks (review soon…)
+ Slingshot (review soon…)

Stay Tuned…….

My Qatar Airways Experience

Flight: Seoul, South Korea -> Istanbul, Turky
Date: April 2011
Weight Limit: 1 piece, 23kg + 7kg carry on + an additional 10kg FREE
Packing: Bicycles may be carried as checked baggage or cargo. They must be properly packed in a strong purpose-made cardboard box. Tires should be deflated, pedals removed, and handlebars turned and fixed length ways.

You may not read the whole post, so I just want to say. Make sure that you TAKE A COPY of their SPORTING EQUIPMENT RULES with you to the airport just in case, but you are definitely entitled to 10kg EXTRA FREE – read why below

The Saga to Confirm Free Allowance

If you have flown with a bike before you know what a pain in the ass it can be, especially as most airlines are now charging by the extra kilogram, so you can imagine how happy I was when I came across a link on the Qatar Airways Baggage Rules that said “What if I want to check-in sports equipment?”

Curious, I clicked through and there is was. 10KG FREE. “Surely not,” I thought to myself. “There must be a catch.”

Being the thorough planner that I am, I decided to give the airline a call. I really didn’t feel like a conversation in Konglish (English + Korean) so I decided to try the Australian office first.

It should be noted that under normal circumstances that extra 10kg would cost $130 USD ($260 return trip) according to their excess baggage rates. Quite the savings considering the next option was Emirates (see bikes on planes, Emirates) at more than $300 above the Qatar ticket.

Call #1 – Australian Qatar Customer Service
A very polite woman informed me that there would be a $13 USD charge per kilogram over the limit as the sporting equipment limit applied to teams only. Hmmm. That’s not how it read on the website but oh well, I must have read the site wrong. I mulled on this for a day. Why did their website say one thing, but their customer support say another.

I decided to call once more.

Call #2 – Australian Qatar Customer Service
Got a not so nice Australian woman who told me I was wrong and that I shouldn’t be ringing Australia anyway as the flight will originate from Seoul so I should take it up with the South Korea office. I politely asked her if she could please read the website and confirm that what I am reading is wrong. I could hear her grumbling then putting me on hold. Finally she come back and said apparently that is what it says on the website but if you were to fly from Australia Qatar would not let you do this according to her baggage rules that she had in the system. She said that I needed to call head office in Doha, Qatar.

Call #3 – Doha, Qatar Main Office
This was a short call. The lady said she would redirect me to cargo and hang up disconnecting me.

Call #4 & 5 – Doha, Qatar Main Office
Rang back and got the number to the Cargo department, who promptly told me that it was nothing to do with them and I need to ring the main office again as they shouldn’t have sent me there.

Call #6 + redirects – Doha, Qatar Main Office
OK, by now I was getting annoyed at being given the run around, and my skype account just charged me another $20 bucks. At one point I began arguing with the lady. I told here that the Qatar website said I could have the free limit and therefore Qatar was false advertising. I asked her to please connect me with someone who I can lay a complaint with. I believe this went on for about 20 minutes, me telling them to read their own website, and them telling me that I was wrong.

Finally I was put on hold. 5 minutes later a very nice gentleman came on the line and said “Sir, I have just taken a look at our site and it looks like you are correct.”

NO SHOCKER THERE, I learned to read English at an early age.

He continued to inform me that if it is on their website then it must be true and therefore legally binding. I asked for a written assurance before I spend $2500 USD (2 tickets) so that I would not have this very same problem at Incheon Airport here in Korea. He then replied that to be honest he didn’t know that this information was on the website until just know. He said that the Qatar website had literally been updated a week or two prior to my phone call and that I should take a copy of the page just in case.

Now I don’t run a multi-million dollar airline, but I’m pretty sure that if there were to be changes in baggage rules, (one of the top reasons customer services are called) you’d think that it would be a good idea to inform your customer service – just sayin.

Long story short, tickets are booked, The girlfriend and I are off to cycle Turkey in a few months and fingers crossed I will be able to write a glowing report of how well we were treated by Qatar Airways.

UPDATE: After the calls I also used there help ticket system for confirmation. Here is a copy of the reply stating that I was reading their website correctly.

