I have a sling but have gone without and traveled with others that just lashed the bag to the bars. I agree that if you haven't had issues to date you should be fine.
 
Some things to ponder:
Harnesses are helpful in holding the load away from bars not only to free cables, levers and shifters but also to reduce friction which over a few days could wear a hole in your bag.

Many harnesses also have attachment points for other bags/pockets/items which might be helpful.

The harness can remain on the bike making securing and removing the load more convenient.

So they are not necessary but do provide some conveniences .

I live in New Mexico so I also rarely get to test rain gear. But I have also spent a lot of time canoeing in Canada where I have endured more than a few deluges. What I would say with respect to your experience is - if you are biking in the rain, you are going to be wet. If it's not from the rain it will be from condensation in your gear. In my experience, goretex and other breathable materials are great and effective for things like hiking but less so for high aerobic activities where you are sweating a lot. It's just hard, even with vents, to get rid of the moisture faster than you are creating it.

Which isn't to say you shouldn't get decent gear, just that I think you can expect to have wet socks or be damp inside if you are riding. If you are stopped you will probably have more success staying dry. But moving also keeps you warm. In my paddling experience, I didn't mind the wet so long as I was warm and I was warm so long as I was active.

All that being said I believe the Showers Pass rain gear is going to be the best you can get. It's specifically designed for biking so issues of fit and key penetration points are all addressed in the designs.

If you are just looking to improve what you have, you might want to ensure all seams are sealed. If they aren't the water will surely get in.

Good luck

It's a visual orgy of back country delight. A gorgeous publication and a great read !

I use a handlebar harness from Bolder bikepacking. They will work with you to make sure attachment points work with your setup. I forget but think it was more affordable than the revelate product but can't compare quality. For the record I have also just strapped a bag to the bars with Velcro straps (got a giant role from lowes). Never had any problems but the harness makes things a bit easier to attach and remove.

A few different configurations I have used with tarps. The green one is what I use now which is much lighter and packs smaller than the large utility tarp.

Very intriguing. If you haven't checked it out already, this link has info on the GET and links to some trip reports. If you need a place to stay in ABQ PM me.

For the technical rocky stuff you mentioned I think you will be happiest with the El Mariachi. You could also invest in some alternate bars like a Jones or similar. Gives varied hand positions for gravel grinding and long road sections.

The El Mar is a very comfy ride and designed for many hours in the saddle. I have a 2012 and love it. My only comment on the 3 vs 2 is that some componentry is not as nice and you may end up seeking an upgrade on some things. The 2013 2 is still a great deal right now if you can afford it. Good to go right out of the box.

Good luck

I'm a tarp camper. Typical setup is attaching one corner to a tree, stake the opposite corner to ground. Stake other two corners and it creates a triangulated bivy. You can use the bike instead of tree in a variety of ways. I have pics and will post some examples of a few different setups (server not allowing image attachments). Dimension of the tarp impacts setup as well. I use one that is 11' on the diagonal and square now but have also used a 9x12 utility tarp that creates a ground cloth and shelter in one.

There are some great tutorials online showing many ways to pitch a tarp. No Mosquitos where I live so tarp is perfect for me. And affordable.

Thanks for the link

To be honest, I haven’t played with Gaia in a while (been using cyclemeter). But last night I opened it up and looked at the new version which seems to have improved a number of things. I wasn’t able to figure out how to download maps, though since the interface changed, so this will come in handy.

The one feature I really like about Gaia is how easy it is to draw tracks. And importing tracks to other programs has been very easy also (but if I can do everything in Gaia I will be most happy).

Again, I tend to draw tracks and then make printouts in addition to using the phone GPS. Then I just consult the phone if I am unclear where I am on my printout.

Unless I am doing something wrong, the problem I have found with downloading aerials for use with Gaia when out of cell range is that the resolution is not very high. At the level I need to see in the places I ride, I find it is not very useful. But again, perhaps there is a way to increase the resolution when downloading (though I wrestled a bit with this to no avail). You have better resolution when there is service, so it seems doable.

