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Velo Orange Hammered Fenders 45mm

My friend talked me in to getting these. He helped me get a deal from his account with Velo Orange because he was already putting in an order.

It took me about two hours to install but they look good. They fit on my bike well, don’t make any real noise and have very good coverage. They say 45mm is good for up to 700×32 tires. That’s what I’ve got and don’t see myself going any larger in tire size so these fender should work fine.

I’ve been riding around with these on and they give the bike a good look. They draw complements.

Shinny.

Also, they call these hammered but they are more of a pressed-to-look-hammered. It’s not like some craftsman sat at a bench swinging a hammer at these over and over. If you have never seen these in person, they are clearly made by machine.

Not sure where they are made, my guess, not in the US.

Cost: $35

 

Velocity Dyad 700c


Velocity makes a good rim for a fair price. I’ve ridden the Deep-V’s on many bikes. I like the Fusion, too. I also have a set of B43’s that suit a more aesthetic purpose. For touring I wanted a wider rim good for 700×32 tires. Velocity Dyad is a great choice for loaded touring rim.

Not much of a specific review on the rim because there are many things involved in the wheel. Spoke count (48), tires, air pressure, weight, road surface, speed, it’s almost endless. I do know that Velocity USA has very good customer service. That’s enough right there.

I have already put over 4000 miles on the rear and it doesn’t show any reasons to not be happy so far.

Now I have a set and both were handbuilt in a 4 cross with DT Swiss Champion spokes.

Cost: if I remember correct, about $45 ea.

Made in Australia

velocityusa.com

 

Panaracer RiBMo 700×32

Panaracer RiBMo 700×32

I feel like a few of pol0 players like these tires. And these are new to me but knowing that a good number of people in New York chose these tires is testament enough. Its not like they all bought the same bike that happen to come with these. this is choosing a good tire that will hold up.

I looked at them and they are a bit pointy. meaning not a softly rounded contact area to the ground. sort of makes me think that these will roll with less resistance than your average 32 size tire.

I used to like the Ritchey Tom Slick. These seem much better.  Probably are but i really cant recall the price difference.

I’ve been riding them on my touring bike for a couple months now. Good so far.

Made in Japan

 

EBoost

EBoost gave a bunch of these to the promotional ride I was on a couple years ago. I liked them, mixed them in my water every day, sometimes a couple few times a day. Looking through some of the photos from that ride I found this.

I never see this product in stores, but on the other hand there are stores I don’t go into. If I find some I might buy more, til then I’ll just remember the good old days of Boosting E’s for free.

It’s been so long since I’ve had one in my hand I can’t remember where they are made.

eboost.com

Edit: Seems Eboost is another one of those companies who do not respond/answer emailed questions. Bums.

 

Paul Neo-Retro

I have the Neo-retro(seen above) on the front and the Touring canti on the rear. Seems to be a pretty popular touring bike set up. The idea is the on the front the Neo-retros will provide more leverage and more stopping power, and in the rear the Touring canti will still be a strong brake but also provide a slimmer profile and be less in the way of rear panniers.

Getting my hands dirty removing the old off the rack brakes i could see the low quality of them. Then unpacking these to install, big difference. Even compared to something like a Tektro, the Paul brakes are way better looking. And even though I dont know everything about brakes, these are not difficult to install and work very well.

These stick straight out and away from the frame. The Touring canti stick up and at an angle.

Made in USA

paulcomp.com

 

Bondhus L Wrench Set

I bought a 9 piece set but only need the 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, and 6mm for my bike.

I have a Park Tool 3 way 4,5,6 and a little mini 3mm jammy that came with my shifters. The reason I’m bringing these is because the 3 way, or “Y” tool, won’t fit in everything, such as the Paul rear brake spring adjusting bolt. The rear rack is in the way. And the bottle cages, “Y” tools on bottle cage bolts is worse than a punch in the head.

Lesson is, check all the tools you bring fit on all the things you need them.

Cost: about $10 for the set

Made in USA

bondhus.com

 

Committing

For many years I have wanted to do more touring. In 2006 I had just left California after living in a mountain town for a number of years, I went back to my home town in the Mid-West and was looking to do one of three things. I was ready for something new, my ideas were to either buy a house and let that be my first step into being a landlord, ride my bike around the perimeter of the lower 48, or move to New York City and be a bike messenger (in 2005 I had visited some long time friends living in Brooklyn & working as messengers, it seemed so much more fun than my job).

