I would never carry a 1″ socket on tour but I do carry a 15mm for my pedals and Paul brakes. I asked my friends at Brooklyn Machine Works to do some quick welding for me. Now I can turn my freewheel remover with that 15mm as well.
Previously: Park Tool Co FR-5
This stuff tastes gross and I can’t ever not taste it but it’s not worse than sunburned lips. I rarely use this and this is not a new item, I found it while I was packing.
Super small and light I can use it just a couple time and it won’t matter.
Made in USA
I bought this because, why not. It’s light and if I use it just once, for myself or for someone else, it’ll be money well spent. I added a few extra water proof bandages and small tube of triple antibiotic ointment. And a slip of paper with my emergency contact. I’ll keep this in a small outside pocket of my rear pannier, I’d like to find a little basic “first aid” patch to sew onto that pocket.
“Assembled in USA of imported and domestic components”
Bike Peddler Take A Look Cycling Eyeglass Mirror.
I used to use a Cateye BM-300G Racing Mirror (made in Japan) on my other touring bikes but when switching from STI to bar-end shifting I lose that option. I want to have a mirror when I think I need one, so this is coming along. We’ll see how long it lasts. One thing I liked about the Cateye was if I got a bug or dirt in my eye I would have a mirror right there and it worked for shaving my face too. That’s why I’m going to bring it minus the bar end plug part, it’ll be my vanity mirror compared to this tiny little thing.
One thing I like about this mirror is in the old photos of my dad riding his road bike, like from before I was born or only old enough to be carried in a trailer behind his bike, he had one of these.
Cost: $15
Made in USA
A simple and lightly padded wrap for my camera. No zipper, just a bit of hook-and-loop for closure. This has been used to carry my camera in my messenger bag countless times, never had a problem.
Made in USA
A friend from my last tour rode with one of these. I was wanting one ever since. Right after I decided to go on another tour I ordered this straight from Arkel. So far it seems like a really good bag.
The bag mounts are all metal. The way it disconnects and installs makes sense and is not a pain in the ass at all. The main compartment is big and the front pocket is spacious. The top seems to have too much curve and reading a map area at the very front could be a pain. I might rather see that be flat but I can live with it. I have a New York City flag patch that’s going right over the Arkel logo on front.
Ordered direct from Arkel with no problems.
“Fabric made in the USA, Manufactured in Canada”
This is one fine hoodie. Soft, comfortable, warm and breathable. Merino again, this thing is an essential for the cooler days. Or if I’m in the mountains or up north or still riding in the cooler months I’d be a fool to not have a hoodie.
If it’s really cool out I’ll wear my Outlier Packable Heat jacket over this and be set.
Mine is green. A good army green. Maybe not Army green but a green that would blend in if I was just off the roadside somewhere setting up camp for the night. A green that is not unlike the color of my tent.
I bought this directly from Outlier at a sample sale. Later I learned that they only made three green ones.
Made in New York of New Zealand Merino wool.
This is kind of the partner to the hoodie, or I can wear it by its self.
Tiny and light (3oz total weight), keeps the heat in just enough.
Made in New York City with Japanese 100% Polyester Ripstop
This is new, light and warm. As of this post I have bought it at EMS in Manhattan and brought it home. I’ve yet to take it camping. I can’t wait.
Made in USA
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
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
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 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
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
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
