Touring - Top 5?

Can you list the top 5 purchases that you've made in the last few years which have made your cycling, in general, and cycletouring, specifically, more comfortable and enjoyable?



I've got a whole list of purchases, but making the top 5 cut would have to be:

-- Machak: my Marinoni Ciclo. A bicycle that FITS!

-- MEC Rain Jacket. I have lived in that jacket for the past couple years.

-- Brooks B-17 Saddle. I sit in that saddle for thousands and thousands of kilometers and it just keeps getting more comfortable.

-- Lake Mtn Bike shoes. I can ride thousands of kilometers AND do long hikes in them!

-- Thermarest mattress. There is nothing like a good night's sleep at the end of a long day's ride.


Honourable mention also has to go to:
-- Bento Bag - it made eating while on the bicycle a piece of cake ... sometimes I eat pieces of cake now! :D
-- Sarong - one of the most versatile pieces of ... clothing? ... I've ever owned.
-- Topeak Road Morph Pump - even I can pump my own tires up now.
-- Topeak Alien Multitool - I could build a bicycle from scratch with that thing.
-- Balaclava - I don't leave home without it!

Bike Friday Pocket Gnu...suspended folding mtn. bike. It's just a blast to ride around town or out in the 'Glades.

Terry Liberator Gel saddle...I'm forced to ride in an upright position (hand/wrist issues) and this saddle does the job without being TOO soft.

Burley Canto recumbent...not quite as fun to ride as my BF. It's a bit too passive...just sit 'n spin. But, unlike with my upright, long rides don't result in my hands going numb.

Shimano cycling sandals...cold weather is not a problem in my neck of the woods...not sure how practical they'd be in colder climates. I haven't toured any distance while wearing them.

Fenders...don't leave home without 'em.

37c slicks.

good lube.

three pound tent that's HUGE on living space, and small enough to pack in the pannier.

camoflage tarps for stealth camping.

titanium pins in my hip to fix a pesky broken femur.

--Thorn Nomad 26" tourer - always ready to go offroad
--Showerspass elite jacket - finally a rain coat that doesn't drench me in sweat
--Marmot size-zipper rain pants - way easier/faster to get on
--Shimano Gore-tex SPD touring shoes (MT90) - don't need shoe covers (but gators with shorts)
--Pauls thumbies - because stuff would always hit bar-end shifters out of gear, knees included

Cannondale T800 Much better than my old steel whippy touring bike.
Subcategory extras: - Phil hubs and DT Alpine III spokes
- RaceFace Turbine LP crank. Smooth and crisp with way low gears
- King headset. It's purty. Say no more.

Tubus Racks Strong and steady. And the Tara is 'sexy' which is really scary when you think of it.

Big Agnus inflatable sleeping pad It may not self inflate but deflated it is tiny. And it's thicker than the Thermorest and lighter to boot.

Ortlieb bags Waterproof. Simple. Easily mounted and removed. Plus they are yellow:)

Orikaso dish From REI, these things (http://www.rei.com/product/47907748.htm?vcat=REI_SSHP_CAMPING_TOC) are wonderful! They fold like origami, can be used as a cutting board, are easy to clean and fold flat as a sheet of paper for storage!

My top 5 comfort purchases:

1. Brooks B-17 - for the Trek
2. Brooks Conquest - for the hardtail
3. Brooks B-17 - for the Raleigh
4. Brooks B-17 - for the fixed gear
5. Brooks B-17 - for the wife's bike

-- Bento Bag - it made eating while on the bicycle a piece of cake ... sometimes I eat pieces of cake now! :D


What is a "Bento Bag"??

Thx
Kev

This: http://tinyurl.com/fy98b
Sits on your top tube for easy access. Mine even has a little tiny pouch for lip balm, which I always seemed to lose before I had this!

1. Flip-up aero bars -- Provides new riding postures including efficient positions for hill climbing and headwinds. Also, it gives a zero-force, non-gripping hand position.

2. Granny gear -- 24 teeth in the front and 34 in the back. I use it on most hills of any size. If I could go lower next time, I will.

3. Mirror -- How did I get along without one for so many years? A quick glance in the mirror gives important information about traffic coming up from behind.

4. Gatorade -- I never used sports drinks until last summer's trip. Now I am hooked. The sugar and salt content seems to keep muscles nourished longer than juice or milk, and the fat content takes the edge off of hunger. Interestingly, the moment my trip ended, I stopped drinking it, and have not a drop since. But I will definitely take it on my next trip.

