Bike Camping Cycling stuff Clothing Catering Miscellaneous Suppliers
GEAR
Having had a vague plan in my head for several
years I'd read quite a few 'lists' on the Internet and collected
almost all I might need (and some more!) in the way of equipment. This
approach also meant that everything of importance had been tried and tested
to a certain degree before setting off.
Buying good quality gear might be a downer for
your bank account but it should last a lot longer than just one trip and
the rest of the family can also use it later too!
Despite having toured a little before I did make the common mistake of taking too many clothes, but soon realised my error and posted most of them home again!
Clothing was taken to cover most eventualities from 0C to 30+, rain and shine.(No ball gowns!) Bike spares incl. appropriate spokes, cassette removal tool, one spare tube and brake blocks. As it turned out all of these could have been obtained as required. Along the way I also bought a set of pedals as one of mine worked loose on the spindle (but never failed) and replaced the rear brake blocks (longer lasting than the original ones). I only had 2 punctures in 3707km of riding.
Bike Camping Cycling stuff Clothing Catering Miscellaneous Suppliers
BIKE: Thorn Nomad (Reynolds 531ST) with Panaracer Hi-Road tyres on Sun Rhyno 26 rims, Brooks Pro S saddle, brahma handlebars (like one piece straight-bars with bar-ends) 24 gears with STI shifters, V-brakes, Blackburn rear rack and cheap low-riders. LED rear light and dynamo front. 2 water bottles. Standard pedals, toe straps. An excellent, robust, comfortable and steady bike.
CAMPING GEAR
Saunders Spacepacker tent, shorter than spec.
and prone to condensation but robust and easy to erect single-handed. Therma
Rest Lite full length - very comfy! Softie Snugpack sleeping bag &
silk liner - very good. Candle Lantern and spare candle very good.
MISCELLANEOUS
Tiny teddy bear and toy sheep! Pics of family
and home. Small SW radio, sewing & tent repair, mobile phone &
charger, washing powder & pegs, compass, personal alarm, Maglite torch
& headband, spare batteries(radio/torch) gaffer tape/cable ties, spare
keys, superglue, lock, cable, bungees, straps, paracord, spare
keys for lock etc!
Tips
A4 page with pics of family, intended route ect.
for explaining who you are, what you're doing etc.
Polypropylene sacks for luggage (light, very
robust and anonymous looking - put all your panniers in and close with
zip tie to keep curious fingers at a distance. Obviously bags/zip tie can
be cut but the whole package looks very 'unattractive'. Useful when checking
in luggage on planes etc too keeping straps & buckles from snagging
on conveyor belts etc.)
Zip-Loc bags for keeping small things very dry.
Give extra keys and copies of insurance details,
emergency phone numbers to travel companion. Alternatively keep them well
protected and seperate from the originals in another bag
CLOTHING
Sprayway rain jacket (not cycle specific), cheap
non-specific rain trousers, Shimano cycling shoes (Simple laceup model,
ordinary looking, easy to walk in), Teva sandals, fleece jacket,
Helly Hansen winter weight top (roll down neck and short front zip), Coolmax
T shirts - easy to wash and dry, Troll trousers, Supplex shorts,
3prs cycling shorts, cycling leggings, underclothes. Silk pyjamas
- excellent! Gore-Tex Windstopper shoe covers zip broke, general disintegration.
Thin Helly Hansen gloves and a Buff (wonderful!)
Tip
Parrot windproof Zata-lite vest also known as
a gillet a very useful piece of cycling clothing. Windproof front, mesh
back, pockets where pockets are on cycle jerseys. Takes very little space,
keeps body warm, gives you the pockets your T-shirts don't have!
CATERING
Primus MFS stove runs on gas, and almost any
other liquid fuel. A bit fiddly at first but seemed very reliable. Trangia
Duosal frying pan and saucepan, small Trangia kettle. Puritabs, Ortleib
4l roll-up water container, cutlery, enamel mug, small plastic bowl
Tip. A small round or square piece of ply-wood
that acts as plate, chopping board, stove/pot stand, flame fanner and many
other uses.
CYCLING BITS
Helmet, reflective vest, puncture kit, adjustable
6 spanner, very small screwdriver, penknife, Top-Peak multitool, tyre-levers,
cassette tool, 2 cone wrenches, cable cutters/pliers. Spare brake blocks,
inner tube, spokes, brake & gear cable. Hand cleaner, lube, light
bulbs, assorted nuts/bolts/washers.
Gear carried in Karrimor (rear), Agu Sport (front) panniers and Karrimor bar-bag. None sealed and all leaked but plastic bags inside did not! Tent strapped to rear carrier.