4 Things I'll NEVER pack for a BIKE TOUR again
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ก.ค. 2024
- Over the last few years of travelling by bicycle, I've weeded out the bikepacking gear that just doesn't work for me. In this video I share 4 pieces of bike touring gear I would never pack again. What about you? Let me know if there's any gear you're done with in the comments!
FULL BIKE TOUR PACKING LIST
Although some things have changed, a still refer to my European bike tour packing list before each tour, and find it to be the perfect starting point. You can check out everything I packed to cycle across Europe here:
• EVERYTHING I Packed | ...
**FREE BIKE TOUR NUTRITION GUIDE**
Want to feel and ride your best on your next cycle tour? Grab my 5 nutrition tips for bike touring as well as 2 adaptable recipes in this FREE e-book:
mailchi.mp/5efdca9e20ae/bike-...
CHAPTERS
0:00 The bikepacking gear I'll never bring again
0:21 Why I don't ride clipless anymore
2:37 Battery-powered electronics for bike touring?
3:31 Too many groceries for bikepacking
4:35 Broken bottle cage frustrations
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I would love to hear your thoughts! Any bike touring gear you're done with?
I never wear Lycra/cycle clothing.
1. cos i dont like the stuff.
2. cos you're automatically gonna need a 2nd set of clothes. What you might call 'Evening wear' if you're off your bike in a hostel,campsite, pub/restaurant, food shop or where ever.
where ever possible, have one said of lightweight clothes you can wash and then wear again straight away.
Normal Shoes Gang 🤘
Hehe nice! 🙌
Old vans and hiking sandals crew here
Riding in clipless sandals 'can' work as one's only footwear as long as you're not touring in cold weather. My Keens are meh. But it's nice not needing additional footwear.
That said, I'm on a recumbent. So clipless are essential in keeping one's feet on the pedals without having to maintain pressure on them.
Thanks for the vid 👊
I'm a big believer in rechargeable stuff. I make sure I have plenty of power bricks, cords, and a hub for the overnight stay. I'll even bring a cheap power brick in case someone on my path is broken down and needs one. Always pay it forward.
Aww that’s so thoughtful! Love that :)
Flat pedal specific cycling shoes make a big difference with flat pedals. Stickier tread compound helps stick to the pedals better and they've got stiffer soles. Last year 5-10's were all too floppy so I went with crank brothers shoes. This year I just picked up the 5-10 DLX. Nice and stiff and 5-10 has the stickiest sole compound out there.
I totally agree with you about the clip less shoes, they are not practical. I also agree with your other points after 10K miles on a bike last 3 years.👍
These kinds of tips are so helpful!
Thanks Kathryn! ♥️
Thank you! I've heard about the clip Less shoe thing before. Thank you for confirming
I don't cook on tour. I recently discovered peanut butter in a squeeze tube. It's pure genius. No need to muck up a knife. Just buy some kind of flat bread (pitas, tortillas, etc.) and you can have a quick roadside meal. BTW, after 13 tours I still haven't found enough space for food on the bike. When will they make watermelon-compatible panniers?
I HATE clipless for most of the reasons you mention. Here's another. I have wide feet. Using touring-specific flat shoes or just any kind of shoe with a stiff-ish sole means you can find a shoe that fits.
For off-bike walking, I go with Teva sandals.
With you on all of these except the clipless pedals. When I tour I use pedals that are clipless on one side and flat on the other, meaning on the open road I get the benefit of clipless and in town or on steep hills when I might need to get a foot down quickly I ride on the flat slide. My tours are usually two weeks or less and the only shoes I take are MTB shoes with cleats.
There is no benefit to clipless.... Its just what you are used to. Flat pedals give you more options for changing up positions which makes long rides far better. You wouldn't fix your hands in a single position would you?
Great list, I still like clip in to keep my knee movement consistent because I now have setup dialed in and it helps with my various leg issue but I can see what you mean about accidents and over the long haul you want to avoid that.
