Central Asia Tour: Gear List

Detailed Gear Table

Explanations and Legend of the Gear Table

In the following table we present all of our equipment we carry and carried on this tour. The partitioning in Tizian’s and Belinda’s stuff is done with respect to usage, not ownership. The small bicycle icons and their position in the table indicate roughly in which pannier and on whose bicycle the gear item is usually carried while cycling, as well as for spare parts if they have been used meanwhile. Depending on climate, place or other circumstances this however changes. In general for every item the precise weight is given; as consumables (such as water, food, etc.) however vary strongly over time, the stated weight for those items is meant to be a rough estimate of their average weight.

	Tizian	Belinda
Rear Left Pannier	Mainly kitchen and workshop.	Bedroom/items that are only used in the tent.
Rear Right Pannier	Mainly bedroom.	Mainly wardrobe and bathroom.
Packsack	Mainly wardrobe and bathroom.	Usually only the tent and sleeping mat.
Front Left Pannier	Mainly items which should be easily accessible during the day, like rainwear, first aid kit, toilet paper etc.	Mainly pantry (food pannier).
Front Right Pannier	Mainly pantry (food pannier).	Mainly items which should be easily accessible during the day, like rainwear, jackets etc.
Handlebar or Top Tube Bag	Mainly items which should be quickly accessible, like camera, smartphone, snacks, sunglasses etc.
Attached to the Bicycle
Not clearly assignable to a pannier		Prime example: handkerchiefs, of which I carry a pack in almost every pannier.
Only for spare parts: In use by now
No longer carried with us (sent back, lost, broken, disposed, given away)

