27 months

Since posting my interview with Colin MacNeill, I’ve received a number of email requests from gearheads asking for specs on Colin’s ride (which he has dubbed “Blessed”). So here, without further ado, is all the technical info a budding wanna-be adventure tour cyclist could hope for. Colin’s refined both his bike and gear after two grueling years of cycling, so if you find some inspriration in his setup you can thank him for taking the guesswork out of it for you:

Bike

• Complete bike is built by Orbit Cycles UK, model is “Expedition”
• Touring-specific steel frame with 26” mountain wheels
• Shimano XT components used throughout
• Upright threadless riser stem & ergo touring road bars
• Indexed bar-end shifters
• Cyclo-cross brake levers
• Schwalbe Marathon XR tires (front & rear) w/ Kevlar anti-puncture linings
• Front & rear Tubus racks
• SKS Expedition front & rear fenders
• Added front & rear lights powered by Lightspin dynamo
• Added two kickstands (to support luggage)
• Added human/animal homemade pepper spray deterrent bottle, mounted with rubber straps to head tube in anticipation of reported hostilities in Lagos, Nigeria (never used)
• Replaced front tire with wonky Chinese rubber in Senegal
• Broke original seat post, replaced with spare found in Spain
• Original pedals disintegrated in Spain, replaced with aluminum ones
• Aluminum pedals broke in Calabar, Nigeria. Replaced with wonky Chinese rubber ones (currently in use)
• Flags tied to handlebars representing Morocco, Ghana, Nigeria & Benin
• Cameroon flag & “Bikes not Bombs” stickers on rear mudguard
• “Une Bicyclette” sticker on front mudguard from PCV Jessica in Uganda
• Replaced original XT crankset & bottom bracket twice
• Currently using XT Hollowtech cartridge BB w/ XT crank (48×36x26, 170mm arms)
• Rear cassette is Sachs PG-850, 8 speed (11-32)
• Kept original gel saddle, added homemade vinyl cushioned cover obtained in Ghana
• Multiple layers of bar tape
• Handlebar-mounted compass

Gear

• Ortlieb panniers
• North Face rope bag used as all-purpose trunk bag/duffel/backpack, etc.
• Two gigantic U-Locks used in European cities (double as camp weapons in Africa) secured to front rack
• Terra Nova 2-man tent capable of sheltering both bike & rider
• 3-season sleeping bag & bivy sack
• Mountain Equipment Gore-Tex jacket
• Gore-Tex cycling pants (double as “formal” pants for special occasions)
• Fleece jacket
• Worn-out & replaced many clothing items like shirts, shorts, etc. along the way
• On fourth pair of sandals, currently favor wonky Chinese name brand knock-offs
• Basic Toolkit: adjustable wrench, cone wrenches, chain breaker, Park allen key set, Leatherman multi-tool, spoke wrench, grease, automotive oil used as chain lube
• Spare tire (folding) & tubes, patches
• Spare spokes, nipples, ball bearings & other misc. small parts
• Finds other spare parts as-needed along the route, usually in big cities (needs a new headset & pedals!)

Update: Here’s a YouTube clip I took after taking the above photos.