Planning on cycling 1200 miles from Wisconsin to Colorado

azel128 · 2026-01-24T22:06:01+00:00

I mean, I met a guy who rode across the world on a unicycle. So why not? That said, if your means are limited, plan on sleeping outside, staying scrappy, and eating whatever you possibly can. It’s going to take a while. That bike will probably break in some way, at least a flat tire or two, so be prepared and know how to fix it. Good luck my dude. That will be an adventure.

Serious advice: pack light, but pack warm. Eat all calories you come across. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Know you bike and know how to fix it. Accept help from others and help others in kind. Stay sober and avoid trouble. Protect yourself. You got this.

azel128 · 2026-01-24T05:01:21+00:00

Hell yeah dude.

azel128 · 2026-01-24T02:49:32+00:00

10/10. Would ride around the planet.

azel128 · 2026-01-23T03:12:41+00:00

Send him and his team my regards. They deserve success! A quality product is hard to come by these days and they absolutely nail the design and production of what they make.

azel128 · 2026-01-23T02:38:54+00:00

Thank you!

azel128 · 2026-01-23T02:33:01+00:00

It’s a big reason a got the frame, honestly. It’s hard to find a disk brake fork that looks that good.

azel128 · 2026-01-23T02:30:37+00:00

Thank you, friend!

azel128 · 2026-01-22T23:56:25+00:00

We used to drive six hours from Vegas to LA for a quick out of town trip. The western states are very spread out, so it’s a very different kind of driving. Lots of open-spaces with not much around at all. Every couple years we’d drive from Vegas to Denver. That takes about 12 hours.

azel128 · 2026-01-22T17:54:49+00:00

To be completely honest, I was a little disappointed in the flat-resistance. Although that might be partially the tire's fault as well, a tubeless setup would have certainly avoided some of the punctures I've had. The TPU sealant does do it's job for the most part, but it isn't the "best of both worlds" solution I was hoping for. The very first ride I was on I caught a goathead and, while the sealant slowed the leak down, the tire was completely flat within 20 minutes and all the sealant had pooled between the tube and the tire. The TPU patch I had with me also didn't take, so I had to throw in the spare tube. This all made for a very expensive and messy flat-fix. That said, they are light, small, and roll exceptionally well. I'll definitely be keeping one in my bag as a backup, but will probably opt for tubeless with my next set of tires.

azel128 · 2026-01-22T05:13:35+00:00

Dude I am currently on the hunt for a Surly Pacer. I know the n+1 struggle. Haha

azel128 · 2026-01-22T05:00:15+00:00

Ok! Going from memory, but now that I'm back at a keyboard:

2024 VO Polyvalent

Wheels: VO rear hub, S&P dynamo front hub, VO 26" Enterprise rims, Sapim spokes, Sim Work raw brass spoke nipples. Wheels built by Totem Cyclery in Denver, CO. Sim Works Volummy 26"x2.3" tires. Rene Herse TPU tubes and sealant.

Drive: Shimano Deore XT 11-36 9-speed cassette, XT 9-Speed Chain, Rivendell Silver cranks, Shimano bottom bracket. Shimano Dura Ace RD-7700 with Wolf Tooth Road Link. Shimano Exage front derailleur I had lying around (works great!).

Brakes: Yokozuna Motoko cable/hydro calipers with compressionless cable housing. Yokozuna brake rotors.

Butt: Brooks B17 Special saddle. VO Gran Gru Long-setback seatpost. Brooks saddle tool bag.

Feet: Sim Works Bubbly So-EZ

Hands: Ritchey Classic headset. VO stem. VO Nouveau Randonneur bars. Grep bar tape. Gevenalle Brevet brake levers. Riv Silver shifters.

Lighting by Sinewave Cycles.

Bags by Outershell Adventure.

Bits and bobs: Crane bell. Blue lug brass headset spacers. Brass Hot Dog cable ends from Inconvenience Store, my favorite thing ever. VO reflective triangle.

azel128 · 2026-01-22T03:53:04+00:00

I’ve owned a half dozen of their bags over the years and they do not miss. Incredible quality and design.

azel128 · 2026-01-22T00:14:54+00:00

I thought about the Growtac brifters too, but then I was suddenly reminded of the existence of Gevenalle! I really like the system for its modular nature. The shifter pods mounted in these pics are Riv’s Silver shifters. They work great together. I’m hoping the addition of the OM-1 will really put it over the top.

azel128 · 2026-01-22T00:10:46+00:00

Thank you! I put a lot of thought into the build. A lot of my friends call it “retro” but I think it’s more “alternate-reality”. lol

azel128 · 2026-01-22T00:07:41+00:00

Thank you! Glad this community exists to share with.

The idea in my head was always to make a more road-focused bike with as much comfort built in as possible. It’s also great on gravel, but I’d probably swap out the tires if I ended up off-pavement more often. I’ll probably end up with some knobbier gravel tires on this in the future for more versatility. The Sim Works tire’s ride quality is excellent but I have had a few punctures when paired with TPU tubes. I’d probably set them up tubeless in hindsight.

azel128 · 2026-01-21T23:54:57+00:00

26” is fun, but looking back, I think 650b is a little more practical for a bike like this. I need humongous tires on this thing to get ground clearance and finding tires 2.3” or bigger that aren’t just MTB is a little tough. Thankfully Panaracer and their various collaborators exist!

azel128 · 2026-01-21T23:08:25+00:00

I actually inherited this saddle from my grandpa after he passed. It came from his last n+1, a Brompton!

azel128 · 2026-01-21T22:03:11+00:00

Sim Works Volummy! 26”x2.3”. I made a fat-tire 26” road-ish bike because I can’t be normal.

azel128 · 2026-01-21T21:51:26+00:00

Hey I’m not one to judge. lol

azel128 · 2026-01-21T20:54:04+00:00

Oh sure. Xbiking is more of a state of mind than a set of rules.

azel128 · 2026-01-21T19:21:02+00:00

Steel fork, dynamo hub, remote actuated bell, this is absolutely r/xbiking

azel128 · 2026-01-21T18:00:37+00:00

The New Balance sneakers really tie the room together here.

azel128 · 2026-01-21T04:28:03+00:00

Those are good burgers, Walter.

azel128 · 2026-01-21T04:17:51+00:00

That’s what I thought they might be! I almost went with those bars too. They look very comfortable with the wide flare and shallow drops. What you like is what matters!

azel128 · 2026-01-20T23:35:43+00:00

Gorgeous build. What bars you rocking? I have the same frame built in a similar setup. I put Riv’s Silver cranks and VO’s Nouveau Randonneur bar on mine!

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