My Qantas Experience

Flight: Seoul, South Korea -> Christchurch, New Zealand
Date : November 2009
Weight Limit: 1 piece, 23kg + 7kg carry on

23kg plus a carry on did not cut it for my bike, panniers and all the gear associated with a long cycle tour.

Like most airlines these days Qantas will allow you to check your bike as part of your “Free Bag Allowance” as long as it is boxed/packaged correctly. The new weight-based baggage allowances for any excess baggage however will cost you a small fortune.

Had I not mailed home about 10-15 kgs of gear by economy mail in South Korea, which cost under $50 USD, I would have had to fork out an additional $367.50 AUD (price for 15kg as of Sept 2011)

(See Qantas Additional Baggage Allowance Charges)

Other Online Bikes by Plane Resources
http://www.ibike.org/encouragement/travel/bagregs.htm
http://www.bikeaccess.net/bikeaccess/BikeBoxs_DB.cfm

Excellent Bike Packing Instructions using CDC bag
http://travellingtwo.com/resources/flying-with-a-bicycle-in-a-plastic-ctc-bag
http://www.cycletourer.co.uk/cycletouring/planes.shtml

My Emirates Experience

Flight: London, England -> Seoul, South Korea
Date : November 2009
Weight Limit: 1 piece, 32kg + 7kg carry on (see Emirates for up-to-date information)

Emirates had no problem counting my bike in my one piece 32 kg limit which is the weight limit for flights from Europe to Asia, and a very generous weight limit compared to most airlines that only offer 20-23kg for the same flight.

Was able to break down my Surly Long Haul Trucker and pack it into my Ground Effect Body Bag. Used my panniers to pad it for protection and added my tent and other gear to bring the bag right up to the 32 kg limit.

Managed to get the rest of my gear that I used for the 6 month tour under the weight restrictions using the 7kg carry on for the rest in my rear Crosso roll bag.

I had to wear a few extra layers of clothes when I boarded, and also had a small back pack with my computer and electronics, but was definitely doable.

Other Online Bikes by Plane Resources
http://www.ibike.org/encouragement/travel/bagregs.htm
http://www.bikeaccess.net/bikeaccess/BikeBoxs_DB.cfm

Excellent Bike Packing Instructions using CDC bag
http://travellingtwo.com/resources/flying-with-a-bicycle-in-a-plastic-ctc-bag
http://www.cycletourer.co.uk/cycletouring/planes.shtml

“They claimed to be The World’s Only Folding Portable Bicycle Stand,” so I thought it would be worth looking into.

At first I was hesitant Having one more piece of gear that could fall off or get lost seemed like a lot for just a stand. Sure I could put it in a bag, but in my mind the whole point of a bike stand was to make life quick and easy.

However after looking at other options, I decided to bite the bullet and spend $31 on the Click-Stand Max** (suggested for loaded bikes), $2 on the Fat Foot**, Side-Bracket** $7.00 and $5.41 shipping (within the US) totaling $45.41 USD.

** See bottom of article for detailed gear information

First thoughts, this is an expensive stand, it better live up to its claim.

“Click-Stand is designed to support every type of bicycle, including loaded touring bicycles and tandems. Stop looking for a place to lean your bike. Never lay your ride on the ground again!”

So last week I went on a 4 day jaunt around the Korean countryside and got my first chance to try it out. Here are my thoughts and conclusion.

Things I Liked

* Very quick. Was even worth using when I was just getting off my bike for a few minutes.
* The side bracket sits it nice and flush with my drink bottle. Didn’t knock it once with my leg on or off the bike.
* Extremely light, yet held my bikes weight no problem.
* Worked perfectly on all surfaces.

Things I Didn’t Like or Had Problems With

* My front wheel kept turning inwards which made initially balancing the bike frustrating. This may be because I am just getting used to it and there are pictures on the official site that have the wheel turned in, but it would occasionally go to far, and I was worried that it would cause the bike to fall. (never did on this trip) I got around this by leaning (or turning) my front wheel into another object.

* The Brake-Band used to lock the brakes struggled to pull hard enough on stop the wheel from moving. I have ergo handle grips and therefore could’nt get the band all the way to the end of the brake lever as it would slip back down the handle bar grip.