I'm not yet to your level of cycle touring so my MTB shoes with the SPD cleats are still great for me. My off-the-bike shoes are Speedo water shoes with thick winter boot insoles inside them. They pack up nice and are VERY comfortable. But you NEED those insoles. As for bottle cages, I've had great luck with inexpensive carbon fiber ones. Bottles slide in and out much more easily.
Yup. Went to bmx pedals for touring years ago. Haven't regretted it since. I like to hike on tours sometimes and its nice to just carry one pair of shoes. I don't use a tent anymore. I carry a waterPROOF Sierra designs bivy. Coming from an ultralight Backpacking background, I find most gear crosses over into cycling perfectly. Sleeping pad inflators are not needed for me. Extra carry and extra weight. Multi-tool gadgets are so clunky to use if you have to adjust something. That's about it for me. Thanks for the ideas.
I haven’t used a bivy yet but they seem super cool! Thanks for sharing your experience 😊
Great tips! Everything I have is rechargeable and sometimes ill bring a portable battery pack as a backup between recharging spots.
Thanks! Totally agree - power banks are such a help between charging points 🙌
I only travel with clipless shoes and flipflops. I had a pair of Keen leather cycling shoes (very sadly they are no longer made) that looked like normal shoes and they were good to walk around in. Most cycling shoes have narrow heels which totally suck for walking. A good pair of touring cycling shoes are hard to find but I wouldn't use anything else as I ride a trike and if my foot comes off my pedals I could break a leg. Two criteria are wide heel and good reset in the SPD mount. I rode with toe clips for many years and once in short succession I fell over twice as I couldn't get my foot out. I have never had a problem getting my foot off my pedals with SPDs. Your traction argument is a good one as I climbed up the trail on the Squamish Chief in my Sidi SPD cycling shoes (these shoes were not made for walking) and they were kind of slippery. There is an efficiency argument for clipless or clips as one can spin the pedals. I now have full blown bone on bone osteoarthritis in my right knee about 70% of my effort comes from my left leg as I need to limit the amount of push from my right leg and I can maintain a very high cadence (90rpm) which would be nearly impossible to do with flats.
On batteries - Yes to never use disposable batteries - I only use high quality AA & AAA Ni-MH batteries and I have a expensive high quality smart charger ($60 when I bought it). Cheap charges will burn out good batteries in short order. I am still using batteries purchased eight years ago. I also have a dynamo hub with a USB which I can use to power my phone and if need be, I can charge my my batteries including camera batteries. I hate devices with built in batteries because when the battery fails what do you do? If I manage things right I never have to plug in anywhere, but there is usually always a place to plug in. Places I use batteries are GPS, front and rear flashers, head lamp, and bike alarm. The GPS is the hardest on batteries as it goes through 2 batteries in 2-3 days. I hosted I young French fellow who used a dynamo hub and I was very impressed with his setup so when given the opportunity I did the same. It is not cheap so I wouldn't recommend it for a novice cycle tourer but definitely for a seasoned tourer having a touring bike built.
Sorry to tell you this but metal bottle cages break.
I don't take a laptop or tablet with me anymore as they take up way too much space and charging them was problematic. My phone does the job. Typing on it is a bit of a pain and the screen is a bit small but I can carry it on my person and my phone even talks to my camera. Functionally, a phone can act as a Camera and a GPS and do a reasonable job of it, like it did for my young French cyclist.
Thank you for sharing your experiences and insights Hermann! That’s great the clipless setup is working for you. I’m sure metal bottle cages aren’t perfect, but the amount of plastic ones I’ve gone through… it’s got to be worth a shot! I have some stainless steel ones on order and I’ll report back on their performance 🤞
@@SheelaghDaly The stainless steel ones may work well. Most metal bottle holders are aluminium and unfortunately aluminium work-hardens and breaks. I did a quick search and choked at the price comparison of stainless steel to aluminium bottle holders ($61 @ Amazon/$9 @ MEC). Yes I eventually found other SS ones cheaper ($40 Bike Planet which are way cheaper in the US @ $16). It took a bit of digging but I found one for $14 in Canada from a shop that I frequented on one of my tours.