	Tizian’s Gear		Belinda’s Gear
Garage
Bicycle	17.7 kg	Vsf Fahrradmanufaktur TX-400 2020 I finally purchased a designated expedition bicycle. Steel frame, 26 inch wheels, Magura rim brakes, no suspension, front rack. For details see above.	Vsf Fahrradmanufaktur TX-400 In comparison to other touring bikes rather cheap, but still very robust and used by many bicycle tourers. The specific parts are listed and described above.	16.4 kg
Rear Panniers	2 × 1255 g	Vaude Aqua Back Plus (Got replaced between August and December 2022 as a warranty case like almost all of our other Vaude Aqua bags, reason see description.) Waterproof rear panniers. The panniers are very similar to those of the market leader Ortlieb, but the philosopy of Vaude puts more emphasis on sustainability in terms of manufacturing and materials. The Vaude Aqua series panniers use two different tarpaulin materials on different sides of the panniers, which are welded together along the edges. In the case of Tizian’s handlebar bag, this adhesive bond along one of the edges had come loose first, small holes along the weld seam of the other panniers, with the exception of Belinda’s handlebar bag, followed. After contact with Vaude, we found that the defects are according to them a production defect in exactly the years in which we had purchased the panniers. Accordingly, Vaude has sent us replacement panniers: We have received new Aqua Back and Aqua Back Plus panniers in Shkodër and as a handlebar bag replacement for Tizian the OnTour Box L, while the Aqua Front as well as Aqua Box were not available at that moment. The Aqua Front we only got in Jerusalem in January 2023 and after again non-availability we decided to keep the handlebar bags as they are.	Vaude Aqua Back (Exchanged by new ones in August 2022, see explanation at Tizian’s bags.) Waterproof, robust, and sustainably produced bicycle bags with roll closure and inside pocket. For production, various PVC-free plastic materials are welded via high-frequency technology and made additionally water- and dirt-repellent with so-called EcoFinsih, so that the water drops bead off directly. Unlike the competitor Ortlieb the Vaude bags are as mentioned PVC-free and there are also no environmentally harmful PFC used in the manufacture. In addition, they have a hard shell back and the mounting clips are metallic, which makes them more robust. The capacity of both bags are 48 liter.	2 × 948 g
Front Panniers	2 × 948 g	Vaude Aqua Back (In Shkodër exchanged by new ones, reason see above under Rear Panniers.) I am using the Vaude Aqua Back as front panniers; they are somewhat bigger than the for this position designed Vaude Aqua Front.	Vaude Aqua Front (Exchanged by new ones, see explanation above.) Only differ from the Aqua Back with respect to their smaller size (28 liter).	2 × 800 g
Packsack	673 g	AquaQuest White Water Duffel Waterproof bag (50 litre) that is easy to pack from the top due to its large opening. Can be strapped to the Vaude panniers with side release buckles.	Ortlieb Dry Bag PD350 59 liter pack sack, waterproof, just a big bag with opening at the narrow end. I use it mainly as a bag for the tent, for which it is perfect, but it would be rather little suitable for a lot of odds and ends or things that you have to get during the ride.	481 g
Handlebar Bag	632 g + 59 g	Vaude Aqua Box (Exchanged by OnTour Box L, see above under Rear Panniers, in Shkodër, Albania on 25th of August 2022.) Unfortunately, slightly smaller than the large Ortlieb models; but that was not reason enough for me to start using a other bag than from the Vaude Aqua Series. Incl. carrying strap.	Vaude Aqua Box Waterproof, contains a small inner pocket which allows to get some order with all the small stuff in there. Super handy everything you want to quickly grasp while riding, like the camera. Weight incl. inner pocket and small carrying strap.	669 g + 15 g
Handlebar Bag	590 g	Vaude OnTour Box L (New since 25th of August 2022 in Shkodër, reason see above.) Replacement bag for the Aqua Box after it was damaged and then initially not available again. The main problem is that it is only waterproof with the (supplied) rain cape. Handy, however, is that it has many more small (side) compartments than the Aqua Box and is also somewhat lighter.
Top Tube Bag	238 g	Ujing Top Tube Bag (In winter 23/24 replaced, as it got worn and holes.) Cheap made-in-China top tube bag. One of the few bags that hang down on the left and right of the top tube. A mobile phone stowed inside of this bag can be reached unbeatably fast thanks to a hook and loop fastener; and that is important, because for navigation I constantly need to take a look on the smartphone map.
Top Tube Bag	189 g	Riverside Top Tube Bag (Bought in winter 23/24 as replacement for the old top tube bag.)
Bike Computer	29 g	Sigma BC 1609 STS Wireless bicycle computer, common features (no altimeter data). By now, I have this computer in use for about 10 years with very little downtime.	Sigma BC 7.16 ATS (switched from wireless BC 9.16 only few days after tour start, as that one’s sensor stopped working, and the 7.16 was the only available bicycle computer in the next bike shop) Wired bicycle computer with standard functionality (no temperature or max speed).	21 g
Lock		Abus Cable Lock According to Amazon recensions any lock can be forced up. Thus, also this rather small, light and flexible lock will prevent spontaneous robbery. Thanks to it being a combination lock we do not have to carry any key with us.		405 g
Lock	745 g	Abus Tresor To be sure (in case Amazon reviews turn out to be not that trustworthy ;-)), we also have this more robust chain lock with us. It is also a combination lock.
Helmet	264 g	Uvex I-vo cc	Bikemate Helmet A helmet from Aldi which I have owned and used for ages now.	285 g
Helmet Raincover	30 g	Vaude Helmet Raincover I thus save the hood on the rain jacket.
Saddle Cover	41 g	Vaude Saddle Raincover (Renewed in winter 23/24, as the old one was getting leaky.) Unfortunately, the Brooks leather saddle tolerates water poorly.	Vaude Saddle Raincover My saddle might handle water better than Tizian’s Brooks, but it is nevertheless nice not having to sit on a wet saddle.	24 g
Carrier Straps	126 g + 58 g	Carrier Straps (3 3 Pieces) (One lost on 01.10.2022.) Although I attach the packsack directly to the rear panniers using side release buckles, bumpy roads require additional attachment to the seat post by a carrier strap to prevent the packsack to slip backwards. Moreover, the carrier straps are needed to attach objects on top of the front rack.	Carrier Straps (2 Pieces) One flexible carrier strap with hooks and one strap with side release buckles. Both I use to attach the packsack to rear rack and panniers. The one with side release buckles can also be used to carry panniers, e. g. the handlebar bag.	124 g + 41 g
Rucksack	65 g	Motorhead Folding Rucksack (Discarded in winter 23/24 due to too many holes.) Small, to fist-size foldable rucksack; ideal for city sightseeing or short hikes.	Gym Bag A promoting gift from the KIT Career Fair, foldable to a very small size and light, perfect as rucksack for sightseeing in cities or buying groceries. Even during our daylong hikes on the tour I use it, although the straps then often hurt slightly on the shoulders.	76 g
Rucksack	145 g	Forclaz Folding Rucksack (In winter 23/24 bought as replacement for old folding rucksack.)
Banner	54 g	Zweiradler Tours Banner Small ‘advertising banner’ that can be attached to our rear packsack. Invites passers-by to look up on our website what those loaded bicycles they just saw are all about. However, since the first months of the tour we did not use the banners very often.		41 g
Weight of Garage	25 010 g			22 098 g
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Bedroom
Tent		Husky Beast III (Replaced in winter 23/24 by recent version of the same model.) 3-person tent (i. e. for 2 persons + luggage). Pretty affordable tent which convinces mainly by its simple concept: No frills, simply hang the inner tent on the two tent poles, throw over the outer tent, done. The inner tent consists almost entirely of mosquito netting, so the ventilation is top. Tizian himself has attached ropes to the loops where the pegs are attached, so that the tent can also be secured with stones instead of pegs (e.g. on concrete). However, we were from the beginning of the tour on the road with the second set of tent poles, because the first is broken. After one and a half year the tent started to leak in heavy rain and from the bottom, the zippers stopped working well and mold started to grow at some places so we decided to buy a new tent (but of the same model) in our winter break in Tbilisi 23/24. Incl. stuff sack.		2960 g
	251 g	(Bent and broken pegs replaced in winter 23/24.) Tent Accessories: 11 V pegs made out of aluminium from Shine Trip. Some are already deformed a little bit, so it is probably not the best quality. On the other hand, the drawcords are very handy when pulling out the pegs.
		Spare Parts: 2 Tent Pole Segements • Repair Sleeve • Washers (fit exactly around the poles) • Patches • Glue • Side Release Buckle • Inner Tent Hooks • Cord Stopper		104 g
Ground Sheet	444 g	Tarpaulin Cheap tarpaulin (technically made for gardening/industry/car trailers). We use it mostly as a tent underlay for protecting the groundsheet of the tent, as a picnic blanket or as a sun protection.
Sleeping Pad	413 g	Vaude Perfomance 7M (After about 150 nights, the air chambers have closed again, which is irreparable.) Very lightweight and small packing size, but not self-inflatable. Can be inflated to a very thick and accordingly comfortable size. Four years after the purchase two of the air compartments got connected to a single larger one, because apparently the glue holding the compartments separated wear out. Due to the five years warranty, I got a new one for this tour. Incl. stuff sack.	Exped Airmat HL M Very small and lightweight sleeping pad due to its body-shaped form and it being not self-inflating. However, it does not provide much thermical isolation, but for this I have the additional sleeping mat below. Incl. stuff sack.	323 g
	510 g	Forclaz 700 Ultra Compact (Bought in April 23 at Decathlon in Dubai to replace the broken Vaude Performance 7M.) Similar packing size and not much heavier than the Vaude Performance 7M, the valve to adjust the air pressure and release the air does not work as smoothly as that of Vaude. But the mat also costs less than half. Whether it lasts longer must still be seen.
	12 g	Sleeping Pad Accessories: Repair Kit	Sleeping Pad Accessories: Small Pump (keeps moisture out of the inside of the mat) • Repair Kit	44 g + 15 g
Sleeping Mat			Old Sports Mat As additional isolation under the sleeping pad or to sit upon. Additionally it protects the airmat from below, if the ground under the tent is somewhat prickley. Unfortunately it is pink.	222 g
Sleeping Bag	1027 g	Alvivo Ibex 500 Rather inexpensive down sleeping bag (as per dealer because Alvivo produces this sleeping bag in large numbers). Comfort temperature 4 °C. Incl. stuff sack.	Alvivo Ibex 500 Down sleeping bag with a comfort temperature of 4 °C. Incl. stuff sack.	944 g
Sleeping Bag Inlet	276 g	Cocoon Micro Fiber Travel Sheet (January 2023 given to my parents on their visit to take it home for storage, as I never used it.) If it is too warm for sleeping in the down sleeping bag, but one still wants to cover oneself somehow. In cold nights one can maybe lower the comfort temperature of the Ibex 500 a little with help of the inlay. Originally, the opening on the right side is closed only by a tiny Velcro strip, which simply not enough to hold tight. Therefore, I went to a Repair Café and added a zipper. Incl. stuff sack.	Forclaz Silk Liner Thin inlet made of silk, which makes it very lightweight. In warm nights it can directly be used as sleeping bag, in cold nights as inlet to save the down sleeping bag from dirt and for additional heat. Incl. stuff sack.	116 g
Pillow	190 g	Thermarest Compressible Pillow (Bought in January 2023.) After six months of always watching Belinda sleep on her soft pillow, I wanted one too.	Thermarest Compressible Pillow Very comfortable compressible pillow: 30 × 41 × 10 cm, packs to about one fourth of this size. I would not wanna miss it!	198 g
Headlight	74 g	Sigma HeadLED (Given away some time after the new USB rechargeable lamps had stood their test.) Headlights are definitely more functional than flashlights.	Crane Headlight (Finally broken completely in Wadi Rum (January 2023).) To see something despite darkness, mainly in the tent or while cooking in the evening. Weight incl. batteries.	111 g
	70 g	LED Headlight (Received as a gift from Abdullah’s family (February 2023). Discarded November 2024, broken.)	LED Headlight (Received as a gift from Abdullah’s family (February 2023).) Cheap China product, was given to us as a gift just at the right time, as shortly before my headlamp above broke. Rechargeable by USB, so no batteries needed anymore.	70 g
	72 g	Forclaz Headlight HL100 (Bought in November 2024 in Decathlon in Kunming.) Via USB rechargeable headlight with three lighting modes.
Alarm Clock	24 g	Casio W-87H (Removed from our gear beginning of 2024.) Digital watch with detached watch strap: The smallest and lightest clock with an alarm function that we could find. It allows us to save the battery of our smartphones by turning them off even in the nights in which we want to have an alarm in the morning. Weight incl. battery.
Weight of Bedroom	2506 g			4996 g
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Wardrobe
Shoes	969 g	The North Face Hedgehog Fastpack For years I haven’t worn any other shoes than this model. Relatively lightweight and still robust. If one wears them every day, of course they nevertheless wear out after two to three years. By now I have already bought my fourth pair of Hedgehogs. The orthopedic raise of my right shoe accounts for 77 g of the weight.	Lowa Gorgon GTX Ws Trekking shoes with barefoot soles, which makes them very comfortable and good for the knees. Unfortunately the inner soles are already coming apart. For cycling this does not do much harm, but on our daylong hiking trips I started to feel the uneven inner sole.	675 g
	724 g	Keen Clearwater CNX Outdoor sandals. In the past I always only took flip-flops with me instead of sandals, but now they are supposed to be a bit more robust and also be used for cycling. Let's see if carrying them along turns out to be worth it. The orthopedic raise of my right shoe accounts for 96 g of the weight.	Keen Clearwater CNX (Replaced with new ones (black version) in winter 23/24 because the belts were broken.) Robust and waterproof outdoor sandals. Especially in hot temperature it is very uncomfortable to cycle in closed shoes. Also, it’s good to have a lighter pair of shoes in which one can get into fast. After a year of intensive use, the left sandal has now torn the strap from the sole, so I could only use it as a slipper. In winter 23/24 I then got new ones and threw away the broken old ones.	435 g
			Vaude Minsk III Shoecover (Bought in winter 23/24.) Warm overshoes that are supposed to be windproof and water-repellent. I am hoping to keep my feet warm in the cold with these without having to buy winter shoes.	200 g
	2 × 60 g	Thermo Insoles (Bought in winter 23/24.)	Thermo Insoles (Bought in winter 23/24.) Wool insoles with an aluminum layer. This will hopefully keep my feet warm in the freezing cold.	2 × 60 g
Rainwear	218 g	Vaude Strone Rain Jacket Thin, lightweight racing bicycle rainjacket with longer back and without hood (since I already have the raincover for the helmet).	Triple2 SMUDD nul Sustainably produced rain jacket made from recycled plastics. Rather one of the more expensive purchases I did for the tour, but so far I do not regret it: The jacket is super lightweight, small in packed size, so far keeps dry in every rain and does not have any signs of wear yet.	191 g
	120 g	Vaude Men's Drop Pants On my previous tours I always carried a pair of rain pants, but have never worn it. Yet I didn’t want to set out to Central Asia completely without one. The compromise: Short rain pants. Lighter and smaller in packing size, it still saves the body parts which are especially exposed when cycling, the thighs.	Vaude Women’s Drop Pants II What makes me really uncomfortable when cycling through rain is the cold stemming from the clothes on thighs and butt being wet, so I decided to go with this long rain pants. In winter I can also use it as an additional layer also if it is not raining. Admittedly, in summer I have to change clothes a lot on rainy days as it gets too hot in the trousers very fast when it stops raining heavily, but on the other hand it also gets cold fast when it really starts raining. Weight incl. stuff sack.	144 g + 8 g
			Self-Made Gaiters (Discarded in winter 23/24.) Made from parts of an old Aldi rain pants in order not to get too wet feet. To be honest I almost never used them on the tour.	51 g
Jackets	440 g	Forclaz Down Jacket MT500 (Bought in winter 23/24.)	Rab Electron Pro Down Jacket (Newly acquired in Winter 23/24.) Warm down jacket, mainly for evenings and mornings in and outside the tent, which I bought in Tbilisi in preparation for the colder riding days afterwards.	459 g
	496 g	Vaude Wintry Jacket IV Warm softshell jacket for cold days.	Crane Softshell Jacket Cheap thin softshell jacket, in the beginning it seemed to withstand medium wind well. However meanwhile it got stretched quite a bit and also when you really need the protection because it is also cold it does not feel like the jacket would make a big difference. Maybe rather something for summer.	322 g
			Vaude Matera Softshell Cycling Jacket (Newly acquired in Winter 23/24.) Windproof, warm softshell jacket for cycling.	374 g
	352 g	Vaude Posta Long-Sleeved Tricot (Unfortunately it seems to have been flown off some dozen kilometers before Ulaanbaatar (was strapped to the duffel bag).) As soon as it gets a little bit chilly in the short-sleeved jerseys/t-shirts, I put on this jacket. Since I have several jerseys and t-shirts but only one such thin jacket, it will probably become one of my most worn item of clothing.	Quechua Fleece Jacket Very comfortable jacket from Decathlon, a hoodie.	350 g
	400 g	Thin Sweatshirt (Bought in Ulaanbaatar (August 2024)y.) Bought as replacement for the lost Posta Tricot.	Btwin Wind Protection Jacket Very thin, produced for bicycle racing; good for mild days to protect from the sun or when going downhill.	88 g
Long-Sleeved Shirts	359 g	Fleece Pullover One of my favourite pullovers; appeals to me optically, it is warm, dries fast and though I have worn it constantly and everywhere for ages now it has shown almost no signs of wear yet.	Quechua Fleece Pullover Comfortably warm and lightweight Decathlon fleece pullover.	204 g
	259 g	Wijld Long-Sleeved Shirt Thin, long-sleeved T-Shirt.	Wijld Turtleneck Longsleeve (Newly bought in winter 23/24.) I intend it as a pyjama top because its turtleneck protects the sleeping bag from dirt and grease.	200 g
			Vaude Tacun Blouse Long-sleeved blouse for sunny summer days, as it is airy and due to the long sleeves protects the arms from the sun.	146 g
	310 g	TCM (Tchibo) Long-Sleeved Functional Shirt Another layer for cold days. Eine weitere Schicht für kalte Tage.	Wedze Ski Undershirt 900 (Due to below mentioned reason given to bring home in winter 23/24 after I got the down jacket.) Long-sleeved functional shirt. Breathable, warm lowest layer on cold days. But as lowest layers have the disadvantage that you cannot just put them on or off easily, I did not wear it often. I will probably soon replace it with a warm outer layer.	217 g
			Tunic (Received as a gift in Medina (February 2023). Three months later sorted out, because it shrunk too much in wash.) Long-sleeved shirt that goes over the hips, so especially suitable in Islamic regions. Was a gift from our Syrian host family in Medina.	200 g
Long Trousers	384 g + 71 g	The North Face Exploration Convertible Zip-off trecking pants with seven zip pockets. I have seldomly worn them on the bicycle so far, but whenever one is out and about via foot, they are the first choice. Unfortunately, these pants are the reason I need to carry a belt (71 g) with me.	Quechua Zip-Off Pants MH550 Very airy zip-off trousers with practical pockets; I use them mainly off the bicycle.	309 g
