Life In The Saddle

The #CelticCrossTrail will be a 2000 kilometre journey from Inverness to the Isle of Wight; encompassing many parts of the Highland 550 Trail in Scotland, the Wild Atlantic Way in Ireland, and the Brecon Beacons in Wales. The route will offer up a diverse and incredible mix of scenery and terrain. From the rugged Highlands and North Coast of Scotland, down the Mull of Kintyre, then across to Ireland by ferry. On Irish soil the route heads out to the Atlantic coast to see the iconic cliffs and harbours of the exposed western shoreline. Then, turning south and east, the path goes across the Irish Sea from Rosslare to Fishguard, and the journey continues through Wales, down to Bristol, and back to the Isle of Wight. See the route map here . 12 days of riding, through some of the most remote regions of the British Isles. This is the kit that I have personally selected for the tour... Luggage and Camp Kit Prototype Waterproof Panniers Prototype Waterproof Frame Bag Prot...

The Dolomites always deliver. I have ridden in the area on a racing bike, cross-country MTB, and passed through the region on both the #7Countries7Passes and #RoadsFromRome tours. One area I have yet to explore though, is the opportunity for GRAVEL... On my #5MaratonasChallenge I stayed at the great Ustaria Posta in Badia, and the owner Igor talked of the opportunity to create an amazing multi-day off-road route linking up alpine huts. That pipe dream is about to become a reality... The #XPDTN3Dolomites will be a three day bike-packing trip; travelling from Ustaria Posta into the UNESCO World Heritage site, and exploring the road less travelled. These are paths normally only scouted by walkers in the summer, and alpine ski tourers in the winter; we will be taking to them on gravel bikes. My choice of weapon is the 3T Exploro. The full story will unveil itself on Instagram over the next week — follow #XPDTN3Dolomites   For now, here is a look at the kit that i...

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.   Thule Shield Rear Panniers Thule Shield Handlebar Bag Restrap Frame Bag Small  [ reviewed here ] Vaude Lizard GUP 1P Tent Vaude Rotstein 200 Down Sleeping Bag Vaude Sleeping Pad Vaude Thermal Seat C...

This weekend I have a challenge of a different kind. No bike. Instead, I am taking on a two-day 114km fast-hike around the perimeter coastal path of the Isle of Wight, wild camping en-route. This is a challenge that I have always been keen to try, and the opportunity presented itself this summer, as a close friend was also up for the challenge. I will write up a post-challenge blog post, but as a pre-challenge teaser, here is the kit that I am carrying for the run/walk challenge... Thule Stir 35 Rucksack Vaude Lizard GUP 1P Tent Vaude Rotstein 200 Down Sleeping Bag Vaude Sleeping Pad Vaude Thermal Seat Cushion/Pillow OMM Kamleika Race Jacket Adidas Terrex Polartec Windshell Adidas Terrex Merino Tee(s) x 2 Adidas Terrex Run Shorts x 2 Nørrona fjørå Powerwool Long Sleeve (Polartec) Runderwear Merino Running Underwear x 2 GripGrab Running Cap CEP Merino Ankle Compression Socks Darn Tough Merino Trainer Liners Compressport Full Length V2.1 Socks Topo Hydroventure S...

Last February, I rode the TorTour Ultra-Cross Stage Race in Zürich. It entailed three stages of snow and sub-zero temperatures, but proved to be fantastic racing (read the report here). This year, I am heading to the Lucerne region of Switzerland for the inaugural TorTour Summer CX Ultra-Cross Stage Race. This is what I'm packing… The Event The TorTour CX is a three day programme: featuring a short prologue stage on the Friday afternoon, and then two longer weekend stages that head out into the challenging Swiss Alps. The total distance is 200 kilometres, almost entirely off-road on gravel paths and single-track. I haven't ridden in Lucerne before, but I have visited on family walking holidays. It is a beautiful and challenging landscape, with steep alpine peaks punctuated by azure blue lakes. Racing in February for the TorTour Winter CX demanded the best winter kit available; there aren't many situations where you are racing for four or five hours through the sno...

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...