While there is maybe nothing I love more than riding a bike, that feeling of freedom and immediacy as you weave through city traffic or cruise down a desolate country road, I have no fondness for the other side of cycling culture – gear wonkery.

One of the things I most adore about cycling is its accessibility, almost anyone can understand the mechanics of a bike and the barrier to entry is very very low.

I first started cycling (in true Chicagoan fashion) on an old Schwinn from the 70s that I bought at a garage sale for $30. I rode that bitch to Milwaukee in a day with a bunch of broken backpacks bungee’d to every surface; you don’t need to spend money to enjoy bike touring! My next bike, because I am a very lucky girl, was a custom built surprise made for me by Kevin (the world needs some people with the patience and interest for gear wonkery, I’m blessed to live with one of them). Since 2015, I’ve been running that beast into the actual ground, through three separate bike-car collisions, while avoiding the task of upgrading or buying a new bike. I clearly don’t enjoy the research and shopping and comparing – I just wanna go fast.

I also take no certain pleasure in bike repairs and knew I wanted to get a new-to-me rig built for the task of a tour of this size to minimize the amount of fussing I’d have to do on the road. I sat down in 2019 and wrote down a list of things I knew I wanted in a new bike; steel, friction shifting, Nitto Noodle handlebars, mechanical disc brakes and 700c wheels. Many sessions googling and obnoxious Excel spreadsheets comparing specs later, I ended up with a shortlist including the Bombtrack. As an incredibly short woman attempting to purchase a very specific flavor of bicycle, my options for test riding in person were limited. Most bike shops don’t stock my size frame, let alone for an long-haul touring bike or one from a niche manufacturer (one exception to this rule worth a shout out is Comrade Cycles). It seemed like the best bang for my buck was a frame from a German company that I would be unable to ride before purchasing.

In true Alyssa form, I agonized over this decision and sat on it for literally a year. In this case, it worked out for the best because I found the exact model and size I wanted for almost half the price since I had waited so long that they actually came out with a new model. I bought her sight-unseen from a website that resells used bikes.