Journal entry, 22nd of May 2020.
I was thinking about the preparation for our next trip. Not about the route but more about what we need to take with us. We learned a lot in our previous trip and what we really needed. The general consensus was that we brought too many clothes. We will also not bring the trailer with us because it will be too heavy in the Andes. That means we need to evaluate what we do need and maybe pack our stuff differently. Preparation is the key for all trips.
I am also doubting about what electronics we bring. Like, camera and laptop for sure but then do we need a drone? Do we need a solar panel or an E-werk. Or both? How many power banks? It is all food for thoughts. How minimal do we really want to go? The more you bring, the heavier your bicycle gets. But on the other hand for such long tours, does a little more comfort for a bit more weight really matters? In one of the previous journals I was talking about a folding chair and that is a really good example for comfort versus weight/space. It is probably not really necessary but however, a little bit of comfort can change your feeling during the trip a lot.
Although, that is for everyone different I suppose. Some people like to take a shower everyday. Others want a comfy bed. Some don’t want to cook. All of it has a price. Whether it is money, space or weight. You need to think very well what your needs are and what you are willing to give up. That is for everyone different. And having some experience with such bicycle trips helps. The first time you always make some mistakes. Or not really mistakes but some things just don’t work out for everyone. So lately I am thinking a lot of our descicions in the past and what we will decide in the future according to our lugage.
Building a bicycle
Soon I will start to build my own bicycle from scratch. Well, I am not going to weld a frame or build a wheel myself but I will select all the components myself and put it all together. I am really excited to start with it. The biggest advantage for me about this is that I will my bike very well and will be able to fix it in a heartbeat. At least, that is what I hope for. That is my goal. To make a bicycle suitable for long distances with high durance and flexible on different types of roads. And easy to fix. I found a great blog about a guy that made his own bicycle when I was researching and it helped me a lot in choosing all the different components. Soon I will start a blog serie about building your own bicycle. I will explain how I will do things and why.
See you on the road!