Speaking of More Equipment

While I'm on the subject of equipment, two more items:

1. The high drop handlebars on the touring bike are still nice. The thumb shifters mounted right next to the brake levers are really nice, better than bar-ends. I like the way the bars are turned way up to give a flat top and ramp. It's a little odd to have the brakes so far down the curves, but with the supplemental levers on top it works fine.

2. The jury is still out on the Avocet WII touring saddle. It's quite comfortable, and the leather top is nice, but it's not quite as comfortable as the plastic topped version I have on the Rivendell. We'll see what it's like after four 60-mile days.

Finally, I figured out why the Panaracer Pasela tire failed last summer. (It developed a sidewall bulge during our Lake Michigan circumnavigation.) It recently came to me that while I was on a ride last spring, I hit chunk of concrete that gave me a flat tire. At the time, when I examined the tire, I could find no damage, so I kept riding it. But the impact must have damaged the sidewall, which led to the bulge after eight days of loaded riding. So I regret implying that the Pasela was at fault.