About two week into being back in my home town I still had not decided because I was having fun being unemployed and hanging out with friends a family I had not seen in a while. That was when I got a call from a friend in Brooklyn asking if I’d found a place to live and job yet. I had not. His news was that they were looking for a roommate and could get me a job working with them. I asked when the room would be open. It was in just a few days and I drove there with my things on time to not let the room sit empty. My decision was made.

In 2009, after living and working in New York for three years I had really started to want to take another tour on my bike. I had some money set aside for travel I just needed to get my touring bike out of storage (a barn at my moms house). That same year I saw the Bicycle Film Festival was doing a big ride from NY to LA, I signed up and was picked to be one of forty two “endurance cyclist” for the two month promotional group ride. The departure date was less than a month away by time I knew I’d made the cut. I made a quick trip to the Mid-West to pick up my touring bike but it was not in shape for a tour, lots of rust on very worn parts. After bringing it to NY, I ended up just setting that bike aside because one of my sponsors at that time sent me a new bike. I put 4000+ miles on a Specialized Tri-Cross Comp in 59 days. The only thing I did to it was put on a stronger wheel set, with a Phil Wood rear hub, for the ride. Afterward I sent it back to my sponsor with a thank-you. Leaving me satisfied in a sort of way for having traveled and with a rusty old touring bike that I’d bought a few parts for just before the Specialized became a reality.

Again in the Spring of 2011 I start to daydream more about a big solo tour. Having no real plans I figure at least I could finish building up my touring bike and at the very least I’d have a road bike to go on some longer rides.

But the more I thought about it the more I really wanted to get away from New York City, to ride quiet roads, to see places I’ve never been, to camp and sleep outside.

I’m living in an ok apartment but the location is not very good. It’s not bad for me because I ride a bike so living a few miles out isn’t a big deal but in the year I’ve lived here I have not had many guests. Not many friends live near me. My roommate feels the same way. We decided not to stay. Sort of made the same decision, separately. Our lease is over as of Aug 1st. I was looking but keeping my rent the same was not very likely. So with a bunch of things in the Pro category I decided to take another trip, this time solo again.

Pros:

Going North to Canada via Maine in August and September seems like a perfect time, from what others have said.

Trying to find time to travel is hard because of funding it and paying rent simultaneously. With my lease over I don’t pay rent.

Converting my rent budget into touring budget would mean living like a king out on the road. But there is no way I’d go that route, I’m only gonna spend money on food and film.

Putting things off is a slow way of not doing them.

Touring is what my bike is built for, and I already have the camping gear.

Riding bikes and taking photos makes me happy.

I usually sleep better when camping.

Time to take my time.

I can turn off my phone (Boost).

 

But there are some things about such a drastic change that makes me very nervous.

Cons:

I have friends in New York, I don’t know a soul North of Boston. Well, a couple in Canada.

Not knowing where I’ll sleep each night.

Spending money while not making money.

Finding work when I return.

Finding a place to live when I return.

Paying New York City’s storage fees.

Getting ready.

And the biggest one as far as things I didn’t want to do, telling my bosses that I’m leaving just over a month after starting.

 

But that was kind of the deciding event. If I could say to my new bosses who I’ve known for a few years and really like because I respect their business and admire their attitude about many things, that I’m leaving then maybe I do really want to do this. I don’t have a lot going for me in the job world. I have done a few different things and some were pretty cool but other than this last month or so, every dollar I’ve made in the last five years has be made by riding bikes. I just got an indoor job working for a growing company that produce useful goods in the USA and now I’m basically quitting. I don’t like to quit.

And that’s another con, If I can’t finish what I start with this trip then the whole thing will make me feel like a failure.

 

Custom Front Rack In Progress

I took my idea and asked a good friend who has the materials, tools and space to allow me to make a front rack for my touring bike. It’s so cool that I could make this, I’m glad to have good friends.

I made the cuts and bends one day. On the second day and after a quick lesson in brazing I jumped in and started with this as my first project of this type. Right now it’s not much further than the photos show but it’s straight and fits.

Next step is to clean it up a bit and then figure out how to coat it.

I wanted something that could carry front panniers low like my old Blackburn FL-1 Front Rack and also have a top rack over the front wheel like the poorly designed Jandd Extreme Front Rack I wasted money on. I could not afford any of the big Nitto racks.

