A look back

It is rounding down on the end of the year, and I am still finding huge sections of my image archive from my Bike Around America tour that I have not edited yet.  I am sure sorting and editing is going to be a great project during the short winter days....

In the meantime, here is a picture of my Salsa Fargo in ultra-light, skinny mode.  I did not have the money to buy fancy bags, so here I am using a stuff sack on the front to carry my bivy, tarp, and sleeping pad.  In the back, I have clothes and sleeping bag stored in a used kayak dry bag.  On the outside I have my small Snow Peak Ti stove/kit attached between the seat and the rear rack.  I eventually got rid of the rear rack to go even lighter.  Note the Vibram Five-Finger shoes strapped to the outside of the dry bag; those shoes are great for touring, they weigh nothing and dry very quickly.  Up front I have converted an old Think Tank bag to be a small handlebar bag and another small Think Tank bag to hold snacks. Used water bottle holders carry a coffee mug on the forks (this is an awesome feature of the Fargo); a Klean stainless steel bottle on the down tube, and then a used water bottle underneath the down tube carries my repair kit.

Lovingly, Mr. Bill was still with me at this point, only to dissapear somewhere down the road.

On the trail, I find being creative is the key to having fun and making do with what you have.  On this trip almost 90% of my gear was used!!