1/5 - The Gear

3 Days to launch!

A new year deserves new gear!  At least that's how I justified my (very) recent purchases.  As I debated which jacket/pant set to wear on the trip, I realized I was sorely lacking decent all-weather touring gear.  I've toured in all my gear (leather/textile/mesh) but none of them truly served me well for multipurpose touring, especially knowing I'll be getting rained on...ugh!  Those of you that know me know just how intensely I dislike riding in the rain, with or without rain gear.


I decided it was time to invest in some high quality waterproof stuff, so Cyclegear here I come!  Besides, do we really need a good reason to buy more gear?  Exactly!  I knew you'd agree.  Granted now I have four jackets and three pairs of pants, but who's counting?  Did I mention I also have three helmets and four pairs of gloves?  I chose Frank Thomas gear because 1) it's high quality stuff with a lifetime warranty and 2) they're the only ones that had colors other than black or that icky high vis yellow.    Yea yea, I know some of you like standing out like a beacon on the highway but that's just not my cup 'o tea.

As soon as I tried on the touring set, I knew it was made for me.  Both the jacket and pants fit me like a glove and are versatile enough that I will be comfortable in the varying temperatures that I'm expecting on the trip.  They both have removable warmth and waterproof liners.  But the best part?  They're super cute and girlie...at least the jacket.  :)  The only disappointment was they didn't have colors other than black for the pants.  Ah well, I was in a hurry (yea I'm buying gear 3 days before leaving on the trip) so I didn't have the luxury of being too choosy at this point.  And because they're both from the same manufacturer, the jacket and pants zip together to become an almost-one-piece without any alterations.

Here is a list of the gear I will be taking on the trip including electronics:

• Arai Vector helmet (white)
• Frank Thomas Venus Waterproof Textile Jacket (black/white)
• Frank Thomas Lady Rider Waterproof Textile Pants (black)
• Dainesella D-dry Boots (black)
• Icon Leather Gloves (black)
• Olympia Leather/Fleece Gloves (black)
• Garmin Zumo 550 GPS unit with connectors (black/silver)
• Garmin u-shaped RAM mount (black/silver)
• Panasonic Lumis digital pocket camera (silver)
• HP mini netbook (black/silver)
• Power outlet converter (white)
• Slime Powersport Tire Inflator/Compressor Kit (black/silver)

Yes I match, down to my electronics.  :)

Now the hardest part begins, having to packing everything into a single backpack, ha!