Life In The Saddle

There are easier ways to visit friends and family dotted across the European continent, than riding a fully loaded touring bike over some of the highest mountain passes. Those alternative options though, would provide little challenge… On a rainy day last November, I dreamed up the #7Countries7Passes tour. A 3000 kilometre self-supported ride across Europe; with 42,000 metres of vertical elevation gain, on a bike weighing 27 kilograms. Reflections on Life In The Saddle's biggest adventure to date… Joining The Dots The route for the tour started from the Danish capital of Copenhagen. I had been enticed by an offer to ride a gravel road race, sponsored by an ice cream company. Seeing as the Nordics are a part of the world that I haven't really explored to date, it seemed like a great opportunity to start an adventure. From Denmark, I headed south to the ferry to Germany, before beginning a long series of back-to-back days to get me to the town of Villingen, near t...

As the time of the Grand Depart on the #7Countries7Passes tour approaches, this is the kit that has made my final selection for the 3,000 kilometre journey from Copenhagen to Andorra. Read more about the #7Countries7Passes trip here Below I have linked through to the product that I will be using, where possible; so that you can find more detail about the items selected. If any of the kit changes between now and the departure, I will update the below lists (and eventually photos) to reflect the change. The Kona Rove Ti First up, the bike. The Kona Rove Titanium. This bike has already been on some great adventures in 2017, such as the Dirty Reiver Gravel Race . For the  #7Countries7Passes  tour this bike has had a bit of a road-orientated overhaul. It includes fitting a Kinesis ATR Disc Fork, rather than the Lauf suspension fork; changing the handlebars and seat post to alloy options (following a crash back in April); altering the gearing for fully-laden tou...