I am 1/2 way through my month long program of getting my body ready to fight off Polio, Cholera, Rabies, Hep A, Typhoid, Measles, Mumps and Rubella today. Interesting to find that the Cholera medication involved drinking a cocktail – not an aperitif I can recommend!
More changes to the “conveyance”
I have decided to increase the trailer wheel size to 20″ to match the bikes wheel size. I am using the original hubs as these have a pushpin axle fitting that is very easy to remove from the trailer for packing down. I recently replaced the trailer bearings and repacked these with grease so should get a good few miles before these need attending to again. The rims are double walled and should make these wheels robust. It has been interesting to learn more about spoke lacing options – radial seems the simplest, strongest and lightest option for this purpose. The trailer has no rotational force from the hub so there is no need for 1, 2 or 3 cross patterns. The tyres will be Schwalbe Marathon Plus giving me slightly lower roll resistance and the best puncture resistance out there + only having to carry one size of spare tube.
The plan is also to incorporate a vertical square aluminum tube rising from the spacer on the axle which will have a couple of benefits – stopping the trailer bag from flopping sideways and rubbing on the wheel and giving me a fixed height to attach the solar panel to that clears the wheels. This will also allow me to eliminate the internal bag frame that takes up room and adds weight.
I have more robust joiners for the solar panel frame being made and hoping that these will address the breakages that I have had there. The fixed length support braces for the frame will be replaced with a few adjustable length broken walking poles that I have acquired over the years that will allow me to get support to the frame from the bag that will vary in length as the bag is filled differently.
A few techy options that I have embraced:
Yubikeys have come onto my horizon recently as I become more aware of security options available. The phone I will take is a Google Pixel 7 Pro that has GrapheneOS at it’s heart. The Proton ecosystem. Firefox browser. Signal for keeping in touch with the family. Kamoot is my main route planning and viewing software. Garmin’s ecosystem for recording each days ride and displaying the Varia radar. A Thinkpad is along to mess with solarbent and as a reader for my Libby (audio)books. Peak Design wireless charging mount added to the “flight deck” will allow me to see and adjust where I am heading all day. Shokz provide the sounds. Google translate’s conversation in offline mode will hopefully enable local comms to work. CAP app provides country and city risk alerts and access to medical and security professionals when I have wireless coverage. WikiCamps Australia has a huge database of recognised places to stay while there. GoPro Labs software allows the 10 Black to become a dashcam.
