Introductions - biker brotherz plz advice

hi all, i have just rode bike in school days, now i want to ride again, with a little difference .......this time within next 6 months i am planning to cover the Leh-Manali Highway. It is a highway in India connecting Leh and Manali. It crosses some of the highest mountain passes in the world, including Rohtang La (3,978 m, 13,050 ft), Baralacha La (4,892 m, 16,050 ft), Lachulung La (5,059 m, 16,600 ft) and Taglang La (5,325 m, 17,470 ft), and is open only between June and mid-September when snow is cleared from the road. with no experience in biking, now i am looking for your advice on piece of equipment that i will rely on..... bike offcourse. and anything and everthing which i will require relating to bike.... from mechanical know how, to all the speces which will be required in the bike .... cause i have to buy one and get on with my traing from now on. lookin forward to ur valuable suggestions.
rukibiker.

Hi rukibiker! I have not done much touring, but I can tell you that certainly you should do a few test runs at altitude. The thin air in the passes could make your ride very difficult if you are not used to the high altitude.

For more, better advice, visit our Touring Forum.

Welcome to BikeForums!

East Hill
Forum Moderator

That looks like a wonderful adventure, but I think you should spend next year practicing in a less remote area, so you can find the equipment that best suits your style. You dont want to carry things you dont ever use, or find there is something that is vital to you when it is hundreds of miles away. Do you expect to camp or stay in hostels? Will you be riding alone or with friends? Good luck.

thnx Andrew and East Hill, as i told u i am absolute rookie when it comes to biking,i m 28 and vist gym after every 3 months or so when someone point's to my beer belly, last rode bike in school days,didn't have any gears in my bike that time, so no clue how to manage them ... so i know i am being very ambitious over here.. but what u gotta to do, u got to do ..this is my dream for next 8 months... that is why i have started planning from now on, i want to do this.. in summers of 2009,till now i am all alone and i intend to camp on the way , i guess it will be experience for lifetime, which i won't be able to do without support from u people.... plz help me choosing a right bike to start with, should i go for a hard tail or full suspension MTB, everything to anything about a bike which i should keep in mind which will assist me in my adventure on the second highest motorable road..... i stay in a small city in north india called chandigarh. we have firefox showroom over here which i can check. also capital of india in also not far off if i can get any good bike from their. but my budget doesn't allow me to import a bike. so all suggestions r welcome if i can get a bike from india. sooooooooooooooo brdrzzzzzzzz plz help me get my dream come true.......... cheersssss

You want a light bike for climbing those mountains, so avoid full suspension and maybe even front suspension. Freehubs are less susceptible to rear axle breakage than freewheels, so avoid 6 speed rear ends. Learn how to fix the bike yourself and buy the tools you will need on the trip. http://www.parktool.com/repair_help/index.shtml

hi andrew thnx for ur suggestion and sorry for delay in replying..well i been doing little search on the people who have done this journey and people who organise the same... these are the specs i could short list plz check....

 hardtail with a 100mm fork.
 11-32/34 block at the back, with a 22 tooth granny ring
 Bikes with 26" wheel bikes
45 mm hybrid tyres

andrew can u suggest site where i can know more about gears in little layman terms, or if u can explain a little, sites i came across r too confusing. now all i am concerned is to get a good bike, till then cheersss