|
Gear |
|
|
Explanations to 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 graphics for each item show by whom and roughly where on the bicycle this item is transported in general, as well as for spare parts if they have been used meanwhile (for more detailed explanations on this please see the legend). 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.
Podcast Episodes about our Gear
In the following podcast episodes we have presented parts of our equipment in more detail:
Tizian’s Gear | Belinda’s Gear | |||
Garage |
|
|||
Bicycle |
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 below. |
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 below. |
|
|
Rear Panniers |
Vaude Aqua Back Plus 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. |
Vaude Aqua Back 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. |
|
|
Front Panniers |
Vaude Aqua Back 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 Only differ from the Aqua Back with respect to their smaller size (28 liter). |
|
|
Packsack |
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 as it is probably also rather little suitable for a lot of odds and ends or things that you have to get during the ride. |
|
|
Handlebar Bag |
|
Vaude Aqua Box (Exchanged by OnTour Box L, see below, in Shkodër, Albania on 25th of August 2022. For the reason see damages.) 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 for snacks to be able to quickly grasp them while riding. Weight incl. inner pocket and small carrying strap. |
|
Vaude OnTour Box L (New since 25th of August 2022 in Shkodër, reason see damages.) 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 |
Ujing Top Tube Bag 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. |
|||
Bike Computer |
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). |
|
|
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. |
|
||
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 |
Uvex I-vo cc |
Bikemate Helmet A helmet from Aldi which I have owned and used for ages now. |
|
|
Helmet Raincover |
Vaude Helmet Raincover I thus save the hood on the rain jacket. |
|||
Saddle Cover |
Vaude Saddle Raincover 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. |
|
|
Carrier Straps |
Carrier Straps (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. |
|
|
Rucksack |
Motorhead Folding Rucksack 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, nice for sightseeing in cities or buying groceries. |
|
|
Banner |
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. |
|
||
|
Central Asia Tour Banner (Disposed of on 24.10.2022. Hanging it over the handlebar bag has not really worked well.) Already in December 2019 we had jerseys printed with the logo of the Central Asia Tour 2020 that we had planned back then (Covid-19 …). Unfortunately the print included the year. Now, I cut and sewed the shirt into a small advertising banner (that does not show the outdated year anymore) that I can attach to the handlebar bag. |
|||
Weight of Garage |
25 039 g |
22 098 g |
||
back to top |
||||
Bedroom |
|
|||
Tent |
Husky Beast III 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. However, we are on the road now with the second set of tent poles, because the first is broken. Incl. stuff sack. |
|
||
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 |
|
|||
Chairs |
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. |
|
|
Ground Sheet |
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 |
Vaude Perfomance 7M 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. |
|
|
Accessories: Repair Kit |
Accessories: Small Pump (keeps moisture out of the inside of the mat) • Repair Kit |
|
||
Sleeping Mat |
Old Sports Mat As additional isolation under the sleeping pad or to sit upon. Unfortunately it is pink. |
|
||
Sleeping Bag |
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; so far I have only used it in one night with temperatures below zero, but these could be endured well (provided of course one wears some additional layers of clothes in the sleeping bag). Incl. stuff sack. |
|
|
Sleeping Bag Inlet |
|
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. |
|
Pillow |
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. |
|
|
Headlight |
Sigma HeadLED 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. |
|
|
Alarm Clock |
Casio W-87H 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 |
2860 g |
5446 g |
||
back to top |
||||
Wardrobe |
|
|||
Shoes |
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 they are probably not suited anymore for long hiking trips without fixing this. |
|
|
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 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. |