Previously: Custom Front Rack Idea

 

Mead Notebook 45-4872

Mead Notebook 45-4872 The Spiral

There were no images to be found so I asked a friend to scan it for me.

Mead, founded in 1846 by Colonel Daniel Mead, made good shit and probably still does. I have not looked into what they have been doing after they moved from Ohio to Connecticut. This notebook is just the thing for me, I don’t geek out about things like this but it says Dayton, Ohio right on it. This is from the 1960’s or earlier because it says Hulman Building. History can be interesting.

There are somethings not shared online. I wrote in a notebook every day on my past tours. Well, not everyday on the sponsored tour but that was a whole different world. On a solo tour my notebook is more valuable than my wallet. Camera, notebook.

I just talked with a friend who did a LA to NY tour with a buddy a couple years ago and he said something about scanning pages of a notebook and printing it as a little afterward project because there are people out there that really like that kind of thing. I always hope that if I write in my notebook it is pure. I think that having in my mind that I could scan it and publish it, one way or another, I might filter things out.

As I think about it more I know that I leave things out already, even in my personal notebooks, because in the back of my mind I know that someone could find it. I don’t want people reading my shit. But I still write. My defense is handwriting so bad only I can read it.

Bought at The Brooklyn Art Library

Cost: $7

Made in USA

 

Princeton Tec Fuel LED Headlamp

 

I had a Pretzl, or however that popular brand is spelled, LED headlamp but it would start to flicker like the guts of it were weak and it didn’t want to give a steady stream of light. To the point where I’d used it less often because I didn’t like the light it gave, high, low, twitching in the middle all depending on what mood it was in. That thing was junk really.

This one has a few differences the on/off is a button vs. a sliding switch, and the up/down adjustability is over a greater range. Real high to point up the road if I have my head down while biking or low like aiming right down my nose for reading or such.

Another thing is this is made in the US, the package reads “Made in USA with domestic and foreign components”. I was looking at the pretlzs on the next shelf and they were from all over, France, Bulgaria, and Madagascar from what I saw.

EMS in Manhattan for $24

Made in USA

princetontec.com

 

Manfrotto MTT2-P02

Manfrotto MTT2-P02 Table Tripod

Solid and easy to use. Alternately I have an Ultra-pod II (Made in USA) and have used it with both SLR and point and shoot on tours before. But from that experience I found that I needed something better. The plastic in the Ultra-pod does not keep a SLR stable. Just too much weight, but with a point and shoot it’s fine and the extra mounting options are great.

For shooting with a SLR the Manfrotto wins. 100% metal vs 100% plastic. This is just a bit smaller and marginally weightier. I’m OK with that because I want something that won’t sway in the wind.

I bought this from the B&H store in Manhattan.

Folded Length: 7″
Weight: 5.8oz (166g)
Load Capacity: 4.4 lbs
Cost: $25

Made in Italy

 

Brunton 9041

Brunton 9041 key ring compass

Not all products from Brunton are made in USA. This is not the only US made item from them.

It is great that Brunton put “Made in U.S.A.” right on the face of this small and simple compass but in their website they do not list that info in item descriptions. I had to email them asking for a list of their products made in the US. Shortly later I did get an email answering my question but the whole thing reminded me of the question I’m always asking when looking for country of origin info in web stores, “why don’t you just say where it’s made!” Companies like this one and many others make some but not all items in the US. It’s my belief that customers would be more likely to buy American if they had that info. And the companies that do both would be influenced to offer more made in USA options. It’s just that not much is made here anymore, and all these companies are scared. But I might be too tough on them, running a company has to be hard. It’s just that I have a higher respect for ones that start US made and stay that way.

I’m not doing anything huge by buying a $10 compass. But on the other hand buying a $10 compass made in China doesn’t do much good.

Made in USA

bruntonoutdoor.com

 

Polar Bottle 24 oz Insulated

It is not an easy thing to find cycling water bottles that are made in USA. These are and they are insulated. I don’t think Polar Bottle makes a shorter version. I’d need a shorter bottle for my under the down tube bottle cage because a bottle this size would hit the fender or front wheel. Or I might just use that cage to carry my peanut butter.

I had one on my last tour and thought that the insulation was not the best but it did something. Although I was testing it in southern Texas, New Mexico and Arizona in July and August.

Bought from a local bike shop

Cost: about $10 ea

Made in USA

polarbottle.com