* I only took the one (for my front brake) and it broke at an inopportune moment on the 3rd day of riding. I was able to fix it later that evening – the elastic rope had pulled out of its socket. Next time I will take a spare. It also occasionally bugged me by bing on the handle bar, but I’m being picky here.

* The longest time I spent with the stand was actually reattaching it to my bike as the velcro strap on the side bracket kept moving.

Conclusion

Looks like I have a lot of complaints, but I wanted to give an honest view of how I felt using it for the first time. Teething problems and issues aside the click-stand gets A BIG THUMBS UP as I didn’t have to once pick my loaded bike up off the ground. Sure I still used trees now and then, but it helped rather than hindered and definitely made life on the road just a little easier, plus it was really handy keeping the bike upright and in the sun for my new solar panels (review to follow) and that is all I can ask for.

Detailed Information of Specific Click-Stand Parts I Purchased

(from http://www.click-stand.com/Click-Stand_Products.html)

Click-Stand Max ~ The Max is made from 11mm Aluminum tubing, and comes in four segments. The Max is intended for tandems, loaded touring bikes, bikes with trailers, and long wheel base recumbents. If you intend to use panniers, or load your bike, get a Max. There is no tested weight limit; I think that if you are willing to pedal it down the road, a Max will hold it up!

Side Bracket ~ This is a handy way to carry your Click-Stand if you don’t have a bag to hold it. This is a resized Topeak Mini-pump bracket which securely holds your Click-Stand with a Velcro strip. Attaches under your water bottle cage.

Fat-Foot ~ Fits only a Max Click-Stand. Helps to keep the foot from sinking into soft soil. Most helpful for loaded touring bikes particularly when camping.

On a usual multi-day trip I would take cooking gear. Why not this time?

In the first couple of days I plan on doing as many mountain climbs as possible so weight does start to become an issue. Seeing as Korea is rife with little shops and restaurants I am choosing to eat out, or at least get a couple of boxes of fried chicken. This will also mean that I can cycle until dusk or beyond, whereas usually I would stop an hour or so before to allow time for cooking.

I am missing one very useful piece of equipment, my Crazy Creek. OK it’s not really necessary, but I do love sitting in it when the day is done.

I am also testing out a couple new gadgets on this trip:

Click-Stand (Read my post ride review here)
Been thinking about some sort of way to prop my bike up lately. Conventional stands don’t really cut it when it comes to loaded bikes so I decided to get custom made Click-Stand. It comes highly recommended from my New Zealand Friend Dave Collett (DC on a Bike) who just finished yet another cycle trip around NZ and is getting ready for his own big world cycle adventure. Looking forward to seeing how the Click-Stand “holds up.” Terrible humor I know.

Kodak Zx3 Camera
One of the biggest things I regret from the Eurasia ride was not filming more of the experiences. On that trip I used my canon compact camera which did a good job but was always an afterthought, so last month the Kodak Zx3 Playsport Video Camera was added to my cycling arsenal in the hopes that a piece of specific equipment will encourage me to film more. We’ll see.

Nomad 7m Goal Solar Panel Charger
A birthday present from my amazing girlfriend whom I wish was able to come on this trip with me. The Goal Nomad 7M replaces my Solio Charger which I broke in Germany.

Why carry solar panels?

As you will see from my long list of electronics below I require a lot of things to be recharged along the way in order to film, listen to music, and gather GPS data. Even though I carry spare batteries for these gadgets, I’m using this trip as a test to see the amount of charging the Nomad can produce for some much longer trips in the near future.

Here is the extensively anal gear list:

Types of Panniers I Use

To carry all my gear on my Scott Sub 20 I have a Crosso back bag, 2 x Arkel XM-28 Front Panniers and an Ortlieb Handlebar Bag.

The total weight the panniers will be carrying this trip is 17kgs/37lbs. This excludes daily snacks, food, and water (usually 2-3 liters on my bike)

Camping Gear in Back Bag (Weight 6.9kgs/15lbs)

I stow all my camping gear in my Crosso back bag for quick access at night. I like to know that if it’s dark that I can grab one bag and all the gear needed to set-up quickly is in one place including my headlamp. I found a great bungee cord at a local sports store which I use to secure the top bag. It is the same one that lasted for 6 months across Eurasia and has a strong plastic hook at each end making really simple to get on and off. Also works well as a clothes line.