|
||
Rainwear |
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, which I still have to test for its functionality. |
|
|
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. Weight incl. stuff sack. |
|
||
Self-Made Gaiters Made from parts of an old Aldi rain pants in order not to get too wet feet. |
|
|||
Jackets |
Vaude Wintry Jacket IV Warm softshell jacket for cold days. |
Crane Softshell Jacket Cheap thin softshell jacket, but seems to withstand medium wind well so far. |
|
|
Vaude Posta Long-Sleeved Trikot As soon as it gets a little bit chilly in the short-sleeved trikots/t-shirts, I put on this jacket. Since I have several trikots 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. |
|
||
Btwin Wind Protection Jacket Very thin, produced for bicycle racing; good for mild days to protect from the sun or when going downhill. |
|
|||
Long-Sleeved Shirts |
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. |
|
|
Wijld Long-Sleeved Shirt Thin, long-sleeved T-Shirt. |
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. |
|
||
TCM (Tchibo) Long-Sleeved Functional Shirt Another layer for cold days. Eine weitere Schicht für kalte Tage. |
Wedze Ski Undershirt 900 Long-sleeved functional shirt. Breathable, warm lowest layer on cold days, for cycling as well as in the tent. |
|
||
Long Trousers |
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 intend to use them mainly off the bicycle. |
|
|
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. |
|
||
TCM (Tchibo) Long Underpants |
Long Functional Underpants Synthetic, warm, for cold days and nights. |
|
||
Harem’s Pants 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. |
|
|||
Second Harem’s Pants (Bought in Aqaba in January 2023, mainly in preparation for Saudi Arabia.) In principle similar to above one, but white and even wider. |
|
|||
Short Trousers |
Nike Sports Pants ‘Nike’ sports pants (bought in Cambodia), with three zipper pockets. |
Shorts |
|
|
Vaude Active Pants (Old) 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 Are actually running pants, but for me they are also comfortable on the bicycle (I really do not like padded shorts). |
|
||
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 |
Zweiradler Tours Presentation Jersey :-) In the corporate design of our tours. |
Zweiradler Tours Presentation Jersey :-) In the corporate design of our tours. |
|
|
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. |
|
||
Wijld T-Shirts (2 Pieces) Mainly (but not neccessarily limited to) everything aside from cycling. |
Wijld T-Shirts (3 Pieces) 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. |
|
||
Pyjamas |
Long-Sleeved Pyjamas Mainly for protecting the sleeping bag. To me this seems more convenient than using the sleeping bag inlay for this purpose. |
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 togother with one of my t-shirts which I can also wear during the day. |
|
|
Underwear |
H.I.S Underpants (4 Pieces) |
Underpants (7 Pieces) (2 weeks after tour start reduced from originally 9 to 7 due to being unnecessary weight) |
|
|
Socks (6 Pairs) 2 pairs of long, 2 pairs of medium-length (but thicker ones), 2 pairs of short/thin ones. |
Socks (7 Pairs) 1 pair of thick merino socks, 1 pair of merino sports socks, 3 pairs of short sports socks, 1 pair of long and 1 pair of short cotton socks. |
|
||
Bras (2 Pieces) |
|
|||
Swimwear |
Adidas Swim Trunks 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 |
|
|
Head and Neck |
Cap To shield the sunlight. |
|
||
Adidas Woollen Cap Quite thick, but still fits beneath the helmet if necessary. |
Fleece Cap Looks stupid, but fits well beneath the helmet and warms wonderfully. |
|
||
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. |
|
||
Wedze Fleece Scarf To save the neck from severe cold. |
|
|||
Cloth Large cloth, usable as thick shawl, as headscarf, or also as skirt (at places where one needs to cover one’s knees). |
|
|||
Balaclava Yet another item against the cold. |
Balaclava |
|
||
Hands |
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. |
|
|
Forclaz Trek Overglove 500 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 Water- and windproof mittens as outermost hand coating. |
|
||
Storage |
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. |
|
|
Weight of Wardrobe |
7320 g |
6263 g |
||
back to top |
||||
Kitchen |
|
|||
Stove |
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. |
|||
Accessories: Wind Screen and Heat Reflector (aluminium) • Storage Bag • Multitool (for stove maintainance) • Grease (for pump maintainance) |
||||
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.) |
||||
Primus Fuel Bottle 0.6 l Bottle for liquid fuels. |
