As you will see, my gear review is going to be brief.

THE BIKE (Novara Mazama): 10/10

I love my Mazama, and hope that others give it a serious consideration. I believe it offers some of the best bang-for-the-buck components and build quality in a sweet package. On my TransAm journey, it was virtually bullet-proof. Besides a broken spoke and the occasional issue with my disc brakes losing their "bite," the bike was wonderful. It handled a full load very well, and still feels like new. I replaced the chain and the front and rear brake pads, which is normal for a trip of this length. Now that the bike is home, I swapped the narrow Schwalbe tires for 29x1.9in tires in the hopes of doing more off-road touring. The bike handles wonderfully with these tires, and I believe this swap just shows how versatile the bike is.

My only minor complaint about the bike is the paint. It´s not the highest quality, and seems to scratch easily. But, that being said, even after over 5,000 miles of use, it still looks great!

THE PANNIERS (Axiom Seymours and Axiom Monsoons): 8/10

My Axiom panniers got me across the US without any issues, which I believe warrants a passing grade. However, by the end of the trip, both the front and rear set were showing significant signs of wear, and the waterproof pair had lost their waterproof capabilities. That being said, for a cheap, beginning set of panniers, I´d recommend them. Just know that you probably won´t get the same amount of life out of them as you would of, say, a set of Ortliebs. But Ortliebs are also significantly more expensive. Choose your poison: cheap and effective, or expensive and durable.

THE TIRES (Schwalbe Marathon Supremes): 10/10

I didn´t have a single flat using these tires, besides two flats that were caused by shifting rim tape. They´re expensive, but handle really well and gave me peace of mind. Despite carrying a full load from Missoula to Yorktown, they show almost no signs of wear. I rotated them once in Missouri.

The Clement MSOs that I started out with were also excellent, but not up to the demands of tourings. They wore out rapidly, and thus I switched to the Schwalbes.

THE SADDLE (Brooks B17): 10/10

What can I say here that hasn´t been said before? I love my Brooks saddle. It is comfortable, durable, and stylish. My butt sincerely thanks my parents for this wonderful Christmas gift.

THE TENT (REI Passage 1): 8/10

Cheap, small, and quick and easy to set up. It served me well on this trip. My only complaint is that it isn´t a particularly "rigid" tent. That is, while freestanding it wobbles around a fair bit, and the rain fly has to be extremely well-planted in order to not flap around or blow over. When high winds struck on the Snake River, it was a frustrating experience to get the tent to stay upright. But, besides that, it was excellent, especially given the quality, price, and REI´s return policy.

THE MAPS (ACA TransAm set from 2015): 9/10

Thank you, ACA, for what you provide to cyclists. The maps are clear, descriptive, and a complete and total necessity for this trip. In fact, when I go on future tours without ACA maps, I´ll sincerely miss their information and guidance. The only complaint I have is that services listed on the maps come and go. On a few occasions I was left hanging when the services listed had either closed or changed locations.

All of my other equipment was a hodgepodge of camping gear, so I won´t review it here. If you have specific questions, please send me a message!