Introducing Trek (the good one!)

To follow up on Toby's post, allow me to introduce the best bike in this trio. More importantly, I will be mocking Andy's bike.

Born as a mountain bike but used extensively for commuting, touring and off-roading duties, this Trek (not be confused with Andy's Trek) is an all round bad boy. It has been up the highest roads in the world, down some lovely Welsh trails and through Bristol's worst (admittedly tame) ghettos.

Andy's Trek on the other hand is old, frail and unloved.

The Trek wearing its full touring kit

The Other Trek in a typical state of disrepair

For the 2013 season, my Trek will be fitted with rigid forks and mechanical disc brakes to reduce weight and increase reliability. Everything else, I reckon, already does the job it needs to do in the Andes.

After some lessons learnt in the Atlas mountains, Andy's bike will now feature an all metal pannier rack (no string or duct tape to be seen here!) and pannier bags manufactured in this very century. There is even talk of replacing the quality suspension forks and Oman's finest bicycle tyres that this bike is currently adorning. Of course, a well known phrase acknowledging the difficulties in polishing a turd could be applicable here. 

That being said, as a consistent recipient of Sod's Law's worst, I would put my money on Andy's comically unsuitable bike coming out of this trip unscathed and mine and Toby's being utterly destroyed.

P.S. Andy, you are welcome to attack this somewhat unfair appraisal of your bike!      

Bikes & Flights

So we have collectively acquired three bikes and three return flights to South America. All that's left to do now is plan a route between Lima and La Paz that hopefully lets us avoid rabid dogs, altitude sickness, getting lost, running out of food/water and which satisfies Andy's stringent local election avoidance criteria (I'll leave him to explain his apparent fear of the democratic process). Needless to say, route planning for this trip will be used extensively as an excuse for 'constructive procrastination' whenever I get bored of doing my university final year project (the occurrences of which will be many and often).

Moving on to the bikes, I have managed to come by (via Ebay) this fine steed:

For the princely sum of £265 I have a dedicated touring bike with:

- Steel frame (strong and easy to get welded in some sketchy backstreet workshop if I have a frame failure related nightmare out there).
- Nice sturdy 26 inch touring wheels which are stronger than standard 700c road bike wheels, essential given the state of some of the roads I've had a look at on google earth.
- Mounting points all over the bike for things like panniers, disc brakes, bottle cages, pump holders etc.
- And most importantly, a nice low 'granny gear' because I'm a wimp when it comes to cycling up hills.

The bike looks like it's in fairly good nick, I might change the chain/cassette and possibly put new handlebars on it. I've got a (probably irrational) fear of the handlebars failing on old-ish second hand bikes after it happened to one of my other bikes. For the sake of 20 or 30 quid it might be worth putting a new handlebar on even if its just for the peace of mind. Other than that it looks like the only thing I'll have to do is put the seat and handlebars up a bit.

Needless to say this will blow Andy's Trek out of the water (his bike is currently held together with string, duct tape and prayers).

Toby