+ Tent
+ Sleeping Bag
+ Prolite Thermarest Sleeping bag
+ Silk Liner
+ Thermarest Pillow (large) – don’t travel without
+ Petzel Headlamp

To me, a good nights sleep is one of the most important thing when I’m on a trip, even if it’s only for a few hours. Therefore I do not scrimp when it comes to weight here, hence the Thermarest Pillow. Sure I could use my clothes, but this pillow has made for many a comfortable night in an uncomfortable place. The small version of this can be bought on Gmarket here in South Korea.

Bike Equipment + On the Bike

I use an Ortlieb Handlebar bag (which I managed to buy here in South Korea from CityBikes) for easy access to snacks, camera and things like that, and a small Topeak under seat bag to store bike tools. On the Eurasian tour a front bag was a last minute purchase arriving a day before the trip and proved to be one of the best pieces of gear. It makes it very easy to store valuable items and detaches very easily meaning you can take it off your bike while in a restaurant or shop.

+ Garmin GPS – eTrex Vista® HCx
+ Cateye Wireless speedo
+ 2 Std Drink Bottles
+ Spare Zip Ties – for when you are in a bind. Mwahaha
+ Small adjustable wrench
+ Small Needle nose Pliers
+ Cotton work gloves (save getting oil/dirt on hands when fixing the bike)
+ Multi-Purpose tool set
+ Puncture Repair Kit / Bike pump / Spare Tube
+ Chain Oil
+ La Crosse Anemometer affectionately named Bear Grylls – Weather tool measuring temp and wind speed. Why? Saw Bear Grylls use one on an episode of Man Vs Wild and thought it looked cool
+ Small Camping Knife
+ Bike Lock
+ Ayup Front Light – designed to quickly attach to my Ortlieb Front Bag (see how)
+ Small pad for sitting on during breaks
+ Click-Stand (Read my post ride review here)

Electronics

Not really much to be said here. I’m a gadget man and am trying out a few new things this trip.

+ 2 Ayup Large Batteries
+ Nomad 7m Goal Solar Panel Charger + 8 x AA rechargeable batteries
+ Nikon D90 DSLR Camera with AF-S DX VR Zoom-NIKKOR 18-200mm Lens
+ Kodak Zx3 Playsport Video Camera + Mini Tripod
+ Ipod Touch
+ USB cords for GPS, phone, ipod and video camera
+ Motorola Motoroi Smart Phone

Clothing

I generally travel with two sets of bike clothes, but when it comes to off the bike clothing I travel super light. I go by the theory that if I have have all my clothes on and am warm that is more than enough, anything leftover is not needed. Of course the amount of clothing is heavily dependent on the time of year and I am doing this trip in the middle of summer so only need the bare minimum.

For the Bike

+ 2 Pair of Lycra Bike Shorts
+ Short Sleeve Bike Shirt
+ Singlet
+ Sunglasses, Spare Lenses (Clear for night riding) & Take-a-look Mirror
+ Helmet
+ Cycling Gloves and Headsweat
+ 2 Pair of Ankle Socks
+ Buff
+ Storm Trooper Waterproof Shell + Waterproof Pants
+ Clipless Bike Shoes

Off the Bike

+ Crocs
+ One Pair of Quick Drying Shorts
+ One t-shirt
+ One Marino Warm Top
+ One Pair of Underwear
+ Camping Towel
+ Doosan bears cap

Toiletries & Medical Supplies

+ First Aid Kit
+ Ankle Bandage

Even if it’s just a day ride I always make sure that at least one person has a small medical kit with the basics. On longer trips this becomes more comprehensive. Before the Eurasian trip all 4 members of the did an Emergency First Responders Course here in South Korea and even though we never had to use the skills learned it felt good to know that my other teamies had my back. I will be doing this again in the near future.

+ Magnesium Pills + Salt (I often get cramps at the end of a long days ride)
+ Sunblock
+ Silicone Barrier cream (stops chaffing)
+ Asthma Inhaler
+ Toothbrush + Toothpaste
+ Imodium (you just never know, and cycling doesn’t stop for a case of the runs)
+ Couple of Spare Ziploc Bags
+ Stick of Deodorant
+ Lip balm
+ Mosquito Repellent
+ Antihistamines
+ Ibuprohen
+ Eye drops

And that’s it. I’m sure there will be things I have forgotten and need along the way, but for now it’s time to ride.

