Are we there yet, Daddy?: BIKE GEAR

While my trusty steed for this trip is my 2007, custom built, titanium, S&S coupled Habanero touring bike, I will not be riding loaded.

This trip is fully supported and I mean REALLY supported, like with an executive chef complete with her own rolling gourmet kitchen and other staff to set up and strike our 6 foot headroom tents, inflate the queen-sized mattresses and even do your laundry twice a week!!

Imagine this: You wake up in the morning, get dressed and pack your overnight stuff back up, walk out to a professionally prepared breakfast, get on your bike and ride your daily 70 to 100 miles to the next nights campsite where, miraculously, your tent is again set up with your belongings inside! OH YEAH! I have a strange feeling I could get used to this! This could easily become my new idea of roughing it!

Unlike my normal tours, I will not have to haul my usual four heavy panniers full of tent, sleeping bag, pad, camping and cooking gear, freeze dried foods, sleeping bag and pad, limited changes of clothing and TINY toiletry and tool sets.

Within reason (like NINETY POUNDS of "reason!") they will haul up to three large duffel bags FULL of "MY STUFF" from campsite to campsite daily! So I can not only take all the warm and cold weather cycling clothing I could ever need but also take along decent street clothing, my laptop, Kindle, and all the soaps,shampoos and vitamins and shoes I like! Cool!

Obviously, this means that the "Gear List" for this trip will be both a LOT shorter than usual (for the "on bike" portion) and basically irrelevant regarding the camping stuff. I will not list everything I pack in my duffels for the trip but I will mention things I feel are important to the cycling part even if they won't be on the bike, like spares, tools and such. I will take a lot of spares because even though there will be a bike mechanic on the tour, touring bikes are so varied in parts he can't possibly have them all on hand.

Bike:

Custom made to my measurements, titanium, Habanero touring bike equipped with S&S couplers
A new, compact handlebar since as I get older I am less comfortable for long stretches in a deep drop position
Profile Design T3 Aerobar for comfort and less drag in headwinds and for an additional and comfortable position on long days.
Removed the front Tubus rack but left on the rear Tubus since I plan to take my Arkel Trunk bag daily with my rain stuff, power bars, tools etc because I will not be able to take my normal handlebar bag due to the aerobars.
I have my favorite Brooks B17 saddle and for comfort on the crappy back roads I have added a Cane Creek Thudbuster seatpost. I have now ridden it for many months and am sorry I took so long to buy one!
Garmin Edge 800 loaded with the North America Street Map.
Schwalbe Marathon Supreme 700x28 (I always use Schwalbe tires but normally I use larger 700x32 or 36 for the weight of loaded touring)
As are most touring bikes, mine is a hodgepodge of whatever fits and works: Shimano Ultegra brifters and hubs, XTR rear derailleur and cassette, IRD Alpina front derailleur, Sugino XD 600 26/36/46 crank, Shimano R550 canti brakes with Kool-Stop pads, SKS Fenders, Velocity Dyad rims, Tubus racks, and Arkel and/or Ortlieb Panniers.

Riding Gear and Clothing: