Gear List for TransAmerica Cycle Trail and Preparing My Kona Sutra for Bikepacking in Europe

In August this year I plan on cycling the Trans Am, a 4,200 mile cycle route across the United States. In this video I discuss both the bike and the gear I'm planning on taking.

Additionally, I'm off into Europe for a couple of months in my campervan, so I make some changes to my road bike to make it more gravel friendly as I'll be looking to ride some off road trails while I'm there.

Thank you for watching.

If you are interested in hearing my opinion on some of the gear I mention in this video then you may be interested in my review channel:

[TheDuntman]

Hi Matt - you'll love the TransAm! I rode it in 2014 (April - July) Yorktown - Florence. Initial thoughts on your plans - the ACA maps for the TransAm are excellent - we stuck to them religiously (make sure you pop in to say hello to the team in Missoula). The maps are particularly good at suggesting places to stay - Virginia and Kentucky are great for staying in churches - wonderful people. I'd have a chat to the ACA about the forest fire situation in Oregon at the time you are planning to pass through. In July '14 it nearly ended our ride and we had to jump in a fire truck for five miles. I think you should be ok for tornado season - again worth checking (we had to take shelter in a church in Colorado in June, along with around 15 other riders, when a small one struck a farm three miles away). It's really worth visiting Jenny Lake and the Grand Tetons - Yellowstone is fine, but be prepared for busy roads there and numerous RVs. My bike was a Surly Long Haul Trucker and my friend rode a Kona Sutra - both were excellent and ideally suited. I ran Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres - they will easily do 5, 000 miles - I just swopped the back and the front after a few thousand as the extra weight on the back meant that was wearing more. We also changed the chain towards to end - it just depends on how much it is wearing. Oh and don't make the mistake of thinking it would be nice to finish at the coast in Virginia. I had the idea of starting at Virginia Beach and cycling to Yorktown. It's a nightmare - so much traffic and several road bridges and tunnels that won't allow bikes (ended up strapping them onto the front of a bus!) - stick to Yorktown and you'll be fine. V happy to answer any questions you may have, but I can assure you it's a wonderful and life-changing ride - the American people (as you know) are so friendly and welcoming. The beauty of the TransAm is that the scenery is spectacular and changes almost daily - it's a geographical smorgasbord! The four mountain ranges (Rockies, Cascades, Ozarks and Appalachians) are all very different! Loving your channel and all the hard work you put into it. Best wishes, Paul

[hopesomeday]

Sounds like a great trip!
1) You’re going to need climbing gears. You might consider a triple (Tiagra or CX) at least a bailout gear/granny gear.
2) CO2 tire recharging works wonderfully for flats. Especially with bigger tires. Though a pump is necessary for finding leaking tubes.
3) Toss those Park leavers they snap I’ve owned 4 all broke, get Pedro’s they are bullet proof.
4) I purchased red cycling shoes, jersey, and helmet (got some ribbing from my friends). Being seen is very important.

I’ve ridden a ton of road bike miles, over 12, 000 miles in one year without incident.

[Mike-vdqt]

Lots of comments here with good advice. My take: The Schwalbe Marathon Mondial is perfect. The trick is to run them at 50-55 psi (20 psi under max). Skip the bear bag. Skip the water filter. Skip the Tubilito tubes, they fail at the valve, (take one standard tube). Skip the Z-Packs tent. A freestanding tent is easier in the campgrounds here that are designed for vehicles. I used 48/36/26 triple with 34T cassette, 18 inch low gear is good and can be reached with your double crank these days. Stem bags, feed bags, on the handlebars hit my knees on a drop bar bike (geometry different than mtn bike). Unlike bikepacking off road on rough terrain with rock, DG, sandy surfaces where you sit to climb, on long road touring ascents you will probably want to stand and climb sometimes to break it up for your legs. The Feedbags might be in the way. The small bag on Top Tube next to seat, Jerrycan, might rub thighs/knees on a road bike geometry. The Kona Sutra will be keen on standing to climb differently than your mountain bike geometry. Stove, the fastest most fuel efficient I've used over the decades is JetBoil Micro Mo. It has a regulator to simmer for Knorr Packs and soups. I'm the knucklehead that recommended TWO daylight visible red blinker lights for the rear, and highway workers yellow vest. ☮

[Rambl-n_Man]

Hey Matt, glad I found your channel a while back. Enjoyed the GDMBR videos and plan on trying it in 2025. A pro tip on the tubes is put some air in the tube, not too much and it will stay in the wheel channel out of your way as you put on the last side of the tire. Also, if u do get a flat, rub your fingers inside the tire to make sure the object isn't still in your tire. Safe travels.

