Dellphinus

Brooks B67
Super Grips pedal straps- for riding in tennis shoes and hiking boots
Specialized Nimbus Armadillo tires
J&G cycling jacket
Profile Design flip up aero bars

metal_cowboy

1. Nitto 48cm "Noodle Bars".
2. Brooks Champion Saddle
3. Panaracer 700x37 Tour Guard Tires (Kevlar belted)
4. Caradice Barley Bag
5. Speedplay "Frog" pedals

Prg146

1. Specialized Body Geometry Footbeeds- no more knee pain
2. Peter White Built LX with A319 Wheels- no more broken spokes
3. Shimano Deore Crankset with a 22 tooth granny- no more breaks when climbing
4. Brooks B-17- no more breaks from butt pain
5. Ortlieb Handlebar Bag- no more having to stop to take a picture, or worry about my camera getting wet

Machka 

Just thought I'd update this list with:

-- Axiom LaSalle Panniers - inexpensive and durable
-- MEC Booties - not the neoprene ones, although they are great for winter wear. The other ones are better for packing on a long trip.
-- Merino Wool Top - they're lovely!!

dewaday

i'm a relative noob, but in order of appearance in making my cadence spin:

B-17 saddle- crack butter from day 1.
headsweats- who really wants to ponder headsweat.
that little presta to schrader adapter thingie- without it i'd still be stuck in elmore ohio.
rear rack- strap it on, carry it home, repeat.
craft wind-front base layer- magic in textiles.

honorable ped mention---
good socks- life's way too short to wear suck socks.

gregstandt

Top five not necessarily in order. The order depends on time of day, weather, etc.

1. Wool clothing. (sheep have always known this)
2. Bid Agnes mattress. (worth the effort to blow it up)
3. Keen sandals.(not with cleats, just ordinary sandals).
4. Brooks Champion Flyer. (don't mean a thing if it ain't got the spring!)
5. Pocket Llama. (no top tube favorite feature).

Lucky13

I agree! The lack of a top tube makes mounting/dismounting on a Friday so much easier. For some reason, I have trouble on Wednesdays!!

The whole recumbent thing has been shelved for now. I made some adjustments to my Friday's handlebar setup and to my riding position. It's working out - for rides up to 35-40 miles or so (60 km). A new set of stretching exercises seems to have helped as well. Before my next long tour, I'll have to make a decision.

Robert Beckman panniers...they have been used on two long tours and I've always taken them for granted. They are very well made and a pleasure to use.

Binoculars...I recently started bringing them along. Waterproof, fog proof, nitrogen filled - not the lightest but very rugged and fairly compact.

Fishing shirt...long sleeve, button-front with a collar. It was picked up at the local BassPro Shops outdoor store for a very reasonable price. The shirt is rated to SPF 30 - wet or dry. It's loose fitting with longer sleeves and a mesh panel over the shoulders. It has the makings of a fine touring shirt.

Adventure Cycling Association...I'm not thrilled with their marketing focus - just a bit too staged and, uhm, pretty. Has anyone seen the April '09 cover of Adventure Cyclist? Cutting thru the gloss does reveal some useful information, good maps and good service. It is a worthwhile organization.

Posterboy

1. Bell Metro Helmet Winter Kit, which consists of plugs for the helmet vent holes, and ear muff thingies that slide onto the straps. It's been real nice to arrive at work with my ears not hurting from the cold.

2. Polyester fleece neck gaiter--Keeps the neck warm, and you can pull it up over your chin, mouth, and nose without causing your glasses to fog up.

3. "Lobster Gloves"--Halfway between gloves and mittens, they keep your fingers way warmer than gloves, and you can still operate your brakes.

4. Power Grips--I rode with toe clips for 20+ years, then switched to clipless, but never liked having to wear special biking shoes, especially for commuting and everyday riding. Power Grips offer the best of both worlds--a secure connection to your pedals, and ease in getting in and out.

5. Nitto Noodle handlebars. The most comfortable drop bars I've used in 40 years of bicycling.

nancy sv

1) Wool. I've recently discovered the wonders of wool and can't imagine ever going back. Can't stand all that high-tech poly/lycra crap anymore!!

2) Power Grips. I used to use toe clips, then went clipless. Power Grips are much better than either of them.

3) Dry bags. It's great to not ahve to stop and wrap everything in plastic when it rains.

4) Ortlieb handlebar bag. Don't have to worry about my camera at all.

5) Schwalbe tires. Only 4 flats in 13,000 kilometers!!

overthehillmedi

Lady Machka,what's with no plane tickets to Australia on your list?