I have been using my iPhone 5 as a GPS but I tend to use it in conjunction with printed maps. I generally consult the phone when I am not sure where I am on the printed map. Its also helpful in getting back to places where maybe I should have turned as you can drop a pin and return to it regardless of whether you have a map. Ideally, I would love to actually record a track to map where I am going/have been. Hardly anyone has been riding/mapping out where I have been riding, so I have not found any other files to use.

More recently I purchased a phone charger that is about ¾ the size of a cigarette pack. Its good for 3 full iPhone charges, I believe, but I have not yet used it in the field. Its USB charged so not as good for extended travel as one that takes batteries but to date I have only done overnighters and don’t see having time to do more than a two nighter in the near future and I think this will suffice. I am also very sensitive to turning off battery-intensive functions – no Bluetooth, no wifi, turn off locations services for everything but the apps you are using, always return the navigation app to the background, etc.) If things are really running low, I only turn the phone on to find out where I am and then shut it off again.

I don’t worry too much about damaging my phone. I have a stem mount but often just carry it in my pocket or pack and get it out when I need it. I definitely do that in sketchy terrain.

I would be happy to be getting that many miles in each week. I have essentially the same routine but my commute is only about 8 miles RT and one long ride per weekend.

I also try to run about twice a week (~3 miles) but that doesn't always happen.

Depending on what you consider epic I think you may be just fine. I have done a number of overnighters between ~50 and 100 miles with some arduous climbing and felt like I was in fine shape. Each trip could have been longer except for time constraints. Also I'm 45.

I have never done this myself but interval training is a way to build endurance that doesn't require super long rides.

Another great trip and report. Well done!

The gearing issue depends on the cassette and chain ring sizes and not just how many rings/cogs are on the crank/cassette. My El Mar is 2X9 but its really just a 3X9 with a bash guard on the biggest ring. So I have the middle ring and granny up front. The only shortfall is not being able to really crank it up on big paved downhills. Which is not something that happens a whole lot so I am happy to save the weight and my calves. Never needed anything taller for steep dirt descents.

In general, many manufacturers have found 2X9 or 2X10 to be a more appropriate setup, especially for 29ers. I'm sure someone can wax more philosophical about the particulars of the ratios, but a good place to start might be to identify the drivetrain on the rides you are considering and then search it with the word "review" and see what comes up. MTBR has what I find to be the most helpful user reviews, but there are other good sites out there as well. I find it very useful to hear what others' experiences are.

The 2014 Salsa El Mariachi 2 is an excellent bike with great specs, especially for its price point ($2300). That's less than the bike you listed and pretty damn bombproof (steel frame). I have a 2012 El Mar and its a fantastic ride. Mine is a custom build, but the El Mar 2 either new or 2013 version (which you can still find new if you poke around - they have come down to around $1300) come with solid componentry. I find it a great bike for long rides and bikepacking. Very comfortable and unlike carbon or aluminum (and I also have an aluminum bike so I am not dissing that material) steel does not degrade and become brittle over time - and I love the way the steel flexes. The Diamondback (and that company has seen better days in terms of overall quality) is also a race-oriented design which may not be as comfortable for long days in the saddle.  I just love my Salsa!

Note that Salsa offers this bike in a 3, 2 and Ti version with 3 being the most affordable (and with some components I would want to upgrade). But the 2 is a totally solid bike right out of the box.

I have also been impressed with reviews on the Airborne Goblin and they seem to have excellent customer service as well. They are mail order only which is one way they keep the costs down.

Good luck on your quest!

Not to discourage you, but much of your route through the northern half of Kenya and into Ethiopia is highly unstable at the moment. Instability in northern Kenya (including Moyale which is shown as part of your proposed route) and many parts of Ethiopia (along the Kenyan and Somali border in particular) have resulted in many western countries categorically advising against any travel in those regions at all. There have been kidnappings in those areas.

I have traveled to some countries where certainly the state department warnings did not reflect the realities on the ground (that is, they were overblown) but this stuff is pretty serious and westerners are a key target for kidnapping. For some it is akin to pirate activity in the Indian Ocean where captors are seeking ransom, but in other cases it is islamist militant activity. This is especially true in the Somali, northern Kenya, southern Ethiopia region. So, be cautious.

