Here is a list of my equipment

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Tricycle :

- ICE QNT 20", with rear suspension, fully equipped with front mudguards, headrest etc

- Transmission Shimano XT with bar ends. Triple cranset (22/24/44) with short cranks (152mm) and 9-32 cassette

- Sturney Archer drum brakes

- Marathon Plus 20x1.75 tyres. First, I considered using a BMX tyre at the rear for a better traction on tracks, but after trying Schwable Jumping Jack and Maxxis Max Daddy, I found that drawbacks on road (friction, noise) outnumbered advantages on tracks. I will see after this summer's test if changes are needed.

UPDATE after one summer cycling in Ladakh : I am satisfied with the Marathon Plus. Though they look thin, they do a good job.

- ICE rack :

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- 1 side bar with 1 handlebar bag on the left + 1 side bar with airzound and a bottle holder on the right :

- Tools and spare parts : nothing original here. 1 pump, 1 inner tube, 1 kit with patch and glue, 1 tyre-lever, 1 chain-tool and a few chain-links, 1 brake cable, 1 derailleur cable, a few allen keys, 1 spoke wrench, 1 light screw driver, 1 Leatherman multi-function knike CS4, 1 hypercraker custom-made by ICE, some screws and bolts, a piece of metal wire, duct-tape and bits of old inner-tubes to make straps, 2m of dynema thin cord, 1 derailler hanger.


Luggage :

Needs:

1) carry about a 40 litre backpack that I need for treks
2) everything must fit in the panniers so as not to have a mess hanging here and there on the rack
3) the weigth must be correctly balanced on the left and on the right, and split between rack and seat to avoid putting too much strain on the rack.

Hence the solution :

Left side :
- 1 fully waterproof MSX pannier (20 litres)
- 1 Alkura handle-bar bag on the side bar (papers, small snacks, compact camera, emergency medecine to avoid having to dig in the rear panniers looking for ventoline or paracetamol)

(photo source : http://www.expemag.com)

Right side :

1 40l backpack inside a home-made side pannier. As it's a 1st try, I used cheap tarpaulin (150 gr/m2), sewned and reinforced with duct-tape to have something stiff and waterproof. Hermetical roll-on closure system at the top (making it possible to reach the content of the bag without undoing everything). The pannier rests partly on the rack thanks to a quick-lock system hijacked from a pair of Ortlieb frontrollers, and on the back of the seat with a big elastic strap. The back of the pannier (esp the part where the quick lock is screwed on) is reinforced with plastic ( a piece of crazy carpet cut and screwed inside the pannier). In order to be able to lock the bag, I added 2 small metal rings, making it possible to use a padlock. Also possible to pass the cable of the cycle-lock thru the rings.

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The pannier is bigger than the backpack alone, so I'll be able to fit in the handle-bar bag and have only one single piece of checked-in luggage in the plane (+ MSX pannier as a hand baggage).

In the backpack : camping and cooking stuff, hiking boots, crampons, ice-axe, harness. Bike tools and spare parts in the upper part of the bag, easily accessible while on the road.

UPDATE after one summer cycling in Ladakh : This tarpaulin pannier proved both good and bad :

Good because it did the job it was supposed to do (carry the backpack and the junk stuff that didn't fit anywhere else...)

But :
- it wasn't fully waterproof. Ok for rain, but water got inside from the bottom when we crossed rivers.
- the cheap tarpaulin isn't strong enough (I knew it wouldn't, it was just a proto)
- it was too big
- I actually needed 2 straps to hold it (1 horizontally, 1 vertically) which wasn't very convenient (takes too much time to attach and undo + makes it impossible to reach the content of the bag while riding), otherwise it would touch the wheel and derailleur and even touch the ground at some point.
- the weight was actually not properly balanced (this is a pb I have to tackle)
- and it looks very ugly on the photos ... ;-(

Now I consider the following solution :

2 MSX rear panniers (40 litres) + 1 fully waterproof backpack tied on the rack, lengthwise. The French compagny Crazy Fish makes an interesting model that I might be able to use ->

The only trouble with this solution is that the whole weight will be on the rack. According to what ICE told me, this shouldn't be a pb as long as I don't have more than 25kg.

I'm also looking at Ortlieb's recumbent panniers which are fully waterproof, but way above my budget :

source : http://www.therandonneeshop.com

Other solution that I'm seriously considering :


Extremtextil has in its catalog some fully-waterproof heatsealable TPU coated fabric that would be perfect for a pair of home-made panniers (480 gr/m2 black/silver et 370 gr/m2 orange). I have received some samples which look very good, and I am working on a tarpaulin prototype.


