Our bikes
The cycling trip in Vietnam was our first cycling holiday ever, so the first thing we had to do was buying two bicycles. After surfing the internet to gather information of bicycle manufacturers, bicycle shops and other cyclists. Therefore, it seemed logical to us to provide other people with some information about our bicycles on this page.
After our internet inquiries, we visited some bicycle shops to get more detailed information.
We finally decided to buy our bicycles at Van Herwerden in Voorburg, They are close to home, they took much time to inform us, they had a short delivery time and we had the impression that they gave good value for money. After our purchase they helped us to our satisfaction, every time we visited Van Herwerden and we can recommend them to anyone.
A custom made frame was, keeping in mind that this was our first cycling holiday, too expensive. We chose for a bicycle on basis of the Rocky mountain bike frame , which we could build up according to our wishes and budget. A mountain bike frame with 26" wheels has the advantage that we will not be stopped by bad road conditions and mountain bike tubes are easier to get in less developed countries. Anke is also riding on a men's frame, because it is more stiff. We did not buy front panniers, because camping is out of the question in Vietnam.
We came to the next combination:
| Part | Comment |
|---|---|
| Shimano Deore group | The standard material seemed good enough for us |
| Shimano XT hubs | An upgrade for an important part that fitted in our budget |
| Sputnik rim | 26" |
| 36 spokes: | Not a single one broken |
| Shimano Deore V-brakes | |
| Multi position handlebar: | |
| SPD-combi pedals | Useable with and with SPD-shoes |
| Tubus Cargo rear carrier | You can weld steel anywhere in the world when it breakes (Which it didn't) |
| Ortlieb Back-Roller Classic rear panniers | Waterproof, and we needed that |
| Schwalbe Marathon XR tires | Still no flat tires |
| Topeak MountainMorph pump | No extension needed and more then enought pressure (11 bar) |
| Cateye Velo 7 cycling computer | No readings in heavy rain |
| Minoura AB-1500 Pet-Cage | You can buy PET bottles everywhere, so no problem when you lose one |
| Cateye EL200 headlight | Economical LED-lighting |
| Spanninga Ultra Xba rearlight | LED-lighting, build into the rear reflector |
| Terry Butter Fly and Fly Max saddle | With a hole to relief the pressure in some places |
| AGU Quorum | Old model from a bargain sale |
| Tubus Duo front carier | You can weld steel anywhere in the world when it breakes (Which it didn't) |
| Ortlieb Front-Roller Classic front panniers | Waterproof, and we needed that |
Having the cycling trip behind us, we still support our choice completely. No flat tires, no broken spokes the only thing we had to change were the rear brake pads because they were totaly worn-out after a 9 km descent in the rain (we had them for almost 3000 km).
Information about spare parts and maintenance equipment can be found in the packing list.