	402 g	Vaude Men’s Wintry Pants II Casually cut trousers; softshell on the front (extremely effective against cold headwind and also a little water-repellent), comfortable stretch material on the back side (like sweatpants). No butt padding.	Vaude Women’s Wintry Pants IV Very comfortable, windproof and water-repellent long cycling pants without padding.	290 g
	239 g	TCM (Tchibo) Long Underpants	Long Functional Underpants Synthetic, warm, for cold days and nights.	137 g
			Harem’s Pants (After intensive use in Saudi Arabia, it got several holes. Replaced by basically the same model from a bazaar in Dubai. Then again worn-out and discarded in November 2024.) Very thin material, ideal for warm days if one doesn’t want to get sunburn, or for places where one has to cover one’s knees or legs.	154 g
			Domyos Jogging Bottoms (Bought in November 2024 in Decathlon in Kunming.) Thin trousers in carrot-cut with pockets. For mosquito protection when sitting around in the evenings or for city sightseeing.	120 g
Short Trousers	176 g	Nike Sports Pants ‘Nike’ sports pants (bought in Cambodia), with three zipper pockets.	Shorts	147 g
	150 g	Domyos Shorts (Bought in winter 23/24.)
	152 g	Vaude Active Pants (Old) (Discarded in winter 23/24.) Old cycling shorts which I have worn a lot and which thusly is already heavily worn-out. I will still use it until it gets big holes eventually and then throw it away.	Kalenji 3/4 Tights (Second pair bought end of July 2023 in Kayseri, in April 2024 discarded first pair after it got too many holes.) Are actually running pants, but for me they are also comfortable on the bicycle (I really do not like padded shorts). As the tights meanwhile start getting holes, I bought a second but black one in the for now last Decathlon in Kayseri. But regarding that I wear it almost every day on the bicycle it lasted really great so far!	151 g
	162 g	Vaude Active Pants (New) Because the thing with the holes of the old cycing shorts probably won’t take very long, I already have this new copy of shorts with me.
Short-Sleeved Tops	154 g	Zweiradler Tours Presentation Jersey :-) In the corporate design of our tours.	Zweiradler Tours Presentation Jersey :-) In the corporate design of our tours.	106 g
	140 g	Vaude Men’s Advanced Tricot IV Cycling jersey; thin, lightweight, sportive.	Vaude Women’s Advanced Tricot IV Airy, comfortable cycling jersey with pockets at the back side.	111 g
	2 × 147 g	Wijld T-Shirts (2 Pieces) Mainly (but not neccessarily limited to) everything aside from cycling.	Wijld T-Shirts (3 2 Pieces) (One sorted out in winter 23/24.) T-shirts made of wood: Light, comfy, and when aired sweaty smell is gone quite fast. Thus they are more convenient than cotton or synthetic shirts.	2 × 94 g
Pyjamas	440 g	Long-Sleeved Pyjamas (Replaced in winter 23/24, as the old one got worn out.) Mainly for protecting the sleeping bag. To me this seems more convenient than using the sleeping bag inlay for this purpose. In winter 23/24 I replaced the old, worn-out one with new pants and a top with a turtleneck, so that there is a layer of fabric between the skin and the sleeping bag also at neck and throat.	Pyjamas Pants I am not comfortable sleeping in sweaty clothes or being sticky ;-), so I have these long pyjamas trousers made of cotton and modal, which feels nice and is cooling in summer, and wear them together with the longsleeve which I can also wear during the day if necessary.	206 g
Underwear	172 g	H.I.S Underpants (4 Pieces) (Meanwhile exchanged all (worn out) by new ones.)	Underpants (9 7 Pieces) (2 weeks after tour start reduced from originally 9 to 7 due to being unnecessary weight.) Two of these are period panties.	299 g
	234 g	Socks (6 Pairs) (Worn out ones replaced on the road by new ones.) 2 pairs of long, 2 pairs of medium-length (but thicker ones), 2 pairs of short/thin ones.	Socks (7 Pairs) (Discarded and replaced some worn out ones while on the road.) 1 pair of thick merino socks, 1 pair of merino sports socks,2 pair of long and 3 pairs of short thin socks.	318 g
			Bras (2 Pieces)	83 g
Swimwear	83 g	Adidas Swim Trunks (Lost at Issykkul in Kyrgyzstan.) One can also go bathing with cycling pants, but the swim trunks are sufficiently lightweight to not do any harm with taking along these anyway.	Bikini Top (Bikini bottom sorted out in winter 23/24.)	50 g
Head and Neck			Cap To shield the sunlight.	62 g
	95 g	Adidas Woollen Cap Quite thick, but still fits beneath the helmet if necessary.	Fleece Cap (Discarded in April 2024 as having almost never used it.) Looks stupid, but fits well beneath the helmet and warms wonderfully.	35 g
	40 g	P.A.C. Multifunctional Cloth Made of merino wool. Can be worn as headband below the helmet against cold ears, or as scarf.	Simond Multifunctional Cloth Multi-purpose cloth: Can be used as scarf, headband, wristband, headscarf, and many more.	32 g
			Wedze Fleece Scarf To save the neck from severe cold.	27 g
			Cloth (As below one is enough, given to bring home in winter 23/24.) Large cloth, usable as thick shawl, as headscarf, or also as skirt (at places where one needs to cover one’s knees). However so far I only used it as headscarf when visiting mosques or churches.	184 g
			Cloth (Given as a gift from a woman in Kurdistan Iraq.) Thin, semi-transparent black scarf. Lighter and smaller than above, but should still pass as a headscarf if necessary.	50 g
	18 g	Balaclava Yet another item against the cold.	Balaclava	36 g
Hands	63 g	Forclaz Trek 500 Gloves from Decathlon, touchscreen-compatible. Only for moderate temperatures and not waterproof.	Forclaz Trek 500 Gloves from Decathlon, are supposed to be windproof and water-repellent, but in reality only resists weak wind and very little water. Below 10 °C my hands were always still freezing in them.	51 g
	48 g	Forclaz Trek Overglove 500 (Sorted out after having the new thick gloves.) Water- and windproof top layer gloves, not lined. According to Decathlon they reduce the temperature limit about another 7 °C (however, this seems to be a rather optimistic value, in my view).	Forclaz Trek Overglove 500 (Sorted out after having the new thick gloves.) Water- and windproof mittens as outermost hand coating. Admittedly, I never used them so far, mainly because I was always too lazy to get them from deep down in my bag.	45 g
	160 g	GripGrab Nordic 2 Windproof Deep Winter Lobster Gloves (Bought in winter 23/24.)	Normani Winter Gloves Apex (Bought in winter 23/24.) Thick three-finger gloves for the really cold days. It is a mix between mittens and five-finger gloves, keeping warm better but prevailing some more flexibility by having the index finger seperately (for example when shifting gears).	100 g
	60 g	Forclaz Undergloves MT500 (Bought in winter 23/24.)
Storage	2 × 73 g	Bags für Rain and Winter Gear I use a fabric bag to put in the rain gear (rain jacket, rain pants, rain cover for the helmet) and one for the winter clothing (gloves, cap, multifunctional cloth, balaclava).	Bags for Sorting One bag mainly for winter gear, the other to keep underwear and socks together. Additionally a plastic bag to store the unused pair of dirty shoes cleanly in the pannier.	82 g
Weight of Wardrobe	8015 g			6871 g
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Kitchen
Stove	473 g	Primus Omnifuel incl. Pump Camping stove capable of burning gas, petroleum, gasoline or diesel, such that one should find usable fuel anywhere (mainly it will be gasoline). The problem with burning liquid fuels is that they tend to produce soot and thereby clog the stove. Precautionary, we have bought a rather expensive stove, such that this hopefully does not happen so often. Incl. the pump for creating the pressure in the fuel bottle.
	214 g	Stove Accessories: Wind Screen and Heat Reflector (aluminium) • Storage Bag • Multitool (for stove maintainance) • Grease (for pump maintainance)
	58 g	(Bought in winter 23/24.) Stove spare parts: Primus Omnifuel Service Kit with replacement nozzles, multi-silicone grease for the pump, pump spring, sealing ring, sealing set, pump skin, filter, brass cone, pump sealing part.
	109 g	(Discraded in October 2023 in Tbilisi as we after all did not use it that often.) Accessory: Cake Ring (Even with a cake ring, baking a cake is rather difficult with the Primus stove; we use the cake ring as a top piece for the stove to increase the distance to the pot. Even though the Primus Omnifuel can be regulated, it only knows temperatures between very hot and extremly hot. To allow moderately hot, for not burning everything immediately, we’ll try to use the cake ring.)
	145 g	Primus Fuel Bottle 0.6 l Bottle for liquid fuels.
Dishes	566 g	GSI Glacier Stainless Base Camper Pot Pod made of stainless steel with a capacity of 3 l and usefull silicon handles, including lid with holes for draining and storage bag.
	72 g	Quechua Camping Soup Plate With volume scale. Diameter 16 cm, volume 0,5 l.
	100 g	Plastic Bowl with Lid Can be used for example as a small salad bowl or a large muesli bowl. Diameter 16,5 cm, volume 1,2 l.
	30 g	Cutlery Quechua plastic cutlery: 2 forks, 2 spoons.
	104 g	Cooking Utensils Bread knife, vegetable knife, peeler, wooden spoon.
	67 g	Cutting Board Thin cutting board made of plastic.
		Silicon Funnel (In our gear since January 2024, in August decided we don’t need it anymore and left it in an Airbnb.) To transfer hot water from the wide pot to the thermos flasks without loss.		60 g
	116 g	Dishwashing Utensils Detergent, Sponge (split into small pieces), steel wool (split into two small pieces).
	38 g	Small Microfibre Towel (Lost somewhere in the mountains behind Alanya while clipped to a pannier to dry. In January 2023 got a new one.) As kitchen towel.
