Equipment Lowdown - Part One

Chris is riding a KONA Jake the Snake, set up for touring. FSA compact crank, FSA wheels, Wound-Up fork (whoa), Chris King headset, Speedplay Frog pedals for happy knees, and Specialized Armadillos for the good fight against punctures. After many changes she finally feels dialed into the correct fit on the bike, as of two days ago. The last correction was installing the Frogs, which eliminated the last residual knee tweak she'd recently experienced.

A few other items integral to the trip are Ortlieb panniers and seat pack. The panniers will ride shotgun in the big rig RV when we have climbing days (is this cheating?), and will have extra on-bike clothes in one and off-bike wear in the other. The compact drive FSA crank works well and offers a great gear range without adding more weight to an already solid rig. Weight is less of an issue when durability seems like a better option.

Back in 1994 I bought a Specialized M2, first generation. After thousands of miles over 12 years, one chainstay cracked at the BB shell. Specialized sent me a Allez Elite frameset, no questions asked, without even first seeing the original frame. Amazing. Originally equipped with Mavic ZAP (yes, this stuff made it across the country in 1999 - the battery died in the Florida panhandle. A new battery and I was back on the road in five minutes), I've replaced everything except for the crankset and handlebars. The crank is dated technology, not as light, stiff or pimpy as DA/RECORD/FSA or any other exotic crank, but it looks cool with the hidden chain ring bolts. Appearance counts for something in America, last time I checked. I replaced the cracked ring bolts and installed new FSA rings, 53/39 with 13-26 cogset.

The Mavic SSC brakes will never stop crime, but they'll do a number on your bike. For the money, they are the best available. I do have a Mavic bias and plead guilty. I try to go with the little guys most of the time, they are usually more interesting. I do admit to a sealed Shimano BB though. The modified Salomon chalk bag is now a feed bag. Mountain Soles fixed some elastic webbing and Velcro straps so the bag hangs perfectly between the Cinelli Spinachi illegal in all 50 states aero bars. The bag has a side draw string that cinches it up at the waist, perfectly suited to squeezing down on the Hammer flasks. The jumbo Ortlieb seat pack holds quite a bit. This pack saved me when my rack broke in Fort Davis, Texas. I emptied my panniers onto the bed and played "he loves me - he loves me not." After boxing up 60% of my stuff, I was able to get the remaining heavy stuff into this seat pack. This pack is an old friend and we will never part. It taught me a lesson about overpacking.

over and out