I lived in Uganda for a year and a half in the mid 1990s and had a tremendous experience. Personally I never experienced any kind of trouble crime-wise, but I did know some who did, especially those travelling upcountry by themselves (or at least as the only American). Highway robbers are real, though the three cases I knew of did not involve any violence. In one case, the guy was left literally standing on the side of the road in his underwear as the thieves stole everything else, including the van the group was traveling in. Again, not frighten you off, but just to alert you to the potential dangers of traveling alone or in a small group by bike.

I will mention, though, that while I was there a group of doctors from, I believe, Canada passed through on a trip to raise awareness and money for health issues in the developing world. They were biking from Algeria to South Africa and in different legs of the journey picked up local riders for a while. A Ugandan friend joined them from Kampala to Tanzania. I had dinner with them and they had some pretty outrageous stories of close calls and scary situations, but at least at that point in the journey no one had been injured or robbed.

Certainly my experience in Uganda was that the vast majority of local folks were outrageously gracious, accommodating, helpful, friendly and just plain delightful. And I have no reason to feel this would be any different in the neighboring countries. But word travels fast when you are a foreigner and those who might have nefarious intent will find you quickly, so be safe!

Your route does not go through Rwanda at this point, but there is a national cycling team there. This seems like the kinds of groups you might want to connect with to identify routes and get some local support for repairs, resources, etc. http://teamrwandacycling.org/

I’m not very good about this and tend to push it when I shouldn’t. Once I went out on a fairly long ride with a friend with a chest cold. I was dragging and feeling spent and collapsed when I got back home for a few hours. Later that day I went to urgent care and learned I had pneumonia. So, don’t do that!

If I am just coming down with something, a run or moderate ride can actually knock it back for me (on top of lots of fluids and Vitamin C). But if I am already sick (especially something respiratory related) its generally not a good idea and just makes me feel worse.

What a fun read and sound philosophy. I watched some TED talk about goals and the likelihood of fulfilling them. Apparently, the more you tell people about your goals, the less likely you are to actually attain them. Given that, "I should stop pondering about what to do so much, where to go and most importantly I should stop talking about it. I should wing it..." sounds like a pretty sound philosophy! I keep my bikepacking kit more or less permanently packed and ready to go so I don't spend so much time gathering my stuff. Some stuff I have to use in my daily life, but a lot of it sits on a special shelf waiting for the inspiration to strike.

Ride on!

Nice! Yes, we should ride together sometime – day ride or even a bikepack. I check in here pretty often, so a PM will work within about a week or so. I am in ABQ and there is another guy who posts here (and who I have met up with) who has done some interesting trips - Jemez, down to Socorro and around the other side of Sandias and back to ABQ, etc. He's so rad his online moniker is Radtron...

We have some land out in the Zunis which is why I have done so many trips out that way. Its so lovely there and its great to have a home base to stage from. We are on the southeast end of the mountains and one trip I would like to do is to ride from our land up through the center of the range to the Hillso area (where they run the 24 hours in the Enchanted Forest event – some terrific single track). This would be a 2 nighter if it included a day to hang out and ride the singletrack there without gear. A spring/early summer trip.

Enjoy the skiing!

Been enjoying your NM excursion postings. Good to see another New Mexican out there! Jemez and the San Mateos are both on my list to explore in fact, so thanks for scouting that out for me  

I have bikepacked in the Zunis and the Chain of Craters area, both along the CDT sections and further abroad. Here is a link to my blog with some photos of different exploratory NM trips (both bikepacking and day trips). Go to "older posts" to see more:

http://highaltitudehomestead.blogspot.com/

Struggling with some cervical spondylosis at the moment and have not been on the bike for a month, which is almost as painful as my neck. Had to cancel another Zuni overnighter on early October which I have tentatively rescheduled for chilly mid-November. It all hinges on the state of my neck.

Ride on!

I also have a fizik arione. I like it a lot but for long hauls where you are not moving weight around much I find it not so comfy. I covet the brooks b-17...