Johnny Isaak | Adventure Cyclist
A compendium of adventure cycling chronicles, travel lore, tips, techniques, and tactics for the adventure cycling perplexed.
Kyoto is an excellent cycling destination. Bicycles are an integral part of the residents’ personal transportation. Travel websites tout the city is one of the most bicycle-friendly in Japan. So, the cycling should be fairly relaxed and easy.
Below is a quick rundown of our base plan and the setup.
Fall weather is an excellent time to ride. The overcast skies and cooler temperatures typical for Mid-Autumn Festival make for pleasant cycling. It’s a great time to get out and it the road and spin those pedals, especially in China.
For Mid-Autumn Festival, our family celebrated the holiday with a family lunch and dinner. In the evening there was an all-nighter playing mahjong for those who could hang. I wasn’t one of them. Besides, I would be playing on scared money anyway. Always wanting to work a bit of adventure cycling in wherever possible, decided to make a couple days of it by riding out to the ancient water town village of Xinchang near where we would be staying.
Tweaking my bike’s set up is almost as fun as taking long bike rides. It’s a never-ending evolutionary process of trying to build a cleaner, more reliable ride produces the purest, hassle-free travel experience. Each cycling journey provides me with a few ideas on how I can improve the Divide’s set up. Last summer’s family cycling adventure around the island of Hokkaido, Japan was no exception.
After using some of my bike’s kit to outfit my wife and daughter’s bicycles for our trek through Japan’s northern most island. I was in need of a couple of new bags and pouches for the Divide, plus some minor tweaking to sweeten the ride. Here’s a quick rundown of what I came up with.
Just about wherever you go nowadays chances are someone’s already been there. You’d be challenged to find many places on this planet where humans haven’t already been. Virtually everywhere you go, someone’s been there before you. And worse yet, if it’s a really cool place, somebody’s probably put up a fence around it and is charging admission.
The world is changing. Adventure travel isn’t what it used to be a hundred, even fifty years ago. But that’s no reason you shouldn’t go. If you travel to where you never been, it will be your first time. The journey will still be a rewarding adventure if you approach it right. And in a sense, we are all explorers in our own right.
Exploring South Korea by bike in late winter was a different journey of sorts. Bicycle travel through a land deep in hibernation was filled with crisp foggy mornings, temperatures sucking the mercury down to well below zero Celsius that until midday, and minimal precipitation. Most days, the sun was bright, the air was cold, and there was no snow or rain to speak of — thank goodness. Being off-season, following the Four Rivers bikeways, I usually had the bike paths to myself. It was pure solitary cycling bliss.
My journey in Korea is winding down. In a day or so, I’ll be boxing my bike and hopping a bird to Hainan island off the coast of mainland China. It’s been a great ride, even in the -8 degree Celsius temperatures I experienced when I first departed Incheon.
Outlined below is a follow up to my Taiwan gear post that includes what I’m currently running on my trip in South Korea and will in Hainan, save the cold weather gear.
I’ve also added a quick synopsis of what worked well on my recent adventures cycling through Taiwan and Korea.
Due to the colder temperatures and potential wet weather I’d be encountering riding in South Korea, coupled with the possibility of camping, I packed along a tent, sleeping gear, and some cold weather clothing and wet weather items. Nobody likes to be cold, wet, or both — especially me.
Most of the riding was to be on protected bike paths of the Four Rivers Bikeways, with some on open roads, and perhaps a foray or two onto dirt trails if the mood struck me.
This was to be a solo tour and the only cooking I was intending to do was brewing a morning Turkish to get the old blood flowing.
Unsure of the “coffee situation” in South Korea, a critical factor that must be seriously considered, I was bringing my own.
Little did I know, that South Korea is probably the “Coffee Mecca” of Asia, with decent coffee shops even in the smallest, most remote bergs. I’ve never ridden through an Asian country with so many coffee shops — sweet.
The bikepacking saddle, frame, and handlebar bags have become an integrated part of my gear carrying modus operanti, which are added or dropped based on my immediate traveling requirements.