Camping :

- Mountain Hardware Sprite 1 tent, slightly modified (lighter version). Not fully satisfied with this one (it's good and light, but the inner room is not very practical). Still thinking about what I should do for thee "bigger trip".
- Thermarest Prolite 3 (120cm), perfect !
- Vallandré Swing 900 down sleeping bag which has done its time. Gotta find a new model for the big trip, looking for something slightly warmer (Rab Quantum Endurance ? Valandré Freja ? Triple Zero Astagou 1000 ?)


Clothes & co :

- 2 technical short sleeve tee-shirts
- 1 long sleeve merino tee-shirt
- 1 windstopper sweat-shirt
- 1 down jacket (UPDATE : finally didn't take it)
- 1 goretex jacket
- 1 pair of ultralight hiking trousers
- 1 pair of warmer windstopper trousers
- 1 pair of goretex overtrousers
- underwear
- 2 pairs of trekking socks (1 merino, 1 light)

- 1 pair of merino gloves
- 1 pair of waterproof gloves
- 1 pair of waterproof sealskinz socks with merino inner (to wear in the sandals)
- cycling gaitors (Decathlon)
- 1 hat

- SPD sandals
- helmet
- 1.8m cable-lock for the bike (with alarm)


Toilet bag and medecine :

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For trekking :

- hiking boots
- 1 aluminium ice-axe
- aluminium crampons
- Camp ultra-light harness
- a pair of walking sticks (can't walk without them. Too bad, it implies carrying an extra 400gr!!!)


Misc :

- Nikon D90 + 12-24mm + 85 f1.8 + 1 spare battery + 1 charger
- Compact Panasonic LX3 + 1 spare battery + 1 charger (same cable as for D90)
- 2 4 Go SD cards
- 2 16 Go SD cards
- 1 gorillapod
- 1 eeppc 701 + 1 external drive
- 1 Rhodia A5 style netbook + pen
- some photocopies of maps (Nelles India North, Ladakh Olizanne) (the rest is scanned)
- 1 book (this year, it'll be Lolita by Nabokov, which I'm supposed to read for my studies...)
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The project

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Let me introduce myself : Nanette, with my bike (doesn't sound that good in English, but it rhymes in French...).

And here with my trike :

After several trips - which always seemed too short - in the Himalayas, I really felt like doing a bigger journey, taking time to explore the region more deeply, to meet the people. Of course, travelling by bicycle seemed obvious to me, for the ideal pace it provides, and the pleasure I take in it. The trigger point was when I discovered recumbent bicycles (and particularly trikes). Chance meetings did the rest.


The project :

I want to travel across the Himalayas to continue exploring the world's highest roads, across Northern India, Tajikistan, Kirgizstan, Chinese Turkestan, Tibet and Nepal, for 8 months, this time on a reccumbent tricycle and on foot.

First stage in the summer 2009 in Ladakh (Indian Himalaya). After a first cycle-touring trip in the region on an up-right bicycle (summer 2008), I would now like to go back to Northern India on three wheels. This trip to familiar ground in the summer 2009 will enable me to fully test the trike and make all the needed adjustments before undertaking a longer and more demanding journey. It will also give me the opportunity to explore some remote parts of Ladakh, including the newly open Wari La road and set a record by taking a tricycle to 3 of the highest motorable passes in the world (Kardung La officially 5606m – Chang La 5360m - Wari La 5328m). I also plan to do some trekking in Zanskar and some climbing (Mentok II 6090m, and maybe Stok Kangri 6153m).

I'll start the journey with Pierre who will ride with me from Keylong to Tso Khar and Tso Moriri. From there, we'll attempt climbing Mentok II.

Itinerary and schedule

1) Indian Himalaya (Ladakh - Zanskar) - July/August 2009
2) The Pamirs (Tajikistan - Kirghizistan : from Dushambe to Osh, then Tashkurgan pass towards Chinese Turkestan) - July 2010
3) North Karakoram (Chinese Turkestan and North Pakistan : from Kashgar to Gilgit return, via Karakul lake and Hunza valley) - August 2010
4) West Tibet (Kashgar - Lhasa via Mount Kailash) - September/October 2010
5) Friendship Highway (Lhasa - Katmandu) - November 2010
6) Trek to the Everest Base Camp and Gokyo Peak - December 2010

Back to Europe via the Transmongolian (January 2011)


Recumbent tricycle

I first had the opportunity to discover recumbents during a cycling trip in the Alps when I happened to stop at M5 in Doussard. I immediately fell in love with the tricycle for its comfort and its stability. It is fun, original and a very friendly means of transportation, creating great interest and even fascination. It will thus allow me to break many cultural barriers. I believe it is a fantastic way to access areas that are rarely visited.

