Originally Posted by Deanster04

I have a Richey Breakaway as well. I have a Carbon Richey Fork, Cane Creek Brake levers, Vee Brakes (which are very powerful for stoping), and Shmano Bar End Shifters. It is a great combination for a heavily loaded Touring bike. I did an around the Alps ride from Munich, through Austria, Slovenia, Italy (Dolomites), Switzerland, and back to Munich. I did change the small inner ring from a 30 to a 24 for the steep hills. The only good thing about the Passes in Europe is that there is a sandwich and cold Beer at the top of every big pass like Stelvio.
Looks like your fork is a steel one which isn't the one that came with the bike. You should have a great time touring, Gravel Riding, and general road riding. I ride with Continental Contact 32s which work very well. I have a set of wheels that are wider rims that I can use for wider tires if I choose.
For traveling I would like to pass on these tips: You can find a commercial rack for the rear that will fold flat. The packing is easy and you can get some large plastic ziplock bags to pack all your clothes and bike riding gear. If you keep the wt at 45lbs or less you won't alert the gate agents to check further. When you get to the gate wait until you see a crowd approach the gate then move in just ahead for check in . Your bag is slightly over sized and if they have time to check they will then charge you an extra fee. So far I haven't had to pay the extra fee. If you are asked tell them you are a sales man and the bad contains instruments for demo. It seems a little complicated but it is worth it. The fees for a bike are stiff as is an oversize bag.
I lived in SE Portland in the late 80's. I had a 1981 Stumpjumper (one of the first commercial Mt Bikes). The trails in Wash Park were not yet off limits because there were so few of us riding there. I loved Oregon for the logging trails. They were wild and one had to listen for the trucks barreling around the dirt roads. Some great road riding on my 1969 Cinelli as well. We moved to Salem in 1990 and there were some fantastic rides there as well. I would ride up hwy 22 to Portland and back. There was a ferry on the Willamette that took me across the river to the east side to finish my ride. All in all it was some great riding. Today I live in Boulder, CO and still ride often (retired). Let me know if you do any touring. I really enjoyed my rides.
Deanster04l
Ques: What size is your frame?
Also, If you are in the market for a set of Salsa rims and Shmano hubs I may be putting some of my gear up for sale. Let me know if you have any interest.