Immediately after I mentioned this, Katie turned around, looked at us lads and said “I know what 3 things I wished I hadn’t brought.”

It’s taken a while to get around to writing this for you Craig, but here you are. Due to our excellent planning skills, these lists are very small.

Things I wish I didn’t bring

Jared – A few too many clothes, a bike computer that chews through batteries
Katie – Temper
David – A big-ass camera
Tom – Maybe, maybe my Nikon, though I love the pics it takes.

(Since being on this trip David, Katie and myself have sent a least one box of things home each)

Things I wish I had taken

Jared – More sunscreen, more butt cream, and someone to cook me a leg of roast lamb
Katie – iPod headphones and an iTouch,
David – Better bike rims, better pump, Crazy Creek seat
Tom – Thermos flask for cold drinks, more-detailed Chinese maps for the GPS

Things I’m glad I took with me

Jared – Crazy Creek seat, mini rear-view mirror, laptop
Katie – Crazy Creek seat, Thermorest pillow, neck buff, sense of humor
David –
Tom – Handlebar bag, iPod touch, solar charger

This is a Crazy Creek

Tom and I have this solar charger

Bike rear-view mirrors have also proved themselves invaluable

If there is something that you would like us to write about, send an email to us using our contact form or write to us on Facebook.

When it comes to cycle touring there is also the option of hiding cash on/in your bike. So David a great idea to hide a bunch of cash inside his front bike wheel between the tube and the tire.

In theory a fantastic idea. No one would ever think of looking for cash there but……

Well the picture says it all. Ten days of riding, two days of rain and the pressure of his fully laden recumbent literally tore his nice new 100 Yuan notes into pieces.

Thankfully we were in Beijing and after a slightly embarrassing wait while a kind Chinese teller painstakingly pieced the notes back together David received nice new notes which he then proceeded to put back in his front tire.

Just kidding, lesson learned.

Which brings us to the question “What would Mcgyver do??

Problem : Seat collar screw literally snaps in half
Solution : Find a Chinese man to drill it out and buy a bolt, in my case a quick release bolt to hold it on

Problem : Mud guards are slightly too short for my 700CC tires causing two days of mud and water to be flung all of me and my gear
Solution : Duct tape and part of a plastic bottle to extend the mudguard. David’s idea and works like a charm.

Problem : Rear pannier top plastic bar breaks ?this is potentially going t be a bigger problem down the track
Solution (for now) : Zip tie it up and hope it can hold the weight of the gear.

I wish I could say that’s all that will be needed but I have a feeling our Mcgyver skills are going to be called upon many more times this trip.

Panniers are they are bags that attach to the bike racks with the intent of holding enough equipment for self-sustained tours over days, weeks, or in our case months. The two main brands of panniers are Arkel and Ortlieb.

Finally after months of waiting our panniers arrived helping us get one big step closer to having all the necessary gear for our trip next year.

For our rear panniers we decided to go with a lesser known brand name from Poland called Crosso which had been recommended by Jakub who also set-up and shipped our custom built Surly bikes. We chose this option based on price, quality and importantly waterproofing. Our Crosso panniers were also made to order so we were able to ask for a specific design changes, one being a zip in the top and a small pocket on the inside of the back panniers for stashing cash or valuable documentation. But the biggest design change was the addition of the Ortlieb QL1 hooking system.

The QL1 hooking system allows the bags to be easily taken on and off the bike racks using a quick release system. In theory this should save time and hassle when loading and unloading the bikes. Arkel has a similar system which we have been using throughout the year with our front panniers and have found it very useful.

The only downside to using the QL1 mounting system was that it had to come from New Zealand meaning we had to assemble to the panniers ourselves. This made for an interesting Sunday night. After a few hours of frustration and fiddling around with small screws and parts Tom and I were able to figure out how to put it all together.

