Pacific Coast Bike Tour: Gear
Gear lists are often my favorite blog posts to read. Whenever I’m planning a new adventure, whether it’s hiking, cycling, or traveling, I scour the internet reading every gear list I can find. It is interesting to learn not only what others take on similar trips, but also to understand why and how gear ultimately worked out.
Cycling down the Pacific Coast was my first bike tour, so I had to assemble an entire touring kit. I had some cycling and camping gear, but there was a lot more to research and purchase. I have a tendency to over-research every purchase to make sure every item is essential and of high quality, design, and function. If I did that for every item for this tour, I would have never left home. I decided to put the kit together fairly quickly (for me), make quick decisions, and rely on popular and trusted items that were highly regarded by experienced cycle tourists whose journals I read.
Overall, the gear worked out great, much better than I expected. Below is my complete gear list for my Pacific Coast bike tour. When I started the tour, the gear weighed-in at 80 pounds fully loaded: bike 30 lbs, gear 40 lbs, and food/water 10 lbs.
Bike
Surly Long Haul Trucker touring bike – 54cm frame, 26″ wheels, color: smog-geriffic silver
Ortlieb Ultimate6 classic medium handlebar bag with map case
Brooks B-17 saddle
Planet Bike Cascadia 60mm fenders
Shimano A530 SPD pedals
Topeak Turbo Morph pump
Cygolite Metro 400 USB front light
Planet Bike Superflash rear light
Kryptonite 4’ cable and combination lock – only the cable, not the heavy U-lock
Rearview mirror
iPhone handlebar mount
Crank Brothers multi-tool
tool kit – tire levers, tubes (2), chain lube (T-9), adjustable wrench, extra screws/bolts, duct tape, rag, wet wipes
reflective triangle – attached to seat
water bottles (2)
kickstand
Camp
Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 tent + footprint
Marmot Pinnacle 15F down sleeping bag
Therm-a-rest NeoAir Xlite sleeping pad + patch kit
Sea to Summit Aeros Ultra Light Pillow
Snow Peak GigaPower stove + fuel
GSI Outdoors Pinnacle Soloist cookset or Toaks 700ml titanium pot
bowl, mug, spoon, knife
camp chair
On-bike Clothes
Pearl Izumi cycling shorts (2 pairs)
Showers Pass Elite 2.0 rain jacket
Pearl Izumi X-Alp Seek VII cycling shoes
long sleeve thermal top
bike vest
leg warmers
wool socks (2 pairs)
cycling gloves
helmet
helmet cover (never used)
shoe covers (never used)
Off-bike Clothes
convertible pants
thermal pants – for sleeping
t-shirt – cotton
ExOfficio underwear (3 pairs)
Mountain Hardware Ghost Whisperer down jacket
long wool socks (2 pairs)
flip flops
bandana
Electronics
iPhone + headphones
Macbook – for longer tours
Garmin watch - used as cycling computer
Kindle Voyage E-reader + case
Anker 20000mAh or Ravpower 10000mAh USB battery pack – to charge electronics
Dual USB wall charger + charging cables
Miscellaneous
maps – ACA Pacific Coast full set, Oregon Coast bike map
lighter
headlamp
camp towel
wallet – cash (small bills), credit & ATM cards, ID, medical insurance card
Road ID bracelet
notepad + pens
toiletries – soap, deodorant, q-tips, sunscreen, etc.
first aid kit – ibuprofen, bandaids, etc.
ziplock bags
extra batteries
sponge for cleaning dishes
Closing Thoughts
Building a touring kit was initially overwhelming, as there was a lot to learn and so many products to research. Many of my decisions were made by reading through gear lists and diving deeper into products that came up over and over again. Whenever possible, I chose gear of high quality and that would last me a long time (perhaps even lifetime) and/or easy to repair. Of course, there is always new/better/lighter gear coming out every year, but I’m hoping to not be tempted to refresh any time soon.
The staff at my local REI and a couple of local bike shops were incredibly helpful with all my questions and gear selection. Whenever possible, I bought gear from local shops, and only ordered gear online that I couldn’t find locally.