intro
As the expedition will cover over 26,000km and last for over 14 months, durability is the key requirement for our bikes and equipment. All of the kit used en route will have to be of the highest quality as it will have to function in extreme and varied environments- from the subzero Andean passes to the baking heat of the Libyan desert and everything in between.
Although most of the route will be on nice sealed roads, there will be several thousand kilometers where there are no roads or roads that are little more than tracks- in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia and the southern region of Kazakhstan for example. With this in mind we opted for mountain bikes over traditional tourers as they are designed to be ridden over rough terrain and can take a good deal of punishment.
frame
The frame is the skeleton of the bike, the bit where all of interesting bits like the gears, brakes and the engine (two calf muscles) are hung from. Just like on a human body, our bikes need a skeleton that is resilient, light and strong. The lighter it is the less work we need to do. Steel is the material of choice as it can easily be repaired (if we can find a decent welder) and is more compliant over small bumps than aluminum. It is also more resilient than aluminum, carbon fibre or plastic which, considering the bikes will be used for over 3,000hrs over rough terrain, is a key factor.
Interestingly, the basic design of our bikes will be pretty much that of the standard three-triangle safety bicycle which has remained practically unchanged since its invention in 1885 by John Starley
forks
As a large part of our route will be on bumpy tracks and roads, the bikes will be fitted with suspension forks that reduce the strain on the body that eight hours of constant jolting can exact. Suspension forks also provide more grip than rigid forks. We’ll be using coil sprung/ oil dampened forks that are strong and reliable while being fully adjustable to suit the terrain. By using titanium springs we’ll be able to minimise the weight of the forks that will make pedaling easier on those many long uphills.
brakes
Since our laden bikes will be heavy, it is important that we can stop quickly and reliably (we don’t want to miss a good lunch spot). We will be using disk brakes like the ones on a car or motorbike. They use hydraulic fluid in place of the wires used on conventional brakes, as this gives us more power and less likelihood of mechanical problems.
Hydraulic disc brakes don’t fade on long descents, work well in the wet, can be used when the wheel is buckled are more powerful than rim brakes. Good brakes will be especially important when we are descending from 5,000ms altitude to sea level from the Bolivian capital of La Paz, which is the highest capital city in the world, in the Andes.
tyres
On our journey around the World, our wheels will rotate about 13 million times and will roll over snow, sand, mud and rock. We will be changing tyres for each stage of the expedition, thin smooth tyres for the asphalt roads of Europe and fat knobbly ones for when the tracks get rough in Siberia and Mongolia. They will all be made of a super durable fabric, Kevlar, and a tough rubber compound. Our boffins at revolution HQ estimate that we will wear out 5 sets of tyres each and go through over 20 inner tubes over 25,000km.
communications
One of the things that make the revolution expedition so unique is the fact that, using the most up-to-date communications technology, we can document and share the experience as it happens from wherever we are in the world at any time. This could mean adding a new journal article on the nightlife of Buenos Aires over a steak and a bottle of Malbec to the Argentina section, uploading a new video on the bazaars of Cairo in a hot and smoky tea house or adding some fresh photos of the pristine landscape of Lake Baikal while sheltering from the rain in our tent.
portable solar panels
In order to be able to send our diaries, videos and photos to the revolution website, all of our equipment will need power. Short of carrying a huge battery around the world, the most available source of power is the Sun. Solar panels will pick up the Sun’s energy and convert it into electricity, ready for us to use when we need it. The solar panels can be strapped to the top of our panniers(the bags that we attach to our bikes), harnessing the Sun’s energy throughout the day. Then, when we finish cycling for the day, we can use that natural energy to update this site and to connect us with our friends and family at home in Ireland. It’s quite remarkable really.
laptop
These are used everywhere nowadays but many are not strong enough to withstand being bumped about. Our laptop will be specially “ruggedised” for the expedition- that is essentially casing it in a tough, waterproof and durable shell. We’re not going to be doing any computer programming or fancy analysis so a small lightweight laptop will fit the bill.
satellite phone
By hooking this up to our laptop we will be able to send our diaries to our website from anywhere in the world-it’ll also allow Fearghal to keep up to date with the six nations results and Simon to follow his beloved F1. A modem connects the laptop to the satellite phone, which transmits a signal via satellite, down to a server then to our laptop. We are pretty excited about this technology. As it means that we can share the experiences of the people that we meet and the places that we encounter with the readers of our website where and when they happen.
headcam
This is a small thumb sized lens that connects to a standard camcorder that will allow us to take hands free videos. The headcam can be fixed to a helmet for rider’s view shots or any part of the bike to get other interesting camera angles. This will provide shots that are taken from our perspective, which should provide some interesting views of the crazy Russian drivers, Iranian market places and some hair raising descents in the sierra Nevada mountains in Spain. Check out our videos page to see some of these shots.