Backpack on wheels
Ready to roll!
I had planned on about 2 weeks to prepare my bicycle and get ready to start cycling South. On my second day in town, I found the bicycle I needed on Craig's list: a Specialized Rock Hopper from the early 90's, tall enough for me, steal frame, and at a reasonable price (160$). Ten days later I got lucky and found, also second hand, the 2 pairs of black panniers I wanted ($230).
At the wonderful Bike Kitchen, I spent several evenings working on my new bicycle. With a lot of help from Jim, Justin, Guillaume, and many others, I learned how to maintain and rebuild the bike entirely, and found most of the spare pieces I needed: a kick stand, old school friction gear shifters, bottle cages, derailleur upgrade, handle bar ends, double walled rear and front rims, rock solid pedals, new bearings for bottom bracket and freewheel...
As I explained my projects, I received several generous donations of very useful bike components: Amy gave me a bicycle computer, Justin a very useful motorbike bag which fits perfectly at the back, Jason a better saddle, a front and rear light, and a pump...
I also bought new front and rear racks, I needed some heavy duty ones to carry my panniers. After two punctures in both rear and front wheels, and with several people warning me about the thorns in Baja California, I also invested in a pair of good tires. 30 hours of work later and a bit of money shorter (600$ altogether), I was ready to hit the road with my new two wheels companion. I just had to find a name for it.