Pannier setup and specifations for each bike:

Tom’s Surly
Front : Crosso Expert (capacity 2 x 40 liters)
Rear : Crosso Expert (capacity 2 x 60 liters)

Top Rear : Crosso Expert (capacity 1 x 50 liters)

Jared’s Surly
Front : Arkel XM-28 (capacity 2 x 28 liters)
Rear : Crosso Expert (capacity 2 x 60 liters)
Top Rear : Crosso Expert (capacity 1 x 50 liters)

Katie’s Surly
Front : Arkel XM-28 (capacity 2 x 28 liters)
Rear : Crosso Expert (capacity 2 x 60 liters)
Top Rear : Crosso Expert (capacity 1 x 50 liters)

Dave’s Grasshopper (recumbent)
Front : To be decided
Rear : Arkel RT-60 (capacity 2 x 60 liters)

Storm Trooper
Berglar

Tom and I have been doing a couple of day rides these past few weekends giving me a chance to try out some of the Ground Effect gear. I have to say I’m very impressed with it so far. One of the challenges we will face on the trip is keeping warm on those cold days while carrying as little clothing as possible, so layering will become very important and with the weather dipping to the cooler side here in South Korea it has become ideal for testing options out.

Last weekend it was a chilly 5 degrees (C) so I went with the Bergler as my under layer and used the Stormtrooper over the top. Perfect. Not cold, but not hot.

The Bergler did it’s job wicking the sweat away while keeping me warm, however when we finally took a break later in the day to take off some gear (now 15 degrees C) I found that the Bergler was quite damp making it a chilly next 5km till it dried. Having the under arm zips down on the Stormtrooper seemed to provide ample airflow under the jacket to keep me at a nice temperature but didn’t do much for drying the Bergler. To be expected I guess.

I will give it to the Stormtrooper jacket though. Just the previous weekend I wore just the Bergler and while going up hill on a semi-chilly day was fine, I was frozen by the bottom. Doing the same hill a week later with the jacket on and nothing. As a light weight windbreaker it is awesome. Only time will tell how it handles torrential rain. (still to be tested)

All in all I’d give them a combined rating of 9/10 as a lightweight option for layering up on those cool fall/spring mornings.

The biggest problem I had during the ride was keeping the feeling in my toes. I just received the zig-zag winter socks in the mail from Ground Effect so I’ll give them a try out this weekend when Dave, Tom, Kath and I head for the mountains of Seoraksan where it should be nice and cold. It will also give me a chance to try out the other gear that arrived yesterday – Half Pipes and a Baked Beanie.

As a final note I bought a White Bergler, at the time not really thinking about how dirty it would get. I’ve worn it for six 100+ km rides washing it every second ride which I will be a luxury if I can do that next year. The smellabilty factor is great (go merino) but it has definitely lost its white shine for a yellow/brownish tinge and in the future I would only go for dark colors.

Our first surprise was learning that the third bike (which we’d neglected to remove from its box on Sunday) was not olive like its siblings but cherry red. A quick size comparison confirmed that this was indeed the smallest frame and therefore Katie’s by default. [Cue envious thoughts from yours truly.]

There’s something to be said for taking pride in your work, and we were certainly proud enough when we finished the first one. Here’s Jared giving it a final check:

Jared was kind enough to photograph the spare parts that were supplied with the bikes for easier recollection and cataloguing at a later time.

Nothing quite says “I enjoy my work” like a half-crazed grin.

Jared’s machine, the largest, sports a 21″ frame and humongous 700mm tires. He may get vertigo up there.

I’m sure the various adjustable parts – seat height, handlebar angle etc -will be tinkered with more than few times before the trip, but for now, we have three fully-functioning bikes. All that’s needed now is panniers and we’re pretty much ready to rock and roll. Scary biscuits, indeed.

The thought of a slow, frostbitten death on the Kazakh Steppes may be the only thing stopping us from going earlier than planned.

Footnote: I took my Surly out for a quick run this afternoon to see if everything was properly affixed. It took about 10 minutes before deciding that on the pedestrian-filled bike paths of Bundang, without a bell or lights, and with darkness approaching, I might as well just run the bike into a wall. A quick visit to the bike store has now made the bike street-legal (if Korea even has legal requirements for bike safety), but methinks I need to be less scared of a few little scratches…tomorrow…or maybe Thursday…