Bike: Surly Midnight Special (Small, 46cm)

More on my bike here. For this tour, it’s rigged up with:

• 1 × 11 gear thingy (i.e. there are 11 speeds, 1 size cog in front where the pedals, 11 cogs in the back) with I think 44 spikes on the front cog and 40 on the biggest (i.e. easiest) back cog. I’m mentioning all this because I googled endlessly for what a good lowest gear ratio might be for a beginner non-climbing tourer and only found gear ratios for hardcore people. This is also just what the bike came with. I tossed up adding a smaller gear to the front so it’s easier up hills, but the simplicity and lower cost of just having one front gear and therefore no front derailleur etc. won out. It wasn’t ideal when fully loaded going up the steep start of Hackthorne Rd/Dyers Pass, but good enough for now.

• Teravail Rampart 650b tyres. These came with the bike (thanks Decobikes in Ōtaki for an epic starting setup) and I didn’t know anything about them, but basically they’re giant road-bike tyres with a smooth centre for speed on paved roads + some shoulder grip for hard-packed dirt and light gravel. Not great in loose gravel (as I discovered on the Twin Coasts Cycle Trail, and the Central Otago Roxburgh Gorge & Clutha Gold trails) or wet & muddy conditions, but should be fine for European cycle highways. Not specifically puncture-protected but still durable (fingers crossed).

• Surly Disc Rear rack. I also bought these off Decobikes for a great bargain when I got the Surly. They’re chonky and heavy but feel bulletproof. Only thing is I wish I’d got them in black, not silver, for the full monochromatic chic look 💅

• Terry Figura Women’s Fitness saddle. I started out with the Charge Ladle, which was very nice but didn’t quite feel right. It’s hard to know if a saddle works without trying it for at least a few days, and I can’t just go out and buy a bunch of expensive saddles only to try re-sell later. Craig from the office I worked in lent me a lot of different women’s saddles, whose wife had been through a similar conundrum. Thanks Craig! Eventually I settled on this one, which has been great so far.

• Scada flat pedals. I’ve never worn clips. I want to be able to hop on my one bike, in whatever clothes, and do whatever on it. I don’t really like single-purpose anything, it seems inefficient & unnecessarily consumptive, and I’m uninterested in hyperspecialised optimisations for the sake the min/maxing. The Surly didn’t come with pedals, and Craig donated me these excellent aluminium pedals (thanks again, Craig!). They’re perfect - light, strong, grippy. Just gotta watch the sharp spiky bits when cycling in sandals.

On the frame

• Tent (on top of rear rack & poles strapped to top tube): Naturehike Cloud-up 1-person tent.
  My shelter thoughts went like this:

  • credit card touring in hostels & bnbs (too expensive)

  • bivvy bag (too grim)

  • hammock (we already have an ultralight hammock, but I learnt that actually sleeping in one would required buying other bits and bobs like an underquilt and mosquito net. Plus it really limits where you can sleep since you need two trees/poles)

  • expensive new ultralight tent, e.g. Nemo Hornet (but couldn’t justify the price for something can’t be use for both solo & 2p trips, since 1p is too small for a couple, and 3p more weight than I’d need solo, and 2p is the worst of both worlds)

  • cheap secondhand ultralight 1p tent ✅ (and we can buy a bigger tent for couple trips in future, if/when we need)

  So in the end I went with this 1-person Naturehike tent for $120 off FB marketplace (including the footprint!), 1.5 kg packed weight, semi-freestanding. Ferg would probably just opt for his bivvy bag on solo trips since it’s a squeeze, but for me it’s delightful and cosy and feels like a blanket fort!

• Sleeping bag (on front fork with cargo cage): Macpac Alpine Series Down Quilt 350 HyperDRY 800 Loft + Macpac Voyage Silk Liner
  After a lot of research, I decided I’d need a bag with a temperature rating of at least 5 C comfort level, even in Europe summer. Even with a silk liner and merino longs on, a lot of the 10 C summer bags seemed like it’d be too cold for me. I was going to buy this synthetic Simond MT500 5°C bag from Decathlon Malaysia on my stopover, whose Medium size is 950g and packs to 8.5L and 35 cm x 18 cm uncompressed, ~$120 NZD. I still think this is great value for money, with the added bonus that synthetic lasts longer than down and you avoid the moral conundrum of whether a given down certification really does mean the geese aren’t being live-plucked or put through horrendous conditions until they’re “harvested” 😖 But even better than trying to buy ethical is not buying at all/using what I have, and fortunately I learnt that Ferg’s quilt (which I always thought was a giant heavy thing for giant heavy men) is only 950g and comes with a compression sack! And while it’s rated for sub-zero temperatures for men, it probably sits at around 1-6C comfort limit for women which is perfect. And since it’s a quilt, not a bag, on hot summer days I can just use it as a duvet. I also got myself a silk liner on sale, which weighs 121g and packs down smaller than my fist, for really hot nights and to generally keep Ferg’s fancy quilt clean from sweat etc.

