Life In The Saddle

I am a huge fan of 29ers. I remember when the big wheeled machines raised scepticism and doubtful abuse – " it's a tractor! "; but now they are accepted to be the faster, more comfortable and more efficient wheel choice for a cross country mountain bike. The issue with the 29 inch wheel size, from an aerodynamic viewpoint, is that it raises the front end significantly—naturally positioning the rider in a more upright position than the 'racing tuck'. Other than creating tiny tiny headtube lengths, the solution is to adjust the cockpit set-up to provide the most efficient racing position. This typically involves the introduction of flat handlebars and a negative drop stem angle. The interesting side development in cross country bike cockpits over the last five years has been the growth in the popularity of wider handlebars. Wider bars offer greater leverage, better control and often improved comfort compared to the narrow bars previously found on cross country ...

I have always loved using a bike to get to places. I don’t particularly enjoy car or plane travel, but the feeling of arriving in a faraway destination under your own steam is truly unique and magical. The travel restrictions of the last few years put on hold many of my point-to-point bikepacking plans, but I have been rekindling the pursuit of ‘going places’ in the last few months… The #NorthWestRoad was designed by my riding buddy Joe and I, to make for an easily executed but interesting three day trip through England and Wales. Starting from home on the Isle of Wight, the route would take us north through the New Forest and Wiltshire to our first overnight stop in the Cotswolds. Things would then get progressively lumpier on day two – starting out with the hills of Gloucestershire and Herefordshire, before crossing the border into Wales and enjoying the undulating lanes of the Wye Valley; our overnight camp spot for the second day would be close to Welshpool, well into north...

Sometimes it is fun to throw a ball and see where it lands. To drop a pin on the map and see if you can get there under your own steam. It has been a while since I have done a real long ride, but the ' Long Road North'  – from Portsmouth to Manchester was designed to be a bit of fun, with a healthy dose of trepidation. The planned route totalled 377 kilometres, from the South Coast to The North. On my previous multi-week tours, I have known that 240 kilometres a day on a fully loaded touring bike is about my max; but that I have done 500+ in one hit on a lightweight setup on several occasions (check out the #BlackForest400 and #RideTheTrafalgarWay ). This ride was on the Kona Rove tourer, with panniers full of clothes and a laptop; that all made it a bit of an unknown on the timings and speed, but I thought I would give it a shot as a long day out… The maths and planning were simple. 04:30 wake up. 05:45 ferry. 06:15am start. Pedal for 16 hours. Hopefully, finish around ...

For the last five years, I have toured across the European continent on a Kona Rove Titanium or Kona Private Jake. The trans-continental rides—including 3000+ kilometre epics , have mostly been on asphalt or light gravel trails. This year, a new machine came to be—one intended to 'Go the Distance' on real off-road bikepacking adventures… meet 'The Sergeant'. The Sergeant is a 2020 Kona Sutra Ltd. He earns his badge because I view this bike as a beefier, more outbound version of the fantastic Kona Private Jake —still my favourite bike to be built and ridden to date. This bike though, is the next rank above… With its army green paintwork and Reynolds steel tubing, the Sutra LTD is a bombproof adventurer. It will take 2.15 29er tyres for comfort and grip, and the 36x42T gearing is enough for the steepest dirt road passes. With mounting bosses across the frame and fork, there should be more than enough scope for laden luggage carrying too. 'The Sergeant' is...

It has been on my Bucket List for as long as I can remember... the birthplace of bikepacking, and the most iconic dirt road touring route in the world. I have decided that 2020 will be the year that I take on the Tour Divide — 2745 miles with 50,000 metres of climbing; from Canada to Mexico, off-road down the length of the Rockies. To date, my unsupported tours across the European continent have been beautiful eye-opening experiences; from the highest peaks of the Dolomites and Pyrenees, to the sub-zero fjords of Norway and rugged coastline of Scotland. These trips have taken me to amazing and unique places. #7Countries7Passes — #CelticCrossTrail — #XPDTN3Dolomites Yet, ever since I first strapped panniers to a £50 steel road bike and went touring through the mountains of the Pyrenees and French Alps more than a decade ago, I have dreamed of riding the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route — it is one of the most diverse and challenging cycling routes in the world. The dream o...

The idea for the Celtic CrossTrail tour evolved from a desire to see unexplored areas of the British Isles. An aspiration to draw lines and make tracks: through the Scottish Highlands and North West Coast; down Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way, and through the great Welsh mountain parks. Ideas became lines on a map, and those lines evolved into a route plan and a rough itinerary. Before long, a 2000 kilometre tour took shape; a journey that for me would pioneer a passage through unchartered territory. In late spring, whilst having lunch with a good friend, he listened to the idea and became equally enthralled and captivated. So, we set dates, booked flights, organised kit, and upped the mileage in anticipation of an 11 day tour covering the length and breadth of the British Isles — the #CelticCrossTrail was born. A mid-August departure date was set, and we were prepared with kit, bikes, and equipment from some of the world's leading brands (take a look at my kit set-up here...