All of the articles on touring that I read emphasized the importance of beefing up your tires to better carry your load and to stand up to the rigors of differing road conditions.  I was surprised when I met my group in San Diego and saw the tires that many of them were using.  Most still opted for relatively skinny roadie type tires.  I must admit that I worried about the advantage that they appeared to have with rolling resistance, until they started having flat tires and wheel problems.  This is a testimonial for the Schwalbe Marathon and Marathon Plus tires.  I did not have a single flat tire during the entire 3178 mile ride, while my comrades had as high as 5 per day.  There were 5 riders that had to deal with broken spokes, several had to replace tires that were cut up by road debris, and there was one broken rim.

The platypus bladder suspended between the seat proved to be a very efficient way to carry an additional 100 oz. of liquid.  The fenders were a nightmare.  As many of you know, installing fenders on a recumbent can be tricky and usually requires some modifications to make them fit.  They were constantly rattling apart.  Tire clearance was not good and my tire tread would pick up pebbles and dirt that would get stuck under the fender.  It seemed like I was constantly stopping to fiddle with the fenders.  After weeks of frustration, the front fender was left in a camp ground dumpster in Arizona.  The back fender fulfilled its destiny when it came apart for the last time in front of a roadside dumpster outside of Las Cruces, NM.

Loaded for Bear- Continental Divide

What changes will I make for the next long tour?  I brought my Giro 26 in 2004 and the front fork has less tire clearance than that used in the newer models.  I plan to switch out my front fork for a newer one.  There is only about ¼ inch clearance between the bottom of the fork and the Schwalbe Marathon 26 X 1.50 tire.  I had a problem with pebbles, sand and dirt packing between the tire and the fork.  I know that many of you swear by your fenders but I won’t put fenders on again for a lengthy tour.  Of the 54 riding days, there may have been 2 – 3 where fenders would have been helpful………………………not worth the weeks of aggravation trying to keep them on.  I would not put the fairing on again for a tour.  I plan to keep the fairing for use in cold weather, because there is no question that it cuts down on the wind chill.  But, in retrospect, under the conditions that we experienced during the first 4 – 5 weeks of the tour, I think the fairing was more of a problem than helpful.

The bottom line……………………the basic, stock Bacchetta Giro 26 with minor modifications (smaller chain ring, sturdy tires) is a capable, comfortable touring bike.  By the end of the tour the bike had won the admiration of many and one of the group members ordered a Giro 20 for his wife and decided to trade in their upright tandem for a bent tandem. 

 I also want to share an observation about preparing for an extended tour.  While physical conditioning is important for riding cross country, far more important, particularly if traveling with a group, is your sense of humor, tolerance for differences, ability to compromise and negotiate, and willingness to immerse yourself in the moment by detaching from the electronic umbilical cord and keeping your cell phone turned off.

On the Beach in St. Augustine