@@HermannKerr good find! I happen to be lucky in that regard as I work in a bike shop so I have access to good discounts. The SS will still be pricier than plastic, but hopefully it's worth it!
Dynamo for lights and to recharge kit. 👍
I took a 16" Macbook Pro on a tour... I guess was expecting to login to WORK!!!???! not sure why... probably out of habit to always have my laptop with me, not only that my bro in law also took his laptop. I guess what you learn is that once you are riding you need a lot less than what you initially think.
KEEN NEWPORT H20 SANDALS,
MAKES A VERY GOOD SHOE FOR TOURING.,
COMFORTABLE, FAST DRYING, FEET DON'T SWEAT, AND EASY ON AND OFF.
I've been looking at those! Nice to hear you've had such a good experience with them :)
I use them too, they are perfect all in one shoes, have no other on tour. Combined with neoprene socks they make a great bad weather shoe.
I have a few lights from years gone bye which needed batteries. But ever since I exhausted the ones that they came with, i have been using rechargable nimh batteries. I use those and have replaced only 8 sets of 4 in over 10 yrs. And I use them almost every night from a minimum of 2 hours after sunset upto whole night tours. ( Moonlight rides are beautiful).
And yes, your picture with Agneiska was very nice. Thanks to you two, and @slow_spokes (that's the TH-cam channel) your videos are helping me to plan my Canada cycle tour in August September.
Oh cool! Thanks for sharing your rechargeable battery strategy :) oh how fun! I love Agnieszka and Slow Spokes! Good luck on the Canada trip - that’s awesome!
Perfect.
I just got my new pannier bags! Will be doing a tour in Sept. I’ve already done “test packing” to see how much room is left over for snacks and other items. Bike touring is the ultimate in “pack only what you (truly) need.” 😊
That's awesome! Test packing is such a smart practice. Have a great adventure!
Clipless MTB shoes are what I wear on a recumbent. Also on my gravel bike. Feels more secure downhill on the washboards. It's all about keeping my feet on the pedals. Whenever I'm riding my all purpose bike, I catch myself unconsciously "unclipping" from flat pedals.
I'm flying to Europe next week for a 6-week bike tour.
I don't think I've riden without SPD peddles for 15 years or so.
I may give regular shoes a shot at some point. I wear size 13 shoes, so that would cut back on a lot of weight.
We'll see. I know a guy who wasn't clipped in and tore his knee up while trying to keep from going down.
Tough one.
Thanks.
Haven’t toured for many years but am totally with you on the clipless issue! The only time I caved was on a few of the more extremely high bottom bracketed recumbents I had, and only till I discovered slings that would support my feet.
Oooh interesting! I don't have much experience with recumbents so thank you for sharing your perspective!
Agree with regular shoes and metal water bottle holders. Also regular clothes (no lycra).
Yeah regular clothes feel best for me too 😊
For me, bicycle touring is about freedom. That includes having my feet free. I wear the most comfortable shoe I own (not cycling-specific) to tour. Sometimes that's a sandal.
Love that!
I don't bring a full size cooking set anymore. I had a trangia cook set, but it is bulky and heavy. One small titanium 700mil pot, BRS stove, 100g gas canister, mini bic, plastic spoon and a cooking pouch is all I need for 7-10 days touring.
I have a Catrike Expedition recumbent trike. Have absolutely all my gear...down to the details.
My question to you is FOOD!
To cook or not to cook...That is the question!
I have a fellow recumbent trike touring friend, who absolutely does not cook. He says it's too much of a hassle: space and weight in panniers, prep and cleanup.
He just eats cold or dry meals.
I want to treat myself while touring and cook a simple but nice meal at the end of the day, but...am starting to maybe realize the hassles of a hot meal.
Everything my friend mentioned is very true.
