Touring modifications

I've finally modified my (old) road bike in a way that suites my current riding which is mostly for travel and commuting. Of course, this has just been one big incentive to finally bite the bullet and get a new road bike for racing. The most important thing I've done was to put a slightly higher and shorter stem on the bike to encourage a more relaxed touring geometry. After that, I've rebuilt my rear wheel with a Velocity Deep V rim for strength and durability. My old rims had cracks from being trued one too many times. The next stage in the evolution was to get a Carridice SQR Tour Saddlebag – something that I've become very fond of. No more sweaty backpacks! For a full review of the saddlebag, check out my post at Sydney Cyclist. The road bike is not ideal for serious touring as the geometry is a bit twitchy and not really suited for heavy loads, but for light touring it works just fine.