simonhill wrote:
Re your backpack for valuables - I presume you mean on your back not on your bike (back) rack. If so, I would advise against anything on your back. Your back is a major region for heat dissipation and cycling with what is effectively multi layers on your back in the summer heat is not a good idea. If the backpack is heavy then it can also make yo a bit unstable on the bike.
Agreed - a backpack is the worst of all worlds. It may be fine for a short - mid commute but for touring, forget it!
A handlebar bag, or an easily detached bag on top of your rear carrier, is the way to go.
I worry that you don't seem to have done any touring, even multi-day UK trips which would allow you to learn what works for you (and what doesn't) in terms of riding style, type of accommodation, luggage, clothing, distance, and dealing with mishaps like breakdowns or illness. Your reliance on this forum and retailers is optimistic!
I wish you well, and I admire your spirit, but I do have concerns for the success of your trip!
(I should speak - I set off for France in 1972 with a few YHA trips and rides with the local DA under my belt, a failed French O level, a puncture repair kit, a dumbbell spanner, some spare spokes I didn't know how to use, and spare bulbs I'd never need. I survived - and enjoyed it)
I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my wobbly using hovercraft full of eels.
Leicester; Riding my Hetchins since 1971; Day rides on my Dawes; Going to the shops on a Decathlon Hoprider