Reliability and longevity.
You’ll hear that a bit in these sections.
It’s a long way between bike shops in remote Australia.
OK, you can get tubes and puncture repair kits in many towns even without a specialised bike shop.
Anything more complex, a 9 speed chain, spokes, brake pads even, and you may well be out of luck.
New rear wheel? Alice Springs, population around 25,000, has 3 bike shops. You could get lucky. The toy shop in Katherine, population 10,000, might be able to get one in for you. Sometime next week, if they remember to order it.
Reliable and long functioning bike components make a huge amount of sense.
And critical spares, (chain links, spokes, thornproof tubes, etc) are essential.
bike - various ideas
A reliable bike helps.
Motivation and tenacity. That’s really what’s required.
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bike - mountain or touring
Allegedly, a steel frame offers a more forgiving ride and the added benefit of being weldable if something goes wrong in a remote location.
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bike - tyres
Let’s say it again.
Biggish tyres, lowish pressure.
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bike - tubes
Be prepared.
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bike - seat
100 years ago, there was one option for your boneshaker: leather.
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bike - straight, drop or butterfly
One thing is for sure: everyone’s happy with their bars.
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bike - gears
Out on the dirt, day after day, it’s the 34-tooth middle ring that takes the brunt of the assault.
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bike - pedals
There are plenty of moments, generally unplanned, when being fixed to your pedals is not a great idea.
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bike bits - bike computer
Yup, an essential piece of kit. The ideal model would have a switch to turn the screen off most of the time.
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bike bits - mirror
Recommended: Take out this cheap insurance policy.
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bike bits - racks
If you need to buy a new rear rack, consider getting a double-rail one. It lowers the load a little, improving stability and making it easier to remove any rack-top bag.
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bike bits - braze-ons, water bottles
Specialised touring bikes seem to have braze-ons all over, carefully thought through to give plenty of flexibility to component choice.
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bike bits - mudguards
Useful for stopping the stones from flicking up off your front wheel as you bomb down the long dirt road.
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panniers v trailer - a polite discussion
Panniers! Trailer!
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panniers v trailer - panniers
With both front and rear panniers you can distribute and balance the weight well. The bike (probably) goes a little faster than with a trailer.
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panniers v trailer - trailers
Trailers are great for load carrying.
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bike maintenance - breakdowns and tools
To have a reasonable level of self-reliance, what do you need to take? Oh, and it helps if you know how to use them, ie, replace a spoke, add a chain link, etc.
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bike maintenance - tyres
Carry a spare. Particularly if your tyres are showing some wear. The expensive Kevlar folding types are a bit easier to fit in.
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bike maintenance - drive chain
Riding a bike for long kilometres in dusty, sandy conditions under heavy load causes the drivetrain, ie, the chainrings, cassette and chain, to wear out rapido.
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bike maintenance - pumps
Here’s a little secret. You don’t need much pressure off-road.
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bike maintenance - punctures
With thornproof tubes and a Kevlar-reinforced tyre with a trekking tread, you shouldn’t get too many.
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bike maintenance - spokes
Stainless steel spokes are definitely recommended if you want to be out there on tough roads in remote Australia, giving your wheels that thrashing.
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bike maintenance - chain
It’s easy to fix a broken chain if you carry a chain breaker tool and some spare links.
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bike maintenance - cables
They may well be unobtainable out in the middle of nowhere if, for some unlucky reason, you need one.
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bike maintenance - catastrophe
Don’t let the fear of catastrophe somewhere remote stop you.
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bike - brakes
The old reliable rim brakes edge out disc brakes for travelling in remote regions.
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