||||
Dishes |
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. |
|||
Quechua Camping Soup Plate With volume scale. Diameter 16 cm, volume 0,5 l. |
||||
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. |
||||
Cutlery Quechua plastic cutlery: 2 forks, 2 spoons. |
||||
Cooking Utensils Bread knife, vegetable knife, peeler, wooden spoon. |
||||
Cutting Board Thin cutting board made of plastic. |
||||
Dishwashing Utensils Detergent, Sponge (split into four small pieces), steel wool (split into two small pieces). |
||||
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. |
||||
Food Storage |
IKEA 365+ Plastic Box To store leftover or delicate food. Volume 1 liter. |
|||
Vegetable Net |
||||
Food Bags |
||||
Clips Weight incl. storage tin. |
||||
Water Containers |
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 An exceptional plastic bottle that after years of use still doesn’t cause its contained water to taste like plastic :-). |
|
|||
Thermos Bottle 0.75 l Keeps hot drinks warm for a very long time; it’s just fantastic to have a hot tea on an icy morning, which could be prepared the evening before. |
|
|||
Tea’dicted Insulated Bottle 1 l |
|
|||
Ortlieb Water Bag 10 l If we need to carry water for several days. |
|
|||
Sawyer Water Pouch 2 l Additional water capacity; this pouch was included in the Sawyer water filtration system. |
|
|||
Water Treatment |
SteriPEN Classic Water purification via UV lamp. Works absolutely reliably so far (no bad diarrhea in Nepal 2018 |
|||
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. |
|
|||
Accessories: Cleaning Coupling (to couple a bottle in reverse direction on the filter, to backwash and thus clean it) • Spare Gasket |
||||
Coffee Filters (5 Pieces) For the pre-treatment of more heavily soiled water(rather for emergencies). |
||||
Miscellaneous |
BiC Lighter Mainly required for lighting up the cooker. |
|||
Consumables | ø 5333 g |
Food • Water • Spices |
ø 2667 g |
|
Weight of Kitchen |
8294 g |
3822 g |
||
back to top |
||||
Bathroom |
|
|||
Towels |
Large Microfibre Towel 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. |
|
|
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, … |
|
|||
Storage |
Laundry Net For storing (dirty) clothes. |
Laundry Net |
|
|
(Toilet) Bags In order to store all the bathroom stuff neatly and leakproof. |
|
|||
Glasses |
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. |
|
|
Glasses with Corrective Lenses I use them as spare glasses. |
||||
Spectacle Case For the spare glasses. In addition, snapping cases are extremly handy for catching mosquitos inside the tent! |
||||
Rings |
Ring (In our gear since January 2023.) In some conservative countries it is better to have a ring with you as "proof" of your marriage. |
Ring (In our gear since January 2023.) |
|
|
First Aid |
First Aid Kit Dressing material (plasters, bandages, compresses) • Emergency blanket |
|||
Hansaplast Disinfection Spray |
||||
Geratherm Clinical Thermometer Galistan-filled thermometer. Weight incl. storage box. |
||||
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. |
|
|||
Feminine Hygiene |
Menstrual Cup It is so much better, more practical and sustainable than tampons, sanitary pads or other disposable products. Those of you who have never heard of this thing before and are wondering what it is should really check it out! Incl. storage bag. |
|
||
Accessory: Cleaning Container |
|
|||
Panty Liners (Self-)Made of cotton, washable and reusable. |
|
|||
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. |
|
||
Nail Clipper |
|
|||
Brush With small mirror. |
|
|||
Hair Cutting Scissors |
|
|||
Razor |
|
|||
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 |
|
||
Hair Ties |
|
|||
Earplugs |
|
|||
Consumables |
Shampoo • Shower Soap • Deodorant/odium bicarbonate • 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) |
|||
ø 27 g |
Personal Medicine • Skin cream or similar (especially in winter for dry skin) |
ø 72 g |
||
Weight of Bathroom |
1262 g |
1665 g |
||
back to top |
||||
Office and Studio |
|
|||
Smartphone |
Samsung Galaxy Xcover 5 Outdoor smartphone: Water, dust and shock proof, exchangable battery. |
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. |
|
|
Accessory: Rubber Mounting |
|
|||
Camera |
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. |
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. |
|
|
Accessories: Spare Batteries |
Accessories: 3 Spare Batteries (by Homesuit) • Frame Case |
|
||
Mounting: Smallrig Super Clamp • Straps and Mount (to attach the GoPro to bags, helmet, etc.) |
|
|||
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 we know all the settings and options :-). Weight including original battery as well as lens. |