Here is the Trice QNT that I will be riding. It is made by the English manufacturer ICE (Inspired Cycle Engineering Ltd) and was set up with the help of Céline Trousseau (Cyclociel, a recumbent bike shop in Lyon) :

More information on the project on the website :

www.transhimalaya.fr

Fun ride in the Aravis

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I've just come back from a cycle touring trip in the Aravis, with a two-fold purpose : climb my 1st "real" pass with a fully loaded tricycle, and test a new tent footprint.

Starting Sunday morning, obviously later than expected ...towards Saint Pierre Faucigny - Petit Bornand. This is the 1st time I have ridden this route in this direction, as I usually ride down coming from Colombière pass. I discover the beautiful Eveaux Gorge to which I had never paid any attention. Lunch break in Entremont at the excellent "Auberge Au Coeur des Monts" run by the friendly Sophie and Jerome (04 50 03 52 48). Arrival in Grand Bornand earlier than planned (despite the late departure and the long lunch break), I decide to go for a ride towards the Boucher Valley. Night at L'Escale just for the sake of a splash in the pool, feels terrific after a good 1st day pedaling.

A late afternoon thunderstorm soaks the tent and turns the ground to mud, so as to give more meaning to the test of the new tent footprint... not very convincing!

I start - for once - a tiny bit less early than expected... Today's goal : ride my 1st real pass with a fully loaded trike, Croix Fry pass (1477m). It climbs gently, I feel good. Final ascent amidst the fir trees before reaching the ski slopes. Riding on a small gravel track up to the restaurant, I have the confirmation that the rear wheel doesn't lose traction when the trike is loaded (2 panniers on the rear rack). Lunch at a table outside : hearty pot-au-feu (beef and vegie stew) so as to get some strength back.


Absolutely fabulous ride down on the Manigod side. The road climbs again a bit up to col du Marai, then gently goes down all the way to Faverges where it merges with the Annecy Lake cycle path. I stop for camping in Doussard. Tent set up under a stormy shower, the night is going to be wet once again... But fortunately, the camping spot by the lake is beatiful, and the sun is back in the morning.

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Quack Quack

On the last day, I once more set off fairly late (after taking some photos of the ducks and swans)! Quick stopover at M5 to say hello. The cycle path is very pleasant as usual (outside weekends of course). Back home after a picnic by the lake.

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Winter Ride

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For lack of time, I haven't put online the results of the first tests of the QNT. But I can already say that my first impressions are more than positive.

Here are some photos of the brillant winter tricycle-touring ride in the Ecrins National Park on February 13-15 (organised by Alain, along with Christine, Gabriel and Anne-Do, Jacques, and me of course) :

Me on the left (I know, not easy to recognize),
Christine and Anne Do in the foreground

Me, Anne Do and Jacques

blablabla...
(Anne Do and Christine in the foreground,
Gabriel and Jacques in the background)

Base camp : Desert in Valjouffrey

Beautiful sunset above the camping spot

Warming up as we can around a camp fire

Everyone has their own technique to take the tricycle back up to the road

We left from Moulin Vieux (just after the Alpe du Grand Serre coming from Sechilienne) for those who know the area), and rode to Desert in Valjouffrey, some 50km way. Hilly roads, but not too hard, on quiet country lanes, clear of snow most of the way. Still a fair climb at the end of the day. Some packed snow on the road and a little bit of ice here and there, but only on flat portions or downhills. No problem of traction (no spinning of the rear wheel) contrary to what i had thought. Probably the weight of the luggage improves the grip. The tricycle behaves brilliantly. Better anticipate braking though, especially before bends, or skidding off the road is garanteed. Stability is amazing (easy racing down around 40 km/h on hard snow/ice). This trip would have been impossible on a 2 wheel-bike without falling off a dozen times.

Camping at a spot called "desert" (just below the last village up the valley). Beautiful sunset. It's bloody cold, but everyone's got good equipment. Alain lights a comforting fire, enabling us to melt the frozen water in our bottles, and warming our hands and feet. Starting the stoves is problematic. My Camping Gaz stove dies. An aging hose on a multifuel snaps with the frost. Fortunately, Alain's Primus works brilliantly, it will be used by the whole group. Lesson learnt : it's better to have a good fuel stove in working order and checked, and a 2nd one for back-up if possible.

