Bike Check

Posted by: Arin

This is the bike I'll be using as we ride across the country.  The frame is a 56cm Surly Long Haul Trucker in smog silver and I have it built up with a combination of SRAM Rival, Force, and X9.  

Rather than go the traditional touring triple route, I took some influence from mountain biking and went with a 2x.  My gear ratios are 50/34 in the front and an 11-36 in the back.  I find that this requires less work than a triple and also allowed me to use several parts already in my possession.  The gear range is also fantastic, with smaller gears than many traditional touring setups.  

The cockpit on my bike features many of my favorite parts, including 44cm Salsa Cowbell handlebars, a 110mm Niner stem, and a zero setback Thomson Elite seatpost.  Handlebar tape is Fizik microtex with Rav x bar gel underneath.  My saddle is a Fizik Aliante (the only saddle I use on all of my bikes).

The bike has SKS p45 fenders with mudflaps and both racks are made by Blackburn.  I bought them because they were extremely cheap but I would not recommend them.  Both racks required large amounts of modification (sawing, welding) to work in a way that I am ok with.

My wheels are 32 spoke Velocity A23 rims built up with Circus Monkey hubs by Hermes Sport, a local wheel builder from San Diego.  Tires are 35mm Panaracer T-servs.  The pedals I will be using are currently on another one of my bikes, but they are Crank Bros Candy 2's.

Thanks for checking out my bike and remember to follow us as we ride across America.  Feel free to comment if you have any questions and donate if you're feeling generous.  We appreciate everything!

Introduction
posted by: ARIN

A couple weeks ago, Brad and I (Arin) quit our jobs to live out a dream of riding bicycles across the country. This blog will follow our journey.

We're set to leave Riverside, California on April 7th with our final destination being Brooklyn, New York. Stops along the way will include, but are not limited to: The Grand Canyon, Denver (CO), Boulder (CO), Omaha (NE), Chicago (IL), Detroit (MI), and Toronto (ONT, Canada). The majority of our sleeping will be done outdoors; we want to live simply and well.  

proposed (rough) route

However, since we're not leaving for a few more weeks, here's a little bit about us. 

Brad and I first met in kindergarten, but didn't become friends until fourth grade when I moved across the street from him. We've been doing stuff (not quite) like this together ever since.  

 Arin:

23 years old, male, born and raised in Riverside, CA. I got seriously into cycling in college at UC Riverside and I love skateboarding. Trained in the art of bicycle maintenance and WFR certified. The hardest part of this trip for me will be not seeing my girlfriend Prany for months.    

Brad:

24 years old, male, also born and raised in Riverside, CA. Mountain biker at heart. Moved to San Francisco after high school before coming back to Riverside a year ago. Since then I haven't wanted to settle down, and I'm using this trip as a way of finding something new. New York might not be the end for me. I also really like skateboarding.