So...is it really worth all the previously mentioned burdens for a tasty hot meal here and there?
What say you, and please give details on both sides of this topic.
Also...how to eat inexpensively while long-term touring.
Lastly, availability! Some places there are few and far between grocery stores in the western part of the United States. So how does a tourist stock up on ENOUGH food to last 4 or more days? WHERE DO YOU PUT IT ALL??? LOL.
A lot of foods don't last very long stuffed in panniers, especially when the weather is warm to hot.
I hope you respond soon, as this topic isn't really gone in detail much with bicycle/recumbent trike touring..long-term.
P.S. I noticed in this video, that you seemed kinda NERVOUS when giving your opinion on the 4 items that you won't bring again while touring.
Don't Be!!!
I realize that we live in a Politically Correct world, where it seems like everyone gets EASILY OFFENDED 🙄 😒 by what others say.
Let Them get offended if they do.
Speak your mind and opinion on various topics and let the chips fall where they may with people.
Thank you for your reply in advance.
One thing I will never bring on a bike tour again: overly chatty friends.
Hi Sheelagh😊
This is a really helpful video. It's important to learn from our mistakes, and I've found the same thing to be true when packing for bike tours. After finishing a tour, I reflect on what I shouldn't bring on the next one. I completely agree with the idea that running shoes can be convenient for cycling. Additionally, when it comes to food, I prefer to only buy enough for one day, unless I'm going somewhere where supermarkets aren't available. It's better to carry less weight, especially on hilly terrain. Everything you bring on your bike will be heavy, so it's important to keep that in mind. Thank you for sharing this great advice!"😊 Take care.
Looking forward to your next video 😊
Thanks so much for the kind message Damian, and for sharing your experience! I agree, it’s all about learning and adjusting as we go 😊
I only ride with trainers if I'm in the city running errands or visiting friends. I wear flat-pedal bike shoes for the trail because you never know where a rock with your foot's name on it is and that reinforced toe-box could save you from much pain or worse..!
@@bartmullin8018 Good point! I am tempted to move to flat trail shoes for that extra support and protection. My only concern is a friend of mine had a pair get rained on and it took days for them to try out. Do you have a brand/model you really like?
@@SheelaghDaly Ride Concept Powerlines are my favorite trail shoes; they fit small so, get a half-size up from what's your size (e.g. i wear a 10.5 U.S. men's but, wear a size 11 because a 10.5 fits more like a 10). They have killer pedal grip, the side of the shoe that faces your cranks is higher so you have some padding between your ankle bone & the cranks if you crash, also come in women's sizes, and when hike-a-biking they have excellent traction. RC also has a 3/4 top shoe for riding and trail-building or if you wanted more ankle support. I'd Strongly recommend carrying extra laces though. The laces last a while but do eventually wear out and break; i had to jury-rig the broken laces and another bit of cord to keep going once. Couldn't find a set of shoe laces (was in Truckee,Ca.; Check town out if you haven't. There's a hostel there too and it's a cool little but, evolving mountain town) to save my life oddly enough.
Also, consider getting a Selle Atomica saddle; your tukus will thank you. Additionally, you can slide around or off the saddle better when on or off-road. Follow the care instructions, make sure you have a waterproof cover for it when it's raining, use the recommended Saddle Sauce™ as needed and you'll have a saddle that will last a Long time. When the saddle does wear out (in 10+ years), you just get a new skin and install it & voilà, you have
a new saddle. There's not a break-in period like there is with the Brooks saddles btw.
@@bartmullin8018 That's super helpful, thanks for the tips Bart!
I loved my SPD mountain bike shoes for the TransAm. But I would change my pedals to a combo next time. After about 50 miles my toes were going to sleep and pedaling unclipped was not easy. Thus a hybrid with SPD and a regular pedal next time. As far as what gear not to bring, I ended up finding that other than for a rain jacket, my other rain gear (helmet cover, pants, gloves, booties) just weren't needed. I hated riding in the rain and only recall about a two-hour segment near the end of the day that I did. Otherwise, I just sat out the rainstorm until it passed. As to whether this is a good idea, I suppose this depends upon what route you are doing.