Without the camping gear, cold weather clothing, and additional spare tire I’d decided to bring, the standard bikepacking set up with saddle, frame, and handlebar bags were pretty much cubed out for space as it was. So, to get the additional space, I jettisoned the saddle bag and deployed a rear rack and small front panniers.
If pressed, I could’ve probably found a 29-inch replacement tire at a local bike shop in South Korea, as there are many well stocked shops in all the major cities. But I didn’t want the hassle of running one down or losing the time it would take to do so.
A folding spare tire is part of my standard “far away from home” long distance touring kit, along with a spare carbon belt, a Rohloff oil change kit, a shifter and a brake cable, a set of disc pads, a couple of spokes, a couple of 29-inch tubes — all of which would be potential showstoppers if needed on the road.
With these “essentail” spare parts I can pretty much resolve the majority of any serious breakdowns on the side of the road in short order and then keep moving.
Save for some sort of major damage, this kit covers all of the preverbal bases and it only weighs a couple of kilos, which is justified by the repair capabilities it provides.
Going with the smaller front Ortlieb Roller Plus panniers, I intentionally limited the bike’s carrying capacity and help keep the weight down. Totally kitted out, the bike and all the gear weighed in at about 35 kg (78 lbs), which isn’t too bad considering the camping gear, extra rain gear and cold weather clothing — weight weenies, move on there’s nothing to see here.
The additional kit didn’t necessitate a front rack or panniers, so they stayed off. Had I required more capacity, I could have went to the larger rear panniers first, and then to the front panniers and rack if need be, which is all based on the capabilities required for the journey.
The Revelate Designs Ripio frame bag, Sweet Roll handlebar bag, and assorted top tube and handlebar pouches stayed on the bike, as they form the core of my carrying system for essentials, such as tool kit, pump, layering clothes, rain gear, snacks, personal items, etc.
The Revelate Designs Gas Tank and Jerry Can hold personal items like lip balm, hand sanitizer, Imodium, Ibuprofen, business cards, headlamp, Leatherman Micra, spare camera batteries and SD cards, and other items requiring quick access.
The Porcelain Rocket Mini Slinger and Bedrock Tapeats pouches carry my compact cameras, notebook and pen, which mounted on the handlebar are at the ready whenever I want to make a picture or capture a thought.
The Revelate Designs Sweet Roll is where I carry most of my layering clothes and rain gear used to regulate body temperature and protect against the elements, such as gloves, beanie, windbreaker, or protective rain gear without the hassle of unrolling and burrowing into a pannier. As conditions change, I come to a short halt and remove or don additional clothing and move on.
Similar to the Sweet Roll, the Revelate Designs Ripio frame bag provides a similar quick access capability to electronics, tools, and personal items such as sunscreen, lip balm, toilet paper, ect. With just the pull of a zipper, I’m at my gear.
The new and improved YKK style zippers are a big step up and far better than the old coil design zippers that tended to jam or became hard to operate when dusty or dirty.
Mixing the best of both worlds between the bikepacking genre and traditional touring set ups makes a lot of sense to me. I’m all about going with what works best for the individual on the journey.
I pick and chose what I need, owing allegiance to neither style, but adopting an eclectic approach to bicycle travel base on what works best for the situation at hand.
As gear is added, so must the means of hauling of carrying it on your bike. Available space in seat, frame, and handlebar bags quickly evaporates and becomes inadequate as gear is added.
Racks and panniers eventually creep in. It’s inevitable. Otherwise, you have to go without. It’s the nature of the beast and a fact I’ve come to accept, though graple with often.
Longer longer journeys generally require more kit. As remoteness of the journey increases generally so does the pausity of resources. Deciding what to take involves striking a balance between carrying additional weight and assuming risk.
So, I generally take what I need to provide most of my support and to keep me rolling down the road, accepting the fact I’m not going to be pedaling a wispy light rig — the much vaunted unicorn I doubt exists.
It would be nice to travel as light as many of those that race the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route do, but it’s just unrealistic for any self-supported long distance adventure cycling — in my humble opinion.
