this is a picture taken at the Springfield train station the day before doing the Westfield 400k. The panniers had clothes for the motel stay and some additional repair gear that I wasn't going to bring on the brevet.
The bike is a relatively stock 2004 Trek 520 touring bike. 52/42/30 crank with an 11-32 cassette gives me plenty of top end for descents while also letting me spin my way up the hills that we have to do in New England brevets. The only thing that's changed on the bike since this picture is a swapped saddle (Specialized BG Indie) and a new battery operated 5-LED lamp on the front fork. There's a Blackburn 3-LED taillight on the left chainstay that's obscured by the panniers. Hopefully, it should be an example for folks that you don't need a dyno-hubbed, GPS-equipped, custom jobbie for long-range endurance riding. Any bike should do, so long as it's comfortable and durable. Rest of the spec.
Front wheel: Bontrager Maverick rim with 36 spokes laced to Deore LX hub, 37mm Continental Top Touring tire
Rear wheel: Sun CR18 rim with 36 spokes laced to Deore LX hub, 32mm Pasela T-Serv tire.
Drivetrain: SRAM 970 11-32 cassette w/ Deore LX rear derailleur, Shimano 105 front derailleur with 52/42/30 105 Crankset.
Shifters: Shimano Dura-Ace barcons.
Brakeset: Avid Single-Digit 5 w/ DiaCompe 287 levers. Salmon Kool-stop Brakepads.
Steering: Cane Creek headset, w/ Bontrager Race 7 stem, Bontrager Select handlebars and Specialized black gel tape.
Accessories: Zefal HP-X frame pump, Cateye Mity8 computer, Planet Bike fenders, Shimano 520 pedals.
My standard loadout for a brevet is as follows:
Arkel handlebar bag:
Ziploc Bag 1 (keys, phone, wallet)
Ziploc Bag 2 (6x clif shots)
Case for sunglasses with interchangeable lenses
4x Clif Bars
Ziploc Bag 3 (nuts, grapes, raisins)
3 packets of Gatorade powder
Axiom trunk bag
Ziploc Bag 4 (spare cue sheets and brevet card)
reflective vest for night riding
reflective ankle and wrist straps
two spare tubes
patch kit
multitool
2 tire levers
1 Fiber-Fix kevlar spoke replacement
Ziploc Bag 5 (Digital Camera, PDA)
headlamp and battery
Marmot rain jacket
Pearl Izumi AmFib Leg warmers
Two bungee cords
Small roll of duct tape
One handipack of tissues
Added for a 400K and 600K
one box of ginseng tea
Ziploc Bag 6 (chain lube)
1.5 L Nalgene Hydration pack