Chairs	520 g	Helinox Chair Zero Possibly the lightes camping chair on the market, which still feels robust and can be loaded up to 120 kg according to Helinox. Of course, the seat level is rather low, which makes it somewhat difficult to work with objects standing in front of the chair (like the stove). But it is perfect to relax after a demanding day. Incl. stuff sack.	Helinox Chair Zero Very lightweight and small camping chair, yet robust (has a capacity of 120 kg) and comfortable. After having a camping chair, one cannot imagine any more how one could have lived without one … . Incl. stuff sack.	520 g
Food Storage	238 g	IKEA 365+ Plastic Box (Replaced once after having lost it.) To store leftover or delicate food. Volume 1 liter. Unfortunately we had lost it in summer 23 after leaving it to dry in a lunch break and only noticed when we were already far away. Only in the following winter we had the chance to replace it.
	2 × 20 g	Vegetable Nets
	31 g	Clips Weight incl. storage tin.
Water Containers	2 × 194 g	Quechua Aluminium Bottle 1.5 l (2 Pieces) With aluminium bottles, in contrast to plastic bottles, one is save from water tasting like plastic.
		Thermos Hard Plastic Bottle 0.7 l (Discarded in May 2023 due to green algae/mold? having formed on the inside bottom.) An exceptional plastic bottle that after years of use still doesn’t cause its contained water to taste like plastic :-).		185 g
		Quechua Isolierflasche 0.7 l (Originally we had a 0.5 l bottle, after approx. one year (due to dents?) it was no longer insulating, replaced by new 0.7 l one.) Keeps hot drinks warm for a very long time, and cold ones cold; it’s just fantastic to have a hot tea on an icy morning, which could be prepared the evening before. Or in summer, the fresh spring water remains cool and refreshing for a long time if transported in here.		450 g
		Tea’dicted Insulated Bottle 1 l Same as the thermos bottle, would definitely recommend to take at least one such bottle.		438 g
		Ortlieb Water Bag 10 l If we need to carry water for several days. We also used it now and then for having a shower or washing our hair.		140 g
		Sawyer Water Pouch 2 l (Discarded in June 2023 after it started leaking.) Additional water capacity; this pouch was included in the Sawyer water filtration system.		29 g
Water Treatment	198 g	SteriPEN Classic Water purification via UV lamp. Works absolutely reliably so far (no bad diarrhea in Nepal 2018 ;-)). Incl. storage bag and batteries.
		Sawyer Micro Squeeze Water filtration system, which filters 99,9999 % of bacteria and protozoa (acording to Sawyer). Very lightweight and compact, can be cleaned and reused and used on any standard water bottle or the corresponding water pouch.		54 g
	7 g	(Gasket changed in the Pamirs.) Water Filter Accessories: Cleaning Coupling (to couple a bottle in reverse direction on the filter, to backwash and thus clean it) • ~~Spare Gasket~~
	12 g	Coffee Filters (5 Pieces) For the pre-treatment of more heavily soiled water (rather for emergencies).
Miscellaneous	2 × 19 g	Lighters Mainly required for lighting up the cooker.
Consumables	ø 5333 g	Food • Water • Spices • Stove fuel		ø 2667 g
Weight of Kitchen	8788 g			4269 g
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Bathroom
Towels	154 g	Microfibre Towel (Lost at Issykkul in Kyrgyzstan.) 118 × 58 cm². Fast drying, small size and weight. For showering and bathing.	Olymp Microfibre Towel (large) Fast drying, small and lightweight. Size: 140 × 70 cm². I classically use it for showering and such.	210 g
Towels	135 g	Nabaiji Microfibre Towel (Bought in October 2024 in Decathlon in Xi’An.) 130 × 80 cm².	Olymp Microfibre Towel (small) Size: 30 × 38 cm². This small one is more of a multifunctional cloth to be used whenever something needs to be dried, be it face, saddle, dishes, …	30 g
Storage	24 g	Laundry Net For storing (dirty) clothes.	Laundry Net	35 g
Storage		(Toilet) Bags In order to store all the bathroom stuff neatly and leakproof.		66 g
Glasses	27 g	Humphrey’s Photochromic Sunglasses Glasses with corrective lenses that automatically adapt their tint to the surrounding brightness.	Sunglasses With three pairs of glasses having different tints and one protective cover. I do not use it often, but it was very necessary when cycling in the Rub Al Khali.	68 g
	15 g	Glasses with Corrective Lenses I use them as spare glasses.
	114 g	Spectacle Case For the spare glasses. In addition, snapping cases are extremly handy for catching mosquitos inside the tent!
Rings	40 g	Ring (In our gear since January 2023, then again sent home a year later as never used.) We thought, in some conservative countries it is better to have a ring with you as "proof" of your marriage. Seemed to be not necessary though.	Ring (In our gear since January 2023, then again sent home a year later as never used.)	40 g
First Aid	202 g	First Aid Kit Dressing material (plasters, bandages, compresses) • Emergency blanket
	70 g	Hansaplast Disinfection Spray
	14 g	Clinical Thermometer (Renewed after about one a half year because it broke.) Analog liquid-in-glass thermometer with Galistan. Our original one from Geratherm broke (perhaps due to heat), so we bought a new one in Tbilisi (also with galinstan). Weight incl. storage box.
	111 g	Medicine Ibuprofen (pain killers, also for fever), lorano (antihistamine, against allergic reactions), loperamide (anti-motility medication, temporarily stops diarrhea, but shall only be used in emergency, not as proper treatment), azithromycin (antibiotics for diarrhea caused by bacterial infections, for emergency), elektrolyte powder (to restore mineral salts while having diarrhea), malarone (prophylaxis and emergency medication against malaria).
		heat it Insect Bite Healer Mini gadget for treating mosquito bites with heat via smartphone. It is only of limited help, but so small and light that we keep carrying it with us.		4 g
Feminine Hygiene			Menstrual Cup (Added second one as spare in February 2024.) It is so much better, more practical and sustainable than tampons, sanitary pads or other disposable product, especially when travelling like that. Since some time I carry two of them to be more flexible with washing/desinfecting and to have a backup in case of loss. Incl. storage bag.	2 × 14 g
			Menstrual Cup Accessory: Cleaning Container	17 g
			Panty Liners (Self-)Made of cotton, washable and reusable.	24 g
Personal Hygiene		Foamie Travelbox Storage box for shower soap. Solid shower soap it is more eco-friendly and sustainable (no packaging), lasts for more washes but foams as much as liquid one. This is why we try to avoid buying liquid body wash.		55 g
		Nail Clipper		18 g
		Brush (Included mirror broke apart after 2 years, was anyway not necessary.)		35 g
		Hair Cutting Scissors		52 g
			Razor	33 g
	63 g	Laboratory Wide-Neck Bottle Enables us to urinate inside the tent, especially if it’s rainy and/or cold outside. 500 ml with handy wide opening.	Pibella Travel	17 g
			Hair Ties	1 g
			Earplugs	20 g
Consumables		Shampoo • Shower Soap • (Hand) Washing Detergents		ø 340 g
	ø 201 g	Hand Sanitiser • Toilet Paper • Handkerchiefs • Condoms		ø 386 g
		Toothbrushes • Toothpaste		ø 128 g
	ø 200 g	Sun Screen • Bug Spray (Careplus with 50% DEET as well as one Autan Botanicals with lemon-eucalyptus)
	ø 27 g	Personal Medicine • Skin cream or similar (especially in winter for dry skin)		ø 72 g
Weight of Bathroom	1203 g			1639 g
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Office and Studio
Smartphone	171 g	Samsung Galaxy Xcover 5 Outdoor smartphone: Water, dust and shock proof, exchangable battery. Since recently I also carry a replacement battery, as the old one’s charge cycles keep getting smaller.	Motorola Moto g7 Play In terms of price a lower middle class smartphone, but perfectly fine in my opinion, and regarding battery life even better than many more expensive products.	162 g
Smartphone		(Discarded after 9 months because we never used it.) Smartphone Accessory: Rubber Mounting		18 g
Camera	161 g	Sony DSC-WX350 Small-sized compact digital camera with 20 times optical zoom and veritable image quality. Due to ist small size it is perfectly handy to take pictures one-handedly during riding. Weight incl. one battery.	Panasonic Lumix DC-GX880K Mirroless interchangeable lens camera with MFT sensor and including Lumix G Vario 12-32 mm/F3.5-5.6 lens. Bought second hand about two months before tour start; it will probably take a while until I know all the settings and options :-). Weight including original battery as well as lens.	374 g
	23 g	(Two broken batteries discarded.) Camera Accessories: 3 1 Spare Battery	Camera Accessories: 2 Patona Spare Batteries • Carrying Strap	2 × 30 g + 18 g
			GoPro Hero 7 Black When my old digital camera wasn’t usable any more, I used this opportunity to purchase an action cam. For still images this one has also an acceptable image quality and in addition it is robust and veeery tiny. However meanwhile it already has three successor models I think … Weight incl. one battery.	118 g
			(Discarded one of initially 3 spare batteries after 11 months, as it got unusable.) GoPro Accessories: 3 2 Spare Batteries (by Homesuit) • Frame Case	2 × 13 g + 26 g
			(Discarded Super Clamp after 2 years due to never using it and it being quite heavy.) Mounting: ~~Smallrig Super Clamp~~ • Straps and Mount (to attach the GoPro to bags, helmet, etc.)	121 g
Drone	239 g	DJI Mini 2 (Sent home in April 2023, since January 2024 with us again.) Small camera drone with a flight time von about 30 min per battery. It is a new acquisition for this tour, but DJI has a profound reputation and already by the very first look the drone and it’s accessories seem to be really high-quality and well thought out.
	412 g	(Sent home in April 2023, since January 2024 with us again.) Obligatory Drone Accessories: Remote controller • Propeller Protector • Gimbal Protector
	618 g	(Sent home in April 2023, since January 2024 with us again.) Optional Drone Accesories: Transport Bag • 12 Spare Propellers incl. Screws • 2 Spare Control Sticks • Screw Driver • 2 Spare Batteries (one replaced in winter 23/24) • Space USB-C cable • Charging Hub (also for discharging the batteries; thus, the drone batteries can be used as an additional power bank)
Microphone	183 g	Zoom H2n Small, portable microphone. Can be used with batteries recording directly onto a SD card and can also be connected to the laptop via USB to be used as a laptop microphone. Weight incl. batteries.
