Dempster Highway Report Card

I'm back early from my Dempster Highway tour due to a hand injury. I'll write a trip report as my hand gets better, but I thought I'd post a quick analysis of how the Big Dummy performed on this demanding tour.

Just to give you a bit of an idea what the Big Dummy went through the road surface was quite variable from rocky, to gravel, to sand...with lots of potholes and washboard. About half of the 449kms I cycled was dry and half was really wet. When that road got wet it was a total mud fest.

The Good:

• the Big Dummy handled the rough roads very well
• the long wheelbase was both comfortable and confidence inspiring
• the wheels handled the pounding they rec'd without complaint
• the Marathon XRs were nice on the dry road and awesome once things got soft
• the Ortlieb panniers and Old Man Mountain front rack were great
• the Titec bars provided a ton of control when bombing downhill or dealing with mucky conditions
• the Selle Anatomica saddle was the most comfortable saddle I've ever used
• the Rohloff was flawless handling both dust and mud without any change in how it shifted

The Bad:

• the way I routed the rear brake cable put too much pressure on the housing and it broke where it left the brake lever. I could still use the brake, but I had to push the lever off as the spring couldn't overcome the added friction.
• the loaded bike was a bit slower than I would have liked due to a combination of a lot of gear, heavy bike and wide tires. OTOH I used just about everything I brought and the heavy parts/tires were welcome when things got EPIC.
• the front disc brake pads are more than 50% worn after 2 days of muddy roads. I'd have to change them at least once a week on a longer tour with similar conditions.
• the front disc brake also req'd lots of attention to keep it working in the wet/muddy conditions and braking performance suffered.
• transporting the Big Dummy and dealing with it when off the bike was more hassle than a typical touring bike. I needed a lift down the Dempster and my options were limited due to the sheer size of the bike.
• the Xtracycle Freeloader bags are a very versatile design, but they are quite fragile. I managed to wear several holes in them from rubbing against the Big Dummy as well as tearing the mesh at the end of the bags in a couple places. By comparison my Ortlieb panniers have seen much more hard use and look almost new. A pair of Freeloaders costs $178, but when you compared them to other bags sold for outdoors use [panniers, backpacks, dry bags] in that price range their materials and workmanship aren't even close. I hope someone like Ortlieb makes a higher quality version of the Freeloaders.
  

The Ugly:

• something about the ergonomics of the Titec H bar and my left hand didn't work as I ended up with an acute case of carpal tunnel syndrome. These bars hadn't given me any troubles on previous tours, but I think I was simply riding longer each day on the Dempster and the rough/wet conditions made me grip the bars tighter and change positions less often.
  

What I'll change:

• I'm adding Ergon Grips to my Titec H-bars as well as adding lots of padding to the rest of the bars. Hopefully this will solve the problem. The H-bars work so well I'd hate to have to get rid of them.
• I'll keep my eyes open for an aftermarket replacement for the Xtracycle Freeloaders. Hopefully something more robust. Given the cost of the stock bags an aftermarket company should be able to make something much nicer at a similar price.
• I'll carry less on my next tour. If I can get one or two other people out we can split up group gear like tents, stove, fuel, pots, etc.. Not only will there be less for each person to carry, but it will be lots of fun to have company.
• I'll rework the front and rear brake cables so they don't bind and have enough slack not to put any unnecessary pressure on the housing.