JayP

 Wow! Not to far from a year ago I have ordered this frame and this past weekend the final permanent parts have been added to call it complete. Besides a frame bag and some fuel cell accessory pockets this clydesdale is roaring to roll the 2800 miles it has planned, leaving this Friday. This project was'nt easy, I learned a lot and taught others. There are/were many people involved that helped make this build happen and have helped us prepare for the upcoming weeks on the trail. Here are a few highlights of the rig and some of the gear we will be carrying.

Vicious Cycles built the frame. It is a steel frame built around the 29" wheel with a 150 x 12, thru axel, Maxel system rear hub. This was an idea that was concieved after some research and then MikeC helped make it concrete. I consulted with Mike on a few parts and build ideas. He also pimped me out with a nice wheel build. DT Swiss FR hubs laced up to some Flow rims wrapped in my favorite rubber,  the WTB Nano Raptor filled with a Slime tube pumped up to ~40 - 45 psi.  Slime has saved my arse many of times when I did the route in 07' so this year I will be going Slime the whole way. I thought about the new Slime Pro Tubeless but since I like to run higher pressures in this type of event tubeless does'nt seem to make sense and once you flat the first time with tubeless it's over anyway.

The front cockpit . Made up of Salsa Pro Moto Ti stem and Pro Moto carbon flat bar wrapped to expedition touring fatness with of course Salsa bar tape. Super sweet! I stack an additional stem with a dummy bar holding my aero bars to give me the upright feeling of leaning at the bar, I prefer Snake River Brewery. Speed is one thing but comfort overrides speed. In my eyes comfort over a long time will make up speed.

I have dealt with many different people and manufactures but one guy that stands out huge is Alex from MTBTandems.com. This guy is the guru of tandem building and design. Without him I would still be building the bike. He has thrown down huge making sure I have everything to get rolling. It is great to meet up with people that are just as stoked as you about making something happen. Besides all his knowledge, advice and support he mailed out the MiddleBurn crankset, rings, stoker stem, Phil Wood BB's, and he is even going to see to it that we have another drivetrain in Steamboat. This guy really knows his stuff and anybody even thinking about a tandem should talk with Alex first, check out his cool affordable ready available Fandango.  The Crank Brothers tried and true Candy pedals are a reliable favorite (was just riding in the mud with somebody who could not clip into there Times, no problem with my Candy's).

From the front  and the back  .

Saddle comfort; WTB Rocket V for myself and Deva for my lady. 

At night we will be getting all lit up, with the Princeton Tech Corona on the bike, Apex and Fuel on the heads, and the Swerve for safety sakes.

The rear Old Man Mountain rack will be holding the sleeping system and Carousel Designs Works bike packing bags will hold the rest.

Speaking of sleeping systems,   the MontBell Thermal Sheet makes a very versitile system. Here we have 2 zipped together, which provides plenty of room for 2 with venting on both sides. Coupled with a big tarp that turns into a double bivy, there are countless options with this dual set up, and light too! MontBell will also be keeping us dry with some rain gear and warm with this. Boy, I love MontBell gear.

 Recovery is key when the only time off the bike is when sleeping, which is typically 4-6 hours nightly. Skins will help take care of this while sleeping helping to promote hydration, circulation and minimize swelling. It really helps with the itchy spastic twitching feeling that happens in the legs when trying to sleep after big efforts, therefore we should sleep better!

Happy feet = happy rider. Loius Garneau shoes, sized up for swelling, comfort and extra socks. Socks, wool of course, Smart Wool that is. SmartWool feels so good against the skin, wears great, and odor free. Since I like it so much, arm warmers, knee warmers, linear gloves, liner hat, and base layer are all SmartWool. So comfy, practical and stylish too!

I don't worry about mechanicals but I am always prepared and having the right tools makes the difference.  Lezyne's craftsmanship is down right sexy and so so light. The compact floor pump is my new favorite for long bike tours.

Appropriatly enough I see everything through my polarized Zeal glasses.  Zeal = passion, eager to pursue. This certainly stands for my cycling.

Fitzgeralds Bicycles is my shop of choice not just to work on my bikes and get parts etc ,but to hang out at, have a beer, talk with others coming buy, or meet up for a ride. Scott, the owner, mayor, and just good guy, although very busy is in full tune with what I am up to and is a full supporter. It's nice to have a shop willing to do almost anything to make sure I am rolling, whenever, wherever. Thanks to all you guys, it's been an epic build!

THANK YOU to ALL that have been involved. Friends for riding with me and everybody for just hearing my blah, blah about the event. Tracey is my favorite "part" of this build and the key part to making it most enjoyable. We have an epic journey on our hands and oh boy I can't wait. We leave on Wendsday and start riding on Friday.

All info and links should be available through Tour Divide. Call ins and GPS SPOT tracking, super fun armchair follow!

Still have plenty on the plate to clean up...till next time...