Sorry for the late response,  but I've ridden parts of the eastern section on a cx  bike with 40mm tires. (Also a motobecane fantom!) It sort of worked, but a hardtail would have been much better.

I have used a hydro blue  filter for a couple years in a gravity setup.  It comes with a bit of hose and a fitting so you can attach it to a reservoir or dry bag or something.  You are right, the flow is good, its very lightweight and works great. For $20 you can't go wrong.

Bikepacking,  roads, commuting,  singletrack... It's my only (good) bike.

Almost all frames are made in a handful of factories and released. And the components are standard brands. I think the motobecane bikes are just like any other bike shop brand.

since no one else has replied...


I have a Motobecane Fantom CX cyclocross bike. A pretty nice bike for the price, assembly was trivial, and it has been really reliable for the last 5 years (or was it six?).

I'd buy another bike from BikesDirect in a heartbeat.

I made a framebag with a vertical divider and zippered access to the vert section. I can pull the zip oen and fish out my bottle almost as quickly as a bottle cage. It can hold up to a 1.5L bottle. Plus keeps the capacity of a full framebag. Keeps mud off the bottle too.

Back when I worked at an REI store, those nalgene fliptop bottles first came out. We sold a lot just by mentioning "cow pie splatter". Two seconds of hesitation, and people would buy a $6 bottle over the $2 bottle.

Thanks for all the comments! Honestly, this isn't a tough project, and working with the down was the easiest part!

HOWEVER: I tested out my quilt on a 30 degree night... I'm glad it was in the back yard, because I was inside by one in the morning!

I think a simple bit of stitching will solve the problem though.

Here are the details http://makegear.blogspot.com/2013/02/quit-performance-some-changes-required.html...

makegear.blogspot.com

I've been a big fan of "Polar Pure" for a long time.

Lasts years, almost endless treatment capacity. Simple to use, and quicker than tablets. Lighter than pumps. To kill the iodine taste (which is less than tablets) I use a teeny-tiny bit of Emergen-C (or any vit C powder) to instantly neutralize the iodine taste/color.

makegear.blogspot.com

I had to lock my bike up for 2 days one time while I took a quick bus ride back to the start point of the tour. I locked our two bikes in front of an ATM at a bank. Added a note saying "Smile, you are on candid camera".

Anyway, it worked!



SlimJim
Makegear.blogspot.com

I'm a belly-sleeper, so I don't really cover my face, more the back of my head. As soon as I get the bivy finished, I will test it out on some February night and give an update.

Here's a project I just finished. A 1# down quilt, 2" of loft and covers me from toes to bald spot with length to spare.
The cool thing, is that I spent just $75 (plus shipping) on this quilt. A similar one would cost $200 at least, and a similar weight and loft bag would cost over $300. I'm stoked to try it out!



Now I just need to finish the bivy!

Full instructions are free at makegear.blogspot.com

SlimJim

I've been thinking about friction thumb shifters, cause they only need limit adjistments, not indexing. They also work with any kind of drivetrain.

I have this friend... He is moving to Vanuatu (an island near Fiji) as a missionary. "No roads, no lights, no motorcar, not a single luxury." anyway, he has secured a mountain bike to use, what spares, parts,tools should he bring to keep it rolling for four years without any outside support? What skills?
Some details: he's not really a biker, so is starting from scratch. Vanuatu is a tropical island, trails have coral, volcanic rocks, broken bottles, etc. Theft can Be an issue.

The bike
a mid nineties steel Mongoose IBOC with front suspension, rear rack, grip shifters, v brakes, 3x8 speeds, all pretty functional, but very basic by current standards. Sealed bearings in hubs, bb & head.

What do you bring to equip a bike for four years on a tropical island? What maintenance schedule? Keep in mind, this is NOT hypothetical, and money is tight.

Slimjim