|
|||
Accessories: 2 Patona Spare Batteries • Carrying Strap |
|
|||
Drone |
DJI Mini 2 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. |
|||
Obligatory Accessories: Remote controller • Propeller Protector • Gimbal Protector |
||||
Optional Accesories: Transport Bag • 12 Spare Propellers incl. Screws • 2 Spare Control Sticks • Screw Driver • 2 Spare Batteries • Space USB-C cable • Charging Hub (also for discharging the batteries; thus, the drone batteries can be used as an additional power bank) |
||||
Microphone |
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. |
|||
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. |
|
||
Laptop |
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. |
|
|
Accessories: Case • Charger • Docking Station • Mouse |
Accessories: Charging Adapter • Laptop Case • Anker (Micro-)SD to USB-C Adapter |
|
||
Memory Devices |
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. |
|
||
USB Flash Drives 128 GB • 64 GB • 16 GB |
|
|||
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. |
|
||
Anker Powercore 20100 Big power bank with 20100 mAh. Incl. storage bag. |
||||
Anker Powercore+ Mini (2 Pieces) Each has a capacity of 3350 mAh. Weight incl. storage bag. |
|
|||
Accessories |
Tripod Mini tripod, to shoot self-timer images more easily. |
|||
USB-C and Micro USB Cables (2 of Each) Two of each to be able to charge several devices simultaneously. |
|
|||
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. |
|
|||
Sony MH410c Earphones |
Earphones |
|
||
Games |
Nsv Qwixx Strategic dice game. |
|
||
Writing Materials |
Notepad DIN-A6. |
Notepad DIN-A5. |
|
|
Scetch Block Also DIN-A5. |
|
|||
Pens fine Faber-Castell felt-tip pen • wide Stabilo felt-tip pen • Ballpoint pen • 2 Faber-Castell pencils |
|
|||
Accessories: Pencil Sharpener • Rubber |
|
|||
Documents |
|
Passports |
Passports |
|
|
Identity Card |
Identity Card |
|
|
|
Driving Licence |
Driving License |
|
|
|
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. |
|
|
|
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 |
|
|
|
Photocopies Paper copies of passports and passport photos. |
Photocopies Paper copies of passports and passport photos. |
|
|
Miscellaneous |
Whistle As a warning signal. |
|
||
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. |
|
|||
Visiting Cards |
|
|||
Storage |
Wallet |
Wallet |
|
|
Boxes For putting in the documents and electronic accessories. |
Storage Bag |
|
||
Consumables |
Cash |
|||
Weight of Office and Studio |
4675 g |
4474 g |
||
back to top |
||||
Workshop |
|
|||
Pocket Knife |
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 |
Presch Allen (Hex) Keys Sizes in mm: 2/3/4/5/6/8. |
|||
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. |
||||
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. |
||||
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. |
||||
Wrench A small wrench with two sizes: 8 mm and 10 mm; needed for the stand, fenders and the head-/taillight. |
||||
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). |
||||
Spoke Key Required for replacing broken spokes or repairing a tacoed wheel. |
||||
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. |
||||
Tire Lever For removing the tires from the rim or put them back on. |
||||
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 |
Rema Tip Top Patch Kit (Topped up in January 2023 with new patches and glue.) Contains patches in different sizes, vulcanizing glue and sandpaper. |
|||
Schwalbe Tubes (2 Pieces) 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). |
||||
Shimano Chains CN-HG95 (2 Pieces) 10 gear chains. |
||||
Magura Brake Pads Black (8 Pieces) |
||||
Spokes (2 Pieces) Lengths 256 mm, 260 and 262 mm. |
||||
Shift Cable |
||||
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. |
|
|||
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). |
||||
Pattex Repair Extreme All-purpose adhesive. |
||||
Screws and Nuts Could be useful for diverse damages. |
||||
Needle, Thread and Patches |
||||
Maintenance |
Chain Oil |
|||
Topeak Chain Hook & Wear Indicator For measuring the wear of the chain. |
||||
Pump Plus adapter from French to Schrader valve. |
||||
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). |
||||
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. |
|
|||
Old Toothbrush For cleaning the chain. |
||||
Ruler |
||||
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 |
Velcro Straps |
|
||
Cable Ties 230 × 5 mm white (16 pieces), 180 × 2 mm black (15 pieces). |
||||
Karabiner |
|
|||
Duct Tape |
||||
Rubber Bands |
||||
Safety Pins |
||||
Cord |
||||
Clothes Pegs |
||||
Storage |
