(Sept. 24th-Now) Bicyclette's New Off-Road Make-Over

(This post was supposed to be dated September 24th but accidentally it never made it on the blog until now. However, Bicyclette's look has not changed since then so this post is as relevant now as it was back in September)

The route we planned to ride from Aktau, Kazakhstan, to Nukus, Uzbekistan, is famous for its terrible road conditions. Up until two years ago, most of that route (~700km) was no more than a washboard dirt track full of holes and deep ruts. Now both countries are actively in the process of renewing and paving the road but at least 200 km still have not been touched so Bicyclette was in need of a few modifications to meet the demands of this rough stretch.
First of all, Bicyclette was equiped with the wider 40mm Schwalbe Marathon Mondial rear tire  which she had been carrying since Istanbul specifically intended for this route. This tire was to provide better traction on the dirt roads and cushion the load to reduce strain on the rack and frame. 

Second, Bicyclette required wider handlebars for better balance and control when maneuvering along the dirt track.
The handlebar conversion was accomplished for a total cost of about $5 using the following multinational collection of materials:
-a piece of rebar from a construction site in Tbilisi, Georgia
-bits of foam (for the grips) from a road side construction site in Azerbaijan.
-small blocks of wood from a crushed palette in a parking lot in Baku.
-strips of discarded, old bicycle tubes for the grips from a little bikeshop in Batumi, Georgia.
-four hose clamps and some electrical tape from a small hardware shop on Tbilisi
-strips of thin sheet metal from a discarded peanut tin in Baku to protect the real handlebar from abrasion. 
-a small stick as a new brake lever.

Last but not least, the original rear fender did not fit over the new, larger tire so a Georgian water bottle made for a great new fender. Better than the original in fact! 
All ready, let's hit the desert!