5. Fenders -- What was I thinking by not installing fenders on my bike 25 years ago???

2. Granny gear -- 24 teeth in the front and 34 in the back. I use it on most hills of any size. If I could go lower next time, I will.



Look at a mountain bike crank. You can go down to 20 teeth in the front. A 46 tooth front ring and an 11t cog makes for a great high gear. I put a RaceFace Turbine on my touring bike and couldn't be happier.

Look at a mountain bike crank. You can go down to 20 teeth in the front. A 46 tooth front ring and an 11t cog makes for a great high gear. I put a RaceFace Turbine on my touring bike and couldn't be happier.

1. Brooks B-67 saddle
2. 14-34t Shimano mega gear
3. Schwalbe Marathon XP 700 x 32 tires
4. Pearl Izumu jacket with zip sleeves (forget the name)
5. Kucharick big tights w/o the chamois - Branford Bike (go on over everything else)

I just bought a Pearl Izumi Vagabond jacket--it has zip-off sleeves. I really like it. It is bright, bright yellow. I am definitely more visible wearing it.

1. Camelbak.

2. Trekking bars and thumb-shifter adapters for my bar-ends + lots of padding on bar.

3. Lower gearing: 44-34-24 crank with new 11-34 cassette. Effectively gave me three new low gears, lowest is 17 G.I.! Much better for my current hilly environment.

4. Nice racks. Er, Surly Nice Front Rack. . . mostly cause I love to look at it . . . + Tubus Logo Rack. . . very elegant. Also works well.

5. Gore windproof booties/Seratus waterproof booties -- both have helped my feet be happy in weather I never would have considered riding in othewise.

1. Camelbak.

2. Trekking bars and thumb-shifter adapters for my bar-ends + lots of padding on bar.

3. Lower gearing: 44-34-24 crank with new 11-34 cassette. Effectively gave me three new low gears, lowest is 17 G.I.! Much better for my current hilly environment.

4. Nice racks. Er, Surly Nice Front Rack. . . mostly cause I love to look at it . . . + Tubus Logo Rack. . . very elegant. Also works well.

5. Gore windproof booties/Seratus waterproof booties -- both have helped my feet be happy in weather I never would have considered riding in othewise.

1. Brooks B17 special
2. Carradice seat bag
3. Garmin Legend GPS
4. RAM stem mount for Legend
5. Nagalene 20 oz flip top bike bottles

-- Lake Mtn Bike shoes. I can ride thousands of kilometers AND do long hikes in them!

Which Lake shoes. I spend as almost as much time hiking and walking when I tour and haven't found the right shoe yet.

-- Lake Mtn Bike shoes. I can ride thousands of kilometers AND do long hikes in them!

Which Lake shoes. I spend as almost as much time hiking and walking when I tour and haven't found the right shoe yet.

These:
http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442335719&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302692667&bmUID=1144385946683

Fabulous shoes!!! I've got a pair from a couple years before them too (with blue eyelettes instead of the red). I have ridden about 18,000 kms in my blue pair, and about 11,000 kms in my red pair .... through summer, winter, monsoon-like rains, hail, sleet, heat, cold. I've done everything from short rides around the block to my long 1200K randonnees. I've also walked probably a couple hundred kilometers in the blue pair during my tours to Europe and Australia.

Both pairs are still in great shape and are incredibly comfortable. :) :) :)

1. My Miyata 210 touring bike. Not top of the line, but I love, cherish and spoil it. A wonderful bicycle, it changed my life.

2. Shimano MegaRange 13-34T 7-speed freewheel. Getting the extra cog was nice. Having that extra cog be a 34 was even better. I now have a low gear of 22 inches. Someday, a new couple of chainrings to drop that by a couple inches or so and downsize my middle chainring (a stupid-big 44T) will make my life that much better.

3. Fenders! Currently using SKS Chromoplastics (I have a pair of Planet Bike basic Freddy Fenders for moving around to various beaters, these fenders are okay.)

4. New Tektro cantilever brakes to replace the OEM Dia-Compe and used Shimano XT wide-profile cantis I was using before. I'm not a big advocate for solving problems by replacing brakes, but boy, it really did make all the difference here.