In my book, there is such a thing as going too light and leaving too much to chance. For me, it’s more about taking a common sense approach in striking a good balance between equipment and weight.
Over the past couple of years, I’ve pretty much defined my traveling style for long distance bike travel. I have a good idea of what I need and want to bring on most rides, to include the amount of weight I’m willing to carry.
For each trip, I try to match the gear to the journey’s requirements while trying to keep it reasonably light and let it go at that. If I brought it, I’ll carry it, and I’ll suffer with it if need be. If worse comes to worse, I can always cut ballast and post any extraneous stuff home.
First and foremost, the Co-Motion Divide Rohloff. This bike just continues to deliver. It takes a licking and keeps on ticking. Rock solid. No issues. Just keeps rollin’ on.
Schwalbe Marathon Mondial tires. Over 15,000 km and only two punctures, a large shard of glass and a metal wire.
Pletcher Double Legged Kickstand. The kickstans is probably the most maligned, belittled, and unsung hero of the bicycle component world. It’s super convenient for standing the bike, while performing maintenance, breaking down and building the bike for boxing/unboxing, or loading/unloading the bike.
With a center mount kickstand, the bike can be parked almost anywhere, which is really handy around businesses and tourist attractions where leaning bikes against things tends to be viewed with a jaundiced eye by persnickety security personnel. Well worth the added weight.
Mirror. The rearview mirror is another piece of essential kit critical to maintaining situational awareness to the rear are motorized vehicles or other bikes on and off the road. It eliminates the need to constantly look over your shoulder.
Spur Cycle Bell. It is the best built bell I’ve seen. All metal, no plastic. Key to communicating to others on the road. Virtually everyone in Asia knows what a ringing bell means and acts appropriately.
Revelate Designs Bags. I can’t say enough good things about Revelate Designs’ gear. It’s quality stuff all the way around. Their ensemble of bags work as an integrated carrying system and all fit together. Internal pockets allow for added organization. And as I mentioned, the YKK zipper upgrade is a big plus. A couple of months on the road and there’ve been no jamming or dragging issues.
Porcelain Rocket Mini Slinger. Another piece of quality kit. Keeps my compact camera super handy for “shooting from the hip” at short halts. I wouldn’t get nearly as many shots as I do if I didn’t have a such immediate access to my camera. It’s not waterproof, so I carry a little dry sack stuffed in the bottom of the Slinger to stow the camera in in case of rain.
Bedrock Tapeats To Go Pouch. Great for holding my second compact camera, notebook and pen. The square pocket design accommodates them perfectly. The pouch sheds most rain but I carry a small dry bag at the bottom of the pouch to make sure.
Ortlieb Roller Plus Panniers. The gold standard in waterproof panniers. Ride with utmost confidence in the worst downpours. Laugh in the face of the nastiest monsoons and pedal on.
Planet Bike Cascadia 29er Fenders. Fenders may not make your bike look as cool as a stripped down, tricked out full suspension mountain cruiser, but they do one hell of a job keeping the rain and water off of your lower body when the wet stuff is pouring down. There’s no use in “looking cool” when you are soaking wet and miserable. The Cascadia 29ers are solid and take a beating. I’d probable remove them if I was going to plowing through a lot of mud though.
Ride With GPS navigation app. Excellent for navigation. Cell connectivity not necessary to run GPS app. Provides lots of data, such as elevation provide, distance traveled, average speed, time elapsed, etc. Two niggles: Internet access is required to make routes through the website, which is not possible via the app. In China, the tracking line of the route traveled is offset and doesn’t overlay correctly on the map, which appears to only be happening when I’m in China, but the location dot is spot on. It hasn’t been an issue in the other Asian countries I’ve traveled. In talking with the tech staff at Ride With GPS, they told me it was an issue with Chinese government skewing the GPS signal.
Sadly, printed maps are going the way of the dodo. I’ve had a running love affair with maps as long as I can remember, but they are rather limited in comparison with the detail and information GPS navigation and tracking technology can provide. Paper maps are great for the coffee table but I rarely carry them with me anymore.
