Skinny goes Touring. Bike and gear.

Looks like you had a good time climbing mountains.

exactly the same thing happened to me, I genuinely think that pads wear out faster on road bikes due to higher usage, even more so on touring bike.

Kinda glad to hear someone else also experience the same thing and it's not just me!

Yea the alps mountains were insane. So many good times. And only one proper close call!

http://www.strava.com/athletes/366584

Ed yeah, wore out super quick, I guess I use the front brake most and also all the weight on the front. Bit annoying but lucky was near nice so missed col de la madone and came here. Didn't want to descent 3500ft on just front brake!!

I reckon organic pads aren't the best choice for road/touring.

Mike Hall's brake pads lasted 16,000 miles, it's likely to be non-organic pads.

Maybe that's his trick for covering so much ground so quickly... never brake...

Do you need the iPod, iPhone, and a Nokia?

I guess the iPods battery lasts longer than an iPhone if you're listening to music a lot, but do you need a back up phone (plus it's charger)? How often will you be using the iPhone and be out of reach of a power supply?

@skinny do you have the photos of your bike with the new forks? They've all gone private and @dom wanted to see it!

Yeah @skinny, where's the pics at? :)

Yeah cleaned out my flicker. Sorry.

But get the forks, with weight on the front it handles like it's on fucking rails. I easily blow past roadies. I think you should split the weight 75/25 front to back, I have to shift my body back to get proper lock on when coming in hot. But I've 12kg on the front and nothing on the back, so it'll be personal on body weight.
Also I rode it the other day to the shop without front weight and it was so sharp and light steering. I guess that's as I was not used to it, but before I left I rode it without front weight and thought it felt nice. It's only 2mm less trail than my super six evo and that handles like it's on rails with no front wight.

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5582/15266083032_c5885f8929.jpg

On a related note. Panniers are a proper drag. I won't use them again. Front rack with 8kg and rear rack with 3kg. Both in dry bags on top. The wind resistance of panniers is stupid and they're annoying. I lose 1-2mph on the flat and like 10mph down hill. I don't mind the weight, it's the wind drag! It's a ball ache. Especially when busting my balls into a head wind.
I'll have to so the maths on how handling will change as having the weight low on the front with the 53mm trail is properly good. So need something f that handles similar to that. As it's on rails!!

When I find a couple grand I'll get something custom built in titanium. I won't need another bike. This one will do it all.

(Hope you don't mind me embedding)

I reckon that a rear panniers have more aerodynamic drag than a front one, can see what you mean though.

Gotta grab some magazine out as they have some wind test on bicycles with panniers in various location.

Just noticed your third bottle cage, does your frame have that as standard? or is just strapped on, i found myself wanting a third cage in Germany, I am currently seriously considering getting one added and the whole bike resprayed with the new forks.

@tommmmmmm was accelating away from me on our last trip when we were freewheeling down hills, I put it down to his GP4000s II but maybe it was my front loading?

Ed I don't wAnt any panniers. I want a rack with a bag on the top on the front and then a saddle bag or rack with bag on top. I want nothing off the sides! It's a ball ache.

@spotter I added it using one of those metal things, works fine, had to find the right cage to clear the chainset and then move the brake cable around the cage but works with a litre bottle no issue. Really good as with 3 litre I can ride for like 4-5h without stopping or just top one up when I see a water fountain in village. And if I don't need it the just leave it empty and 1 less kg. you can fit a 2litre bottle of water just, but it's a bit tight and the weak plastic flexes and rubs so a solid bottle is best.

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3852/15176467271_19711e7e74.jpg

Ed I don't wAnt any panniers. I want a rack with a bag on the top on the front and then a saddle bag or rack with bag on top. I want nothing off the sides! It's a ball ache.

I'm thinking the same, however if you really want an aerodynamic advantage, you know the solution; carbon road disc + bikepacking, I cannot emphasised on how much a difference it made when I went touring on a fixed, even though I enjoyed my tour through the Pyrenees, it made me realised that there's only two kind of touring, fully loaded, and bikepacking.

My rack and panniers set-up is best when taking it easy, riding with others, etc. but the Pyrenees tour I did was best suited for bikepacking, this way I can able to keep up with the other on the ascent as well as the descent.

I'm actually going to go for the Saracen Avro, and upgrade the brakes to full hydro for a proper ultralight touring, external BB and thru-axle is a absolute necessity too.

I lose 1-2mph on the flat and like 10mph down hill

What did you max out on the descent? I only managed a pitful 70km/h before the drag overcome the weight.

The tandem refused to break 67km/h downhill, even with two people pedalling, due to its massive wind profile.

Related:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfKCZsOrYOw

No subtitles, what's they're saying? (just need the gist).

The tandem refused to break 67km/h downhill.

Amazing, I'd though the limiting factor is the brakes, I can't imaging a tandem at 67km/h!

They're saying that panniers suck at aeros.
The brakes don't limit how fast you can go, just how fast you can stop...

They're saying that panniers suck at aeros.

And chairs too, don't forget the chairs!

The brakes don't limit how fast you can go, just how fast you can stop...

Yes, better put.

Yeah ed. I thought about carbon bike. But I like the idea of something custom. And it's easier to do that with titanium. I want a front rack so I can put a dry bag on, the drag of that will be nill if it's narrow.
Yes full hydro brakes for sure.

That Saracen is nice. But because of carbon no rack! Plus I bet no 3rd bottle cage. Etc.
I don't need the panniers. I could get everything in bag on front rack, frame bag and saddle bags.

I maxed out at like 53mph which is just under 90kph I think. Because of the front panniers!! It's shit. I could have done 70mph on that section for sure.

In related news. I've got to take a couple days off. I rode though achillies tendinitis and that's fine. But I've got shin splints now and I can't strap them up. So got to do nothing for a few days while it heals.

But on the bright side. I'm in Bedoin and when it's healed up I'm doing Ventoux again without panniers and going to see if I can hit 70mph!! I think I'll have to drop the pryanees from the trip as I won't have time now.

Well it's over. 26 days just flew by. Needed more time! On the train home from Toulouse.

I guess I'll write something down eventually. But hell, what a trip!!! Epic beyond dreams.

The bike was flawless. And not a single puncture through France.

Some serious high, and a few minor lows. Some injuries but nothing like last year.

If you didn't check the Flickr, do so. There are more pics to come, that'll be when I write something for sure.

For anyone thinking this looks cool and they'd like to do something alike. Do it, France is unbelievable.

And not a single puncture through France.

Well done.

The roads are just so much better ;-)

You will have to update on ideal pannier touring equipment as I friend of mine will go next year.

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If anyones interested; I'm on the fence about selling this bike. I've more bikes than fingers and I live in a flat. Even I think it's mad.