5. New Timbuk2 messenger bag. A little strange, in a touring forum, I guess. It's like this: panniers are for touring, longer commutes and for shopping. A messenger bag is for riding to classes. Backpacks are for walking.

- Good wheels

- Flat tire tools: Topeak road morph, quick stick, and instant press on patches

- Fenders, they weren't cool when I started cycling, but when it rains they are essential.

- B-17

- Touring Sandals


I need some better brakes, but I haven't solved that problem yet.

# 1 - had my '72 bianchi touring bike frame, fork and misc. parts chromed and professionally painted. my old friend looks entirely spiffy again. more of a pleasure to ride than ever. now if i could just source some nice regina 13-34 5-speed freewheels....., and maybe one of those plastic tubes that no longer covers one of the springs on my gran turismo derailleur... and...... :rolleyes:

# 2 - mec bernoulli rain jacket

# 3 - mec full-length side zip rain pants

# 4 - mec waterproof panniers

# 5 - park work stand; what a difference from working on my bike upside-down or on various jury-rigged set-ups

Xenon flashlight on my keychain, Placebo lock (Big burly chain ends, with a fake plastic chain in the middle, hidden in an inner tube...HA!) Swiss Army knife, Thermarest, silk long undies, air zone horn, Brooks B-17, Ipod, Maui Jim sunglasses, breakfast.

top five added comforts for touring:

arm warmers
sunglasses with interchangeable lenses for various light conditions
kevlar belted (not just beaded) tires - like the armadillo, they are super tough
One of those dorky helmet mounted rearview mirror - it has saved my life touring on a busy highway
booties/shoe-covers - on cold wet days it is nice to have warm, dry(-ish) feet

Big Agnes insulated air core mattress
Surly LHT
compact crankset for my road bike

Don Valley --- the name is killing me. lol

waiting for your cousin. . . Don Mills . . . . :)

Profile AirStryke aerobars
Low gear of 24-34
Chuck Harris mirror
(maybe my new B-17S--haven't had it long yet)
Wool armwarmers

Here is a summary of all the Top 5s submitted so far, organized by category. I did this very quickly -- obviously I have too much idle time on my hands -- so a couple of items may have ended up in the "wrong" category. (If you are interested in my choice of categories, well, that's a topic in itself... start a thread!

The main finding is that most people are all over the map with their Top 5 items. Brooks saddles are the most frequently mentioned item, but this is probably because one or two respondents listed it several times. More than a few people mentioned fenders and granny gears in their top-5 list.

BIKES / FRAMES

Bianchi touring bike (1972)
Bike Friday Pocket Gnu
Branford Bike
Burley Canto recumbent
Cannondale T800
Marinoni Cicl
Miyata 210 touring bike.
Thorn Nomad 26" tourer


SADDLES

Brooks B-17 Saddle [9]
Brooks B-67 saddle
Brooks Conquest
Terry Liberator Gel saddle


GEARS and CRANKS

Low gear of 24-34 [3]
14-34t Shimano mega gear
Shimano MegaRange 13-34T 7-speed freewheel.
RaceFace Turbine LP crank.


LUGGAGE and RACKS

Bento Bag
Carradice seat bag
mec waterproof panniers
Nice racks
Ortlieb bags Waterproof
Timbuk2 messenger bag.
Tubus Racks


FENDERS

Fenders
Fenders
Fenders
Fenders!


WHEELS

37c slicks.
DT Alpine III spokes
kevlar belted (not just beaded) tires - like the armadillo, they are super tough
Good wheels
Schwalbe Marathon XP 700 x 32 tires


TOOLS

Good lube.
Park work stand
Quick stick and instant press on patches
Swiss Army knife
Topeak Alien Multitool
Topeak Road Morph Pump [2]


NUTRITION and HYDRATION

breakfast.
Camelbak.
Gatorade
Nagalene 20 oz flip top bike bottles


CLOTHING

arm warmers
Balaclava
Gore windproof booties/Seratus waterproof booties
Kucharick big tights w/o the chamois
Marmot size-zipper rain pants
mec bernoulli rain jacket
mec full-length side zip rain pants
MEC Rain Jacket
Pearl Izumi Vagabond jacket
Pearl Izumu jacket with zip sleeves (forget the name)
Sarong
Showerspass elite jacket
silk long undies
Wool armwarmers


SHOES

booties/shoe-covers
Lake Mtn Bike shoes [2]
Shimano Gore-tex SPD touring shoes
Shimano cycling sandals
Touring Sandals


CAMPING

Big Agnus inflatable sleeping pad
camoflage tarps for stealth camping.
Orikaso dish From REI
Thermarest [2]
three pound tent


HANDLEBARS

Profile AirStryke aerobars [2]
Trekking bars and thumb-shifter adapters for my bar-ends
Lots of padding on bar.