Shimano XM7 SPD Shoes. Great adventure cycling shoes. A solid, secure fit. Not too stiff like traditional mountain biking shoes, yet not squishy on the pedals either. I can walk around in them all day and can still apply pressure on the pedals without the soles flexing into inverted bananas. The Goretex lining keeps the spray out. Their appearance is similar to a pair of low cut hiking shoes. They look even better now that I’ve got a few miles on them. They’re an upgrade from my beloved Mavic Alpine SPD shoes.
Vaude Poncho. It’s a sleeved poncho that covers you and the bike’s cockpit and keeps the overhead H20 rolling off you and your bike like water off of a duck’s back. The hood has a visor and fits snuggly over a helmet.
The poncho has access points allow your hands to grasp the hand grips while the poncho is draped over the handlebars which protects your hands from getting wet. An internal waistband keeps the poncho low and snug on your body.
The open bottom allows for ample ventilation to reduce condensation from body perspiration. The poncho protects you against the rain overhead while the fenders deflect the spray from the road.
The poncho is easy on and off and stores effortlessly in the handlebar bag for speedy deployment. It’s been much more efficient than struggling in and out of rain pants, booties, and a jacket when the wet stuff starts to fly. I can put it on or take it off and stow it in a minute or so.
Draping ponchos that cover the cockpit are der rigueur for most motorcyclists and moped riders in rainy Asia. The Vaude poncho is similar in design but with the added sleeves, access slits, and waist belt. Plus, it’s constructed of a lighter weight coated nylon.
Topeak iPhone Cover. It’s a waterproof pouch with a combination ziploc and roll-top closure that allows me to ride with my iPhone mounted regardless of the amount of rain falling. The phone’s screen is clearly visible and the touch feature are fully operable. It works great in dusty conditions as well.
ROK Tie-Down Straps. These handy elastic straps are excellent for cradling and snugging up the handlebar bag. The does a great job of cinching down the rear panniers (no rattles) against the rack and for lashing on ancillary items to the bike, such as water bottles, food, an additional dry bag. The straps are great for securing the bike to rails and crossbars on trains and in the cargo holds of buses. ROK straps are available in several thicknesses and lengths.
Charging strategy. Pluggting into an external cache battery stowed in the framebag kept the iPhone fully charged for several days in a row. Not sure a dynamo is the answer for as a future option, but I’m exploring the possibilities.
China Southern Airlines. Reasonable rates. Bike box checked as standard luggage with no additional charge, though only one piece of checked luggage allowed. There’s a $70 (450 RMB) for an additional check bag, but that still beats the $200 bike charge levied by other airlines. (Note: On the return flight from Seoul and the flight to Haikou, there was no additional charge for a second checked bag — woot!).
Lighter is usually better, especially on the hills. The climbing is definitely easier, and so is lifting a loaded bike up and down flights of stairs. If you can take less, you’ll probably thank yourself later. I know I do. I am continually trying make things lighter cull them from the gear least completely.
Consider bikepacking setups to travel lighter. Limited storage space keeps the weight down. Bikepacking set ups are not “the way” but “another way” that you can add to your tool bag.
More gear means more bags. It’s just the nature of the beast.
Don’t bring the kitchen sink. Truth is, you don’t need most of the stuff you bring. At the end of your next ride, identify all of the stuff you didn’t use, and unless it’s essential, leave it out next time. Chances are you won’t miss it.
You can assume more risk in bring less by starting with a quality bike and gear in tip top shape before you go.
Frame bags block water bottle mounting points. Improvise. I strap a couple bottles on the saddle bag or rear rack. If I need more water, I hand a dromedary bag off of the handlebar. I’m not at all a big fan of wearing a backpack unless I’m day tripping around the local area. Death before backpack.
Last December on the way from Ho Chi Min City to Siem Reap, a girl passed me headed the other direction riding a hard tail mountain bike and was wearing a full-on, fully loaded large backpack. I kid you not.
It’s generally better to have a carrying system that expands or contracts to meet journey specific hauling requirements.