Sometimes the aluminum ones would crack or break altogether. I would look for a steel water bottle cage. Maybe a bladder.
Yes I’ve moved on to steel! No issues so far 🤞
clipless pedals/cleats are vital for power to push the rig along, riding with trainers to prioritise walking/exploring is a contradiction of touring IMO. Rather choose comfortable walking trail type shoes that can serve both purposes, but prioritising peddling the bike.
I've had a few metal bottle cages break on me, I've found a cage that is both metal and plastic and adjustable, still going strong after 10 years.
i did a short tour this southern-hemisphere' summer, and i was determined to travel light as opposed to a longer tour, i sadly found out that i needed to carry the same amount of stuff ! and i used everything of it; except for the mechanical and replacement accesories which you need to have just in case you do get a mechanic... i can see a lighter setup if you don't need camping stuff and use hostels all along your trip,
Haha I totally known what you mean! I think that’s why my list of what I wouldn’t bring again isn’t very long 😂 I really do use and enjoy everything, even if it’s more than what others bring. But that’s okay - we’ve each gotta do what works for us!
I love all your great advice.
Are you ever going to go on a bike tour down under in Australia? 😘🌏🇦🇺
Thanks so much! I sure hope so!!
Sandals socks and waterproof covers - the do-it-all combo.
Pros: No ironically named clipless pedal, no Bidenbarrassing straps.
Cons: extra damage to shins in case of slippage.
I used to carry a sauce pan by MSR but it was bulky so went to Sea to Summit collapsible and now my bowls and cook pot are the size of a flat plate.
That sounds sweeeeeet! Very tempted to make that upgrade!
My modern touring bike has fences, so much cleaner in winter. Belt-drive (cleaner), internal gears (cleaner), internal front dynamo (clean and never needs batteries). The bike always works! And I rarely need to clean it, or much much less. No e-bike, battery stuff with gears, or lights.
I use flat-pedal shoes, basically the shoe you have at 1:33, yes also rather stiff sole, so more power to the pedal, but without the cleat. Completely flat, almost as good as spd-shoes. So yes I use them also in the supermarket. Not as good as running shoes, but not to far off. I surely can walk a mile in them. around 250gram for one (but yes a pair means times 2). No rust on the cleat. Just an ordinary brush sometimes with water and all clean.
The other recommendation is buy some (road) bike tight fit clothing. Yes there are summer, autumn and winter bike clothing. More aerodynamic, saves watts, or you go faster, or longer, or with less effort (pick your favorite).
I had plastic bottle cages on my forks last year when riding the Erie Canal trail. The bottom lip on the cages that hold the water bottle up broke off both cages about halfway through my tour. Like you, I have moved to metallic cages, which are stronger and sometimes even lighter than plastic ones. I also go rechargeable on my head and tail lights. I carry a pretty sizeable power bank for my electronics so charging the lights every couple of days is much easier than carrying more batteries. I also rock flats over clipless on tour. I just prefer comfier shoes, more foot positions, and fewer shoes to carry.
Ooof darn plastic bottle cages! Thanks for sharing your experiences 😊
What have you found to be a good power bank unit? Have never toured overnight yet but with retirement on horizon looking to do lots, maybe eventually cross-country, and searching out as many tips as possible!
I was surprised that you didn't mention that you are using power grips (instead of clipless pedals) moving forward.
I'd never again use an American style tent. The rainfly that goes on last is so common in the americas is trash, the interior gets soaked before you get the fly on. In Western Europe tents that are faster and easy to erect tend to have the rainfly already on so the interior stays dry setting up in the rain.
I'd also never get cheap flat pedals again, lots of cheap pedals have spindles that only go 1/3 of the way through the pedal and they break off at the tip of the spindle after only 1000kms of riding, sometimes fewer.