[reinhartbigl]

Hey Mat, sounds like another epic ride!! Tire choice is great!
I used tubeless Mezcals on last year’s GDMBR ride and they were perfect…
FWIW, I rode the TransCanada (Victoria to St John’s) and Tuktoyaktuk to Victoria (900km’s on the Dempster Hwy) on tubed Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires…almost 15, 000km’s and only one flat (6km’s before the end of transcanada ride…go figure).
Will do another predominantly road ride this summer with said Schwalbe tubed tires with absolute confidence!!
Cheers!

[mphillips]

“One job, thanks Mum” 😂. Looking forward to this, loved the GDMBR series.

[egalegal]

Sorry to hear about the coffee. But maybe it is good for you. I wish you the best.

I used a four panniers setup a lot for touring. Mostly the Ortlieb Rollers in different sizes. I stepped away from using the front ones for food, because I didn’t liked the constant change of weight. Weight itself is no problem. On road it makes the bike stiff and reliant. But the change is a problem. So I would recommend to use the two front panniers for heavy but constant stuff. Maybe a mixture of PowerBank, tools, clothing…

Be sure to use the bear bag. In a state Park in Missouri a raccoon stole my last bread out of a closed pannier.

[scottbates]

If you can get ahold of one in advance, try to always carry an extra derailleur hanger. They are made to bend and break if your bike tips over so it doesn’t destroy your derailleur. But each bike has its own specific hanger need and not easily found while on the road. Simply carrying one could keep you from being grounded for week trying to find a replacement to ship to you.

[ZDD]

An item that might work are “compressed towel tablets”. They are towels that are compressed into small discs. Could be used for cleaning or cleanup if oiling chains etc. take little space

[juliethrower]

Looking for to watching your series for this trip. I can't believe how much stuff you can fit in those bags! Awesome.
All the best for your Europe expedition. I love the fact that you are winging the whole thing. Way to go 😊

[randelscyclevlogperthwa]

Coincidently, I did my last road tour on my new Kona Sutra too. Might need another water bottle carrier and I carry a short piece of wire which has come in handy for bodging a repair. Also my new Swalbe Mondials did get flats, lots of wire, glass and thorns in that cycling zone on the edge of highways. Got sealant put into the tube which solved that problem, just need removable valves in the presta tube.

[scottlong]

I would highly recommend a large frame bag. Gives you so much more capacity, also keep your heavy weight items centered & low on your frame

[tonypaddler]

Hi Mat.
You've made the right choice for bike and gearing from what you've got, great combo. Personally I'm a fan of 3x MTB gearing on a loaded touring bike but that 2x looks good enough.
Those Schwalbe tyres will go all the way for sure, even if it means swapping them around at the halfway point to make sure. And definitely tubes!

I'm off out on a railway line ride right now so I'll finish off your video when I get back, agreeing with and/or correcting any wrong decisions that you might have made ... 🤔😁👍

[myseniorbrain]

You're right, towns close by, unlike GDMBR, so not as much need to stock up on food or water. Cheers from colorful Colorado.

[scottbates]

Thought of one more thing I like on the bike. If you are directional challenged, I attach a tiny Suunto Clipper Compass horizontally on my handlebars via on a bag strap, taped, etc. That way it’s easy for me to just look down to see what direction I’m going…especially when I’m on curvy paths in the woods with limited visibility or landmarks. It’s handy.