Microphone	83 g	Microphone Accessories: Wind Screen • Bag • USB Mini B Cable
E-Reader		Tolino Shine 3 In order to get to read once and then on the tour we brought this E-reader. Weight incl. (improvised) Case.		162 g + 12 g
Laptop	1206 g	Asus Zenbook 3 Deluxe	Acer Swift 3 While planning the tour my old laptop stopped working, so I decided to buy a new small and lightweight one which I could bring on the tour. This one is no expensive high-end product, but it does a what it should and I did not have any problems so far.	1216 g
Laptop	522 g	(Charger replaced in November 2023.) Laptop Accessories: Case • Charger • Docking Station • Mouse	Laptop Accessories: Charging Adapter • Laptop Case • Anker (Micro-)SD to USB-C Adapter	485 g
Memory Devices	9 g	SanDisk MicroSD and SD Cards 4 × SanDisk MicroSD 64 GB Extreme • SanDisk MicroSD 64 GB Ultra • SanDisk SD 16 GB Ultra • Intenso SD 8 GB Class 4 • 4 × SanDisk adapter from microSD to SD		2 g
Memory Devices	6 g	USB Flash Drives (One 1282 GB bought after 2 years for more image backup storage space.) 2 x 128 GB • 64 GB • 16 GB		2 × 6 g
Power Supply		Anker PowerPort Solar Solar charger with USB port. So far seems to be very good and makes us independent regarding electricity. On a sunny day, the big Anker Powerbank can be filled half.		483 g
	363 g	Anker Powercore 20100 Big power bank with 20100 mAh. Incl. storage bag.
		Anker Powercore+ Mini (2 Pieces) (Replaced by the new power bank in winter 23/24, as capacity had dropped significantly.) Each has a capacity of 3350 mAh. Weight incl. storage bag.		2 × 84 g + 6 g
		vrurc Powerbank (Bought in winter 23/24 as replacement for old ones.) 20000 mAh.		310 g
Accessories	58 g	Hama Tripod (Bought anew after one leg broke of our former (no-name) tripod.) Mini tripod, to shoot self-timer images more easily.
	33 g	USB-C and Micro USB Cables (2 of Each) Two of each to be able to charge several devices simultaneously.		44 g
	37 g	Charging Adapters (2 Pieces) Output 5 V 1 A and 5 V 2 A or 9 V 2,67 A and thus compatible with our cameras, smartphones, microphone etc.		35 g
	14 g	Earphones (Mittlerweile mehrfach ausgetauscht.)	Earphones	14 g
Games		Nsv Qwixx (Given away in winter 23/24 as we did not play it often.) Strategic dice game.		34 g
Writing Materials	44 g	Notepad DIN-A6.	Notepad (Removed in January 2024.) DIN-A5.	274 g
			Scetch Block DIN-A5.	163 g
	12 g	Pens fine Faber-Castell felt-tip pen • wide Stabilo felt-tip pen • Ballpoint pen • 2 Faber-Castell pencils		22 g
			Writing Accessories: Pencil Sharpener • Rubber	13 g
Documents	2 × 40 g	Passports	Passports	2 × 40 g
	5 g	Identity Card	Identity Card	5 g
	4 g	Driving Licence	Driving License	5 g
	32 g	Bank/Credit Cards Partially invalid cards serving as ‘false prey’ in case of robbery.	Bank/Credit Cards Partially invalid cards serving as ‘false prey’ in case of robbery.	32 g
	38 g	Health/Emergency Related Documents Vaccination passport • Covid Vaccination Certificates • organ donor card • health insurance • emergency phone numbers (like of embassies) • emergency contacts	Health/Emergency Related Documents Vaccination passport • Covid Vaccination Certificates • organ donor card • health insurance • emergency phone numbers (like of embassies) • emergency contacts	27 g
	22 g	Photocopies Paper copies of passports and passport photos.	Photocopies Paper copies of passports and passport photos.	17 g
Miscellaneous			Whistle As a warning signal.	16 g
		World Map (Disposed of in December 2022 in Bogazi, as we did never use it.) World map in DIN-A2 format, showing a physical map on the front and a political map on the back. We will continuously mark our route on that map as we ride, to be able to show it to interested people we encounter.		37 g
	48 g	Visiting Cards		39 g
Storage	85 g	Wallet	Wallet	19 g
Storage	140 g	Boxes For putting in the documents and electronic accessories.	Storage Bag	9 g
Consumables		Cash
Weight of Office and Studio	4648 g			4127 g
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Workshop
Pocket Knife	100 g	Victorinox Swiss Army Knife Provides already about half of all tools that are usually needed: Blades, saw, scissors, tweezers, tin opener, bottle opener, screwdriver.
Tools	208 g	Presch Allen (Hex) Keys Sizes in mm: 2/3/4/5/6/8.
	19 g	Presch Torx Keys T25 and T20: The first one is required for all the screws of the Magura brakes, the second is needed to adjust the position of the headlights.
	19 g	Screwdriver A little bit smaller than the one in the Swiss Army Knife; it is needed for example for opening the gear lever and replace cracked shift cables.
	85 g	Knipex Cobra Tongue-And-Groove Pliers Super small water pump plier with a length of only 125 mm, but still having a capacity for nuts up to 27 mm.
	25 g	Wrench A small wrench with two sizes: 8 mm and 10 mm; needed for the stand, fenders and the head-/taillight.
	136 g	Chain Tool (At the first use (change of our chains in Riyadh) the plastic rotator of our cheap chain tool broke. Replaced by new one made fully of steel bought in Riyadh.) Required for repairing a broken chain or for replacing a worn chain by a new one (which will definitely be necessary at some point of our tour).
	36 g	Spoke Key Required for replacing broken spokes or repairing a tacoed wheel.
	36 g	Cassette Removal Tool To remove the cassette one also needs other tools we do not carry, but in contrast to this tool which is specific for our Shimano HG cassettes, the others are probably available everywhere.
	3 × 12 g	Tire Lever For removing the tires from the rim or put them back on.
	2 × 44 g	IceToolz Cone Wrench (Bought in January 2023 after several problems with hub clearance.) For adjusting the cone hub of the rear wheel.
Spare Parts and Repair	45 g	Rema Tip Top Patch Kit (Topped up in January 2023 with new patches and glue, and again in winter 23/24.) Contains patches in different sizes, vulcanizing glue and sandpaper.
	3 × 216 g	Schwalbe Tubes (6 3 Pieces) (Topped up on occasion. Total tube changes to date: 7.) We have french valves (also called Sclaverand or Presta valves), which can only hardly be found outside of the Western World (since their holes in the rim are thinner than for Schrader or Dunlop valves, we cannot use these). Once we had to hitchhike through half of Armenia, as one of our valves broke, we did not have any spare tube any more and the capital Yerevan was the nearest place to get such a tube … since then we rather carry too much than too few spares.
	2 × 616 g	Shimano Chains CN-HG95 (2 Pieces) (Meanwhile installed.) 10 gear chains.
	10 g	Shimano Chain Connecting Pins (3 Pieces) (In our gear since February 2024.) Three pins for 10 speed chains, to fix a broken chain or connect a new one.
	5 g	Btwin Chain Links (2 Pieces) (In our gear since February 2024.) For 10 speed chains.
	740 g	Schwalbe Marathon Mondial Evolution (Carried as spare since January 2024. Meanwhile installed.) Folding tires we carried since Tbilisi as a replacement until our old tires are worn out. We changed the two then more worn-out tires directly on site in Tbilisi.		740 g
	12 × 9 g	Magura Brake Pads Red (16 12 Pieces) (Topped up on occasion. Until Tbilisi (1,5 years) we have replaced all the brake pads twice (once with black ones, otherwise red ones). Somewhere after the Pamirs another time.)
	3 × 7 g	Spokes (2 Pieces) Lengths 256 mm, 260  and 262 mm. One each of the lengths 256 mm, 260  and 262 mm. Unfortunately not a perfect fit for all our (5 different – front, rear left, rear cassette spokes of each bike differ) required lengths, as the information from Fahrradmanufaktur was incorrect and we only found out the correct lengths when replacing our rims in Tbilisi. But still usable in case of emergency.
	18 g	Shift Cable
	440 g	Magura Service Kit (In our gear since winter 23/24. Status in Mongolia: 100 ml oil used up.) Service kit for Magura brakes with brake oil (“Royal Blood”), syringes and spare parts as well as parts for shortening the cables. In addition to the 100 ml in the service kit, we also got an extra 200 ml of brake oil.
	9 g	Vaude Spare Parts for the Panniers (Since January 2023 we also carry a set of spare mounts, which we took from the last broken pannier we threw away then.) Reduction adatper – for adapting the diameter of the mounting system of our panniers as well as one set of pannier mounts.		80 g
	10 g	Lowa Laces On the one hand, experience shows that Tizian wears out his laces relatively quickly, and on the other hand, you can also use them as a sturdy cord for various purposes (e. g. as a clothesline).
	24 g	Pattex Repair Extreme (So far renewed once.) All-purpose adhesive.
	68 g	Screws and Nuts Could be useful for diverse damages.
	25 g	Needle, Thread and Patches
Maintenance	138 g	Chain Oil
	9 g	Topeak Chain Hook & Wear Indicator For measuring the wear of the chain.
	155 g	SKS Injex Light (Replaced after a year and a half, as the rubber on the attachment was starting to leak.) Pump with two ends to be usable with Schrader as well as French valves. Plus additional adapter from French to Schrader valve. Unfortunately, it does not have a hose.
	79 g	Rags Glasses cleaning cloth (for fine dirt/for polishing), micro fiber cloth, a couple of small rags made out of an old Jeans (for coarse things like the chain, for which the rag should be tear-resistant).
	76 g	Old Socks Used as working gloves or as a coating of the stainless steel bottles (for preventing them to rattle on the frame) as well as protection bag for spare tubes.		33 g
	2 g	Ruler
	131 g	Erdal Leather Grease Mainly for greasing Tizians Brooks saddle. But if necessary, it can surely also be used for greasing other things (not only leather).
Attachment	32 g	Velcro Straps		6 g
	41 g	Cable Ties 230 × 5 mm white (16 pieces), 180 × 2 mm black (15 pieces).
		Karabiner		13 g
	213 g	Duct Tape
	51 g	Rubber Bands
	4 g	Safety Pins
	45 g	Cord
	30 g	Clothes Pegs
Storage	343 g	Big Tool Bag
Storage	17 g	Small Tool Bag
Consumables	ø 13 g	Spare Batteries Coin cell batteries for bike computers (CR2032), AA-Batteries for microphone and Steripen.
Consumables	ø 16 g	Old Toothbrush For cleaning the chain.
Weight of Workshop	3614 g			132 g

