Overview Gear Route Prologue British Columbia Alberta Saskachewan Manitoba U.S.A. Ontario
Gear All this gear fit in 2 panniers, except the tent and sleeping bag which sat on the back. Bike Item Comment Mikado Raddison Touring Bike All stock components.  Mikado is part of a Quebec company.  It cost 1350 CDN.  Sure I could have gotten a Trek or Jamis but I guess I am a sucker for spending money in Canada.  It's a great bike! 3 water bottle holders I had to put some washers on the bottom one to avoid interfering with the gear cables. Cateye bicycle computer (Enduro 2) To count those kilometers.  At first I thought it would be a cool toy.  Now I realize it is very important to know where you are. Blackburn rear rack 2 rear panniers The backboard broke.  Some screws fell out. A bad design had zippers getting into the spokes.  But they got the job done. Tires: Contitop tour 2000 Originally I had Maxxis tires, but replaced them early in the trip.  Good tires are worth every penny.  I can't describe how happy I was with the Contitop tour 2000. 1 Ulock and 1 cable lock Helmet One with a visor is good for the sun. Rear view mirror mounted on helmet This was a waste of money, I never put it on.  I just trusted drivers to be nice to me. Bike lights I don't use the front light, but I use it as a flashlight.  I could not find a good place for the rear light.  I used the rear light only in tunnels in BC. Clothes Item Comment 3 underwear 3 socks (regular white socks) Didn't bother with fancy cycling socks 3 T-shirts Didn't bother with fancy cycling jerseys.  A tight fitting T-shirt is almost as good. 1 shorts (regular) Don't care for spandex cycling shorts 1 swimming shorts I'm a coward when it comes to cold water... SPD cleat shoes These shoes can also be worn when not biking, even though they crunch when I walk. sunglasses + cord First time I have ever owned sunglasses... ever 1 long sleeve shirt Wasn't sure how cold it would get.  Layering the T-shirt/long sleeve/rain jacket is pretty warm. rain pants Got a good one from MEC.  Prior to this I never owned a rain jacket, and never used an umbrella.  But spending 8 hours in rain will change me. rain jacket (columbia) Got a good one from somewhere else.  It packs into itself.. very small. rain covers for shoes I had a hard time finding these... and they were expensive too... cycling gloves (full fingered) Man those are expensive.... the left one sort of fell apart the right shows no wear.  The full fingered gloves were not too hot as many people seemed to think. small wool gloves To layer up with the cycling gloves if it is cold yellow rubber cleaning gloves I found some days were so wet and cold that I needed to waterproof my hands or face frostbite. Bike repair Item Comment 2 patch kits I couldn't get the patches to hold.  maybe I should have bought better patch kits. 2 tire levers Usually come in threes, but you really only need 2. 3 tubes Am I paranoid? 1 spare tire adjustable wrench Actually I forgot this at home.  The bike uses allen keys any ways. All in one allen tool (2 of them, I had the tri-star design and the swiss army knife design) My old raleigh did not have a single component using an allen key.  This bike has everything using allen keys. extra brake cable extra gear cable a couple of chain links A chain tool I have never ever had a chain break.  But I have seen it happen... so better play it safe. A screwdriver 6 spokes 4 regular length(front and rear) 2 slightly longer (one side of rear only) chain lube (2) bicycle pump It had a pressure gauge as part of it. pliers For cutting cable wire.... probably not too useful 3 bungie cords  I only needed 2 to keep the sleeping bag and tent on the back. nuts and bolts not sure what I'd use them for... Duck tape A small roll flattened A small first aid kit Camping stuff Item Comment Wallet Of course Maps I got a Triptik, campground listing and vancouver from CAA. Notebook To write down your rants. Pens Camera + film (3 rolls) I have never been a picture person.  This is the first time I'll use my roll of film.  Moreover I hate being in a picture. My first roll was all black... boo. Alarm clock My watch doesn't work very well so I got a travel alarm clock. Tent (Walrus MicroSwift) A single person tent from MEC.  I got just as many comments about my tent as I did my bike. Sleeping bag A down bag good to -1 degrees Celsius.  Down packs better, but don't get it wet.  This will squish really small, but I had to get something to keep it squished. sleeping bag squisher A bag for a bag.  this bag squishes the other bag.  It also is water proof. Sleeping pad + shoe lace Therma rest full length, self inflatable.  I kept it wrapped with a shoe lace. spoon I did not cook my own food... I guess I am not a true camper... but that camping gear adds up!  This is good for yogurt/tuna/fruit cups.. can opener I couldn't find a small one.... so I took an space inefficient big one. fold up scissors Small towel This thing is pretty tiny, but useful as a towel. Washrooms stuff Toothbrush, Toothpaste, soap, razor, shaving cream, half roll of toilet paper. Sunscreen Man am I ever a red neck.  I have an incredible farmer's tan now and a watch tan. Insect repellent Actually... wearing long sleeve shirt and rain pants is effective. But you will want insect repellent too. Insect bite relief (2) Cell Phone Mostly useless.  I had it turned off.  I never powered it on once. Food. Presidents Choice Muslix (in a green box) or Grape Nuts I find is great for weight to size ration for cereal.  I ate a lot of pop tarts, granola bars, trail mix, tuna, bananas, blueberries, raspberries, yogurt, V8 juice and candy.
Overview | Gear | Route | Prologue | British Columbia | Alberta | Saskachewan | Manitoba | U.S.A. | Ontario