1. Surly Long Haul Trucker
Heavy, slow, comfortable. A great bike that opened my eyes to the possibilities of not going as fast as I can everywhere.
2. Garmin 800
Changed my riding completely - I'm more likely to try new routes, and do a lot more exploring in places I've not been before thanks to this little gadget.
3. Brompton S6-L
Having a bike that folds easily to the size of a smallish suitcase opens up all sorts of riding opportunities. Great little bikes, even at the prices Brompton charge for them.
Yup - I have a 700c version, and the best thing I ever did was putting 42c tyres (the largest I can fit under mudguards) on it. My experience with heavily puncture protected tyres (Conti Touring Plus) wasn't great, and I ended up going back to Continental Comfort Contacts, fwiw.I agree with the Surly LHT .... I'm using mine as my winter bike and commute approx 40km per day .... a good average speed on mine (mine has 26 inch wheels) is 20-23km/hr .... it's a bike that you can ride for 10-12 hours a day but it does not do fast rides .... At first, I tried to go faster, but then I had a sore knee .... it's like riding a Cadillac .... slow and comfy
I will be changing the Continental tyres soon, and replace them with Schwalbe Marathon Supreme (2 inch wide) .... that will change the ride completely and will be even more comfy (I've used these tyres before on another bike)