EYE WEAR

sunglasses with interchangeable lenses for various light conditions
Maui Jim sunglasses


SAFETY

Chuck Harris mirror
One of those dorky helmet mounted rearview mirror
Mirror


OTHER COMPONENTS

King headset
Phil hubs
RAM stem mount for Legend
Tektro cantilever


MISCELLANY

air zone horn
Garmin Legend GPS
Ipod
Pauls thumbies
Placebo lock
titanium pins in my hip to fix a pesky broken femur.
Xenon flashlight on my keychain

where can i get one of those sarongs in my area? is it ok to ride in, or strictly for after hours?

2. Trekking bars and thumb-shifter adapters for my bar-ends + lots of padding on bar.

Are your thumb shifters in parallel to the bar-ends or instead of? I'm looking at adding a thumb shifter in case my STIs break in the field...but a) I have no idea where to get such a beast and b) I have no idea on how to install the beast when I find it.

"Here is a summary of all the Top 5s submitted so far, organized by category. I did this very quickly -- obviously I have too much idle time on my hands -- ..."


acantor - the summary is fine as far as it goes, but what does it all mean?

Here is a summary of all the Top 5s submitted so far, organized by category. I did this very quickly -- obviously I have too much idle time on my hands -- so a couple of items may have ended up in the "wrong" category. (If you are interested in my choice of categories, well, that's a topic in itself... start a thread!



Cool!! :D

And actually ... there are several items I could "second" on there which I didn't include in my list. The Carradice bag, for example. Also the really low gearing, fenders, "instant" patches, Nagalene 20 oz flip top bike bottle, and booties!! All very good things which I have found very useful. :)

where can i get one of those sarongs in my area? is it ok to ride in, or strictly for after hours?


Is this a facetious question .... or are you serious?

In no particular order.

1. Rudy Project Rydons, with prescription clip-ins.
2. Hennessy Hammock.
3. Compass bell on handlebars.
4. Shimano SPD mtb shoes and dual sided pedals (platform one side, spd other side).
5. 2-footed kickstand which allows my bike to remain upright even while attached to a fully loaded Bob Yak.

Are your thumb shifters in parallel to the bar-ends or instead of? I'm looking at adding a thumb shifter in case my STIs break in the field...but a) I have no idea where to get such a beast and b) I have no idea on how to install the beast when I find it.

My thumb shifters are a thing of beauty. They are an adaptation of the bar ends, which removes them from their customary location and anchors them horizontally on the straight portion of my trekking bar, closest to me.

a) I got mine from St John Street Cycle in England, and they are available from Paul Components in the States as well.

b) my mechanic had no idea how, either. I figured it out, fortunately. It is a bit counter-intuitive, which one goes on which side. A picture is worth a t'ousand words, however:

http://i2.tinypic.com/qzj19u.jpg

Outdoordrea if you search for my name and "butterfly bars" you can find some (hopefully) helpful information about the process of changing my drops to these.

And actually ... there are several items I could "second" on there which I didn't include in my list. The Carradice bag, for example. Also the really low gearing, fenders, "instant" patches, Nagalene 20 oz flip top bike bottle, and booties!! All very good things which I have found very useful. :)

I agree -- there are a dozen things at least that I would consider essential kit for making me happy and comfortable on a ride of any length.

A neat idea would be a poll: many items listed; choose your top 10 (or more!) "don't-leave-home-without-'em" from the list.

This would aggregate these things in an interesting and useful way.

"Here is a summary of all the Top 5s submitted so far, organized by category..."

acantor - the summary is fine as far as it goes, but what does it all mean?

It means that I yearn to do qualitative and interpretive research!

As for interpreting the data: The data suggests to me that the needs and values of bike tourers are diverse. Examining the submissions so far, I see little or no consensus on the importance of the bike itself, the type of brakes, the geometry of the handlebars, the number of braze-ons, the sturdiness of the racks, or a myriad of other items that we discuss on this forum. The only items mentioned three times or more are Brooks saddles, bail-out gears, and fenders.

