Touring - Help pease for a someone new to touring

I'm leaving March 1st to cycle from Gibraltar (Spain) up to John O’Groats (Scotland) this March but as this is my very first Touring vacation I'm finding that I need a little help putting my equipment list together.
So any one who has any tips I would be very thankful for the help.
Questions


1. Should I stick with my nimbus armadillo tires for the ride? It will be a mix of some off road travel through Spain but the rest of the trip will be mostly road travel.
2. Has anyone good recommendations for panniers? I was looking at the Novara Safari Rear Panniers but I was unsure of the quality.
3. Anyone out there attached speakers to the handlebars. Yes sometimes I need that little bit of uplifting music.


Well thanks for any help anyone might have.
Dave lant

I'd change the tyres for something a little lighter but with puncture protection, ie Schawalbe Marathon perhaps. As for panniers you can't better Ortlieb Classic, in my opinion in that they really are waterproof and you will certainly need them in John o Groats in March.
Do invest in good waterproofs as Scotland in March is very early for cycling.

Do you think themarathon xr would be good for the trip?

Panniers: Consider the Axiom LaSalles. Inexpensive and durable. :)

Here is a list of threads with equipment lists(I used the search function)--a good place to rummage.

http://www.bikeforums.net/search.php?searchid=3146122 You probably need to get the URL of the previous page you used to get to the one you linked. This comes up with a No Matches Found message. Just to let you know.

I endorse the Axiom comment. I don't use any of their equipment, but I gave their stuff a good going over in a well-stocked bike shop the other day, and I am impressed not only with the panniers, but the construction of their racks, and particularly the seat-post rack. It seems there are a few rack makers following the Tubus trend of going tubular -- Axiom is one, and the racks I saw seem to stack up well with my Topeak.

I also note they make a robust rack specifically for suspension forks.

Well worth looking into, although I cannot verify their actual durability.

about those speakers... I would be interested in that too... the problem would be that if it rains they are done, unless you get a good set.

+1 any ortlieb panniers
+1 schwalbe marathon XR tires

Well i found that i used my ipod many times when i was walking across England. Mostly I used it when moral got low.

As for the Marathon XR do you think they are going to be overkill?
I will be doing a little off road travel in Spain but mostly I will be traveling by road during the trip

For your pump use a Topeak Road Morph w/guage. Don't bother w/self-sealing tubes they're a PITA. Nashbar has a set of speakers w/an ipod/mp3 adaptor for around 25.00. Don't know if it's a waterproof setup, though. Take a small bottle of Rainx and Fogx each. Rx the outside of your lenses and Fx the inside. It's amazing how much regular application helps. Whatever panniers you decide on even if they're 'waterproof' wrap the contents in plastic bags. Take a bottle of ibuprophin. Don't scrimp on your raingear. Get the best you can possibly afford and then 'scotchguard' it 3x even if it's Gore-Tex. Neoprene booties(one size larger than your shoe size) and rubber coated mittens w/finger liners(you can wash the liners and your mittens wont get 'stinky'). Clothing worn on the bike should'nt be worn off the bike and vice-versa...you'll get more use between washes out of both. That's enough...have fun!!

Neoprene booties(one size larger than your shoe size)

This is essential advice.

Well i found that i used my ipod many times when i was walking across England. Mostly I used it when moral got low.

As for the Marathon XR do you think they are going to be overkill?
I will be doing a little off road travel in Spain but mostly I will be traveling by road during the trip


moral is always low in england. ipod is a definite. what route are you doing through england because if you need somewhere to stay for a night im in milton keynes about 70 miles north of london.
have you ever cycled in england before? if not the traffic and drivers attitudes towards cyclists suck.

Make sure to get your gear together as soon as possible and do some overnighters before you leave. Even with our recommendations there will be a period of getting the gear worked out and doing that ahead of time close to home will save a lot of trouble before you hit the road.

I'm actually a Geordie but i been living in the states for 12 years.
I'm going to be Lands End to John O' Groats. I actually got my route today from http://www.beewee.co.uk/JOGLE2005index.htm. They have a amazing PDF you can download of there trip. I donated $20 to there charity and received a detailed CD of there route including Youth hostel stops on route.
One thing i was wondering about was if people prefer to use water bottles or do they prefer some kind of camel style pack to wear for extended touring. Also whats been peoples experiences with losing weight on there tours. I hope to lose many pounds on my trip......................

You'll lose weight. Spent 7 weeks cycling Ireland, Wales and parts of England a few years ago. Didn't starve myself and lost at least 15 lbs. My basic routine was to ride to the hostel, find out where the nearest 'Spar' was located and purchase my dinner and breakfast. Veggies w/pasta(whole wheat if I could find some), wine(love the 750ml size), seasoning of some sort, a little oil and salt. Breakfast was usually meuslix(sp?), yogurt, banana, oj. Whatever not consumed I'd carry w/me. Lunch was a Snicker's bar(or two) and dried fruit/granola. Preferred water bottles over 'camelbak' as I was taught to let the bike support the weight. My beast was/is a '96 Softride Traveler which has 3 braze-ons for wb cages. I used the 28 oz. size. Make sure you wash them daily w/hot(very hot) water to keep the bacteria count low...cramps can be a MAJOR problem, otherwise.

Often I'd go to the pub...never more than a pint or two. Except one night in Dublin...well, nevermind.

Has anyone good recommendations for panniers? I was looking at the Novara Safari Rear Panniers but I was unsure of the quality.

Novara panniers are made/sold through REI.com and their stores. I haven't used the Safaris, but I own their "cheap" model, and they held up wonderfully for literally thousands of miles. I only paid 99$ for them. In fact, all things I've purchased from REI have held-up for years, and they live-up to to their intended purposes.

David in FL