Post Trip Gear Review

With all is said and done a few bits of gear stand out:

The Moots Mooto X YBB 29" with Fox fork is a phenomenal bike. I heard people complain about heavy bikes. I heard people complain about rough trail surface on the C&O. A couple people asked how I could ride on aerobars on the rough surface of the C&O. With front and rear shocks unlocked I didn't feel a thing. I kept the rear soft tail locked out until my bum got tender on the 2nd afternoon. Then I unlocked it an never looked back. Weight was great for lugging over trees.

I ran Specialized Captain Control Armadillo puncture resistant tires with Slime tubes. Through briers, gravel, and even broken beer bottles on the trail I never had a flat. I'm strongly biased against flats as they steal away riding time. This combo kept me rolling. The weight and investment are well worth it IMHO.

Ergon Backpack and hand grips were great.  I kept as much weight as possible on the bike and off my back. The remaining weight of the pack sat on my hips so my shoulders never got sore.

Profile Design Air Stryke aerobars were a hand and ride saver. Eventually hands get tired and more positions are required. I rode on aerobars enough to chafe my forearms. Lots of rolling time in aero. I feared the spring loaded arm pads would bounce and vibrate but they didn't. I got really lucky in being able to reuse these from my road bike. I went tested 4 sets of aerobars to find ones that would fit and work. The best option ended up being my old favorite.

The REI Pattern Strap with Buckle caught my eye during final preparation. I'm typically not very colorful. These were "extra" and I used them at every turn. They tied my bags, tied up my bike, tied extra bottles of Gatorade, and generally tied up or tied down everything I needed. I had lengths of nylon cord and stainless steel wire as well. These straps were just convenient and perfectly sized time and again. They are a real highlight of the trip.

I feel like Body Glide Skin Glide let me down. I typically use the original body glide. I should have stuck with it. Saddle sores prevailed despite repeated plentiful applications and meticulous nightly hygiene. I will stick to Chamois Butter or the original body glide.

Sawyer Jungle Juice Bug repellant kept the bugs off when I stopped. I had read that keeping speed above 10mph curtails the bugs. I found speed effective even down to 8mph. Bug repellant was only necessary for stops. Then it was critical.

L.L.Bean's Comfort Cycling Jersey, Long-Sleeve regulated temps and kept the sun off. I slept in it on cold camping nights, wore it through the hottest days, and traveled in it. This was a great multipurpose shirt. I opted for neon for visibility on roads to offset carrying an additional neon vest. The offset rear pocket is a bit odd but it works great when carrying a pack.

Listerine Pocket Strips are great portable toothpaste/mouthwash/mints. Just keep them dry.

iPod Nano - Thanks to Ryan for the loaner. I got more than 12 hours of battery life. It was critical having a separate small music player. I saved iPhone battery power for more complex tasks like note taking, navigation, and C&O and GAP Apps. They are only available for iOS currently.

AT&T iPhone 4 with Verizon Illusion pre-paid backup. This combo worked out well. I'm primarily an iPhone user. When I killed (it died?) the iPhone I at least had a phone for navigation and communication. With a Mohpie case on the iPhone both devices charged from microUSB. The mophie case also charged the iPod. This combination kept me powered and informed. I had AT&T service, Verizon service, and a satellite link via Spot Connect.

Garmin eTrex 30 worked well for navigation. Downloading Open Street Map basemaps gave me all roads and trails. GAP and C&O GPX files provided key points of interest. I did encounter the problem with eTrex killing its battery and suddenly powering off. It worked fine for 6 days and then got difficult. I had backups with offline maps in Maps With Me Pro on the Android and Verizon phones.

Cygolight Expilion 350 saved me from several forms of darkness. I was worried about killing the battery and being unable to recharge so I ordered two lights and took one light and both fully charged batteries. That proved more than sufficient. The light is brighter than I needed most of the time. However, it was great to have the extra lumens riding the tricky surface of Pawpaw tunnel and looking for a campground in a state forest at night. 99% of the time the lowest brightness setting is adequate. The 1% of time I need the extra brightness it is an invaluable asset. 

Bell Beacon Bike Helmet Mounted Light - this is a little gem. It's bright enough to get the job done, runs on button batteries which are light and small spares, and includes a rear flashing red. It's just a simple light. It's not super bright. It's just enough. I find the brightness similar to the Planet Bike Blaze 2 Watt light.

Showers Pass rain jacket and rain pants, Goretex rain hood - These were great for rain and for warmth. These were pinch the night I camped in 49 degree weather. My bivvy sack and sleeping bag liner just were not doing the trick. Next trip I may add a base layer just in case of another cold front.

Bull City running hat - wide and deep bill for shade and bug protection.

Oakley prescription glasses with transitions lenses - protect my eyes, give some shade in the sun, and fade to clear for night riding. Avoid the "irridium" lenses as they don't get completely clear - a show stopper for night time.

Last but certainly not least are my Revelate Designs bags. I cannot say enough about the quality and workmanship that Eric puts into these pieces. I have the Tangle Frame Bag, Jerrycan, Gas tank, Pocket, Harness, and Viscacha seat bag. This is good stuff. Everything I needs fits in this combination with no panniers.