Hard to get out of the sleeping bag in the morning. –17°C, it's bloody freezing! After a hefty breakfast and some hot tea, we fill the thermoses and set off. The first long downhill from Valjouffrey feels bitterly cold. Every inch of skin left uncovered is immediately cryogened. My down jacket makes miracles, but I have to ride with my big snow boots on (I kept the inner boot warm in the sleeping bag during the night) because the cycling shoes + overshoes prove insufficient in spite of the supposedly warm Merino socks. I'm gonna have to seriously think about the pb because Western Tibet might be a tiny bit cold (-10/-20°C in October) !!!

The snow we had encountered on some portions on Saturday had completely melted when we passed on Sunday. Good thing as the climb back up to Sievoz would have been a tiny bit tricky had there been snow on the road. Back home at dusk. A jolly good weekend.

No technical pb except a loose roulette wheel on one of the trikes (not mine ;-)) but it had nothing to do with the cold. No frozen cable nor derailleur (though the trikes slept outside in the snow). Only Jacques had a studded rear tyre onhis Challenge.

(Thanks to Alain for his photos, I had unfortunately forgotten the batterie for my camera!).

More update when I find the time…

First ride today!

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First ride : some twenty kms, mainly on a cycle path. I finished mounting the trike on Wednesday but could only try it on the parking lot because there was much snow on the roads. Today, the sky cleared up at last. I finished work at noon and went cycling in the afternoon. Only 20-25 km, but enough to realize I’m not quite ready for climbing any pass! I need to build up some muscles…

First report: as expected, the trike rides fantastic. It is very comfortable and easy to handle. I rode mostly on cycling lanes, flat and smooth, with no particular problem. Some bits were snowed in and impassable, so I had to get off and push a couple of times. Going uphill was definitely hard work (and VERY slow), but this should improve with training.

I rode on the road a bit, found it a bit stressful at the beginning being so low, but only met a few cars that weren’t driving fast anyway. One of them was looking at me instead of the road, and I thought for a second that they were heading for the ditch… I also rode on a small track for a couple hundred meters, the trike behaved much better than I thought it would. Actually, I could hardly feel the bumps and holes. The only thing was that I got stuck twice because it was slippery and the rear wheel wasn't giving any traction.

I will still have some adjustment to make (the rear derailleur was not correctly tuned, the front mudguards moved a bit, and I'm not sure the front boom is perfectly adjusted yet).

Oh yeah, I forgot, my feet did get cold! But there might be another reason than a faulty design on the trike… I’ll try not to forget the overshoes next time I ride in cold weather!

All in all, I ‘m delighted with the QNT !

Who's riding ?

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Anne DUSSERT

Currently a high school teacher in a small town in the French Alps, I am fond of travelling, cycling, photography and anything which has to do with mountains. I grew up reading Alexandra David-Neel's narratives of her adventures through Tibet.

My first encounter with the Himalayan high plateau was in 2005. I immediately fell in love with this enchanting and fascinating world which inspired me some long term photographic work. I returned in 2007, and in the winter 2008 for a short cycling trip in the Lhasa area. First 5000m passes, intense emotions ...

The Indian Himalaya then offered me some wonderful ground for adventure in the summer 2008 : 1,300km and 20,000m of climbing, by bike and on foot across the regions of Spiti and Laddakh.

On the strength of this experience, I now set off for the new adventure "Transhimalaya - three wheels to the roof of the world".

Previous adventures and travels :

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Cycling across fields, ...................Mountain biking in Guangxi.
Yunnan (China), 2005 .........................(China), 2003......

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....The Reunion, 2004 ................Madagascar, 2004 .................... Finland, winter 2003

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Canada, 2003 .................... Benin, 2000 ..................... Mali, 1999

summers 1998, 1999, 2000 : humanitarian- oriented projects in Burkina Faso (renovation of a children's hospital in Ouahigouya, then set up of a summer activity centre for kids, supported by the NGO "Jérémy" and several partners). Publication of a photo report on Burkina Faso in the French magazine "Photo Amateur".


1998 - 2002 : based in Cayenne (French Guiana). Several trips to the Amazonian basin (French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, Brazil). Trekking in the Andes (on the Venezuela side). Several photo exhibits.

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Sept 1996 to April 1997 : Gap Year, backpacking in the Pacific (L.A. – French Polynesia – Fiji – New Caledonia – New Zealand – Tonga – Samoa – Hawaii)

Summers 1992, 1994, 1995 : Working and travelling in the United States as part of the "Work and Travel" programme (summer jobs in Colorado, New Mexico and Hawaii, followed by some travelling across the US and Northern Mexico).

1993-1994 : Erasmus student at the University of Liverpool, England.

Eté 1991 : First big solo trip away from home, to French Guiana.