I May Have Found the Bicycle That I Want

Alrighty then! Yesterday I was searching for a great many things for my trip to get an idea of how much I will need to budget for. I looked at bikes, panniers, sleeping bags, tents, maps, clothes and quite a few other things that are probably unnecessary unless I want a heck of a lot of comfort.

 I decided on a bike that I want to get and (surprisingly) I went with a higher priced one because I want something that will hold up to very long distance traveling... I decided on a Novara Safari. I believe it will suit my needs really well and not go as high in price as many of the other bikes I see people getting. I can upgrade as I find the need as many others have done. The main parts of the bicycle that are necessary, though, I believe will be more than adequate for now. Perhaps when I am on a trail that would require fatter tires I might regret my choice but I think I can even replace those with fatter ones for off-road traveling. The saddle is one thing I have heard of people replacing almost every time. We'll cross that bridge when we get there so maybe I'll replace it later on, maybe I won't. I do plan on changing the brakes to disc brakes instead of the standard on-the-rim ones because I love the look of disc brakes instead.  I also chose some cheap, yet (from the reviews), durable panniers that seem like they will do excellent for a long trip. They are the Novara ATB Panniers. They aren't waterproof, but I think I can put a raincoat or some silicone spray or something to keep the water from inside them. If that doesn't work, I'll probably end up getting plastic bags to put my things in anyway for storage compartments and easier access instead of needing to pull everything out to get one thing.

 I had planned to take my computer on the trip with me, but I keep thinking more and more that I might just get a tablet with a fold up keyboard or something for when I reach a wifi spot. I could also get a Netbook but they really don't appeal to me.

 Well, it's off to an excellent start, this plan. I have found the bicycle and panniers that I want, I have a few of the things I need already, like a pump, repair kit, tool set for most problems, clothes because I'm not going to go out and by 200 dollars worth of clothes just because everyone else thinks they're necessary. I have the necessities like some toilet paper, toothbrush and toothpaste, I can make a stove myself and can get a mini first aid kit just in case. Pots and pans will have to wait until I can think about what I want to eat the entire time. Overall I don't think I'll spend more than a couple thousand in gear to start with. Probably much less if I am skimpy on what I purchase besides the bicycle.