What I brought along

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Luggage

  • 2 Ortlieb BackRoller Plus panniers
  • 1 Ortlieb Classic handlebar bag
  • Small Topeak saddlebag

Mac laptop
5 years old, set to basically self-destruct if password is mistyped more than a couple times. It did get scratched up after 2100+ km in the panniers.

Yoga mat
Yes, it took up a lot of space and was really unnecessary because one can do yoga without a mat, but carrying it gave me lots of motivation to stretch everyday. There were plenty of mornings when I thought, “I’ll just skip yoga today”. And then, “I’m carrying this !$%^ thing. I’d better use it.”

Clothes

Don’t bring anything white that you want to remain white. Everything will almost surely be washed together in hot water at some point.

Non-bike clothes

  • 2 x shorts
  • 1 x capris
  • 2 x t-shirt – 1 doubled as undershirt on bike
  • 1 x track pants with ankle zips – wore for warmth on and off bike
  • 1 x long sleeve shirt – nicer, cheap
  • 1 x black tank for going out – worn only once, not needed
  • 1 x lightweight fleece pullover – wore nearly everyday on and off bike
  • underwear
  • 1 x non sports bra – not needed, wore a couple times
  • 2 x non-bike socks – not needed, but used thicker pair on bike on colder day
  • stuff sack to keep smaller clothesitems organized

Bike clothes

  • 4 x shorts (didn’t bring nicest shorts knowing they’d probably have to be thrown in the dryer at some point. 1 pair got a hole after 20 days and were thrown out)
  • 2 x jerseys (I brought jerseys I could also wear off bike. If you want to speak a foreign language wear jersey with non English words.
  • 4 x sports bras
  • 5 x socks (2 warm, 3 thin. Needed only 4 pairs. Needed 1 more warm)
  • 2 x Bike gloves (Never worn. Might be needed for longer tour.)

Cold weather

  • Rain jacket (w/ reflective)
  • Rain vest (w/ reflective)
  • Hat (wore a lot off and on bike)
  • Buff (never wore)
  • Light gloves (wore a few times)
  • Heavy gloves (sent home)
  • Knee warmers
  • Arm warmers
  • All in stuff sack kept near top of pannier to grab easily in bad weather.

Shoes

  • Bike shoes
  • Flip flops
  • Nicer/walking shoes
  • 2 x shoe bags

Helmet
Garmin 800 GPS
Phone
Shopping sil-backpack
Used when not biking. Also used to pick up groceries when loaded, en route to over night stop.
Wet-ones small
Mainly for hand cleanup, in handlebar bag
Wet-ones big
Mainly for bike cleanup, in pannier

Bike lights
Never needed on bike during tour. Used as night light and flash light

  • 1 – Spark headlight
  • 1 – Flash helmet/headlight
  • 2 – Flare taillights
  • mounts
  • 6 x spare batteries – only 1 used

Tools and spare parts

In handlebar bag/panniers

  • 8 mm pedal/crank hex – also for panniers
  • 4nm torque key
  • 5nm torque key with bits
  • 4-5-6 Y hex
  • Electrical tape
  • Zip ties
  • Wire clippers – used only as fingernail clippers. Bought fingernail clippers in Ghent.
  • Fiber fix x 2
  • Pitlock key x 2
  • Pitlock head screw keys
  • Grease
  • Ball bearings
  • Presta valve cores x 2
  • Tire levers x 1 pedro, 1 x quick – + 2 in saddle bag
  • 2 x thin straps. – Kept when sent rack top bag and other straps home
  • 8-9-10 y socket for fenders
  • Leatherman – used screwdriver and needlenose
  • Shimano folding chain tool
  • Spare frame clamp
  • 2 x derailleur cable
  • 2 x brake cable
  • Cable ends and housing stops
  • Spare fender/rack bolts and spacers
  • Reflective tape – used to protect bar from handlebar bag mount
  • 2 x spare tubes – + 1 one tube and patch kit in seat pack
  • Mini morph pump

In saddle bag

  • Park multitool
  • Inner tube
  • Fiber fix
  • 2 x tire levers
  • Patch kit
  • Pitlock key
  • CO2 inflator
  • 2 x CO2 cartridges – purchased in Amsterdam
  • Presta/shrader adaptor
  • Magnets for ball bearing ‘locks’
  • 10mm wrench for fenders
  • Loose 3-4-5mm hex
  • Loose star wrench for seat and crank

Ti Silverware
didn’t really need this, but used a few times on the road
Plastic garbage bags and ziplocks
for sandwiches, trail mix, wet rain jacket/vest, dirty clothes. Had extra garbage bags. Could’ve used more ziplocks.
Oil
stored in multiple bags, with papertowels
Rubber gloves


First aid stuff
didn’t use

  • Bandaids
  • Tylenol
  • Advil
  • Neosporin
  • Earplugs
  • Tek tape
  • Sleep sheets

Emergency kit for brevets

  • Super glue (USED!!!)
  • Lantaseptic
  • O-rings (used one)
  • Tylenol
  • Shower cap,
  • Rubber band
  • Cue sheet clip
  • Tektape

Spare toiletries

  • Spare razor blades,
  • Lotion – bought more
  • Toothpaste
  • Soap
  • Pollident

Toiletries

  • Shampoo (needed more)
  • Conditioner
  • Gel
  • Soap
  • Razor handle
  • Q-tips
  • Pollident
  • Lotion
  • Toothpaste
  • Toothbrush
  • Allergy medicine, B-12, iron pills
  • Big tube chamois cream – just about right for 3 weeks
  • Face cream
  • Floss
  • Deoderant
  • Toner
  • Face gel
  • Sunscreen
  • Mouthguard
  • Tweezers !!
  • Nail file/polisher – didn’t use
  • NEEEDED Nail clippers – used wire clippers from tool kit, then bought in Gent
  • Dr Bronners – for hand washing clothes

Usually in handlebar bag

Misc/Personel

  • Comb
  • Passport
  • Wallet
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Lip sun/balm (not needed)
  • Nose sun balm (not needed)
  • Business cards

Computer cables and portable batteries

  • Mac power cable with euro duck head
  • 4000 Mah battery
  • battery charging cable (mini USB)
  • Garmin charging cable – (micro USB)
  • lightning cable
  • headphones
  • folding scissors
  • bottle opener
  • usb plug x 2 (1 euro)
  • 2 x outlet converters
  • Space pen – I tried to have blank postcards in my handlebarbag at all times. When I had to dunk under a roof to wait out a rainstorm, writing postcards was a good way to spend the time. The space pen worked well for that.

Maps
not necessary, but nice for general planning

Glasses

  • Bike glasses with case
  • Bifocals in bike glasses case in handlebar bag when biking
  • Work glasses
  • Regular sunglasses

Locks

  • TiGr Bow – AWESOME! I didn’t go anywhere without this lock. Used multiple times per day.
  • Abus flex – used a few times for extra security or if fixed object was difficult to reach with TiGr.
  • Long cable – used once to secure panniers to bike

Note: could get rid of all stuff sacks to for more compact packing, but they make it easier to find stuff, particularly on the road

Mailed back to Rotterdam

  • Lightweight puffy pullover
  • Sleep sheet/sack
  • Rack bag – stuff sack carried on top of rack. Didn’t need the space and it added ~10min to the time required to load my bike
  • Camping Towel

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