Gear selection is situation specific. It’s about building capabilities and assuming risk when deciding what gear to bring and how to carry it. Go with what makes the most sense to you. Don’t be afraid to assume a little risk. Just be sure to apply the “common sense” test before you do.
Please let me know what you think. Leave your comments below. Share and like me on Facebook.
Thank you for stopping by my blog. Much appreciated.
Johnny
My packing methodology is pretty simple: Store the most used on top and the least used on bottom. Try to organize and pack gear by activities as much as possible, such as camping, hygiene, maintenance, laundry, etc.
Keep the weight down as much as possible but don’t let it become a neurosis.
Consider carrying components or special items, that if they failed, would result in a showstopper and pretty much end the journey due to availability or replacement time.
Instrumentation & Video (handlebar mounted): Delorme Explorer. IPhone 6 Plus 128 GB (with Ride with GPS and Earthmate for Delorme.) Garmin Edge 800 (legacy from road bike but great for seeing speed, dist., etc.) GoPro Black.
Mini Slinger: Sony RX1R compact camera and dry sack.
Tapeats Stem Bag: Sony RX100 IV, Moleskine notebook & gel pen.
Gas Tank: Reading glasses, lip balm, Ibuprofen, Imodium, floss, business cards, SD cards, camera batteries. Magnetic compass (backup).
Jerry Can: Black Diamond headlamp w/one battery flipped to prevent accidentally turning it on. Allen Key set. Hand sanitizer (Dirty hands and dirty water are the two biggest causes for getting sick.)
Variable clothing for regulating body temperature and protecting from the elements (gloves, arm warmers, beanie, light rain jacket, etc.) on the left and rain gear (poncho, jacket, pants, gloves, etc.) on the right.
Passport, cash, documents, credit cards, spare pens, extra passport photos, etc.
Left Zip: Cache Battery, Logitech Bluetooth Keyboard, Right Upper Zip: Topeak Mtn Morph Pump, Nicad batter for headlight, Inner Tube, Tool Roll, Seat Rain Cover, 8mm Allen Key (for pedals) Right Lower Zip: windbreaker, small cable lock, toilet paper, snacks, etc.
Coffiee Kit: Coffee beans, raw sugar cubes, grinder, ibrik, titanium cup, spoon, alcohol stove, alcohol bottle, lighter or matches.
Mini tripod.
Clothes
Cold Weather Clothes
Electronics
Medical
Hygiene
Spare Parts
Focusing on continual adventure cycling, it was time to get out of Shanghai and on the bike again. Life’s clock was ticking away and I was itching to get on the road again. It isn’t more than a few weeks at home and I’m pacing the floors and staring at the walls yearning to get on the bike and out on the road again. It was time to get my gear in order and roll.
As a child thumbing through the pages of dog-eared National Geographic magazines in our small western town’s dinky little library, I used to dream of exploring the temples Angkor deep in the humid, steaming jungles far into the of interior Cambodia, a long, long way from small town Idaho. It was textbook Indiana Jones stuff long before for Indy had been conceived.
Some forty plus years on and a lot of living gone by, I was still seeing the a young boy’s fantasy of traipsing through southeastern Asian backcountry in search of the temples of Angkor, only now it was a dream whose time had suddenly come. Clicking the “purchase now” but for a flight from Shanghai to Ho Chi Minh and I was headed for the mysterious temples of Cambodia.
My objectives were simple: Ride solo on my trusty Divide from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to Siam Reap, Cambodia and explore the temples at Angkor. Expected result: a boyhood dream fait accompli.
Keep things open and simple, which meant allowing plenty of time for leisurely travel and exploration. Limit maximum travel distance to 165 km, but focus on riding around 80-100 km/day. Concentrate on seeing the sights, meeting the people, tasting the food. Let the serendipity of the road handle the rest.
Fly from Shanghai to Vietnam. Then ride from Ho Chi Minh City northwest on Highway 22 to the Cambodian border. Cross the frontier and continue along Cambodian Highway 1 to Phnom Penh with requisite overnight stays along the way. Schedule one rest day for exploring Phnom Penh and then continue northeast along Cambodian Highway 6 to Siam Reap. Stop and explore as needed. Use several days to explore the temples at Angkor, which is near Siam Reap, and then fly back to Shanghai.