Booger1

Love my old Shogun Bike,wouldn't trade it for...anything!
20-34 Gearing,old SR crank
downtube shifters,K.I.S.S. principle
700 wheels,get to pick tires again.
Brooks B-17,AHH!

positron

big apple tires - 50mm
schmidt SON/edelux combo
Carradice camper longflap
nitto randonneur bars
Brooks saddles

nun

Clothing wise
1) Smartwool zip T-shirts, and smartwool neck gaiter
2) Rapha Stowaway jacket
3) Shimano SH-MO76 shoes
4) Waltz wool woosted cap
5) Rapha fixed knickers

bike wise

1) Acorn handlebar bag
2) 42t large chain ring (no need for more when touring)
3) Nitto touring bottle cages
4) SRAM chain link
5) Ruffy tuffy tyres.


gear wise

1) Down sleeping quilt, light, warm and packs small
2) Trangia alcohol stove
3) Big Agnes sleeping pad
4) Tarptent Contrail
5) 2oz squeeze bottles

thecrunge

In no particular order: -Klean Kanteen bottles and cages (I can drink warm water again)
-home-made 1 litre fuel bottle holder (bottom of down tube)
-home-made racks and bags
-new wheels
-new taller stem
Maybe I'll add my Brooks saddle later as I haven't had much time on it.

gz_

led headlamp
b17
topeak road morph g
columbia rain pants
brooks rain jacket (the running company)

Hot Rod Lincoln

1. Surly Crosscheck

2. Nitto Campee racks front and rear

3. Orlieb Bike Packer Plus Panniers (Blue)

4. Ortlieb Large H-Bar bag...carries all my ID, energy bars, wallet, I-Pod, Camera, and still has lots of
room.

5. Nite Rider Tri-Newt. Had a few problems with it but think they are solved for now (bad charger and
battery went bad within three months of use. But they were replaced quickly under warranty.

akansaskid

I rode a bit in the 70s, before kids, and then took it more seriously again last year. On the one hand, I could say EVERYthing I’ve purchased recently has made it more comfortable and enjoyable, since I had no bike-specific clothing or accessories in that earlier era. But, even after buying a CF Roubaix in place of my steel 1979 Motobecane, and having all the right gear this time, I can safely say it wouldn’t matter that much. I was riding the Moto almost 1000 miles/month from Aug to Dec last year and have increased my mileage only a little this year with the new bike.

So, instead, I’m considering what purchases have made me ride so much now compared to the 70s:

1) Underarmor Cold Gear and Heat Gear for year-round survivability. Kansas gets very hot and very cold.
2) Sigma cycle computer. It’s that odometer that feeds my addiction.
3) Lights. Gets dark too early half the year to ride after work without them. I’m using two Feinx flashlights and a PBSF blinkie. Nothing worked in the 70s.
4) Gatorskins and Armadillos. Flats suck the joy out of riding. Those days are gone.

Lots of other stuff make it fun and comfortable, but take away any one of the four listed, and I would be cutting my mileage…a lot.

JohnyW

Hi,

this good equipment stuff reduces the memorable things on tour. I still remember
- raining through the tent
- 6 punctures a day
- spoke broke every day
- freezing in bad sleeping bag
- no suitable rain cloths
- etc.

Thomas

Oldsport

This tread had been very helpful. It is one of those that should be stickied even though Machak's links to her boots are dead.
I looked up almost ever single piece of gear listed in here.

escii_35

1. 48-36-24 sugino cranks. Gearing seems to be very popular on this thread
2. Sloppy SPD's from the coop used bin. Froggers -> spendy
3. Closed toe sandles things
4. Portable Tunes
5. Extra bulky extra compy blowup mattress.

Things I should have bought.

1. Flat protection for Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico. Goat Heads and Radial tires oh how I hate thee.

foamy

The single greatest thing that has made riding (let alone touring) a pleasure: STI

All of that and:
Big Agnes Aircore sleeping pad
Big Agnes SL1 tent
Western Mountaineering Summerlite sleeping bag
Continental Ultra GatorSkins
Oh, and Speedplay Frogs.

Those are my favorite purchases, with the exception, of course, of my bike.

Machka 

I'll have to see if I can fix that.

Machka 

OK, my shoes are something similar to these:
https://www.mec.ca/Products/product_d...=1241468092710

And are exactly like these:
https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product..._200275_200383

CMC SanDiego

Fuji Touring Series V ($5 at a Garage Sale)
Brooks B17 for bike above
Nitto Randonneur Bars 46 cm for Fuji TSV
VO Campagne Handlebar Bag
Bar end shifters for Bridgestone X0-3 hybrid to Touring conversion

Dan The Man

Topeak Road Morph frame pump
Hennessey Hammock
a nice pair of quality bike shorts (can't remember the brand)
MEC spd mtb shoes (a steal at $50 CAD)
popcan stove