Mike’s Bikes of Palo Alto has agreed to sponsor this ride by providing major discounts on their gear and building me a discounted rear wheel.
I have found that the strength of a rear wheel is perhaps the most important component on a touring bike. Many times I have seen spokes break while riding (for instance, this time), and it is probably my least favorite part of bike touring. A wheel’s strength largely depends on the skill of the person building it, not necessarily its components. For instance, I built a rear wheel once, and, well, let’s just say I had to carry lots of extra spokes when riding.
I have heard very good things about the wheel builder at Mike’s Bikes (the store used to be named ‘Wheelsmith’), and I’m excited to have them build the wheel for this trip.