The Kuriertaschen: In one of them we put all our computing equipment. It is in fact much more practical than the topcase we had, because they open to the side. Therefore, we don't have to take off the bungees that are securing the bags on the rear rack. Also, the handles are very useful: When we have to go to an Internet Café, we just grab the whole bag and use it as a rucksack instead of going with the laptop under the arm. We have cycled 107km not so long ago for a bit more than 7 hours under constant rain and all our gear was dry. We have only positive comments to make about the waterproofness. The bags look quite sturdy. We'll let you know over time how they wear out/handle the trip.

 Spokes is quite impressed by her cycle shorts. The last shorts we used were Castelli brand. About same price range as the VAUDE shorts Spokes is currently using. But the kind of comfort they provided did not match those of VAUDE's. In fact, since my last Castelli shorts, I have given up on wearing shorts altogether. I did not feel the comfort was worth the extra room/weight I was carrying. Before wearing Castelli, we had been trying several cheaper brands. Several disappointments later, we persuaded ourselves that the low price was the reason for low comfort. That's why we went up market with Castelli. Spokes is still holding onto her Castelli as a backup in case something happens to her VAUDE's. But also because she has only one pair of VAUDE's and she needs to rotate for washing purposes. I gave up my Castelli shorts in the Croatian hills trying to get lighter and lighter convincing myself that a better saddle and firmer bottom cheeks would work. Then, Spokes saw the VAUDE cycle shorts on VAUDE's website and thought she'd give it a try. I declined. Well, she is enjoying a much more pleasant ride than I do now. Her first impression was that the padding was designed in a way to give extra comfort when sitting on the bike. The extra width, shape and material folds work in a way to avoid friction and seam pressure. The only problem Spokes has had is with the elastics which stop the legs of the shorts to roll up. It creates a skin reaction on the top of her leg. Spokes is rubber/latex allergic. This also happened with the Castelli shorts but in a more serious manner. The latter had a wide elastic band stuck at the bottom of the shorts' legs. She ended up cutting the edge off the shorts.

 When we returned to Thailand and eventually to our bikes we noticed that on both bikes the KLICKfix handlebar bag attachment was broken. We are not sure what has caused this, when it happened and how many kilometers, if any, we have made like this. We didn't notice it broke before because the broken part is situated under the handlebar. In a way, this is the strong point of this KLICKfix. Even when it is broken, you don't notice it. In fact, we had spares (from an old bag) to fix only one attachment (mine). It is only after we fixed my bike that we noticed Spokes's was broken exactly the same way: one attachment completely broken; the other one holding by a thread. Since we don't have any more spares, she has to carry on cycling like this. Quite remarkably, 2,000km later, the KLICKfix on Spokes' bike is still holding on.

 The Space II tent feels already like our little home. The size is just perfect for the four of us, with three sleeping mats fitting inside very comfortably. Once again the double door feature is perfect for us especially in the pre-monsoon heat of Thailand! We've experienced a tiny problem with the caps sitting at the end of the tent poles (see picture). It got jammed on the 'Ω' silver-shaped attachment. After an unsuccessful attempt to remove it, we thought it was wiser to leave it on the 'Ω' silver-shaped attachment or it might break. Now, we put the cap in and out of the pole when we put the tent up and down. It does not interfere at all with the tent's usage.

 We have now been using the Casella jacket in the 'very' early monsoon rain. It is doing great. The tight fit avoids the wafting of the fabric against the body. In an earlier article, we made comments about the length of the front side of the jacket. With hindsight, Gillian likes it this way, because it does not hit the top of her legs when she is pedaling. An inside pocket to put a small mp3 players, money, etc…would be welcomed. Finally, the tag that sits behind the neck to tighten the jacket's collar can get quite annoying when you have long hair, because it all gets tangled up.

LATEST UPDATE READ ABOVE - LATEST UPDATE READ ABOVE - LATEST UPDATE READ ABOVE

A bit more than one year ago, on a previous article, (to read it, click on the link at the bottom VAUDE gear test), we wrote:

"[…] Luckily, for the cyclist fellows that are interested in gear performances, VAUDE, who believes in our cycle venture, has given us free scope to give the reader an honest opinion on how the gear performs. No doubt Wheel and spokes will put the equipment to the "PedalRevolution test"."

Over a year later, here is our opinion on some of the VAUDE products we have tried. Some of the products listed hereunder have been generously given by VAUDE; some of them have been purchased by us.

List of the products tested:

 Komet II - Handle Bar Panniers
 World Cycle II - Front Panniers
 World Tramp Plus II - Rear Pannier
 Top Case II
 Casella Touring Jackets
 Tent - Space II
 10L Foldable Water Canister - Broken before use
 Storm proof lighter - Did not withstand Himalayan high altitude
 Thermal Bottle Covers

 Komet II - Handle Bar Panniers: Probably one of our favorite products because of its durability and because it does what it has been designed for: keep your valuables dry. Gone are the days where we had to use plastic bags to keep our gear dry! We tried a Carradice Handlebar bag before the VAUDE one and it was a disaster. Carradice advertised the bag 100% waterproof. When we asked Carradice how come our camera, passeport and other belongings had taken the water during a downpour, they replied that the fabric was 100% waterproof, but not the stitches!!! Unbelievable! With the VAUDE Komet II, we have completely stopped worrying about rain getting in our gear even while cycling in the Indian monsoon. The fabric is pretty tough too. So far, it has resisted the heavy duty regime we have put it through. In fact, we use them as handbags, when we are on the move.