Total Weight	54 784 g			44 132 g

Stem
Tizian	FSA – Full Speed Ahead Afterburner 6°	Belinda	Humpert Ergotec High Piranha
	With this stem the handlebar is situated a little lower than with the originally installed stem by Humpert Ergotec – I was used to that position from my old bicycle. (Individually replaced.)		(Installed as standard.)

Pedals
Tizian	Sgodde Flat Pedals	Belinda	VP Components VP-196 Giant Pedals
	As with my old clipless pedals I did not have the feeling that they yield much improvement and because I didn’t want to buy new clipless pedal shoes, I decided for flat pedals instead. (Individually replaced.)		Originally, I used the built-in standard aluminum pedals. However, these fell apart in Kyrgyzstan, so I got some cheap ones from a local bike store, which in turn broke in China. There I bought some hopefully more durable ones in one of the many Giant stores there. (Installed as standard.)

Saddle
Tizian	Brooks B17	Belinda	Terry Figura Gel Max Women
	The traditional bicycle touring saddle per se. Hard leather, which allegedly adapts to one’s butt after some hundred kilometers and thus gets comfortable. After a few tours with this saddle I cannot enthuse that much about this saddle as other bicycle tourers do, but all in all I still usually had less butt pain than my tour partners that used other saddles. (Individually replaced.)		Before encountering this saddle I tried out various different other saddles. Even after measuring my seat bones and choosing seemingly fitting saddles I generally got pain in my seat bones after only a fraction of a day’s ride. With this saddle now however I can endure also longer day stages. The Figura series is meant to be for people cycling in a slightly sportive position, and the gel version is definitely good enough and more affordable than the GT or GTC Gel one. Unfortunately, the surface of the saddle got holes during a hailstorm in Armenia and over time the gel came out sticky, so I had to buy a new one at the next opportunity (in Tbilisi). (Individually replaced.)

Rims
Tizian	Ryde ZAC 2000	Belinda	Schürmann YAK-19
	Due to the rim brakes, the rims become worn over time. We therefore used the time in Tbilisi to replace our rims, which were not yet completely worn, but already quite worn. However, we had our visiting family bring us the same rims that were originally fitted. (Installed as standard.)		Hollow aluminium rim, 26 inches, 36 holes. Just like Tizian, I replaced the rims in Tbilisi with the same model – or almost, because in the new rims the hole for the tube valve is big enough to fit also Schrader valves and not only French ones (an advantage thus). In Leshan (China), I then noticed small cracks on the rim around three spoke eyelets – apparently the tension of the spokes was too high for the rim. I then re-spoked my wheel with the best fitting rim I could find – unfortunately an 8€ no-name rim. I plan to switch to robust Ryde Andra 30 rims at the next opportunity. (Installed as standard.)

Tires
Tizian	Schwalbe Marathon Mondial Schwalbe Marathon Mondial Evolution	Belinda	Schwalbe Marathon Mondial Evolution
	The wired Marathon Mondial came with the bicycle when I bought it; being a wearing part, I stuck to them first and switched to the more high-quality Evolution version when they were worn down. Since one tire got a long tear, I had to switch to a Chinese brand Chaoyang tire in the meantime due to a lack of alternatives, but it held up better than expected.		The Marathon Mondial Evolution folding tyres are more failsafe than the standard Marathon Mondial; although they also do not get the attribute flat-less by their manufacturer Schwalbe, they are only half as heavy as the ‘flat-less’ tyres Marathon Plus Tour. The ones I have are 2 inches wide and are thus rather thick, therefore better for gravel roads. (Individually replaced.)

	Gear
	Gear
Bicycles Load Distribution Garage Bedroom Wardrobe Kitchen Bathroom Office and Studio Workshop

Frame
	Vsf Fahrradmanufaktur TX-400
	Diamond frame made of double butted 25CrMo4 steel, which is quite more robust in contrast to aluminium and, in case of emergency, meldable. Tizian’s TX-400 has a frame height of 57 cm, Belinda’s one of 47 cm. (Installed as standard.)

Handlebar
	Humpert Ergotec Trekking
	Made of aluminium. (Installed as standard.)

Grips
	Ergon GP5
	Ergonomic handles with snapped off horn. The grips are made of rubber, so they get slightly sticky from heat, but besides that they are very comfortable. When sitting on the bicycle the whole day one is quite happy with the various possible grip positions. Tizian replaced the grips in winter 23/24 with new ones because the rubber surfaces were worn and no longer had as much grip. (Individually replaced.)

