Once the idea was planted, we were always going to take these old bikes, but they can be a nightmare. A huge part of the challenge is going to be getting the bikes to the finish in one piece, avoiding getting stuck in rural Serbia without a suitably irregular French part. Above is my flat mate Jim (in charge of logistics) helping me with a job I'm pretending I know how to do.
A rack has been fitted to the fixie, is that sacrilege? It was originally a racing bike, so no bosses on the seat stays means they get hashed on like so. They passed the initial 'shake to validate sturdiness' test excellently.
Ortlieb Roller Back panniers in the sale to adorn said new rack? Go on then! In black, to help us go faster, and get any foodstuffs inside suitably sweaty.
Test ride (remember to do up all buckles) went well after minor adjustments. Again with the older bikes, and using just one gear, we really need pack light. Luckily the apparent carrying capacity for a 5 week trip is alarmingly small!
Does anyone have a 3 person tent we can borrow? I mean a tiny one. A ninja tent.