 World Cycle II - Front Panniers: Same as above. We are well satisfied by those. They have kept our gear dry against the rain. NO WATER gets in it. It's a real pleasure to get into some dry clothes after a day cycling under the rain. The design is simple and sturdy so that little can go wrong. It is very important to bear that in mind when cycling in remote places. Fingers crossed, we have never had a problem with the attachments that fit the bags to the racks. We like the fact that the panniers close without zips. Zips always tend to be a problem after a prolonged usage especially if you travel in sandy regions.

 World Tramp Plus II - Rear Pannier: These panniers have the same advantages as the World Cycle II front Panniers. The rear panniers are much bigger than the front one obviously, meaning that you can store more in them. The advantage with this model is also its downfall. The outer pockets allow you to access easily bits and pieces and to store more of it. But it also makes the load wider and therefore less maneuverable in a confined space. Both models with or without the outer pockets are available. It is a personal choice that cyclists will consider according to their needs.

 Top Case II: This one is a tricky one. The top case fits on our rear panniers. The extra room it offers means we cannot do without them. As long as everything goes well, they are fantastic. There is a but…We have encountered several time the same problem with them: The Zip peeled off. We have notified VAUDE and they have assured us that these incidents are isolated and that it can be fixed by stitching and sealing the zips. We will try this and we'll let you know. Also, if you consider buying this bag, you will need to organize the packing of your panniers carefully in order to save you some time… It can be useful in rainy conditions. Indeed, you will need to loosen up the attachment of the top case to be able to access the content of your rear pannier. You don't want to be doing all this when it starts raining. A good idea, for example, would be to put all the stuff you need the least, in the rear pannier, while taking also in consideration the panniers' weight distribution between the front and the back wheel. E.g.: If the weather is susceptible to bring some rain, it is a good idea to put your waterproof jacket in the front pannier, so that you don't need to shuffle through everything once the rain hits you. On the contrary, if you cycle in hot countries, the rear pannier is the best place for your jacket. Which brings us to…

 Casella Touring Jackets: Like we explained on a previous article (to read it, click on the link at the bottom VAUDE gear test, we did not receive the first pair of jackets that VAUDE had sent us to Delhi - India. Somehow it had been stolen while under the care of the delivery company UPS, which never delivered them! By the time we got the second set, the monsoon was over. We are yet to try them in real conditions. We will let you know as soon as we put them to the PedalRevolution Test!

 Tent - Space II: We did not try it extensively because camping was not recommended in the parts of India we were cycling. Once in Thailand, Spokes who was noticeably pregnant of our twin daughters got us the favors of Thai people. Thanks to their great sense of hospitality, they would simply not let a pregnant woman sleep under the tent and would rather accommodate us. It was actually quite funny, because we were eager to try our new tent, but Thai people were adamant they would not let us camp. On one occasion, the landlady of a camp site had us fold our tent back in our bags and then, she lent us free of charge, a bungalow by the river. She also had food brought to us. As little as we used it, we were extremely pleased to discover the extra features of the Space II. The two opening offered more ventilation than our previous Terra Nova tent, which was greatly appreciated in the warm month spent in Thailand. Even though the VAUDE Space II is lighter than the TERRA NOVA Cassini, it is nevertheless much roomier and looks as strong. The top of the tent is high enough to accommodate us comfortably in sitting position. Our previous Terra Nova tent was unnecessarily high, acting as a parachute against the wind and it was too narrow too. With the VAUDE Space II, we are hoping to fit 2 adults and 2 toddlers. We'll let you know how we manage. If you are planning on getting this kind of tent, you should be aware that the Space II is constructed so that you can put it up under the rain without having a wet inner tent. But that also implies that you cannot use the inner part as a standalone net for mosquito protection.

 10L Foldable Water Canister: The description of this item has already been made under point 7/ of the article How does the gear performs that you can read by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page.

 Storm proof lighter: The description of this item has already been made under point 7/ of the article How does the gear performs that you can read by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page.

 Thermal Bottle Covers: The description of this item has already been made under point 7/ of the article How does the gear performs that you can read by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page.

Our conclusion:

We have learned to our expense that the key element, on this kind of long term travel adventure, stretching over thousands of kilometers and several years is not only the quality of your equipment. In fact, you quickly come to realize that it is quite likely that almost every piece of equipment that you take with you will fail soon or later. Most equipment is built for the general distribution and not designed for a trip around the world. As far as we are concerned, the key element is communication between us and our suppliers. A tent pole build with aircraft technology is no good when it brakes and your supplier fails to answer your emails to replace it. One example, to keep the discussion in the frame of VAUDE. We first tried VAUDE products through its French distributor Promontagne. After some of the equipment we purchased through them failed, we could not get anybody to get in touch with us. You can read more about this under point 7/ of the article How does the gear performs by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page. Eventually, we gave up and decided, only months later, to get in touch with VAUDE head office in Germany. Thanks to a fantastic team at head office, each time we encountered a difficulty, they quickly found a solution to help us. This great support boosted our confidence in VAUDE products and we are happy to recommend them to our readers.