[keithwilliams]

Righteous amen to some of these comments.
You will regret tubes. Not a single flat on my Trans Am or GDMBR on tubeless Schwalbe. Road was 700 x 38. Fenders are a good choice.
Garmin Varia saved my life more than once. And get a nice big left bar mirror.
I loved my 3 x 9 mountain bike set up on a Salsa Marrakech touring bike. Those midwest and Appalachian Hills are steep brother. You’ll be doing some standing.
Get yourself a lightweight kickstand. Less cussing, and you’ll save your bike and bags some wear and tear.
Lastly, strongly agree with giving yourself a little more pannier space than you think you’ll need. I carried a lot of second lunches and dinners from restaurants which kept me eating well and my weight and energy up. Those extra meals wrapped in aluminum foil take space. Bars, nuts and dried fruit are like syrup of ipecac by the third day.
I never needed a filter or a stove.
If you are fast and I’m slow, we may cross paths in Montana, you going east on 278 and me going south toward Bannack. Bring Hobnobs.
I enjoy your commentary.

[bazasmith]

Hey Matt! You’re going to LOVE your Sutra!! It is the steed I used to cross Canada (2022) and it is SO comfortable, capable and reliable!! You chose well!! I did not change my Schwalbe Marathons over the course of 8000km - you’ll be fine - the stock bike is more than enough for your road, mild off-road, tour!!! Got an off road adventure bike with Pinion recently and will NOT get rid of my Sutra! Thanks for the run down on the gear - helpful to us all!! Wishing you tailwinds!

[marks]

Hi Matt - I purchased a 52cm 2022 Kona Sutra last year that is also black like yours. I love the bike & also acquired a Tailfin Cycling backpacking set-up similar to yours. I'm a retired 66 year old cyclist in Cary, NC who recently under went a left hip replacement on January 16th. My physical therapy & home exercise program has been going progressing nicely & I'm hoping to be back riding in the great outdoors within the next month or two. For now I'm riding on a stationary bike during my PT sessions to warm-up.

FYI - I had my local bike shop upgrade my 2022 Kona Sutra with the following to make it easier to scale the hills & climbs when the bike is fully loaded with gear:
1) Shimano Deore CS-M4100 11-42t 10-Speed Cassette (& replaced the 11-36t stock cassette).
2) A Wolftooth 10-speed Goatlink on the back-end.
3) They also added one more link to the chain.

I found this to be a worthwhile upgrade but some folks may be hesitant to deviate from the stock set-up. I almost purchased the 2022 Kona Sutra SE model which comes with a triple chainring and bar-end shifters as that model is likely better suited for climbing. I believe Kona discontinued the Kona Sutra SE model in 2023 but I'm sure there are many used models available on ebay and such.

Best of luck on your TransAM & Eupropean adventure this Spring, Summer, & Fall & wish you safe travels & adventures! I thoroughly enjoyed your videos on the GDMBR!

[jeffcooley]

Hi Mat, I also have a Kona Sutra 2022 model, finest bicycle I have ever had the pleasure to own and ride. I'm an older rider now, and I find the Sutra hits the sweet spot between comfort and function for me. I ride mostly in the US Midwest, however I am taking a bike tour of the East Coast in late May this year. For this trip, I have taken others advice-which seems sound to me-and that is to run tubeless, but pack spare inner tube just in case. Most folks are "aggressive" with their opinion about running tubeless for lengthy bike tours. I really don't want to deal with a flat, so I caved and took the suggestion for tubeless. So far-so good. I also run the Varia rear radar...worth every cent! I enjoy your videos, and subscribed. Safe travels!

[mennodekhuyzen]

Hello Mat, I did the TransAm and did that with a recumbent. (With rohloff hub) and another big trip with the same recumbent from Prudhoe bay to Panama City.
Extended experience for
Myself. Everyone is different and makes other, good or bad, choices. So nothing is wrong or right in basic.
My TransAm experience; it was an epic ride for me. The TransAm was my first 6 months bicycle journey as a part of the 11.000 km I did that 6 months. I think you won’t need a waterfilter for that stretch! Water everywhere for sale and with a water tap. Food storage in bear areas will be, mostly, safe enough with the bear containers they have in campsites. For instance yelowstone park and grand Tetons. I did use swalbe marathon XR and mondial. Both of those will be excellent for this trip. There are hardly long stretches of no water / groceries. So if you read the maps, you’ll be okay! Most important thing is to enjoy the ride. I love your postings and the way you work yourself towards a new adventure! Stay safe and keep the rubber on the road. 19:01