• Sleeping mat (top tube alongside tent poles): Sea to Summit UltraLight Insulated Sleeping Mat
  Ferg already had this, and it’s fancy af - super light, compact, comfortable. So I’m poaching it.

• 750ml drink bottle (in the bottle cage on the down tube). I could move this to the seat tube, but it wouldn’t really make a difference because I don’t have a frame bag and everything else seems to get in the way of the pedals.

• 1L Nalgene drink bottle (on other front fork with cargo cage). I tried strapping these onto the fork directly with Fixplus straps, it didn’t work, so I do need a cargo cage.

• Front & back lights

• Phone holder

• Fixplus straps to tie things on

• Bike pump (strapped to down tube)

• Helmet

• Bike lock (just taking one chain lock, no D-lock… I’ll endeavour to always store my bike indoors in cities/urban areas where theft risk is high, and just get around via public transport/walking when exploring cities rather than cycling)

• 2 x front fork cargo cages from Decathlon on my SE asia stopover

Rear pannier 1: Thule Shield 25L pannier bag in yellow (clothes)

I bought these panniers secondhand ages ago and they’re a bit average* - the buckles are a fixed length so you really can’t stretch the volume, and the connection-y bits are a bit janky - and also Ferg lost one of them. So I had to buy another pannier anyway, but the remaining one still does the job. It weighs 975g which is actually weight similar to an Ortlieb 25L Backroller, and the thick PU-esque material means it’s super easy to clean when your leftover pad thai in its flimsy takeaway container explodes inside it. I also love the bright yellow colour and the reflective bits.

*being my first ever pannier bags, I didn’t realise they were a bit average, until I splashed out on an Ortlieb (see below).

What goes in this one:

• 2 x sandals (yeap I’m just cycling in sandals, it’s summer, I don’t want clips, yolo): one nice pair for town etc. and one pair of Tevas. The sole might be too soft/bendy for long distance, but I’ll cross that bridge if I come to it. No closed toe shoes… surely that’ll be fine… unless I need them to avoid ticks when camping in grassy fields… gah

• Bottoms

  • 1 x padded bike shorts

  • 1 x macpac grey shorts (nice enough for wearing casually, but also can be worn with padded bike undies)

  • 1 x casual bike shorts (like, lululemon types things that you can wear out, can also be worn with padded bike undies) Took these out, I never wear bike shorts casually. My second cycling bottoms can be padded undies + macpac shorts.

  • 1 x black linen shorts

  • 1 x macpac long technical pants

  • 1 x favourite jeans (heavy but worth it for colder evening outings, I hope) Replaced these with a lighter pair of black cotton straight leg pants from uniqlo, sent the heavy jeans home with Laura after Malaysia.

  • Maybe buy a uniqlo airism dress in Malaysia if I’m feeling fun. ✅ acquired, although I got it in the only colour that suited me at the shop - black - which, unless styled right, makes me look a bit like a nun.

  • A funky skirt with shorts underneath from a pretty batik print shop in Penang (i could not resist)

  • For the two weddings I’m attending, I’ll either buy a dress from an opshop & re-donate, borrow from a friend, or rent. The nicer black sandals should be good enough!

• Tops

  • 1 x light merino/tencel tank top

  • 1 x uniqlo black heattech singlet (it’s less about the heattech on this trip and more that it’s super light and comfy)

  • 1 x black crop top

  • 1 x merino t-shirt absurdly, the day before my flight, this leaked blue dye all over my other laundry. Replaced with 1 x short-sleeve linen collared shirt which is better anyway bc I can unbutton it so it flaps in the breeze

  • 1 x long-sleeve linen collared shirt

  • 1 x merino collared shirt

  • 1 x black merino longsleeve

• Outerwear

  • 1 x high viz bike jacket (acts as a windbreaker, removeable sleeves)

  • favourite yellow wool cardigan sadly decided this is too bulky & warm. monochromatic chic it is 🏴‍☠️

  • 1 x black light puffer jacket (borrowing mum’s, doubles as a pillow)

  • 1 x Mac in a Sac lightweight rainjacket

• Bra & undies (incl. 1 x aforementioned padded bike undies)

• Socks (warm merino socks, just one pair for nights) okay hear me out: 2 pairs of white crew socks! Because white socks + tevas are now a thing, fashion-wise, AND if I wear them with sandals while camping it’ll be easy to spot ticks on them! Way easier than my dark merino socks, or waterproof socks which seem to only come in dark colours (and look silly with my sandals). Maybe one pair kept clean for cold weather sleeping & urban settings, and one pair that can get dirty for camping.