Conventional tubed tires are also undesirable IMO. I think my record is 7 flats in one day. I then converted to tubeless and never changed a flat again even after 6000+kms of riding.
:)
Studies are showing that clipless pedals and shoes offer VERY minimal increase on uphills and none on flats and downhills. You also burn more oxygen when doing the pushing and puling at the same time… meaning, if you’re racing and your body is in peak condition, they will help you gain milliseconds off your times. If you’re a normal rider like me, there is no gain in speed (which i don’t care about anyway), and my body isn’t anywhere near race conditions. Clipless pedals have become herd mentality and a waste of money if you’re not racing with tons of elevation. I have ridden flats for years and unless I see a true benefit for clipless while ridig for fun, non-race group rides, or touring, I’ll never use clipless again.
Thank you so much for sharing this!! It sent me down a research train because I hadn't heard this and it was fascinating. I am happy to now have science backing up why I don't go clipless haha Thank you!
kettlebells. you usually find a rock
I had a problem with rechargeable lights dying early and shorting out in the rain (even the supposedly waterproof lights). That turned me off to rechargeables. However, if I were visiting another country with different battery disposal rules, I would certainly revisit that decision.
Oh that’s interesting! Have you tried Serfas? They’re pricier but I’ve ridden mine through the rain for years with no issues :)
@@SheelaghDaly unfortunately, nothing as fancy as Serfas (which probably answers why it didn't last!). I feel with bike packing I've got to constantly keep my mind open to new and better ideas so I'll look them up and give it some contemplation. For example, I've been an SPD and SPD-SL rider for well over a decade. Your reasoning about abandoning that for sneakers is making me reconsider. There's a good possibility my upcoming Buffalo to Pittsburgh ride will require some hike-a-bike time, and that's just never fun in SPD's.
Li-ion are batteries too. You're referring specifically to alkaline AA and AAA batteries.
Yeah, we don't pollute the environment with dead batteries, we bring... rechargable AA and AAA accus. They power lamps, GPS units and other electronics, can be recharged overnight and can be flexibly used in all units that happen to deplete. Should a pair of accus deplete we still have the lamps/GPS with another pair of accus.
Using some sort of retention between shoes and pedals does make a big difference to pedalling efficiency - primarily allowing a higher cadence without slipping. So it's something that I'd be reluctant to do without. When I started, I used toe-clips, which worked with quite a few shoes, and could be left loose when needed for quick withdrawal. That said, it's one of my few broken bones, when I failed to get feet to ground quick enough in heavy traffic and landed on my elbow radial tip, slightly fracturing it. Currently I do use SPDs, but with a platform side too (and reflectors, for proper UK road legal). But now my feet have aged to the point where I'll soon be wearing orthopaedic shoes, so my plan is downhill platform pedals with the studs. Although I recall from years ago a wide strap that went diagonally across a pedal, which would partially help one's foot stay in place - I thought it was called a Power Band, but if it was that's no longer findable online. Edit: Just found Cinelli Mike Giant Toe Straps, www.wiggle.com/p/cinelli-mike-giant-toe-straps so someone is still thinking of me 🙂
I did enjoy Restrap’s diagonal straps for a bit! I found when I moved to 27.5 wheels though they were too close to the ground and would drag dangerously when not in use so I moved to just plain flat pedals. But I’m always open to new options and finding what works best 😄 I hope you find a great new setup!
I used to have the dual SPD/flat pedals too but I found it was too frustrating when wearing cleats to get the pedal flipped around to the clip side when I needed it.
I use flat pedals with spikes, never slipped. Only downside is when your pushing the bike and aren't carefull you might scratch the legs.
The shoes are an easy leave behind. Bike shoes do not fit my feet. As for food, Couscous is my friend and the dollar store carries small PeanutButter packets. You probably don't need to shop quickly with a riding partner but as I have said before, I am staying in populated areas due to my age and heart issues so when I stop for groceries, I park my bike where I can see it from the store and pick up supplies as quickly as possible. I have never had a problem. I carry small packets of instant soup and of course Couscous. Most of the time, I am staying in hotels so the few times I camp I have something easy to heat up.
