Tim's Strava Year


2014 was a good year on the bike.
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Explore – 5 Best Gravel Cycling Routes on the Isle of Wight

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I ride a gravel bike on the Isle of Wight more than I ride any other; it is the perfect way to explore the vast network of quiet roads and exciting open trails. In this 'Explore' blog post I have tailor-made five of the best gravel cycling routes on the Isle of Wight; with suggested pit-stops and highlights.

The Isle of Wight roads, trails, and tracks are my home. I have toured all over the world, but whenever I come back to this small island off the South Coast of the UK I am amazed at how diverse and beautiful the riding is here.

The Island is very easy to get to with a bike — use one of the three car ferry routes from Portsmouth, Lymington or Southampton; or come as a foot passenger and bring your bike for free on the Wightlink FastCat from Portsmouth Harbour train station. You can get to the Island from Central London in just a little over three hours.

Once you are here, there is a plethora of bike-friendly accommodation: from hotels and B&B's, to campsites and Ec…
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Review - Arkel Signature BB Waterproof Handlebar Bag

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With each additional long distance bike tour, my bikepacking kit list shortens and lightens. On returning from each trip I can usually pare back my equipment based on 'use versus weight' calculations. The Arkel Bags Signature BB Handlebar Bag could well be the minimalist lightweight handlebar bag that I have been searching for to use on future bicycle touring trips.

Handlebar bags are great for stashing valuables in that you do not want to lose in the cavernous depths of your panniers. On my last few tours, such as the #CoastsandCols, #7Countries7Passes, and #RoadsFromRome, I used traditional rigid style handlebar bags or large roll-bag bikepacking handlebar bags; from brands like Arkel, Thule and Restrap. These bags were great, but they were also quite cumbersome and restricted your view of the front wheel.

The reality was that on these past bikepacking trips I used to fill my handlebar bag with everything from jars of peanut butter to rolls of toilet paper (some would say …
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Review – Rapha Core Cargo Pocket Bib Shorts

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The first iteration of the Rapha Cargo Bib Shorts were one of the two pairs of bib shorts I chose for last year's #RoadsFromRome adventure. The storage capacity, robust fast-dry fabrics, and comfortable endurance specific seat-pad made them a top choice for the 2500 kilometre tour. The latest version—the Rapha Core Cargo Bib Shorts have been on test for the last few months; they offer some interesting developments over the first edition.

Rapha have retained the three core product attributes found in the original Rapha Brevet Cargo Bib Shorts—including the fast drying fabrics, side and back mesh pockets, and the endurance level chamois pad. However, other areas have been developed and altered to bring the product up to date with current trends and preferences.

The Rapha Core Cargo Bib Shorts use a new dense-knit fabric, which has a degree of weather and water repellence, and a fast-dry nature; bit it is lighter weight than the Brevet fabric in the predecessors. The bib section of…
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Book Review - Mountains by Michael Blann

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I have always had a love of mountains. I grew up by the coast, but take me into the majestic land of peaks and valleys, and I suddenly feel at home. 'Mountains' by Michael Blann is the only book I have discovered that seems to be able to articulate this deep-seated emotional connection through print; it is a literal and pictographic window into the hidden beauty of the mountains of Europe.

When I have toured across Europe on journeys like the #7Countries7Passes and #RoadsFromRome, I have felt an undeniable bond with the mountains. I would ride across the plains of Germany or fields of Northern Italy and feel very much alone—isolated in a foreign land. Yet, as soon as the road turned skywards and the snow-capped peaks appeared on the horizon; then, I would feel calm and at peace—as if this was a sheltered home.

Of course, the mountains are not a sheltering landscape at all. Quite the opposite. Their unique weather systems are a game of roulette, and their slopes are perilous a…
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Review - Restrap Rando Bag - Front Rack Rack-Top Pannier

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The Restrap Rando Bag is designed to be a go-anywhere do-anything front rack pannier bag; with a semi-rigid construction to make it easy to load, and extra stable. I have used Restrap's panniers, handlebar bag, and frame bags for numerous long distance tours, and they are faultless. While I have not taken the new Restrap Rando Bag on any global adventures, yet; it has been fitted to my run-around Quella Varsity single-speed bike, and it is performing very well.

The concept behind the Rando bag is that it would be ideal for a long distance randonneur (a.k.a. Audax'er) with a front rack, equally though it is superb as a daily run-around. It connects to the rack using two magnetic fasteners on the bottom front of the bag, and a tie-back strap on the rear of the bag; securely holding it in place but making it easy to remove. [N.B: you do need to use the magnetic buckle tie-back strap if you do not want to see your milk go flying down the road on the next downhill!]

The Rando bag …
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