One year to go

There is almost one year to go for my next touring trip. The destination is Chile to ride through the Carretera Austral from Puerto Montt to Punta Arenas (and maybe Ushuaia in Argentina). I have decided to document this trip including its preparation (route, equipment, resources), updates on the road and a final round-up. This first post is to introduce my preparation so far, so it’s basically focused on equipment.

During the last 5 years I have been focused on road cycling, participating in a few events. So most of my investment has been on equipment that may not be suitable for touring cycling. However, I still have the bicycle and equipment that I used in my last touring trip in 2016. The goal now is to improve it and reduce weight.

Bicycle upgrades

In preparation for this trip I have decided to keep the gearing and do some maintenance. To carry things I want to have different options and decide later which combination of equipment I will use. For this I have upgraded the rear rack to a Tubus Logo Classic and got the Tubus Tara front rack. In addition, I have Ortlieb panniers for the front and back, a handlerbar bag, and added a rack bag. With these my options are:

• Only rear loaded: use the rear panniers and the rack bag. In this case I would keep the tent inside the rack bag together with other equipment. The disadvantage of this system would be in case the tent is wet after rain (even though the tent has a dry bag).
• Front and rear loaded: in this setup I would not use the rack pack and just strap the tent to the rear rack. Since the tent comes in a dry bag, rain shouldn’t be a problem. The disadvantage is that with the added storage space I can be tempted to bring more, making the setup heavier.
• Use all: I hope I won’t get to this.

The final combination will be decided once I have all the equipment (clothing, camping, etc.) and define what I want to use (based on weather).

I will also upgrade the the bike tyres, going for a wider 700x35c (currently the bike is equiped with 700x32c). Here the options are Schwalbe Marathons (Plus Tour or Mondial), which are the prefered option for most people due to their durability and puncture proof, or Continental Contacts (Top Contact II, Contact Plus or Contact Travel). The size of the tyres may make them difficult to source them in Chile (where the 26’’ size is more popular), so currently I am searching locally (in Taiwan) or online for the foldable options of these to put them in my bag. Additionaly, I may need to change mudguards to keep my feet wet but no muddy.

On the maintenance side, I will replace the gear and brake cables. Replace the front brake and brake pads.

Camping equipment upgrades

Here the goal is to go compact and reduce weight with respect to my previous equipment. Having more compact equipment will allow me to do bikepacking in the future, for shorter trips. My camping equipment include:

• Tent: Robens Starlight 2
• Sleeping bag: Sea to Summit Spark 2 with the Sea to Summit Reactor Liner
• Sleeping mat: Sea to Summit Ether Light XT Insulated
• Stove: SOTO Amicus which includes a 1 lt aluminium pot.

What’s next

Between now and my trip I have to make a few decissions in terms of gear. I want to try my camping equipment at some point to make improvements well ahead of time. I will continue researching and informing any updates in the next few months.