Hey Sheelagh! What are few bike you can suggest for bike packing trips.
What about a swim float? 🤔
A swim float? What’s that? 😊
I'm just getting started with touring, but the whole "clipless" name confuses me every time. I get it. but its still confusing. I say we start calling them penguin shoes or something.
Ahaha I know, at this point it really could use a renaming 😂
Recent subscriber, really enjoy your upbeat videos. Noticed you didn’t share what you use instead of clipless pedals, but noticed a set of pedal straps (won’t name the brand) on your pedals. I use them as well! 😊
Since I broke in my leather saddle, I’m done with padded shorts…one (or two) less things in my panniers!
Ahh good point! I picked up a second hand pair that worked with the pedal straps, but they’ve since worn out so I have a new set of flats without straps in the meantime :) I really liked the straps while I used them though! That’s cool to hear you’re done with padded shorts! One less bulky thing to carry - nice!
Regarding batteries...... I have a 5 watt solar panel on my back pannier. Nine by eighteen inches. It has 2 USB ports. Will charge my cell phone. For headlight and taillight I have rechargeable flashlights. (Solar panel) One stage is strobe which I painted red for a taillight.
Also, have 2 Luci Lights. (solar powered)
I've traveled from the Florida Keys (my home base) around the west coast and am currently hiding north of Orlando. Don't care much for mice.
Solar panels seem like a great strategy! I haven’t tried them myself yet but I would like to :)
@@SheelaghDaly it's flexible and with bungee cords it can be mounted where there's room. I could use a more powerful one. But, the one I have is doable. Now, I just have to figure out how to carry more water!
@@pascowind Nice! I need more water as well -- I'm thinking of investing in a frame bag with a bladder, but we'll see!
Wait wait wait.... batteries are ok if internal and rechargeable. It's the REPLACEABLE batteries that are a faff.
Christian cross. Good.
There is a physiological reason for flat peddles on a tour. First, Clip ins are the wrong tool for the job of touring. Second. Riding all day, all week or all month on a tour your foot is in the same spot on the shoe which is an extension of the peddle. For the whole ride the pressure on the bottom of the foot never moves. Over time nerves get pinched and your foot will burn like fire. If this goes on for a number of years you will run the risk of causing nerve damage. As you walk you are not aware that your foot is moving the pressure points on the sole of the foot to prevent nerve damage and fatigue. The flat peddle allows the foot to move forward, backward, sideways fractions of a millimeter preventing foot fatigue and presser points. I travel with one pair of foot wear, Keen hiking sandles and three types of socks. No socks for stream crossing, alpaca socks ankle high and calf high, one knitted wool for sleeping. If you want equipment that holds up Buy the best. My rear rack and water bottle cages date back to the 1960s. My present panniers have outlived three touring bikes. To save food bulk on the bike carry only condiments. pick up what you will need for a day or two . Part of the reason to tour is to learn about the country you are passing through. Eat one meal a day at a mom and pop cafe or a burger at the bar and talk to the locals. Eat a cold lunch on a bench in the town square. When people see your bike people will come and talk to you. They will never do that to someone in a car.
I skip on the clothing. I am the naked TH-camr.
I had to look up what 'clipless shoes' are. It's very confusing that something is named after what it doesn't have but without having the name referring to what it does have; namelijk a weird thingy in the sole that can click on the pedal.
Ugh I know what you mean!! So confusing. I should have opened with a definition - glad you were able to find the meaning :)
They're called that because before they were invented, pedals would have a metal clip with leather straps that you'd slide your shoe into. When they came out they were in contrast to this, and the name stuck, even if now there isn't much cultural memory of using clips and straps (outside of fixed gears).
@@forrestalmasi3156 Yes exactly! Well described. The name makes sense historically, but it's confusing until you know the background!