How I chose the bike for this tour

I’m in Inuvik, about 200 km north of the Arctic circle, at the edge of the tree line. I’ve been to the Arctic a number of times  and each time I am seized by its allure that is at once strange and familiar, familiar in the way of an old memory that haunts one at the edge of consciousness. This is the first time I am coming with the intention of traversing this land of myriad lakes and rivers on a bicycle. The prospect of being up close and personal in this way is thrilling and daunting.

I had planned on getting a lighter, faster bike for this expedition than the ones I’d become used to. Supply chains being what they are, that bike didn’t materialize until I was about to hop on the plane. My Plan B had always been my Surly Bridge Club, which I got when they first came out in 2018. I had been swayed by the marketing: an all-road touring bike that could handle paved and dirt. I was immediately convinced that’s what I needed for Africa, it having dawned on me that we would be riding some rough roads. (Sometimes I’m slow on the uptake.)  I didn’t end up taking it to Africa because I got into a tizzy about not having enough time on it before my departure date.  I stuck with my Salsa Marrakesh, which I grew to love because that’s what happens when you spend a lot of time on a beast, living or mechanical.  Once I returned home I got to spend a lot more time with my Surly.

I’m not a gear head. I don’t know much about the technical aspects of bike geometry, gearing, dropouts, q-factor and so on. Not that I haven’t made the effort. I’ve read innumerable articles and blogs, listened to podcasts, took mechanic courses, all to little avail.  I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve scoured Sheldon Brown’s site for technical illumination. It eludes me. (Hmm, now that I think of it my meditation teacher looked at me sadly as she ushered me out of her studio at my first and final session saying softly, “some are not meant for enlightenment.”)

Back to my Surly, which I’ve also grown to love, having done a lot of my training on it. It’s a sturdy bike (translate: it’s very heavy). My local bike store recommended Teravail Rutland tires (27.5 x 2.1” tubeless) which they assured me would give me a ride as smooth as silk on the gravel. I hope so. Our first nine days are dirt with intermittent washboard, ruts, corrugations and stretches of sand. In training I was riding WTB Byway 47’s and I’ve brought them along…