To get the family involved in the adventure, have my wife and daughter meet me in Siem Reap for Christmas, and rent bicycles and explore the ancient ruins together. What a great way to spend the winter holidays.
I conducted the route reconnaissance online and build the primary route in a new GPS app I’m using called “Ride with GPS” and a secondary route in the Delorme website and downloaded it onto my Delorme Explorer. Both the Delorme Explorer and the iPhone 6 don’t require cell connectivity to navigate via GPS, so cell coverage isn’t critical.
My intent was to navigate using the GPS tracker and GPS app on my phone and if all else failed, I would ask locals. Because I’ve performed a pretty good assessment of the route, I had a pretty good mental picture on how to get from Hou Chi Minh to Siam Reap and the villages I’d encounter along the way. If things got real tough, I would stop and get a paper map. For this journey, I would be totally digital.
Running the Delorme Explorer would allow my friends and family to track me along the way and I could signal help if an emergency should arise. My wife would have peace of mind and there was also medical and evacuation insurance included just in case.
Purchasing SIM cards for Vietnam and Cambodia ahead of time ensured immediate and continuous data and voice capability upon arrival in country as long as there was cellular or wifi access. For less than $10 each that includes a decent amount of voice and data, getting a SIM card for each country is the only way to go.
My intent was to maximize wifi use and limit voice and data to necessary calls and information only. With the popular Chinese WeChat app, it would be easy to stay in touch at home. The widespread proliferation of digital communications, wifi, and the Internet have forever changed staying in touch on the home front.
Listed below are the major items I brought on the trip. Intending to stay in guesthouse or hotels and to eat along the way or carry prepare foods and water, equipment came down to clothes, electronics, and bike repair kit. I’ll do a “what worked” follow up at the end of the journey.
Performing a quality technical inspection of the bike and kit is a must to avoiding problems on the road. One would think this a pretty standard part of the drill, but I’m continually amazed at other cyclists I come across who didn’t check out their bike and kit and are broke down on the road.
Make any necessary adjustments and repair any worn out broken components. If it doesn’t look right, better to fix it now than deal with it later on the road. Murphy’s Law: If something can go wrong, it will go wrong at the most inopportune time. Count on it.
Conducting a full gear pack up and load out is essential to ensuring everything will work the way you intend it to. Pack your gear the way you are going to use it. Keep the most used items on top for easy access. Ensure all your gear loads on and packs out the way you want it to. Fix any niggles on the spot. Don’t let the first time you’re doing it on the road be the first time you’re doing it.
Take your bike out for a test ride once you have it all together. This can be long or short, it’s up to you. Just make sure the bike and your gear are doing what they’re supposed to be doing the way they’re supposed to be doing it. Listen for any strange sounds or rubbing noises. Feel for any odd vibrations that could be coming from loose or rubbing gear. Tweak and adjust as required.
For $12 bucks, a local Shanghai Giant brand bike shop packed and boxed my bike. China Southern Airlines was running a special where a bike box counted as one piece of checked luggage with no additional charge. Since I was limited to only one piece of checked luggage, I would have to pay an additional 450 yuan ($75) for a second piece of luggage (a bag containing my panniers, frame and handlebar bags), which is still $125 less than most US carriers charge to take a bike box.
Upon arrival at the airport in Ho Chi Minh, I would decide whether to assemble the bike at the airport and ride into the city or just get a taxi to the hotel and build the bike in my room.
Upon finishing the ride in Siem Reap, the plan was to find or construct a bike box, pack the bike, and return the process to Shanghai.
Prepping for a cycling journey is a process that entails answering the 5 W’s and one H (Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How) and checking out all of your kit. If you do a good job at that, chances are the journey will be a pretty smooth and enjoyable one.
Traveling with your bike is also a “process” like the rest of adventure cycling. Best to work out a system for getting you and your bike from one location to another.
Tight systems make for smooth adventure cycling.
Please comment and leave your thoughts and ideas. Happy trails, Johnny
