Thanks for taking the time to submit your questions! I really enjoy answering them in more depth than I have time for via email, on Facebook/Instagram or on Youtube. I also really appreciate that you support CyclingAbout as it allows my information to remain independent and not subject to industry biases.
Some great questions this month. I’m looking forward to hearing the next round of questions. Please submit them ASAP so I can start thinking about them while I ride!
All the best from Ecuador,
Alee
A Trailer Or Panniers for a World Tour?
I really like trailers. They allow you to use any bike for a bike trip, without having your gear weight put any stresses into your frame and parts. If I were only to have one bike, I’d choose either a gravel or mountain bike and combine it with a trailer to do all my touring too. The cool thing is that you can unhitch your load and ride a lightweight bike on cycling day trips!
I also think trailers are a great way to carry gear on rough roads (corrugations in particular) because many trailers have in-built suspension, allowing all of your gear weight to be ‘sprung’. This smoothens your ride significantly, making riding on rougher terrain faster and more pleasurable.
That said, I find trailers:
– A hindrance in cities and on trails, as they’re less manoeuvrable
– Not as quick and easy to bring inside buildings
– Have additional parts that can fail (rear hub bearings, spokes, tyre and tube, in particular).
– Have a higher rolling resistance, slowing you down a bit.
For a world tour, my preference is for a compact, fast and more manoeuvrable bike, and that’s why I’m using a dedicated touring bike with panniers for CyclingAbout The Americas.
I’m Planning On Cycling The Americas. Is It Best To Ride From North to South?
People often say that it’s best to ride from Alaska down to Patagonia. The reason for this is that there are guaranteed headwinds from Ushuaia through to El Chalten in Argentina, and that’s over 1000km/600mi. Some people get around this by flying into Santiago, cycling south to Ushuaia and then flying back to Santiago to continue their journey north. I decided to battle the winds which you may have seen in my first video from Patagonia!
Since Patagonia, the wind has not been dominant in one direction or the other, but I’ve been in the mountains where there is often less wind. I know that the coast of Peru is notorious for southerly winds (ie. headwinds cycling south) and Jonas Deichmann had lots and lots of headwinds through Alaska and the mainland USA on his record-breaking ride south to Argentina.
In short, I don’t think there’s a better direction, you’re better off leaving for your trip when it suits you (end of the year, Argentina, and middle of the year, Alaska).
Do You Wear Padded Cycling Shorts?
I do – and I probably wouldn’t be cycling today if I didn’t! 😂
I use cycling undershorts (or ‘short liners’, ‘padded liners’, ’mesh liners’), which are compatible with my regular shorts. Undershorts are constructed with a thin, lightweight mesh material and the same padding you’ll find in regular cycling knicks. There are two main advantages to this system: I can look more ‘casual’ when I arrive in small villages and I can use my swimming shorts around town with underwear (therefore, less clothing is required).
I currently use Fox Racing Comp Evolution liners, but I’ve heard good things about the Endura, Gore and Mavic liners too.
What Body Changes Have You Gone Through On This Trip?
I don’t know whether my body has changed much, if at all. Even when I’m at home in Australia, I’m still out cycling every day with friends because I simply can’t get enough of being out on a bike in nature. I don’t think there’s even been a time in my life when I’ve been out of shape!
That said, I’ve probably lost the ability to produce short bursts of power on my current journey, as that type of muscle training is not something I’m actively pursuing. That results in smaller leg muscles, although it wouldn’t be by much considering how much mileage I still do at home. My body fat percentage is probably slightly higher too (again, not by much, but it’s common for your body to hold a bit more fat for endurance activities). And because I’m not mountain biking as much, I’d say I’ve lost some upper body strength too.
Overall, my body has optimised itself for what I do most – long, sustained days on the bike.
How Do You Resupply With Bike Parts Along The Way?
The only things I’ve been buying from bike shops along the way have been disc brake pads and tubes. I’m on my third set of brake pads – the last time I picked up spare pads was Bolivia. I also haven’t had a puncture since Brazil (9+ months ago) so my last tube purchase was Argentina!
In general, you can find 7/8/9/10 speed drivetrain parts in any medium-sized city in Latin America, and the top-end parts are available in the capitals. Rim brake pads, brake cables and square taper bottom brackets can be found in even the smallest towns. It always pays to carry a few spares with you that will get you to the next bike shop! The only touring essentials that you won’t find in developed areas of the world are good touring tyres – but you’ll always find something to keep you going.
Other parts/spares that I’ve had brought here (my family have visited) included some replacement tyres and grips. I’ve also had a shipment from Koga (after my big accident in November, mostly replacement parts after my bike took such a big hit) which included some Rohloff oil that I replace in my hub every 10,000km or so.
Do You Ever Get Any Cycling Injuries On Your Bike Tours?
Sometimes when I’m cycling long distances on the pavement, I develop a riding style where I put pressure on the outside of my feet (I have a natural muscle imbalance which causes foot supination). This inflames a tendon on the back of my leg, which can get sore enough to stop riding! I dealt with this a little when crossing Argentina, but I was able to correct it by being very conscious with how I apply my feet on the pedals.
A physio once gave me a few exercises which help to maintain a better muscle balance, but like most people, I never do my exercises! I do carry a few large elastic bands around just in case things get bad though…
Why A Rohloff Hub And Not Pinion Gearbox?
The main reason for me is that I’m sponsored by Koga, and their top-of-the-line bike comes with a Rohloff hub. I’m sure one day in the future I’ll be out doing a cross-continental tour with a Pinion gearbox.
There are a few advantages to the Rohloff hub though:
– They’re very well proven. With over 20 years in production Rohloff have had ample time to iron out any kinks (Pinion are ~7yo).
– The numbers suggest the Rohloff hub is more efficient in terms of energy transfer than a Pinion gearbox.
– Rohloff frames are a touch lighter to build. The hub itself is 700 grams lighter than the equivalent Pinion gearbox too.
– Rohloff bikes are a bit cheaper.
Many of you will know how much I like using Rohloff hubs for bike travel. I’ve been using them for over 100,000km of tours and have only ever cracked one flange (it was on a very heavily loaded tandem with a dodgy rear rim). In light of this, I’ll keep recommending Rohloff hubs (and Gates belts) until I can put some serious testing into a Pinion gearbox.
Have You Ever Had Any Serious Thefts?
After travelling through 80+ countries on a bicycle, the only thing I’ve had stolen was a mobile phone. I was walking along the side of a road in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, looking at a map of the city. A scooter rolled up to me and without stopping, snatched my phone out of my hand and rode off! Needless to say, I’m a bit more vigilant about using my phone in busy cities (further from the scooters!).
I also had a strange situation in Malaysia where a guy (pictured above) invited me to have a drink with him. He was riding a motorbike while I was cycling. I was not in a hurry to get anywhere, so I agreed, but there was something not quite genuine about this guy. I followed him for a while; he was taking me further and further away from people, shops and houses. I didn’t feel good about the situation – he had a big machete (for farming apparently – looks like a sword in the pic!) and I was in the middle of nowhere. So I pulled a hasty U-turn on him! He then spent 10 minutes riding next to me explaining that he wasn’t going to rob me. But how did he know that was what I was thinking?
I’m pretty sure a robbery was his intention, but I’ll never truly know.
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