Rearview Mirror
	Busch & Müller Cycle Star
	Having a rearview mirror on the bicycle turns out to be really practical and pleasant; thinking about it, there is actually no reason why it should be less helpful on the bicycle than on a car. The Cycle Star is lightweight and flexible and can even be readjusted while cycling. After a hailstorm at Lake Sevan in Armenia (September 2023), the mirrors broke and we replaced them with new ones in Tbilisi. (Individually added.)

Brakes
	Magura HS33 (plus one no-name V-brake)
	Hydraulic brakes are considered to be more low-wear, reliable and robust than mechanical brakes. In contrast to disc brakes, a defective hydraulic rim brake can easily be replaced by a worldwide available mechanical rim brake. According to our bicycle dealer, the Magura rim brakes apparently need even less maintenance than hydraulic disc brakes. Unfortunately however, rim brakes of course in turn lead to a higher abrasion of the rims. All in all it was difficult to assess which of rim or disc brakes are better in total. Hence we just sticked to the ones that have anyway been installed by design on our TX-400s. After a good 18 000 km, Tizian had to replace his right brake lever because brake oil kept leaking out. Since then, we have also been carrying the Magura service kit and brake oil for bleeding. In the Pamir, we finally discovered leaks in all three other brake levers; two of them were apparently minimal enough for regular bleeding/oil refilling to be sufficient, but Belinda’s rear brake was so leaky that she finally replaced it with a cheap V-brake in Kyrgyzstan. Meanwhile we changed three of our four Magura brakes by V-brakes, two however we aim to restore to Magura ones with new brake handles soon. (Installed as standard.)

Rear Derailleur
	Shimano Deore XT RD-T8000
	10 speed rear derailleur with long cage. In contrast to internal-gear hubs, a derailleur is significantly more easy to maintain or to find spare parts for in remote regions On the other hand, they are said to be much more susceptible to faults, but the Shimano Deore XT has never had any problems so far. Moreover, internal-gear hubs are fairly expensive (with this the bicycle costs would have doubled). (Installed as standard.)

Front Derailleur
	Shimano Deore XT FD-T8000
	The suitable front derailleur of the Shimano Deore XT T8000 series. (Installed as standard.)

Shift Levers
	Shimano Deore SL-M610
	3 × 10 speed gear shifter. (Installed as standard.)

Chain
	Shimano CN-HG54 Shimano CN-HG95
	Mountainbike chain for 10 speed gearings and HG cassettes. After the originally installed HG54 was worn out (after around 10 000 km of use, in Riyadh, see Podcast-Episode 25), we installed our replacement HG95 chains that we had carried with us until then from home. Also at our second chain change in Tbilisi (winter 23/24) we again chose this one.

Headset
	Ritchey Comp Logic V2
	(Installed as standard.)

Cassette
	Shimano CS-HG500-10 11-34 Shimano CS-HG50-10 11-36
	HG (Hyperglide) cassette for a 10 speed chain. Initially, we had the HG500-10 with gradations in the number of teeth of the individual sprockets of 11-13-15-17-19-21-23-26-30-34 teeth. However, the gears/sprockets could have been set a little lower, as even here you reach your limits on steep slopes, but we hardly used the highest gears. So in Tbilisi (after about 18 500 km) we switched to the HG50-10 with 11-13-15-17-19-21-24-28-32-36 gears (and also replaced the front sprockets).

Crankset
	Shimano Deore FC-T521 (with Chainrings from Prowheel)
	10 speed crank arm, originally with integrated chain guard. Teeth of the original chain rings: 48-36-26. In order to have lower gears, we replaced them in Tbilisi (after about 18 500 km) with chainrings with 42, 32 and 22 teeth. The new chainrings, the Prowheel MTB 64/104BCD, are made of steel and are considerably cheaper than similar ones from Shimano, but fit the Shimano crank. Only the chain guard did not fit anymore.

Bottom Bracket
	Shimano Octalink BB-ES51
	Installed as standard was the Octalink BB-ES300, which however is not as robust as the BB-ES51. We decided for exchanging this part because the bottom bracket is one of those components which we couldn’t easily repair ourselves if it gets damaged. (Individually replaced.)

Seat Post
	Humpert Ergotec Skalar
	Patent seat post made of aluminium; the special mount of the saddle with two saddle screws has various advantages: For one thing obviously not the whole burden is loaded on one screw, for another thing the screws are in this setup more subject to tension and less to shear forces. In addition, the incline of the saddle can be adjusted precisely by correctly tightening the screws. (Installed as standard.)

Spokes
	ED 2,34
	Spokes with a diameter of 2.34 mm at the head and 2 mm on the other end. Due to the different rims, we have different spoke lengths, and additionally the lengths at the front, rear left and rear cassette side are different, so that we have spokes of lengths 253 mm, 255 mm, 257 mm, 259 mm and 261 mm in total. (Installed as standard.)

Front Hub
	Shutter Precision PV-8
	Smooth-running hub dynamo. Tizian’s dynamo broke after about a year on tour, so he had to ride without lights from then on. In Tbilisi, he had a new hub of the same model delivered to him and replaced the broken one. (Installed as standard.)

Kickstand
	Hebie 611 FOXs
	Luckily the TX-400 is by design equipped with a rear stand. In comparison to centrally mounted stands these in general cause a more stable footing, especially when the bicycle is heavily loaded. Furthermore, when being extended, it is not in the way of the pedals, which makes life easier when lubing the chain. The stand is generally a damage-prone component when bicycle touring due to the high load. So far however the Hebie hasn’t let us down. (Installed as standard.)

Fenders
	SKS Bluemels
	Standard mudguards made of plastic. (Installed as standard.)

Chain Guard
	Selfmade Chain Splash Guard
	Selfmade splash guard for the chain. Consists only of a piece of a PET bottle attached to the lower bottle cage with cable ties, but keeps the biggest dirt splashed up from the front wheel off the chain. (Individually added.)

Rear Rack
	Tubus Cargo Classic
	The standard model of the rack expert Tubus from Münster, Germany. As for all Tubus racks also here the spring flap is missing, which does not serves any purpose when using panniers and thus would only be unnecessary weight. The Cargo Classic doesn’t have lower bars to attach the panniers as many other Tubus models do, which would have the advantage that the weight of the packsack, being located on top, would weigh less on the panniers and thus their attachments but more on the upper level of the rack instead (the problem can at least partially be circumvented by stuffing other small luggage, such as our camping chairs, below the packsack to fill up the empty space). Additionally, the lower hanging panniers would lead to better stability due to the lower centre of gravity. At this point we however saved some money and kept the installed Cargo Classic. (Installed as standard.)

Front Rack
Tizian	Tubus Grand Expedition Front	Belinda	Tubus Tara
	I decided for a front rack that combines both low- and highrider. The highrider will provide me with additional capacity in special situations (such as having more proviant for particularly long stretches through uninhabited regions). (Individually replaced.)		(Installed as standard.)

Headlight
Tizian	Busch & Müller Lumotec IQ2 EYC Plus	Belinda	Busch & Müller Lumotec IQ-XS
	LED Headlight with 50 Lux. (Installed as standard.)		LED headlight with 70 Lux. (Installed as standard.)

Tail Light
	Busch & Müller Line
	Dynamo driven tail light with two LEDs. (Installed as standard.)

Bottle Cages
Tizian	Cube HPA Bottle Cage 1,5 l • xtreme Bottle Cage for 1,5 l PET bottles • Small Bottle Cage	Belinda	Three 0,5 l Bottle Cages
	Two large bottle cages for 1.5 liter PET bottles and a small one for the fuel bottle. (Only the small one was installed as standard.)		Two of them have already been installed by default; I use them for my hard plastic bottle and the thermos bottle (even if they are larger than standard 0.5 l bottles, they still fit in there). The third one I bought extra; it is flexible enough so that the large 1 l isolated bottle can be placed in it.

Accessories
Tizian		Flags
		Stickers with the German flag made by Michael & Rene Pflüger, attached on the head tube as well as rear mudguard. Binds unbreakably and the colours still shine like on their first day after years of exposure to UV light. They have already led to a free overnight stay once. (Individually added.)