Touring - Great Lakes Graduation Tour

I decided I am selling my new road bike and building up my Nishiki touring bike for graduation (I graduate college in May) and then setting out to head North on a tour of the Great Lakes region until I run out of money or get homesick. I'm in Grand Rapids so I plan to head North via Leelanau, on over to Wisconsin, etc. I'll be ordering parts to build up the bike and so far this is what I have planned:

Nishiki Riviera GT Touring frame (lugged, braze ons, etc)
Nitto Technomics stem
Nitto Radonneur 44cm handlebar
Jandd panniers
Cane Creek aero brake levers (gum hoods, of course)
Shimano 9spd bar cons
Shimano XTR r. derailleur (just cause I have one laying around)
Shimano 105 f. derailleur
Sugino GT triple crankset w/ new rings (came on the bike and seems nice enough)
Shimano UN72 cartridge BB
Shimano Deore 9spd cassette, 12-32
Shimano Ultegra/600 headset
Crank Bros. Candy C pedals
Shimano 105 hubs, 36h
Mavic Open Pro rims 36h (are these strong enough? I assume they are because of their time-testedness and their favor among Roubaix and Cyclocross racers)
DT Swiss double butted spokes
Surly Nice Racks (f & r)
IRC tandem/touring 30c tires, or Bontrager Hardcase 28c's

Input or suggestions?

After grad touring seems to be popular. I'm heading north to NY from Tallahassee in August, I graduate in April.

I don't know if the ultegra hs is sealed, but I'm digging on the FSA Orbit X. It looks pretty classic. Also, if your spacing allows, maybe consider mtb hubs?

Sweet, we'll have to compare notes. I had an Orbit X once and wasn't impressed. The locknuts were very soft and the bearing quality was pretty marginal. The Ultegras are really nice and solid it seems.

Adventure Cycling has some routes mapped out along the great lakes:

http://adventurecycling.com/routes/network.cfm

Or map yer own!

For similar price, I'd get Mavic a319 rims instead of the open pros. They're a nice double-eyelet rim that's very close to the twice as expensive a719.

BTW, how do you like your Nitto Rando bars? I've been considering a pair myself.

Do you stand up all the time while riding? I didn't see "Brooks B-17 saddle" on your list.

BTW, how do you like your Nitto Rando bars? I've been considering a pair myself.


I love them. I got the w i d e ones and I am a pretty small guy (6'1 155lbs) and find them quite comfortable. The flared drops are nice, and the slight bend on the top seems quite comfortable. The drop isn't deep to the point of unusable either. I have my bars just below my seat and can ride forever in the drops if I want to.

Do you stand up all the time while riding? I didn't see "Brooks B-17 saddle" on your list.

I thought it just went without saying ;)

For similar price, I'd get Mavic a319 rims instead of the open pros. They're a nice double-eyelet rim that's very close to the twice as expensive a719.


Thanks for the tip on the rims. I think I am actually going to go a similar route to the A719 and use Salsa Delgado X rims. They have been VERY reliable for a lot of the bigger riders at our shop, and we use them a lot for 29er mountainbikes. They are also quite reasonably priced.