Big Tool Bag |
|||
Small Tool Bag |
||||
Consumables | ø 13 g |
Spare Batteries Coin cell batteries for bike computers (CR2032) and alarm clock (CR2016), AAA-/AA-Batteries for headlamps, microphone and Steripen. |
||
Weight of Workshop |
4139 g |
132 g |
||
Total Weight |
54 589 g |
44 900 g |
Legend | back to top |
||
The bicycle icons and their position in the table indicate in which pannier and on whose bicycle the gear item is usually carried while driving. Depending on climate, place or other circumstances this however changes. | |||
Meaning of the Icon | 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) | |
Load Distribution | back to top |
Bicycle Components | back to top |
We both have a TX-400 by Vsf Fahrradmanufaktur, both in diamond geometry with 26 inch wheels, but Tizian has the model of 2018 while Belinda the one of 2019, thus they differ in some places. Furthermore, we both exchanged some components individually or added some new ones. |
Frame
Headset
Stem
Handlebar
Grips
Rearview Mirror
Brakes
Rear Derailleur
Front Derailleur
Shift Levers
Chain
Cassette
Crankset
Bottom Bracket
Pedals
Saddle
Seat Post
Rims
Spokes
Tyres
Front Hub
Kickstand
Fenders
Chain Guard
Rear Rack
Front Rack
Headlight
Tail Light
Bottle Cages
Accessories
Front Derailleur | |||||
![]() |
Shimano Deore XT FD-T8000 | ||||
The suitable front derailleur of the Shimano Deore XT T8000 series. (Installed as standard.) |
Chain | |||||
![]() |
Shimano CN-HG54 | ||||
Mountainbike chain for 10 speed gearings and HG cassettes. As spare chains we carry the higher quality HG95, see workshop. (Installed as standard.) |
Cassette | |||||
![]() |
Shimano CS-HG500-10 11-34 | ||||
HG (Hyperglide) cassette for a 10 speed chain. Gradation of the tooth number of the sprockets: 11-13-15-17-19-21-23-26-30-34. (Installed as standard.) |
Crankset | |||||
![]() |
Shimano Deore FC-T521 | ||||
10 speed crank arm with integrated chain guard. Teeth: 48-36-26. (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. (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.) |
Damages | back to top |
Tizian | Belinda | Country | Day | Distance | Description |
14 | 599 km |
Welding of some panniers loosened 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 rreplacement panniers or will do so; so far 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 are not available at the moment. Belinda’s Aqua Front therefore remain for the time being held together with our Pattex glue until another opportunity for us to have some place to have them sent to by Vaude arises. |
|||
18 | 769 km |
Right grip horn broken during accident In a near collision with a motorcycle and subsequent fall, the horn of the right grip bent off and hangs since then only quite loose. |
|||
74 | 2827 km |
Clearance in the Rear Hub Bearing Clearance in the bearing of the rear hub, therefore slightly wobbling rear wheel around the axis of rotation. Since you can adjust the bearing tension in the Shimano hub bearings, this does not necessarily mean that the bearing is defective. However, we do not have the two open-end wrenches necessary for adjustment with us. But the problem could be fixed in the (probably only) bicycle workshop in Prilep. |
|||
129 | 4879 km |
Flat Tire Caused by shard that has drilled through the tire. Shard removed, tube patched, in the tire remains a small slit where the shard has been before. |
|||
129 | 4922 km |
Flat Tire Just like Belinda’s flat tire above caused by shard. Tube was patched, but a small hole in the tire remains. |
|||
155 | 6103 km |
Flat Tire This time caused by a thin wire, directly patched. |
|||
159 | 6191 km |
Clearance in the Rear Hub Bearing As before in North Macedonia the bearing of the rear hub got clearance. Fixed for now by adjustment in a bike repair shop in Larnaca. |
|||
183 | 6968 km |
Flat Tire Caused by a thin wire, patched. |
|||
194 | 7077 km |
Flat Tire Caused by something like a staple, patched. |
|||
219 | 8189 km |
(Double) Flat Tire Two flat tires on consecutive days, again triggered by mini wire, which we did not find in the tire during the first patch and therefore removed only during the second patch. |
|||
223 | 8412 km |
(Almost) Flat Tire The tire lost very slowly air, so we could still postpone patching i some time by inflating ethe tire very two days the patch. In Riyadh finally repaired, the mini hole was caused by a thorn residue. |
|||
256 | 10563 km |
Puncture caused by wire, patched. |
Zweiradler Tours: Central Asia Tour 2022
Belinda
Tizian
all Zweiradler Tours • About Us • Contact • Legal Notices
For the licensing of the content of this website and the privacy policy see the legal notices. © 2022 Belinda Benz & Tizian Römer.