My bike

I’ve been a bicyclist all my life, from early training wheels in the 1950s to a 3-speed Ralaigh in the ’60s for my paper route to a 10-speed Schwinn in my high school and college days in the late ’60s and early ’70s. My parents let me and my brother, Greg, ride 40+ miles from home to beach cabin starting when we were 10 years old.  The itch for adventure became life-long.

After more than 40 years of non-stop work, including bike commuting most of the time, I retired in April, 2016.

I built my touring bike at the Montlake Bike Shop in Seattle, Washington ( http://www.montlakebike.com ) with the help of owner Neil Wechsler and store manager Gary Tegantvoort.  We went for sturdy, solid construction.

My Gunnar touring bike on the back deck of our houseboat in Seattle; note the sea kayak immediately behind.

Here are the details:

• Gunnar steel frame:  Grand Disc — 58 cm – gas tungsten arc welded (TIG-welded), air-hardened steel alloy — custom built in Waterford, Wisconsin
• Vaya fork — chromoly steel
• Crank/3 chain rings:  44x32x22 teeth
• Crank: Hollowtech II 175mm
• Sprocket/cassette: CS M700 — 11-32 teeth — 10-speed
• “Gear Inches” (diameter of wheel in inches times chain ring in teeth divided by sprocket in teeth) = 19.2 — 112
• Shifters:  Shimano 105s with F/R derailleurs
• Disc brakes:  Spyre 160 rotors
• Wheels: Dyad 36-hole — 28 inch diameter
• Tires:  Schwalbe Marathon Supreme 700×35 EVO — 50-85 psi
• Tubes:  Q-Tube 700×28-32mm — 48 mm Presta valves
• Pedals:  Shimano M530 SPD cleats
• Shoes:  Giro Rumble VR46 – 2-hole recessed SPD cleats
• Saddle:  Brooks Cambium C17
• Panniers:  Ortlieb Roller Classic front and rear
• Extra back bag:  Ortlieb Rack-Pack 31(M)
• Handlebar bag:  Ortlieb Ultimate 6 Plus
• Dynamo:  Shimano Alfine
• Lights:  Busch&Muller Luxos U Lumotec IQ2 + rear Seculite Plus
•    — Front flasher:  Nite Rider Mako 150
•    — Rear flasher:  Planet Bike Superflash Turbo (REI)

View from our deck toward Lake Union, Seattle in late March 2016