Which leads me to this question:

How many of three most-frequently mentioned items make your top-5 list?

1. A Brooks saddle
2. A granny gear -- 24T front and 34T rear was mentioned most often
3. Fenders

For me: 2 out of 3.

Let's see:
My hydration pack
My PADDED shorts::GRIN::
in general, my Bike!
My polar sleeping bag

It means that I yearn to do qualitative and interpretive research!

As for interpreting the data: The data suggests to me that the needs and values of bike tourers are diverse. Examining the submissions so far, I see little or no consensus on the importance of the bike itself, the type of brakes, the geometry of the handlebars, the number of braze-ons, the sturdiness of the racks, or a myriad of other items that we discuss on this forum. The only items mentioned three times or more are Brooks saddles, bail-out gears, and fenders.

Which leads me to this question:

How many of three most-frequently mentioned items make your top-5 list?

1. A Brooks saddle
2. A granny gear -- 24T front and 34T rear was mentioned most often
3. Fenders

For me: 2 out of 3.

The Brooks definitely made my top 5, in fact it is probably at #2 after my bicycle ... the granny gear and fenders weren't in my top 5 or even 10, but they'd probably be something like 11 and 12. They are up there on my list of important things!

Are your thumb shifters in parallel to the bar-ends or instead of? I'm looking at adding a thumb shifter in case my STIs break in the field...but a) I have no idea where to get such a beast and b) I have no idea on how to install the beast when I find it.


Paul Components Thumbies, are available for both MTN bars 7/8 " and ROAD bars 26mm.

I use the MTN ones on my Roughstuff Tourer, simple and almost foolproof.

FKS

Hi,
1) Epic fabric. I have 3 jackets that use it. A shell, a lined jogger's jacket, and a winter jacket. It's super thin, breathable and waterproof, I have fallen twice on the shell. Neither time did it rip. It did get a stain where I slammed into the ashphalt. I can live with that. The stuff looks like rip stop but the weave is so fine you have to look close to see the rip stop pattern.
2) Ruffy Tuffy tires and CXP33 rims. You know, I am a lite tourer/commuter. This combo is tough, quick, reliable. It has enough volume to take the sting out of most bumps. It has enough quickness that you don't feel like you're pulling an anchor.
3) Off the Front Grip Shapes... I use a bunch of these on my handlebars. They weigh next to nothing, you tape them up and your hand has a broad ergonomically shaped place to rest. I just got a bunch off ebay and am going to line the outside of my bars with them. Gonna call 'em FrankenBars. They rob you blind on shipping, so if you can get them from your LBS or ebay or soemthing, go that way.
http://www.offthefront.com/sports.htm
4) Starbucks Frappacino. On a hot day in the middle of the afternoon my legs die. We roll into a convienence store and get a Frappacino (plain, not flavored)
and in a few moments I'm spinning and happy.
http://www.starbucks.com/grocery/frappuccino.asp
5) Heated swimming pools. OHMIGAWD. Couple years ago we rolled into Camden after a
long miserable day of riding. I jumped into the pool which was almost like a hot tub. In a few minutes I felt up to stretching and in a half hour, I felt almost human. If that hadn't been there I would have been a cripple for a couple hours the morning. That instantly became an important part of our trips.
6) Lemond Lewedge... Let me save you months of trial and error with these puppies. One of the best things these do is accomodate for leg length differences. Most people have a short leg, and that throws you off a hair on the bike. For some of us that causes no end of trouble. The pain can be anywhere from your foot to your back. Placing the shims so they simply raise your foot slightly can make a world of difference.
http://www.lemondfitness.com/products/lewedge/index.html

My List:

1. How about this (Internet) Touring Forum? And the Phred List as well as Neil's Crazy Guy on a Bike (http://www.crazyguyonabike.com) ?
2. My Selle Anatomica (http://www.mcmwin.com/saddle%20shop.htm), modified Brooks, saddle
3. Microsoft Maps and Trips (I'm a Mac person, the MS word hurts to type) for dreaming and planning.
4. My Diadora SPD touring shoes and dual sided pedals, M520's? (platform one side, spd other side). I'm with becnal on this one, great stuff.
5. Kelty Zen 2 people tent.

Is this a facetious question .... or are you serious?


are those my only 2 choices? :lol:

lolipop

got any brakes there?

i see the shifters, but where are the brake levers? or are you one of "those" types???



edited

ooops. took a better look and found them.

just ignore me please

Well, here's my list:

cheapish sunglasses with proper UV shield nevertheless, and 3 pairs of lenses for different conditions. I had a pair of Rudy Projects until an incident last summer. The incident involved myself in a kayak (paddling furiously); two large, noisy and very upset adult seagulls up in the air; and apparently one or more of their offspring swimming somewhere in the vicinity. Rudy Projects don't float too well once they get knocked in the lake. I doubt the new set floats any better, but at least it will be cheaper to replace.
handlebar-mount mirror. I'm not a huge fan of mirrors, but touring with a long trailer is considerably more comfortable with one. Or even two.
Hennessy Hammock. Ideal solo shelter for warm nights. We have no shortage of trees.
GPS (a Magellan Meridian Color). I'm an information junkie.

I am very much looking forward to breaking in my new Brooks B17. We'll see how it goes.

--J

1. Trek 520
2. Brooks B-17N
3. Thomson Elite seat post
4. Simano SPD sandels, and Smart Wool socks
4. crazyguyonabike.com
5. Panracer Pasala TG tires

My Top 5:

1. Fuji World Touring Bike - Obviously a misunderstood machine as it's been discontinued. It's great to ride both on loaded tours (particularly when there's lots of climbing) and equally on Audax events. Has decent componentry and a Reynolds 853 frame. 20,000kms and still counting....

2. Tioga mini floor pump - This thing cost only $40 and I disobeyed my wife to buy it, yet it might have saved our marriage! It ended the misery days of snapping valves while trying to get high pressures on road/touring tyres!

3. Schwalbe Marathon Tyres. These tires roll well and wear well, have good resistance to punctures. I managed 2 tours in France, the first being 3000kms, the second 2000kms with only one puncture TOTAL. Specialised Armadillo Turbos are great for road riding too.

4. The spare folding tyre. Has saved me a couple of times in the past. Has become less of an issue with Marathons and Armadillos as they give plenty of warning of a failure.

5. Ground Effect Body Bag. This cordura bag takes the bike with just the front wheel & seat removed. You use bubble wrap & cardboard to pack it and that's it. When you unload at the other end you just turf the cardboard and the bag folds up to A4 size that you can carry on the trip. I think the fact that they're not flat in shape also means things don't get stacked on top of them either!

3) Off the Front Grip Shapes... I use a bunch of these on my handlebars. They weigh next to nothing, you tape them up and your hand has a broad ergonomically shaped place to rest. I just got a bunch off ebay and am going to line the outside of my bars with them. Gonna call 'em FrankenBars. They rob you blind on shipping, so if you can get them from your LBS or ebay or soemthing, go that way.
http://www.offthefront.com/sports.htm
These look pretty good. Are they soft or rigid? Can they be mounted on the outside of the curved part of the top of the bar?

Hello everybody!!! I am happy ! The weather is Good The sun is shining! Today or nearest few days I am going to open summer biking season!
And this is my list:
1. First I changed my bike (I have bought Kona Cinder Cone with hydraulic disc brake) And I enjoying of riding.
2. Camelback! And I suggest it to everybody! It’s much comfortable then ordinary bottle. It don’t distract you from riding.
3. New helmet Rudy Project Ayron. It’s very comfortable one.
4. Dunlop sunglasses with interchangeable lenses for various weather conditions.
And other usefull thing is waiting for me!


And I invite everybody to JOIN my thread • IT’s INTERESTING ! See this!!!
:)

Wind blocking tights
Several pair of Smartwool socks
Wool knee warmers
Lake shoes, a close men's model to MACHKAs'
I ran out of budget after that.

Paul Components Thumbies, are available for both MTN bars 7/8 " and ROAD bars 26mm.

I use the MTN ones on my Roughstuff Tourer, simple and almost foolproof.

FKS
I'm a little unclear on this, so I'll just keep asking questions! ;)
I currently have STI (brake shifters), but realize that if they break in the field, I won't be able to fix them. So my thought is to mount a thumb shifter to my handle bars and rewire the shifter cable if need be. As I see it, in order to get the Paul Componenets Thumbies to work, I would have to a) buy a pair of barcons, and b) buy a pair of Tumbies, and c) rewire the shifter cable. Does this about cover it? I'd prefer something not so pricey, if possible. Any other ideas? Thanks, Drea