The kit Paul and I used suffered varying degrees of wear and tear. The bikes were both fabulous, and apart from never getting properly cleaned so that they were filthy dirty by the end, we suffered no punctures, no chain breakages, no drive train problems, or any other routine maladies.
Of course I had my rack problems for the first three weeks owing to my change of bike from my gravel to my Mountain Bike with just a month to go. Once I fitted the new Ortlieb rack that bother was permanently extinguished! Paul's bike was faultless from beginning to end apart from some rather annoying noises and rattles coming from the pedals and bottom bracket during the last few days!!
Doug's Scott Scale with 2¾" Tubeless Tyres
Maintenance kit bags on cross bar and tent bag coming out from seat tube.
Rear view, extra heavy load with 3l red wine box!
2 panniers and my motorcycle bag at the back
Handlebar Bag and 2 Fork bags up front
Paul, sensibly being more minimalistic has several bags less than me! No wonder he could leave so early in the mornings!
That orange coat made Paul very visible to all!
The machines done good, and the bikes did well too!!🤣🤙
Clothing wise the story was not quite so positive! After nearly 3,000miles my cycling apparel was pretty shot..... not necessarily because of the rigours of the ride, primarily because the gear I brought, although fully servicable, was near the end of it's life before the journey (if truth be known that gear ought to have been thrown away some time ago!), and thus was totally knackered by the end of it! Our Black Sea arrival saw a massive disgardment of old and shot cycling gear;
My proudest example of knackered kit is my shoes!
They were probably 4 years old and the soles were going anyhow, but this trip has exposed both shoes metal shanks, as the rubber vibram soles has been chewed away by the pedals! OMG!! #gotmymoneysworth
Gloves also were several years old before this trip, which has well and truly seen them off!
This is what happens when a sleeve gets drawn into the disc brake assembly...
Only wore these trousers a very few times on the whole trip... once to bed whilst camping in Serbia at +1°C at 9pm, then the next day as it was too chilly for bare legs in the Carpathian/Balkan mountain river section! My thrifty ancestral heritage truly shines thru with this artefact!
Bungees stretched to ultimately failure the minute I didn't need them again!!
RipTorn Team Shirt chucked out
Handle grips fully worn through from hanging on for grim death whilst playing 'chicken' with the 18Wheelers!
Another example of way overused kit. These overshoes got used several times early on in the rain and mud phases. Latterly, as we enjoyed such splendid weather, they must not have been used during the second half of the trip at all!!
Off they went!
The accumulated 'junk'! Thrown away all together! c. 5litres of useless stuff!
My strategy of using 'nearly worn out' gear served me well as it allowed me to return home with....
A bottle of wine and small gifts for Maria!
The Sloe Moonshine made from Croatian Plum Schnapps, and Romanian Sloes!
A supply of good coffee from our favourite Constanța Café!
....and Marius' wife's Strawberry Jam!!🥰
Thanks for following us.....
Until our next Adventure, we bid you farewell!
Blog now closed, it's been real!!
✊😎🤝😎🤙
Doug & Paul
