Life In The Saddle

The #NorthWestRoad is a three day micro-bikepacking adventure. Starting in Lymington on the South Coast, it will take in the English regions of the Cotswolds and Gloucestershire hills, before heading into Wales through the Wye Valley and up to the Shropshire Hills; the micro-adventure ride will then finish in the city of Manchester. The route promises to be varied and challenging route, with daily mileages in the region of 180 kilometres—mostly on small country lanes and B-roads. This is the kit that I have personally selected for this micro-adventure bikepacking tour... Luggage and Camping Kit Arkel Orca 25 Small Waterproof Panniers Prototype Frame-bag BTR Waterproof Wedge Saddlebag BTR Deluxe Pannier Rack Top Bag Nordisk Telemark 1 LW Lightweight Tent Rab Neutrino 400 Down Sleeping Bag Vaude Performance Sleeping Pad Rab Incline Light Lightweight Casual Shorts Rab Infinity Microlight Down Jacket GripGrab Merino Tee Polygiene PackTowl Microfibre Towel OverBoard Waterproof Bags  ...

Camping and cycle touring or bikepacking are the perfect ways to explore this summer—offering a sustainable, hassle-free, and low-cost adventure.  From my experience on past bikepacking tours and camping trips, I have compiled this list of my Top 10 products for both outdoor pursuits. It is a mix of compact gadgets and more luxurious accessories—all of which can help make your camping experience that much more enjoyable.  1 – Voited CloudTouch Camp Blanket  This is the ultimate camp blanket—if I had one as a Scout, I would have been the envy of the entire troop. It is insulated, water and stain resistance, machine washable, and made from 100 percent recycled plastic bottles.  The CloudTouch 4-in-1 PillowBlanket is a luxurious outdoor blanket that is built to last. It uses recycled 50D Ripstop REPREVE® on one side, and luxurious CloudTouch™on the other. CloudTouch™ is a 100 percent recycled high-loft insulation fabric that is soft and fluffy, with the feel of real wo...

Commuting by bike shouldn't be stressful, but an easy way to make it so, is getting your valuables soaked whilst riding. A fully waterproof cycling backpack is the simple solution — the Overboard Bags Velodry 20 is an innovative and well made example. I have tested a number of products from Overboard over the last year; including their superb 60L Pro-Sports Waterproof Duffel Bag and their very useful Waterproof Accessory Bags . The quality has always been high, and with the Pro-Sports Duffel bag in particular I was very impressed by the attention to detail in areas such as pocketing and reflective elements. The new Velodry 20 Waterproof Backpack is part of the brand's new 'Technical' line-up; it is an advanced product, showcasing a lot of R&D into the features demanded by an all-weather commuting cyclist. This is not just a water-resistant backpack, or a backpack with a waterproof cover; it is a fully submersible capsule bag, which is completely watertight ...

For the past three years I have written quite extensive lists of stocking filler ideas for cyclists ( check them out here ); but this year I decided to try and narrow it down to a 'Lucky 7' picks. Here are my wheely great little gift ideas of 2018... (1) Victorinox SwissCard Lite After trying the Victorinox Bike Tool earlier this year I was keen to see what other gadgets the swiss brand had that would be suitable for a cyclist's jersey pocket. The SwissCard is a great little tool, which would easily slip into a rider's 'Every Ride Carry' and provide them with an extensive range of useful pocket tools: including a pen, mini knife, scissors, torch, screwdrivers, and tweezers. Of course it has the predictable faultless quality from Victorinox, which should mean that it lasts a lifetime. >> Shop the Victorinox SwissCard Lite here  << (2) Velopac RidePac Cyclocross The Velopac ( first reviewed on the blog here ) has become my favourite ri...

Transporting kit for any kind of outdoor sports pursuit can be a headache; you have so many component pieces, many of which can be valuable and fragile. A waterproof and robust luggage solution can take a lot of unnecessary stress out of travelling; the Overboard Bags Pro-Sports 60 Litre Waterproof Duffel Bag is a great option. The Pro-Sports design from Overboard Bags has become my preferred choice of waterproof roll-top duffel bag, because of its plethora of features and cleverly thought out design. The holdall is made from tough and hardwearing waterproof PVC — the fully welded seams and a roll/fold-top closure system then mean it attains a 100% waterproof certificate — ranked IP66 on waterproofing tests (which means it is submersible). Having a bag that is fully waterproof is a great comfort; you can rest easy knowing that even if it is thrown in the back of a pick-up truck, or left out in the rain on the runway of an airport, then the contents will be kept safe and dry. Un...