As we have done in the past, we are celebrating our big 30k km milestone with another bike review, to see how our bikes are holding up on our journey around the world. As this is a follow up video to our 20,000 km bike review, we will only discuss new components we have used since then and any setup changes we have made.
Please find more detailed information about the products & components mentioned in this video below.
Overview:
00:00 - Intro
01:35 - Wheels & Tires
03:36 - Lights & USB-Chargers
06:48 - Mud Guards
07:59 - Handlebar / Cockpit (Phone Mount, GPS Computer, etc.)
12:40 - Saddle & Seatpost, Trekking-Pole Bike Stand
15:06 - Drivetrain / Groupset
18:31 - Guitar & Panniers
20:00 - Rear Rack
21:04 - Conclusion / Outro
Bikes & Components:
General
We both bought our bikes second-hand in Germany specifically for this trip. We wanted very basic bikes, with basic components, that we could either always repair ourselves, or get repaired, anywhere in the world. And so far this has really paid out as we have never had a mechanical problem which has stranded us for more than a few days.
Wheels
Although we mention in this video that we are now again happy with our new, rebuilt wheels, we have to say that this is actually the second rebuild of our rear wheels since our 20k km review. When we had our wheels professionally rebuilt in Peru, the quality of spokes used on our rear wheels was very bad, resulting in a lot of broken spokes over the coming 4000 km. So we ordered better quality spokes online and Tobi rebuilt our wheels with these while we were taking a rest day somewhere in Chile. Our front wheels were rebuilt in Peru with the original spokes, as these were still in good condition, and didn't have this problem.
Tires
Tobi - Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tour 2023* 47-622
www.schwalbe.com/en/tour-read...
Louisa - Schwalbe Marathon Mondial Evo DD* 42-622
www.schwalbe.com/en/tour-read...
While the Marathon Plus Tour are a lot heavier than the Mondials, they are incredibly durable and have shown us over tens of thousands of kilometers now that they truly have amazing puncture protection.
Lights & Electrical
We both have complete lighting & electrical systems from B+M with IQ-X* headlights, Dart Plus* tail lights, and the E-Werk* USB charger, all connected to our SON28 hub-dynamos.
www.bumm.de/en/products/strom...
Generally we are really happy with this new setup, especially with the E-Werk. Not only are they a lot more versatile than our previous USB-Werk, as voltage & current can be adjusted individually, but they also work with up to 50V DC power so you could technically use them as a USB charger on car batteries as well. Furthermore, the E-Werk has up to 1.5A output, whereas the USB-Werk only have 0.5A. The buffer battery mentioned is the 461A*.
Bike Computer
Tobi - iGPSport iGS630*, Louisa - iGPSport iGS320
www.igpsport.com/igs630-highl...
Generally we are really happy with the iGS630, especially for the price. We have found it is a huge advantage to have a GPS cycling computer so we can also easily navigate in the rain, with thick gloves on, etc., without having to get our phones out. What we like the most about the iGS630 is how customizable the screen & interface are, meaning you can set it up for your specific needs. It also has really good battery life (around 5 days of riding for us) & accurate elevation measurement. What could be improved is the screen brightness (not too bad though), and a glitch which causes the navigation, which generally works really well, to occasionally drop out on longer routes.
The iGS320, which we already had previously, is generally not that good, even with a new firmware, and in our opinion it makes far more sense spending a bit more and getting a more high-end device.
The iGPSport app is used to setup & load routes onto the computers and generally works really well.
Phone Mounts
Peak Design Out Front Bike Mount*
www.peakdesign.com/products/o...
Saddle & Seatpost
Tobi - saddle: Voxom SA6, new seatpost: Suntour SP12 NCX
Louisa - saddle: Terry Fisio Flex Gel Women, seatpost: Zoom
Drivetrain / Groupset
Tobi - 8-speed, crank: 22-30-40, Hollowtech II, cassette: 34-11, Novatec sealed-bearing rear hub, SON28 hub-dynamo
Louisa - 9-speed, crank: 24-34-42, square taper, cassette 36-11, Sachs rear hub, SON28 hub-dynamo
Racks
Tobi - front: Tubus Tara, rear: generic steel
Louisa - front: Tubus Tara, rear: Bontrager aluminum
*these products have been given to us for free to test
For more information on our bikes & gear, visit our website:
www.louisaandtobi.com/bikes-gear
Thank you to our Patrons, KZfaq Members & other supporters!
Thank you also to our partner, Dr-Walter!
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www.protrip-world.com/en/?vkn...