Gearing Up - The #RoadsFromRome Kit Selection

The #RoadsFromRome will be my third trans-European bike tour. It is interesting to compare my set-up from the #CoastsandCols and #7Countries7Passes rides; things have evolved, developed, and been refined over the last three years.

Kit selection for a bicycle touring / bikepacking trip like this is a very personal choice, so here is a run down of the apparel, accessories and gadgets that are coming along for this year's 2500 kilometre ride...


Luggage and Camping Kit

My luggage and camping kit largely come from two brands: Thule and Vaude. The lightweight one-man tent, summer weight down sleeping bag, and casual shorts and tee all come from Vaude. The small pannier set and handlebar bag provide a well-made fully waterproof luggage solution from Thule.  



Riding Kit

My riding kit comes from a selection of brands, but most notably the Italian brand Sportful, and the Danish accessories brand GripGrab. This is kit that has kept me comfortable no matter how far I have needed to ride, or how foul the weather conditions I have encountered.



Food

There isn't a lot of room for carrying food and snacks, but I always take a selection of energy bars, protein bars, and freeze dried emergency meals; because it can be difficult to find open supermarkets in some areas. 



Wash Kit

I will be wild camping for the majority of this tour, and although that means a warm shower is out of the question, it is still important to pay attention to personal hygiene. Looking after your body will help to avoid infection. 



Electronics and First Aid

I don't use a dynamo set-up on my bike for European tours, but instead opt for a selection of power banks, and recharge these in cafés, or when I am staying with friends and family along the route.

I opt for two cycle computers, both loaded with all the routes for the tour. GPS units are known to fail (I had one do so in the Pyrenees on the final day of the #7Countries7Passes), so it is always good to have a back-up.

Tool Kit and Spares

This is a pretty comprehensive tool kit and spares kit. It means that I should be able to fix most mechanical problems and failures at the side of the road. 



Bike – Kona Rove Titanium

All the kit is loaded on my Kona Rove Ti – a 700c wheel, purpose built adventure bike. 

The Kona Rove was my bike of choice for the #7Countries7Passes tour, and the only change I have made for this year's adventure is to swap out the carbon wheels for a new all-alloy wheel set from German manufacturers Tune – the Tune Dreckschleuder 700C wheelset – this has made a notable improvement in handling when fully loaded. I have also downsized the tyres a little, opting for 30c Vee Tire Roll Diac tyres. 







Note

It is worth mentioning that I am not being paid or incentivised to use any of the kit above. It is my honest choice, of the best products for purpose that I have used and owned to date.

There might be lighter, faster, sleeker set-ups out there, but these products are ones that have proven themselves to be reliable, tough, and great quality, through repeated wear and use testing.
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Comments

  1. Unknown19 August 2018 at 14:27

    Hi,
    From whom are the rear and the front mudguard ? Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  2. thehill19 August 2018 at 21:40

    i think 2019 will defintely be the point at which i venture out into the bikepacking realm, articles like are great to try and get some ideas on what you need. interesting that you have gone for full panniers rather than frame bags. I do wonder whether panniers vs frame/seat packs is a bit like tubes vs tubeless, one is all hipster and trendy and the other is just a hell of a lot eaiest to live with

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tim Wiggins31 December 2018 at 14:50

      I much prefer panniers over seat packs to be honest – far more stable at speed, and far easier to pack and unpack

      Delete

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