In the end I’ve implemented the gear list site. I’m using gear lists a lot, but the tools that are manage the gear lists are not satisfied me, so I started to implement my own. Now it is in beta state and ready to be tested. Everyone can sign up and test it. The functionality will be enhanced but right now it already could be used to manage gear lists. The main idea of this project is to easy copy data from one list to other, combine and store it. So you are welcome to test it http://www.ruck-rack.com/en .

After finish with the Mora laplander. I started the new knife. The first one was too heavy because of full tang and heavy wood on handle (more than 200 g). Also I wanted to try make knife with the Scandinavian sheath and handle. The blade is polar 95 mm width, height 20 mm. Handle made from birch. Now I'm looking forward to use this knife in spring bicycle trips.

Here are the photos

 

 

 

P.S. Making my own knifes is in progress. Next will be the big leuku with the 210 mm blade.

After reading a lot of laudatory reviews of Nalgene bottles I decide to buy  several ones to try it in real life.  The main target of my purchase was the Nalgene canteen that I plan to use as a container for hot water. I use boiling to purify water. My water container unable to carry hot water and I decided to try different alternatives to it.  But to check other options I get the wide mouth bottles as well. The main series of Nalgene bottle is too heavy to use on the trail so I got the ultralight series made from HDPE. These bottles weight half of regular one.  Right now I still have no chance to try the canteen, but the HDPE bottle made me sad.

Even the new bottle has plastic smell and passes this smell to water afeter a couple of hours.  I was trying to clean the bottle with the several options – soap, green tee, citric acid, baking soda with absolutely no effect. Right now I drop the open bottle to the top of my locker. I hope that after a couple of months smell will disappear. But right now it looks that Nalgene HDPE series is useless for me.

 

Cool video and strong dog. It is interesting that dog uses different from biker route to do not hang behind. My dog usually had run home after 2 km and wait me there.

Time goes day by day and I messed the milestone of using my bike – 10000 km. Beginning from the 2008 I’m using the same bike for town rides and backcountry trips. Usually at this point people posts the photo with odometer, but I can’t unfortunately. The initial odometer which was set-up on my bike died on 5500 km. And I replaced it with the cheapest cateye with minimal options and it was not possible to set up initial mileage. Now it shows 4787 km. Of course the 10 thousands for 4 years is not so much for bike riding, but in any case I’m pleasured to congratulate myself with this achievement. Initially my bike life started after I sold out my old car due to apartment purchase.  and buy the cheapest bicycle on the market – Author Compact. There were cheaper bikes, but noname made in china they looked like imitation of the bike – not the real bike. The Author compact looked more secure.  I didn’t know exactly would it be interested for me to use bike, so I didn’t select advanced model.

So now the frame, handlebar, brakes, saddle and front wheel are left untouched – the rest is replaced because of run out.

Initial:

Now:

Below is the short usage and replacement report:

The wheels and tires

The rear wheel died immediately after purchase (about 300 km) after accident with the bus which attacked me. The author’s rear tire died after 2000 km and was replaced with schwalbe advancer. But the front tire in pair with the schwalbe was running till the 8800 km and after that has been replaced with the continental travel contact. Regarding to reviews in internet continental has resource about 25000 km, so I hope that in nearest future there will be no issues with the tires. The front wheel in opposite to rear one still healthy, but looks that this is the last season for it. V-breaks eat too much of it.

Transmission

At the 4700 km I was first time riding in the deep mud all the day. After that the resource of Sis transmission finished. Before that the transmission worked Ok, but after it was not possible to tune the rear derailleur for smooth gear switching. So I changed both derailleurs to Deore and so, I was forced to change the chain, rear wheel with the sprockets and the crankset as well as rear shifter was changed to sram attack (to support new cassette with 9 sprockets). The front shifter – the cheap shimano revoshift still operates brilliantly. But Deore transmission disappointed me – after 5000 km it looks exhausted. The gear switching doesn’t work perfectly despite of all my attempts to tune it. I expected more durability from the Deore.

Frame and saddle

The paint on the frame has a lot of cleavages and some parts have rust, but not so much. The low level Authors frames was made from steel – not the aluminum, so sometimes the seat post hard to eject because of rust inside the seat tube. And because of my inaccuracy I killed the front fork – I smashed to the car and the fork has been unbending.  So the fork was replaced with the other one. Now I have multi colored bike.

The saddle works great and is good for me. I do not plan to change it, but the leatherette on it cracked partially. The grips were good and died at 8000 km approx. I’ve replaced it with the same one.

The other stuff

As I already wrote the computer VDO C2 died simultaneously and the same was with this model on bikes of my friends. After that I’ve replaced it with the CatEye. All the CatEye electronics on my bike (computer, lights) was working very good and stable – I like the CatEye stuff, it is very reliable and works in any conditions.

This is the most important upgrades I’ve made with my bike.

During these 4 years I enjoy my bike and riding on it. This is really cool sensation to go on it anywhere. I have a lot of engrossing trips on it. And I really feel that this bike made me free from many restrictions I had. Now even if I have a couple of free days I can ride to many interesting places. I spend more time at backcountry and I became independent from traffic jams in my town.

Due to started snow I decided to mount my action camera to my bike and to drive to work. This is my fist experience with riding in snow, but in general I like it. The sem-slic tures made impossible to strart fast and in turns I was forced to be more carefull, but everything is ok.

The most pleasant section of my ride

The hardest section is the folliwng. I usually don't drive at this part and use some woraround routes, but sometimes I need to drive through this place and everytime it looks the same:

 

I just have found the backpack of my dream. I search a lot for the 48-55 liters backpack that is weight about 1 kilo. Usually modern backpacks have heavy suspension system and made from extra strong fabric. And those backpacks weight much more than 1.5 kilos - usually 2-3 kilos. Of course there are ultralight backpack which weight about 300-400 gramm. But now my equipment not so light to use ultralight backpacks(but I working on reduce it). But the Osprey produce exactly what I need. The Hornet 46 (700 gramms!)

And Exos 58 with A-frame (1200 gramms). This backpack also has the stow-on-the-go trekking pole system. Which allows you to attach the poles to ruksak on the go.

For instance my 40-liters Akme backpack weights 1,5 kilos and doesn't have frame. The price is not so sweet, but now I know what I want to get from Santa. :)

Above is the official video describing gackpack.

Thanks to Victor Lucas who creates a lot of cool bike ride photos. This one impressed me much. I don't know who these peoples are, but looks they have ropes instead of nerves.