• Merino neckwarmer/headband thingy

• Togs: black two-piece (doubles as extra emergency bra & undies, and possible Berlin club outfit 😂) update: threw in another pair because it’s summer and I want to swim lots, and this one is high-waisted which can be nice

• Bucket sunhat

Rear pannier 2: Ortlieb Vario Lite 22L (non-clothes things, like toiletries & valuables)

I splashed out on this epic convertible pannier/backpack for my birthday and it has been SO. GOOD. I get the hype about the Ortlieb quick-release attachment system, everything is buttery smooth and super secure. I’m going to put all my valuables in it, which I can easily carry off with me in backpack mode if I’m popping into a supermarket or cafe while touring. It’ll contain:

• E-reader

• 1 small towel

• Toiletries, including a small block of soap, sachets of hotel shampoo & conditioner, cleanser, moisturiser, scrubby Korean exfoliating cloth thing, etc.

• Minimalist make-up kit: eyebrow pencil, eyeliner, eyelash curlers, mascara, eyeshadow, lip tint, tiny bottle of eyemakeup remover, tiny bottle of hair serum. A girl might get feral in the depths of the Swedish woods but I’m still here to party with friends and go to two weddings on this trip 💁🏻‍♀️

• Hair ties and pins + hair claw. Hair has had a fresh Korean perm so beachy waves are pre-loaded with no hair styling tools required ✨

• Sunblock

• Hand sanitiser

• Insect bite cream

• Insect repellent (okay this one actually took a lot of research because much like sunscreen, not all repellents are actually legit, and malaria & tick-borne encephalitis & Lyme disease are pretty terrifying. This US guide is helpful but I’ll have to find equivalents in SE Asia or Europe).

• Tick removing tool 😖

• Earplugs: foam ones for sleeping in hostels, Zildjian ones for concerts & clubs

• Saddle cream (praying I won’t have to use)

• Earrings 💖 limited to top four.

• Sunglasses: one pair of cycling sunnies that we found abandoned on a trail one million years ago, which are highly functional but make me look like a dork and/or a Berlin techno clubber I accidentally put these through the washing machine 😐 I bought these Van Rysel Photochromatic Cycling Glasses; and one nice pair where I actually look sane, but are too impractical to use when riding. Alas, fashion.

• Whimsy & wonder ✨

  • Sketch book & stationery + colour pencil set too heavy, replaced with 6-color mini marker set from Muji

  • Tiny embroidery kit (needle, embroidery floss, pre-cut bits of wool felt, tiny thread snipping scissors). Doubles as sewing kit if I get holes in things.

  • Journal & pen

• Spare bags: 1 x foldup backpack, 1 x foldup grocery bag

• Utensils for food: collapsible bowl, pocket knife, plastic spork, tiny very light plastic chopping board. Threw in a few takeaway wooden chopsticks. I won’t be cooking on the trip, so no gas burner/pot, but I’ll be eating a lot of crackers & cheese.

• Some N95 masks for the plane rides (I’m all vaxxed up but really don’t want to get sick and miss half my trip)

Top tube bag: Rockbros

I got this off FB marketplace and tbh the zip is a faff. Usually this would be the spot for snacks, but since the zip almost takes two hands, I’ll instead use it for:

• Power bank (so I can charge while I ride)

• Bike gloves

• Hair claw/ties

• Multi-device charger + travel adapter

Uniqlo handbag strapped to the handlebars
Poor woman’s handlebar bag (doubles as… a handbag!)

• Snacks

• Passport

• Lip balm

• Other random small things

Saddle bag (tools)

Kevin gave this away when he was moving to London along with his bike lights (thanks Kevin!), it does the job!

• Allenkeys

• Bike lube

• Tyre lever

• Chain break & spare chain bits

• Spare wire thingy (do I even need this if tbh I don’t know what to do with it?? To be confirmed)

Let’s see how it all goes!